Bob Dylan will headline this year’s Montreal International Jazz Festival with a lineup that brings together both classic and emerging artists.
The festival, one of the key events on the jazz calendar, will take place from June 28 to July 8 with Dylan playing June 30 in the 20,000-strong Bell Centre arena.
While Dylan is one of the legends of folk and pioneers of rock, he has explored the jazz roots of pop with three straight albums that interpret classic songs.
The lineup will be “eclectic and rich in styles and cultures” with artists from 17 nationalities and all continents, festival CEO Jacques-Andre Dupont said.
Other prominent acts include English progressive rock pioneers King Crimson, Philadelphia soul greats The O’Jays, storied funk singer Charles Bradley, rapper Joey Bada$$ and experimental electronic artist Squarepusher.
Wax Taylor, the French DJ known for his trip-hop with electronic and jazz influences, will present from his latest album By Any Beats Necessary with video projections.
The festival will give a prime spot to local rising star Charlotte Cardin, with the 22-year-old performing three straight nights as she sings to the warmth of a piano with electro-pop touches.
The festival will bring jazz greats including Charles Lloyd, John Pizzarelli and Stanley Clarke and the fusion group Pink Martini as well as newcomer Kandace Springs, a singer and pianist from Tennessee championed by the late Prince.
La La Land, the Hollywood revival musical, will also figure at the festival with the city’s Orchestra Metropolitan playing the score to a screening.
In a new feature, the festival will launch a series called Re:Creation in which artists including the Montreal pianist Jean-Michel Blais reinterpret other works.
