Quantcast
Jazz fest readies last waltz for ‘little village’ – Metro US

Jazz fest readies last waltz for ‘little village’

Organizers of the TD Halifax Jazz Festival are giving a last waltz to their “little village.”

This will be the last year the Jazz fest will set up tents at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street in July. The city will begin construction of a new central library on the site in the fall, leaving the Jazz fest homeless.

“The organization is committed to capturing the spirit and dynamism in another location next year but we’re not yet prepared to announce just where that might be,” Chris Elson, president of the Jazz East Rising Association, told reporters yesterday.

In an interview, Elson said they are looking at several possibilities throughout the HRM.

“We’re exited about them and it will involve some changes but we want to maintain the same spirit and the village quality,” he said. “I don’t think we should rule anything out at this point.”

But there are memories associated with this site, Elson added, and it will be missed.

The move is the focus of this year’s theme: The last waltz. The lineup represents the eclectic music that has appeared on that stage over the past 13 years.

Events are not confined to the tents either: There will be contemporary-classical crossover music at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, workshops at different locations throughout the city, and late night jazz sessions in local pubs.

The Jazz fest also has a new name this year. Elson said they added the “Halifax” because they felt they needed to identify more with the city.

About 65,000 attend the week-long festival and this year it will feature 450 local, national and international performers.

Tickets go on sale today at noon and find information on the festival at www.halifaxjazzfestival.ca.

Some highlights of TD Halifax Jazz fest

July 9-17
• Opening night kicks off with hip-hop trio De La Soul.
• Acoustic and electric guitarist Alpha Yaya Diallo performs on July 12.
• Toronto’s Molly Johnson sings sultry classics on July 13.
• Tel-Aviv band Boom Pam will get the crowd dancing on July 15.
• Fool’s Gold, described as “Afro-Hebrew-soul-pop-dance,” will go on stage on July 16.
• Halifax’s Afro Musica and Salsa Picante will wind things up with a bang on July 17.