With one of the best lineups yet, the Ottawa International Jazz Festival is entering its final weekend, but there’s still time to check out some of the acts.
“The festival has been going great,” said festival spokeswoman Suzan Zilahi. “We had a record-breaking attendance on Canada Day — we had more than 80,000 people throughout the day — and two stages that were continually attended,” Zilahi said Thursday.
So far, SMV (Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten), Trombone Shorty and Al Green have been very popular, she said. “They were absolutely awesome. People are still talking about it.”
This weekend, “we still have some great acts,” Zilahi added.
On Friday, Claudia Acuna and Chucho Valdes will comprise the “Latin extravaganza” and “will have people dancing the night away,” Zilahi said. “It’s going to be an amazing night for Latin music.”
Al Di Meola is the big name for Saturday night, Zilahi said. “He’s a legendary, prolific guitarist,” she said.
On Sunday, Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band and the Charles Lloyd New Quartet are just some of the acts wrapping up the festival.
Between the shows at Confederation Park and the National Arts Centre and the late-night jam sessions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, “this year’s lineup is considered to be incredibly rich and having a depth to it,” said Zilahi.
“We definitely do have something for everyone.”
