International Jazz Festival in Vancouver’s Gastown (Includes interview and first-hand account)

Along with regular ticketed concerts, workshops and educational programs there are many free jazz music related events in many outdoor venues around the city. One of them is called Jazz in Gastown.
Two stages, Steam Clock Square Stage (Water Street and Cambie) and Maple Tree Square Stage (Water Street and Carrall) separated some 400 metres from one another were set up in the oldest district of Vancouver.
When the concert is on one of them, the other stage is getting ready for the concert when waiting to finish on the first one. Then people walk to the other stage and the first one is getting ready for the next performance and in this way, people wander back and forth between the stages for few times a day and experience 5 groups of musicians who give free outdoor concerts.

Francois Bourassa Quartet, on Steam Clock Stage in Gastown, Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Joseph Boltrukiewicz

Two weekend days event introduces 10 jazz groups to the audience coming to Gastown, rain or shine. Last Saturday 5 groups were playing music at the two stages at Water Street, The Pugs and Crows Band, Sharon Minemoto Trio, Jasper Sloan Yip, Francois Bourassa Quartet and OKA that came all the way up from Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.

Australian OKA playing the fusion of world music tunes on electric didgeridoo, Maple Tree Stage in Gastown, Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Joseph Boltrukiewicz

Vancouver Jazz Festival is one of 16 leading jazz festivals worldwide. It includes famous jazz festivals both in Europe (Montreaux, Switzerland, Pori, Finland, North Sea Jazz Festival, Holland), and North America (Montreal, Canada, Monterey, USA).

Jasper Sloan Yip and their new bass playing member on stage at Maple Tree Square Stage in Gastown, Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Joseph Boltrukiewicz