Townsite Jazz Festival has announced its lineup for 2024, with some of Canada’s top jazz musicians headed to multiple venues in the qathet region from April 11 to 14. Organizers have even thrown in some island-hopping for good measure.
“We had our festival preview party [last month] and I always grab the mic and tease out the list of artists who will be joining us, but I think people genuinely thought I was kidding when I said there would be a gig on Lasqueti Island this year,” said Paul Cummings, artistic director and president of the Townsite Jazz Festival Society. “I was absolutely not kidding.”
The Ken Lister Trio’s performance at Lasqueti Island Community Hall on April 14 is just the latest in a series of experiments from a festival that has always done things a little differently when it comes to format, venues and collaborations.
Another experiment is the Blue Room, a pop-up venue in the basement of Dwight Hall, which sees the Masons' Triune Lodge become a home base for some of the festival’s most intimate concerts featuring the Hub City Rollers and Mimosa. The venue will also play host to a reboot of last year’s popular reunion project, the School District 47 Alumni Jazz Choir.
Headliners for 2024 include the Cory Weeds Quintet, featuring New York City-based organist/pianist Brian Charette, and a quintet fronted by jazz heavyweights, multi-instrumentalists and Juno award-winners Phil Dwyer, PJ Perry and Brad Turner. Those performances will take place at Max Cameron Theatre.
“I’m so thrilled that the festival has grown to include international artists,” said Cummings. “For my students at Brooks Secondary School, and for folks in the community to have the chance to hear these artists locally, that’s a pretty big deal.”
For anyone looking to combine a love of jazz with a love of food, there are multiple concerts taking place at the Shinglemill Pub and Bistro, including the Karen Graves Quartet, Duncan Symons Band, and a collaboration between the qathet region’s own Walter Martella and Paul Carriere.
“We’ve also reworked our Jazz and Charcuterie event from 2023 into a Jazz and Appys concept,” said Cummings. “This is the replacement to the longstanding Brooks Jazz Dinner. Food is included in the ticket price and all proceeds will benefit the Brooks Music Department.”
As always, a large component of the festival involves collaborations between students and professionals through workshops, masterclasses and opening sets.
To close out the local portion of the festival, disco-funk darlings Wunderbread will take over Dwight Hall on April 13 for an evening of 1970s classics.
“And then, my fellow organizers and I will be on the water taxi to Lasqueti to bring our first event to the residents of Lasqueti Island,” said Cummings. “Look out, Texada and Savary, we’ll be coming for you next.”
For a full schedule of events at the 2024 Townsite Jazz Festival, go to townsitejazz.com. Tickets are available online via Eventbrite.
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