Earlier this month, and for the first time since 2023, I headed north of the border to Canada for the Montréal Jazz Festival, which saw this year’s edition – the 45th – run from June 26 through July 5. As always, it proved itself to be the premier destination event of its kind in North America, due in no small part to the variety of the lineup and redefinition of just what the term “jazz” means.
The 2025 lineup boasted an eclectic representation of artists, with expected jazz heavyweights like Chris Botti, the Bill Frisell Trio, Wynton Marsalis, and more, but there were just as many of what casual music fans might scratch their heads and say, “Wait – that’s jazz?” Among the latter were Violent Femmes, Ben Harper, and even hard-rocking blues legend George Thorogood & The Destroyers. But with some 350 concerts – and an astonishing two-thirds of them completely free of charge – there’s going to be quite a bit of diversity.
The top of the bill saw one of the greatest hip-hop artists, Nas, performing his landmark debut LP, Illmatic, in its entirety with a full symphony orchestra backing him two nights in a row at the prestigious Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier venue. It was easily the hottest ticket of the festival, as seeing the rapper in such a setting with a full instrumental ensemble in tow was a unique event to witness.
Samara Joy put on an exquisite show at Maison Symphonique where she deftly paid homage to the past while bringing a freshness and youth to the proceedings. She’s been on quite the upward journey since her eponymous LP came out in 2021, landing a Best New Artist Grammy and four more since then for more recent releases.
Attending Montréal Jazz Festival for the first half of its run, many of the shows I was most interested in took place at MTELUS, a 2,300-person capacity theatre. It was there that the disturbingly avant-garde Clown Core blended jazz and grindcore along with shocking backdrop visuals for an audience filled with many hardcore fans who dressed the part, matching the anonymous, masked duo onstage.
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New York funk rock standouts The Budos Band also graced the MTELUS stage for a sold-out show, making a return to the fest two years after playing the much more intimate Club Soda. The party-ready instrumental outfit will be touring this summer as support for Alabama Shakes.
As mentioned, so many of the shows at Montréal Jazz Fest were at no cost, which is part of why it continues to be a flagship summer event and a rare meeting place that draws music lovers from every community of the city. In addition to the music lovers who travel from countries far and wide, a huge diversity of Montréalers came out by the thousands to both indoor and free outdoor concerts, boldly affirming the purpose of this citizen festival as inclusiveness, accessibility, and discovery well beyond jazz.
The large outdoor TD Stage, part of the welcoming site layout, was the regular gathering place for the masses who saw outstanding sets from Mavis Staples, Philly’s own alt-funk act Snacktime, Canadian rockers Blue Rodeo, and an unforgettable night with Elisapie. The Quebec-born Inuk fulfilled a dream on the TD Stage, dressed in a jacket made by artist Caroline Monnet, the singer-songwriter paid a grandiose musical tribute to the Arctic and the resilience of Indigenous communities, with support from Beatrice Deer and Patrick Watson.
The only downside to the Montréal Jazz Festival is that it has to come to an end…or that it’s impractical to stay for the entire week and a half. The night I was set to return to the States, Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra took over the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts, treating the audience to a charming evening that was, by all accounts, everything you’d expect from the beloved actor.
Like much of the distinctive roster for this year’s MJF, having Goldblum among the jazz luminaries and well-known musicians from multiple genres, nothing ever seemed out of place; in fact, it just felt right. It’s also a reason to plan to attend the celebration of the city of Montréal and music in general at some point, as there’s never a half-baked offering, and you’re almost guaranteed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
A version of this article appears in this week’s print and online editions of my syndicated Rock Music Menu column under the title “Rock Music Menu Festival Report: Montreal Jazz Festival continues to defy expectations.“
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 
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