Day One of the 30th Anniversary Guelph Jazz Festival features three exceptional ticketed concerts: 4pm, Silvervest, the Montreal duo of Kim Zombik (voice) and Nicolas Caloia (double bass), artBar (formerly the Ebar), 37 Quebec Street Upper; 8pm, [Ahmed], the European quartet whose collective improvisations reimagine the oeuvre of Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Studio Theatre, River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich St.; and, at 10pm, Lina Allemano Four, featuring four of Canada’s most seasoned jazz musicians playing Allemano’s finely wrought book of compositions, also at the artBar. Tickets are still available for these shows online through the River Run Centre box office, or at the door.
Furthermore, this morning the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) will host the first events as part of the 2023 GJF Colloquium, “The Third Decade: Forging a Legacy of Improvisation at the Guelph Jazz Festival.” This event celebrates and reflects on the thirty-year history of the GJF with four panels over two days. The first two of these events take place this morning: at 9am, “The Future of Jazz in Guelph”: Artists and scholars discuss their relationship with the GJF and what they imagine for the future, with Nick Fraser, Karen Ng, Joe Sorbara; and at 10:30am, “Writing Jazz”: Journalists discuss their relationship with the GJF and the role it has played in the musical landscape in Canada and around the world, with Stuart Broomer, Sara Villa, Josef Woodard. Colloquium events are free to attend, and this morning’s take place at ImprovLab, Room 108, MacKinnon Building, University of Guelph.
Enjoy Day One of the 2023 GJF, and see you at these events!