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Montreal Jazz Festival: Party time under a jazzy moon!

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  • Montreal Jazz Festival: Party time under a jazzy moon!

    Party time under a jazzy moon! - Free shows at the 25th anniversary
    of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

    Canada Newswire
    June 4 2004

    MONTREAL, June 3 /CNW Telbec/ - There's only about three weeks left
    until the start of the 25th edition of the Festival International
    de Jazz de Montréal, the biggest celebration of music anywhere on
    Earth. And more than a few hearts are already fluttering at the
    prospect of the good times and great sounds that have been filling
    the streets of downtown Montreal every summer since 1980. The Gods of
    Music, it seems, are already smiling down on us, judging from this
    year's line-up, which includes not one, but four free mega-shows,
    plus a few unprecedented "concept" events, some of them on free outdoor
    stages; others in concert halls. We admit it: we deliberately conspired
    to spoil everyone during this anniversary year by laying out the most
    generous smorgasbord of ear-candy ever. We owe it to you, because
    it's Montrealers' pride in their festival-and their inexhaustible
    party spirit-that have made this annual event such a huge success
    over the years, That's why we promised ourselves that never shall
    this "City of Festivals" have lived up to its name so well as this
    year. We're expecting about 2 million visitors, coming from just about
    everywhere on the planet, so we've added an extra day to the fest,
    which will be running for 12 days and 12 nights between June 30 and
    July 11, 2004. And we've even thrown in a pre-opening show on June 29,
    the 25th Anniversary Gala Concert at the Bell Centre, featuring Diana
    Krall and a few invited guests, not least of whom is Diana's husband,
    Elvis Costello.

    We should mention here that after being named as among the country's
    eight biggest tourist destinations by Attractions Canada, the Festival
    International de Jazz de Montréal is also being honored this very
    week with the issue of a 25th anniversary commemorative stamp by
    Canada Post. If nothing else, the stamp attests to the fact that our
    distinctively Montreal happening has taken its place as an event as
    much part of our national fabric as the maple leaf itself.

    Ever grateful for the support of our perennial partners, the Festival
    International de Jazz de Montréal takes this first opportunity to
    thank General Motors of Canada, main sponsor and official presenter of
    the event. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Labatt Breweries,
    co-presenter and second biggest sponsor, for working so hard to make
    our 25th anniversary year what promises to be the very best ever. We're
    also very happy indeed to be welcoming two major new sponsors to
    this year's Festival: Loto Québec and TD Canada Trust. And many,
    many thanks to Bell, who has significantly raised its contribution
    to the event over the next three years.

    Get down in the downtown

    It's any day now that music will be wafting through the downtown
    streets like a warm summer's breeze. And any day now that thousands
    of music-makers invited from Canada and 20 countries abroad will be
    transforming the quadrangle bordering Place des Arts into a gigantic
    laboratory of sound. Altogether, there'll be no fewer than 380 free
    concerts on 10 outdoor stages, divided into 30 distinct series, not
    counting the hundreds of street performers, Dixieland bands and the
    like who'll be mingling with the crowds. It's their job to make sure
    that the Festival's free activities are plenty of fun for everyone,
    and that lesser-known musicians get the chance to strut their stuff
    to the crowds. All in all, get set for lots of musical surprises and
    lots of old friends, when festivalgoers from all walks of life get
    together to enjoy the unique international language of music that
    transcends all differences between them.

    Les Performances General Motors is the focal series of the Festival,
    taking place at 9 and 11 p.m. on the Scène General Motors. Among the 10
    concerts scheduled, most notable perhaps is the Besh o Drom ensemble
    from Hungary, who've brought traditional Hungarian music into the
    20th Century with a decidedly groove-oriented beat and a flair for
    jazz improvisation befitting of the year 2004. Also appearing will be
    the Suzie Arioli Band, headed by dynamic Suzie herself and faithful
    companion Jordan Officer, serving up a sampler from their latest CD
    That's for Me. A talented and energetic Montrealer of Brazilian origin,
    Monica Freire, is back by popular demand, and don't anyone miss the
    compelling Bettye Lavette, either, an inexplicably overlooked singer
    of soul music.

    Taking place on the same stage at 6 p.m. will be the Gammes General
    Motors series, offering a varied menu of extremely accomplished
    artists. Among others, festivalgoers can enjoy the overflowing
    imaginations and contagious energy of the Orkestre des Pas perdus,
    or perhaps listen in to the Effendi Jazz Lab event, featuring Effendi
    recording artists. Also present will be the 2003 winner of the Grand
    Prix de Jazz General Motors, Ontario native Nancy Walker, who's back
    with new material imbued with lavish shades of swing, bop and bossa
    nova. It's from among those appearing in this series that the winner
    of the cross-Canada Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors contest will be
    selected on Saturday, July 10 at 6 p.m, Altogether, it's a veritable
    showcase of Canadian talent, and not to be missed. Another prize up
    for grabs is from Radio Canada's Galaxie network, who'll be awarding
    the Prix Etoiles Galaxie de Radio Canada, as well as a cash prize,
    to the composer of the best original song performed by any of the
    competing groups. All contestants are clearly identified in your
    programming guide, and it's a great way to find out what's shaking
    on the Canadian jazz scene.

    At the ever-popular scène Labatt Bleue in the Parc Fred Barry,
    Les soirées Labatt Bleue will be catering to die-hard blues lovers
    at 7 and 11 p.m. There will be young rock-blues singer-guitarist
    Jonas in his third Festival appearance, as well as Jean Millaire &
    Johnny Blue Band, whose leader wrote some of the greatest pages
    in Quebec musical history for Offenbach, Corbeau and Marjo. Among
    others on the program will be the one-and-only Stephen Barry Band,
    whose founder Steve is one of the principal proponents of blues on
    the Montreal scene. Come hear the energetic Henry & the Blue Kats,
    including terrific harp player Rick L. Blues, whose performance was
    truly outstanding last year on the same venue.

    Also at the venerable blues oasis, this time at 11 p.m. will be the
    Spectacles Labatt Bleue series, spotlighting groups from abroad,
    and kicking off with 60s icon Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, but in
    21st Century mode. On stage, as well, will be the New York guitarist
    and harmonica player Jon Paris (former bass man to Johnny Winter) who
    was a major hit at the 2000 fest. An aboriginal group from northern
    Ontario, The Pappy John's Band, will star Murray Porter in his first
    festival visit. Old blues hands Johnny Jones & The Groove Dudes will
    be warming up the planks too, and, as in previous years, each of the
    acts that happen on the scène Labatt Bleue will be repeated just a
    bit later, at half-past-midnight, free of charge, in the Spectrum.

    All states of the Art of Jazz will be represented at the Carrefour
    General Motors on the corner of Jeanne Mance and de Maisonneuve at
    6:30 p.m. Be there to hear Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, who'll
    doubtless leave us all gasping for air as he did last year. Come
    hear Buster ("machine gun") B. Jones, the amazing 14-year-old
    guitarist Brooksie Robinson, or Don Ross, who some consider to be
    THE Canadian guitarist of our time. The extraordinary guitarist from
    Madagascar D'Gary will begin with a solo performance and return for
    a 9-o'clock show, in trio form on the same stage for the second half
    of the evening, which constitutes the Contact General Motors series,
    focusing on the international relatives of jazz music. Visitors will
    be treated to the astounding sounds of 'voodoo jazz' by thrilling
    Haitian saxophonist Buyu Ambroise, plus the super-charged world-jazz
    sounds of the Hadouk Trio in their first North American performance. It
    will also be your chance to hear the uplifting Armenian ensemble of
    Souren Baronian's Taksim and the Canadian singer of Indian origin
    Kiran Ahluwalia, whose most recent recording earlier this year won
    her the Juno Award for Best Canadian World Music album.

    Happening at the Club Jazz TD Canada Trust (ensconced in Parc Hydro
    Québec), the Jazz TD Canada Trust series will be sticking to its
    double-show format, with 7 o'clock shows reprised at 10 p.m. Several
    masters of their trade will appear, including Karl Jannuska, a drummer
    from Montreal now living in France, presenting a stage adaptation
    of his album Liberating Vines, a jewel of modern jazz-very rhythmic
    and served up in quartet form. Pierre de Bethman, accompanied by the
    Ilume Quintet is equal parts pianist and groover-in-sweetheart-mode,
    a fine interaction of energy and harmony. Also appearing in the series
    will be the Bill Mahar Quintet, who've played almost every edition of
    the Festival since the beginning. On stage with the Streetnix, here's
    an opportunity to see how Bill holds it all together as band-leader.

    Rendez-vous Loto Québec is a new series to be presented between 8
    and 10 p.m. at the Scène Loto Québec, directly on de Maisonneuve.
    Appearing will be Les Moonlight Girls, a terrific female trio from
    Montreal who'll pay musical tribute to the Andrews Sisters, who
    dominated popular music from the 30s to the 50s. Ontario native Matt
    Dusk renounced what might have been an operatic career to become one
    of the most highly visible crooners in the country (and at just 24
    years of age!) so this is where to be for standards fans. With a name
    like Primitifs du futur, be forewarned when the 5 young Frenchmen
    mix up world-musette, Django-esque guitars and old-style renditions
    of newer pieces.

    The Tropiques Bleue Légère series happens at 7:30 p.m. at the Scène
    Bleue Légère (Parc des Festivals, on the corner of Bleury and de
    Maisonneuve). International acts will be the order of the day,
    including Franck Biyong & Massak, ex-member of the Sawt el Atlas
    multinational Afro-beat project that follows in the footsteps of
    Fela. Mexican group Los de Abajo is finally making a visit to the
    Festival, with a refreshing musical cocktail that combines traditional
    Mexican strains with Afro-Latin rhythms and rap: music to dance to. A
    Moroccan now living in New York, Hassan Hakmoun was schooled in the
    trance gnawa belief system, but sprinkles his music with funk, pop
    and electronic. And Kofo the Wonderman lives up to his name. He's
    been banging his talking drum around the Big Apple for years, in
    the authentic juju style of King Sunny Adé. He's also got a way with
    Afro-funk and Yoruba traditional chants.

    At 10 p.m., once again this year we'll be presenting the Groove Bleue
    Légère series at the Scène Bleue Légère, where fascinating rhythm
    takes center stage. Afrodizz, for example are Montrealers who also
    take their cue from Fela, bringing Afrobeat to the 21st Century with
    a decidedly funky lilt. Their new album Kif Kif is being released by
    the British label Freestyle. Come hear Yerba Buena, a vast groove
    factory including 9 musicians directed by guitarist Andres Levin
    that blends Latin rhythm, Cuban religious music, American soul and
    Afro-beat. Buscemi, hailing from Belgium, is known for the trip-hop
    of their CDs, but on stage they take on a contagious, super-charged,
    up-tempo house beat.

    Soirées Jazzy Bell is presented at 8 and 10 p.m. at the new Scène Bell,
    just at the entrance of the complexe Desjardins. The series features a
    collection of brilliant artists, starting with fabulous Jimmy Bowskill.
    Accompanied by harp player Jerome Godboo, Jimmy's an old soul in the
    body of a teenager, who sings blues like he's actually been around
    long enough to live it. (Jimmy riveted crowds in the same locale
    last year, so watch out.) Next comes Dessy Di Lauro who's worked
    with Dubmatique, Ginette Reno and Cirque du Soleil. Accompanied by
    pianist Ric'Key Pageot, Dessy offers up a synthesis of soul and jazz,
    with Brazilian undertones. The ensemble Tortured Soul is rarely heard
    in trio form with such an awesome sound and has been compared to the
    groove of The New Deal and Jamiroquai. Come for the fine party fare.

    The Brunantes series takes place at 8 and 10 p.m. on the Scène
    du Festival, directly on the Esplanade of Place des Arts. It's a
    mixed program, featuring acts such as Without Words, whose bassist
    Karine Chapdelaine, you may remember, won the Galaxie Award at last
    year's Festival for best original composition, entitled Prisoner of
    a Dream. Inspired by the celebrated Hot Club de France that sprung
    up just after the war, Hot Club de ma rue recently took Montreal by
    storm with a cool blend of easy swing and gypsy-style jazz reminiscent
    of Django. Lastly is a South-Korean group, the Jae Chung & Ben Ball
    Ensemble. Chung is guitarist and Ball the drummer, for jazz in a
    traditional setting.

    The Movado Jams Sessions will take place in the Hyatt Regency
    Montréal hotel, in the Salon Jeanne Mance, Foyer Level. This one's
    for night owls, because every night at 11 p.m., for the duration of
    the Festival, Thuryn von Pranke will take to the ivories, Frédéric
    Alarie to his specially designed double bass and Muhammad to his
    drum set. Be there for the real thing, because musicians appearing
    elsewhere in the Festival will be stopping by for some late-night
    improv. Don't forget that the Friends of the Festival Card gives
    you priority access to the Movado Jam Sessions, because seating is
    restricted and limited to those 18 years and over.

    The Nightcap series is new this year and completely free of charge,
    taking place at 11:30 p.m. on stage in the Savoy at the Metropolis.
    The series features the Trio Pulse Nu Jazz Session with Dan Thouin
    on keyboards, Max Sansalone on drums and Adrian Vedady on double
    bass. It's where to be on a real late-nighter, when these three
    veterans jazz up a storm.

    It all starts at noon!

    They say midnight's the magic hour, and that's true, but when
    you've only got 12 days for your Festival, you'll want to start
    early. Nothing goes better with lunch than jazz, anyway, so stop
    by for the always-popular Les midis complexe Desjardins. Jitterbug
    Swing is back to inaugurate the series at the Grande-Place du
    complexe Desjardins, and make sure to hear the Canadian guitarist of
    Brazilian origin, Celso Machado, who uses various parts of his body
    and voice to produce guttural sounds that mimic the calls of various
    animals. Story-teller and multi-instrumentalist David Amram, 74, has
    rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jack Kerouac and Charlie Parker,
    and was once guest conductor to no fewer than 17 symphony orchestras at
    the same time. The charming, multi-faceted artist will be landing on
    Planet Jazz this time though, in the Contact General Motors series at
    9 p.m. While you're there, discover jazz innovator Lubo Alexandrov's
    Kaba Horo, whose leader is of Bulgarian origin and the only guitarist
    in Canada to play classical guitar without frets, like a violin.

    The Petite Ecole du Jazz is applying the same formula as in previous
    years, taking place from July 1 to 11. Come watch the Bande Magnetik,
    the musicians of James Gelfand and the inimitable Jacques L'Heureux
    apply their technique for teaching music to young people. Gathering
    outside the complexe Desjardins at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., be there as
    they introduce basic notions of music to children, in an environment
    conducive to fun and learning, with our Ste Cat mascot never far away.

    Dixieland bands have been a Festival institution right from the
    beginning, one of those signature details that gives the site its
    particular ambiance and notifies festivalgoers that the party's
    underway. So they'll be back again, naturally, bringing afternoon
    sunshine to the site with summery sounds you can enjoy at the
    Terrasse Grand Marnier during the Les midis Grand Marnier, at
    noon, 1 p.m and during the 7 à 8 Grand Marnier, from 7 to 10 p.m.
    This irresistible music can also be heard at the new scène Bell for
    the Les Après midis Jazz, at 4 p.m., or during the Les 5 à 7 series
    (at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.) at the Scène du Festival on the Esplanade at
    Place des Arts. You'll also want to hear some of the young musicians
    from various school bands who'll be appearing in the always-popular
    Les découvertes General Motors, at the Scène General Motors.

    And that's still not all!

    None of the above includes the approximately 150 interior concerts
    or the 113 musical groups who'll be appearing in surrounding bars
    and night clubs as part of the Nuits de Montréal dimension of
    the Festival. Nor have we spoken at length about the incredible 4
    free outdoor mega-shows we've organized for this spectacular 25th
    anniversary edition. Starting with the Grande fête d'ouverture,
    presented by Loto Québec and Bell to celebrate 10 years since the fall
    of apartheid, the mega-show stars some of the greatest acts ever to
    emerge from South Africa: Johnny Clegg and Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
    joined by Montrealer of South-African origin, Lorraine Klaasen,
    and staged by journalist Lucie Pagé. It's all happening on June
    30 on the Scène General Motors. And it'll be just as hot for the
    Evénement spécial Labatt Bleue "Fête du Soul", celebrating American
    Independence Day with the Funk Brothers, Joan Osborne, Sam Moore and
    Jacksoul on July 4 at the corner of St. Urbain and de Maisonneuve. The
    Soirée commémorative du 25e anniversaire (July 10) will be a perfect
    opportunity for a picnic with the family at Place des Nations on
    Ile Sainte Hélène. Be there when things start up at 6 p.m., with
    performances by the Streetnix, followed at 7 p.m. by Vic Vogel and his
    Big Band on stage, right where they were for the very first edition of
    the festival in 1980. (The very special evening is being sponsored by
    the Québec government in cooperation with the Parc Jean Drapeau.) On
    July 11 at the Grand Evénement General Motors, come celebrate the dual
    25th & 20th anniversaries of the Festival International de Jazz de
    Montréal and the Cirque du Soleil on the main stage of the site. We're
    calling it "Soleil de minuit" (Midnight Sun) and the mega-show will
    include Youssou N'Dour, Daniela Mercury, Jorane, les frères Diouf,
    les voix du Cirque, I Musici and an Afro Brazilian percussion ensemble.
    This entire free and spectacular show will be staged by Michel Lemieux
    and Victor Pilon, under the musical direction of Guy Dubuc and Marc
    Lessard. The huge street party will begin at 9 p.m. for a deferred
    transmission at 9:30 p.m. on CBC Television and the French-language
    network of Radio Canada. Giant screens on outdoor stages throughout
    the site will make sure everyone gets to see the action.

    The moon IS the spotlight at this year's Festival!

    Over the years, the moon has come to symbolize jazz, because both
    shine most brilliantly at night. This year, we've adopted the moon
    itself as the symbol for the 25th anniversary edition of the Festival
    International de Jazz de Montréal. You'll find her everywhere, on the
    signage that guides visitors from one stage to another, to restaurants,
    to the musical park and anywhere else they need to get to in the vast,
    downtown pedestrian quadrangle during the Festival's magical 12 days
    and nights. You'll even find the moon symbol on the pavement! There'll
    be banners, multi-colored lighting and an overall magic to the
    site. And if there are so many candles on this year's cake, we're
    sharing the honour with festival goers in a variety of ways, including
    plenty of novelties to keep the site fresh and happening. Be sure to
    travel the elevated pedestrian bridge from the Théâtre Maisonneuve,
    because at the southern extremity on Ste. Catherine Street, visitors
    can stop by the new Radio-Canada Studio to see extracts from the best
    moments in the history of the Festival or even participate in a live
    broadcast. Travelling north the length of St. Urbain Street, take a
    moment to re-live jazz fest memories through the poster collection
    we've installed there. At the end of the bridge, you'll find yourself
    in the Village du Festival, a civic area with its own Main Street and a
    message board strategically located where visitors can leave personal
    messages for one another. In the Village you'll also find benches,
    the ever-popular Bistro SAQ and Pub Stella Artois, plus restaurants
    and a music kiosk. The Village occupies the north-east corner of
    the Esplanade of Place des Arts and is the perfect complement to
    the overall festival site - a place for cultural intermingling, and
    most probably a good indicator of attendance. Make sure to plan it
    so kids can stay awhile at the Musical Park and the make-up booth,
    and don't forget to stop by the Festival's big souvenir stand.

    For the last several years, the Festival has mounted a popular
    Louisiana parade on the site. The very first edition even had the
    Dejean Olympia Brass Band direct from New Orleans. For this 25th
    anniversary, we're bringing back the tradition of the Parade du
    Festival with Swing Tonique, every day at 5:30 p.m., leaving from the
    Scène Bell at the entrance to complexe Desjardins and crossing the
    site through the Village du Festival to the Scène carrefour GM on de
    Maisonneuve. As we've mentioned, this year the Festival is welcoming
    a new sponsor, TD Canada Trust, who have lent their name to the Club
    Jazz in the Parc Hydro Quebec. And we're also welcoming the arrival
    of Loto Québec, whose contribution allowed us to add another stage
    behind Place des Arts, on de Maisonneuve boulevard, where the cream
    of jazz singers will be featured throughout this year's fest.

    Remember, as well, that our own 25th anniversary edition of the
    Festival is concurrent with two other auspicious birthdays. Because
    Place des Arts and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal will
    both be celebrating the respectable ages of 40 years, we've also
    taken the opportunity to honor those venerable institutions that
    have become so much the pride of Quebeckers over 4 decades. To
    underscore the many years of partnership between the Festival and
    those other major Quebec cultural institutions, stop by to see the
    free exhibition entitled "Collection du Festival," in the main hall
    of the museum, which includes originals of all the works reproduced
    for the Festival Gallery. The museum will be keeping its doors open
    until 10 p.m. every night, except Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, to make
    sure you can enjoy everything else the Musée d'art contemporain de
    Montréal has to offer. Entry is just $6. Also, in the main hall of the
    Salle Wilfrid Pelletier at Place des Arts, stop by to see a display
    of all posters created for the Festival since its very beginnings.
    The main corridor leading to Place des Arts will house an exhibition
    of the finest photographs taken at the Festival over these last 25
    years by the intrepid photographers of the La Presse daily newspaper.

    While you're on the site, make sure to visit the Festival Gallery in
    the north-west corner of the esplanade at Place des Arts, specializing
    in magnificent, limited-edition silk-screens signed by a number of
    fine artists. This year, look out for music does this, which our own
    multi-talented Lhasa has contributed to the Festival collection. Only
    300 signed and numbered copies will be available, but you'll also
    find a "new" work by world-renowned Quebec artist Jean Paul Riopelle,
    acquired by Festival founder Alain Simard in 1997. It's called Big
    Bang, Big Band which Riopelle's estate has generously allowed us to
    reproduce in a series of 75. All works are sold exclusively at the
    Festival Gallery, including a number of pieces by Yves Archambault,
    official illustrator for the Festival. Yves recently signed and
    numbered the 25th anniversary poster, where silhouettes of a singer
    and trumpet player together form the 25th anniversary numerals. Please
    remember that all proceeds from the sale of posters will go exclusively
    to financing the Festival's hundreds of free outdoor shows, because
    the Festival is - and shall remain - a non-profit organisation.

    Don't forget to stop by the Friends Tent, directly on Ste. Catherine
    Street, because it's there that you can pick up your Friends of the
    Festival Card to enjoy the many special services offered courtesy of
    General Motors. Card-holders will receive an entry form to the draw
    for a Grand Prize of a General Motors (first prize: GM vehicles),
    plus numerous daily treats, such as a free bottle of cold spring
    water, sun lotion, sitting-down massages or the loan of a cushion,
    for comfort where it counts during the Festival's outdoor shows. Also,
    if you attend any of the Pleins Feux series at Place des Arts, you'll
    receive a free non-alcoholic beverage while you're there. And you'll
    always have the satisfaction of knowing that for the mere $15 you paid
    for your Friends Card, you contributed directly to the financing of
    the Festival's 380 free shows on exterior stages. Remember: with your
    Friends Card, you'll also receive two $5-coupons redeemable against
    the purchases of a Souvenir album and a 25th Festival compilation CD,
    only on the festival site. Another distinct advantage of the card
    is that you gain priority access to the Movado Jam Sessions in the
    Salon Jeanne Mance at the Hyatt Regency Montréal Hotel, provided
    you're over 18 years of age.


    Bell Info Jazz Bell information services

    Answering all your questions

    The official Info-Jazz Bell Program contains just about everything
    you'll need to know to get the most from our gigantic celebration
    of jazz. Right there, in the very first pages, you'll get a concise
    grid that sets forth the entirety of this year's programming, plus a
    detailed map of the site. Thereafter follows a description of all the
    concerts offered this year, both indoors and out. In all, there are
    170 pages offering complete information concerning ticket purchases,
    souvenir kiosks and rest areas, the art gallery and the many free
    activities available at this year's fest.

    You can find your copy of the official Info-Jazz Bell program starting
    today at the Spectrum, in Place des Arts and, over the coming days,
    in all concert halls where shows will be taking place. Programs are
    also available in many SAQ outlets throughout the metropolitan area. We
    printed 200,000 copies, so you'll find plenty in downtown hotels and
    better-known record and bookstores in the downtown area. We've also
    printed 600,000 copies of the complete Info-Jazz Bell pamphlet in
    a practical, compact format, containing a complete schedule of all
    concerts. You'll find the pamphlet at most of the same locations as
    your program. Both programs and pamphlets are also readily available
    at the five Info Jazz Bell kiosks and at the Carrefour Info-Jazz Bell
    on the esplanade at Place des Arts.

    Grouped together under the name Info Jazz Bell, all information tools
    provided by the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal are easy
    to access for anyone who wants to get the most from our huge musical
    celebration. You can visit the Info Jazz Bell du Festival internet
    site at www.montrealjazzfest.com to print out the entire schedule of
    free concerts, if you like, or call the Bell Info-Jazz line at (514)
    871 1881 (for the Montreal region) or 1 888 515 0515, from anywhere
    else in Canada or the United States.

    A tourist service to help visitors organize trips to Montreal
    during the Festival is available through our partner Alio. A number
    of flexible package tours are also available, including airline
    tickets, affordable hotel accommodation and even a complete Festival
    Kit. Tourists can also find out about the huge variety of tourist
    activities in Montreal and Quebec through representatives of Tourisme
    Montréal and Tourisme Québec, who've set up tourist information kiosks
    throughout the Festival site.

    It's taken a quarter of a century for the Festival International de
    Jazz de Montréal to become what it is today, known around the world for
    its easy-going pace, party atmosphere and unparalleled programming. So
    for this 25th year, we sincerely hope everyone young and old will
    find their way to our jewel of a Festival. It's going to be one for
    the history books, and yours to enjoy between June 30 and July 11,
    2004. See you there!

    For further information: Media Information: Myriam
    Achard, Media Relations Director, (514) 523-3378, ext. 535,
    [email protected]; Marie Eve Boisvert, Press Attachée,
    (514) 523-3378, ext. 666, [email protected];
    Alain Des Ruisseaux, Press Attaché, (514) 523-3378, ext. 608,
    [email protected]; Public Information: Bell
    Info Jazz Line, (514) 871-1881 or toll free 1 (888) 515-0515,
    www.montrealjazzfest.com; Source: Festival International de Jazz de
    Montréal, (514) 523 3378
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