Off Festival de Jazz spotlights the locals

Subtle Lip Can

The 13th edition of the Off Festival de Jazz swings in today with a Joe Sullivan Big Band bash, and continues rolling until Oct. 12, closing with a 15-musician conduction led by William Parker, replacing the ailing Lawrence “Butch” Morris. Since the festival lays out on Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 8 and 9), that means the 25 concerts are diffused over seven days.

The Off Fest has evolved significantly since its inception. Originally a summertime series in direct competition with the monster Montreal International Jazz Festival, it was conceived as a protest of the latter’s lack of local programming. Off Fest changed its tack in 2010, spreading the jazz calendar into the autumn months.

There is also a new president, Lévy Bourbonnais, taking over from Christophe Papadimitriou, who served five years. Despite these shifts, the philosophy remains the same since the first downbeat in 2000: to celebrate all jazz genres from swing to noise, seeking a mix of emerging and established artists, and above all, highlighting Montreal talent while inviting international stars to participate in carefully curated events.

This year’s sets are dispersed over six venues, from Upstairs in the west to the Lion d’Or out east, but they are staggered in such a way that, with quick shuffling, one can catch almost all the shows. Here are some highlights:

Butch Morris is synonymous with conduction, having originated the idiom in 1985. The genre skirts the line between improvisation and composition, wherein the leader creates instant compositions via complex hand signals to the orchestra. Sadly, Morris’s recent brain tumor diagnosis forced Parker to be called in as a last-minute replacement. Jean Derome, Nicolas Caloia, Josh Zubot and Ellwood Epps are among those who will project healing vibrations. The methodology will be exposed through two open rehearsals, an educational opportunity not to be missed, followed by the concert.

Pianist Baptiste Trotignon jets in from France to augment a trio led by Rémi Bolduc. Trotignon was trained in classical music, picked up jazz on the fly and released several albums of his own compositions, with others featuring jazz takes on Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan. The pop may be left behind as the quartet is rounded out by Fraser Hollins and David Liang.

Montreal’s Subtle Lip Can and Pink Saliva are both trios specializing in improvised noise, contorting innocent-looking instruments like violins, guitars and trumpets to their extremes.  Torontonian Kyle Brenders has blown sax with Anthony Braxton, and his quartet with Steve Ward on trombone includes four vets of free jazz.

Jean Derome will pay tribute to Billy Strayhorn, the composer of “Take the A Train” and Duke Ellington’s longtime co-conspirator, with a quintet that includes vocalist Karen Young and pianist François Bourassa.

And last but not least, six of Montreal’s younger jazz combos are showcased daily at 5 p.m. at Diese Onze. ■

For the full schedule and details, go to the Off Festival de Jazz website