Montreal's Awesome Free Jazz Schedule

07/02/09 4:38pm

by Erik Leijon (CHARTattack)

Montreal's own Patrick Watson is the biggest name on the impossibly long list of free shows at this year's Montreal International Jazz Festival after Motown icon Stevie Wonder, who opened the festival's 30th anniversary on Tuesday.

The 2007 Polaris Music Prize winners and current Polaris Music Prize long-listers will perform with guests Lhasa De Sela, Guy Nadon and a horn section on July 5 at 9 p.m. For those looking for music but unwilling/unable to spend their hard-earned coin, here are some of the best upcoming acts on the free stages:

Former Rubberman frontman and current shirtless, curly-haired wonder Jonas will break hearts and thrust his pelvis this Friday. The show is billed as a Back To Blues performance, which means the soulful vocalist will not perform his juvenile hit "Supersex Me." At least we hope not.

Washington, D.C.'s Wale, of the hottest rappers of the hour and biggest Seinfeld fan on the planet, will perform on Saturday (his home country's birthday) at 10 p.m. His 2008 Mixtape About Nothing — known for its healthy use of Seinfeld samples — earned him considerable hype and the services of Lady GaGa on his debut single for his upcoming Attention: Deficit record.

Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae is an upcoming music documentary about some of the more unheralded progenitors of reggae music, including Marcia Griffiths, Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole and Marley backup singer Judy Mowatt. The movie's world premiere will happen at Montreal's Musee D'Art Contemporain from July 4-12, and this Tuesday at 9 p.m. the aforementioned legends will perform the classics live.

Next Wednesday will feature a couple of shows worth checking out: Toronto flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook with The Rumba Foundation for a sure to be infectiously danceable set, and Parisian-Nigerian soul singer-songwriter Asa.

Bossa Nova jazz duo duo Bet.e & Stef were all the rage in Montreal a few years ago, and now vocalist Bet.e will fly solo on July 10 at 9 p.m. British funk-rockers The Heavy play that same night an hour later.

The sure-fire party starting Cuban Fiesta starring the Afro Cuban All-Stars and salsa band Los Van Van will close the festival on July 12.