St-Henri is popping this Saturday

Whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout, “you never been to the annual August Funk n’ Jazz Fest at the Terrasse St. Ambroise goin’ down this Saturday the 24th,” Willis?

And why, for that matter, am I imitating late child star Gary Coleman?

Neither of us has any good reason, but | gotta tell ya, this fourth edition of Funk n’ Jazz will be my third excursion, personally, and with great reason.

Organized by local bandleader, saxamaphonist extraordinaire — and, full disclosure, my good pal — Franco Proietti,  Fn’JF is one of the finest days of Montreal’s lazy, hazy, Gershwin-defying summers, every single time. (See photos from last year’s fest here.)

I’ve met Yelpers, yawpers, rappers and gawkers there, all flocked together under the terrasse’s red umbrellas to take in the best vibes and give back the festive, so much so that my built-in rhyme’s unintended. It’s not that the fest is under-attended — it isn’t. It’s more that it’s been lacking your presence. So get your hungover ass outta bed quick, have an on-premises BBQ breakfast and come reckon with a Saturday ya’ gotta bear witness to.

Sarah MK and her MK Project quintet set it off at 2 p.m., and that’s every reason in the world why you need to get there on time.

Chris Tauchner’s Quintessence – CTQ, to the vowel/phonetic-impaired – lay down the “afrofunkjazzlatinsoulspacegroove music!!” from 3:45 p.m.

Martin Petersen’s Certified Organic Jazz Quartet keep the jazz a’ funkin’ at 5:30 p.m.

Head rigger in charge Franco Proietti unleashes the Morph-Tet (just before dawn on their soon-to-be-daybreak-stopping !!!!!!!!  rekkid) in all its elastic glory over the fest from 7:15 p.m. Relentlessly ripping rhythm, ear-canal-adjusting brass and soul-splintering spittin’ guarantee to free your mind and let that ass of yours follow.

Follow that right into Canadian brass legend Dave Turner’s Earthtones, and ain’t nothing goin’ on but a party.

Accompanying the spectacle alongside the Lachine Canal, Deadly Venom Crew breakers put extra wind in the mill intermittently throughout the day.

Speaking of “throughout the day,” Fn’JF is a pay-what-you-can kinda throwdown, and filling the bucket will feel like a natural reaction to such a day’s due.

Children, always more than welcome, can this year get their faces painted up nice courtesy of dream-catcher and child activist Christina Phelps. I’d suggest your tot choose his or her favourite P-Funk member — but if I may add, any man, woman or child would look great as the late Starchild Gary Shider.

Here’s where you can hit the band this week.

Friday: Moog Audio, Cabaret Underworld and Neon jump off Rapture, a new hip hop monthly with Vincent Pryce, Montrilla, Mayday and the Shah gettin’ “dark, smokey and raw.”

Sunday: Local lights Bliss and Construct take the Guru stage at Piknic to a higher place. Denmark disco house trainers M.A.N.D.Y. with Philipp Jung headline the main stage, meanwhile.

Monday: Happy 30th, Wild Style – you’re still lookin’ fresh. Here’s a nod to anyone hitting NYC this weekend.

Tuesday: Selektahs Ghostbeard & Poirier give it up one more time for the science of summer nights with this season’s five-over-five outro version of summer dusk reggae party Sud-West, back at Terrasse St. Ambroise and again, surely a lazy, hazy homage to Montreal pre-fall. Free and just from 7 till 11 p.m. ■

 

@ShineCultMTL

shinecultmtl@gmail.com