The Toronto Jazz Festival kicked off today, returning to the city for its 39th year. The event is running in Yorkville until June 28th, offering 10 days of live music. Organizers said it would feature free performances from around the world.
The festival began with a New Orleans brass band, leaning into the deep roots of the genre as it got underway. It also opened with a marquee Black Music Month conversation. Together, the two set the tone for the program that follows over the coming days.
Over its run, the festival promises 10 days of live music, with free performances drawing artists from around the world. The Yorkville setting puts the music in one of the city's well-known neighbourhoods. The free shows are meant to open the festival up to a wide audience.
Those involved said the festival arrives just in time for what they described as a resurgence in jazz. They pointed to renewed interest and energy around the music. The 39th edition is positioned to tap into that momentum as audiences return.
A musician who has been part of the Toronto Jazz Festival for 15 years reflected on how much the genre has changed. He said jazz means and sounds very different today than it once did, even compared with when he started. There is no longer a single lane for the music, he said, pointing to a lot of cross-pollination between styles.
That blending, he said, now draws in hip-hop, R&B, soul and electronic music. The mix reflects how far jazz has expanded beyond its traditional boundaries. For the festival, it points to a program that spans a wide range of sounds across its 10 days in Yorkville.