Bob Dylan will make a much-anticipated stop in Montreal on June 30 as a headliner for the 38th edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival. It will be Dylan's second appearance at the festival; he first played there in 2007.
This year's festival, which will run from June 28 to July 8, will be host to 150 ticketed concerts, 14 themed series and 11 concert venues. The event is sponsored, in part, by the Toronto-Dominion Bank in collaboration with Rio Tinto, a multinational metals and mining corporation.
The festival's slate of events presents an eclectic array of singers, instrumentalists and ensembles, in both free outdoor shows and ticketed concerts (the free outdoor concerts will be announced May 30). Attractions also will include free family-oriented street-side shows, a children's play area with music-themed activities, and a wide array of eclectic dining and snack-food opportunities.
Bob Dylan will perform June 30 at the Bell Centre.
In addition to Dylan and his band, other stars of jazz, pop, soul and some idiosyncratic musical genres set to appear on the festival's stages will represent 17 countries, including Norway, Brazil, Armenia, New Zealand, the U.K., Cuba, Mali, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea, Argentina and Canada.
Among the best-known performers and the dates they will perform are legendary blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy (June 30), the flamenco/gypsy/rock artists the Gipsy Kings (July 1), clarinet virtuoso Kurt Rosenwinkel with the Bad Plus (July 1), jazz guitar master Bill Frisell (July 2), classic fusion rock group King Crimson (July 3), singers Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone (July 5), saxophonist Ravi Coltrane (July 6,7,8) and soul/funk stars the O'Jays and the Four Tops (July 6), and the cross-genre "little orchestra" Pink Martini (July 8).
Unlike in years past, when the festival offered commissionable plans at several city hotels that included lodging, souvenirs and limited access to some performance venues, this year's festival is featuring just one special lodging program that, for the first time, offers unlimited access for the duration of a three-night stay at three major music venues (Club Soda, Metropolis and L'Astral) for any of the ticketed concerts there.
The plan, called the Jazz Passport package, costs $650 per person and provides for accommodations at Hotel 10, a boutique property located at 10 Sherbrooke St. (close to Notre Dame Basilica as well as the site of the festival); breakfasts; priority access to free concerts at the Open House venue and Nightcap Heineken series; a carry bag with the festival logo; an official festival T-shirt; a reusable bottle with the logo; a fedora hat with the logo; and a guided tour of the site.
Other available packages are:
• A jazz dinner cruise aboard the Bateau-Mouche in the company of guitar virtuoso Paulo Ramos. The three-hour cruise is available June 28 to 30; boarding will begin at 7 p.m. from the Jacques Cartier Quay in the Old Port of Montreal, returning at 10 p.m. The cost is $115 per person, including the cruise, four-course meal, gratuities and show. For reservations, call (514) 849-9952 or (800) 361-9952 or visit bateaumouche.ca.
• Old Montreal VIP two-hour walking tour with a professional guide includes an interior visit to the Notre-Dame Basilica, and a walk through the historical borough from Place Jacque-Cartier through Notre-Dame and St. Paul Street and ending at Place Royale. The tour, whose price includes admission to the basilica and 50% off admission to the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum, is available daily during the festival, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $35.50 per person, plus taxes. Call (514) 844-4021 or (800) 363-4021.