Apollo Suns play to a crowded lawn in front of the Esplanade as part of Medicine Hat JazzFest 2023. The lineup for this year's festival, which runs June 25-30, was announced Thursday.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat JazzFest has released its lineup for this year, celebrating its 28th anniversary.
The festival, which will take place from June 25-30, has expanded significantly over the years, and executive director Lyle Rebbeck says it’s become a bit of an anomaly to have an event of this size and calibre in a smaller centre.
“Our festival has developed quite a reputation with the musicians across Canada, for sure,” said Rebbeck. “And the other festivals are a pretty integral part of our network. So the beauty of that, is that many of the artists that you see on the roster for this year are also playing at the other major jazz festivals across Canada as well.”
He feels heartened by the continual success, something that is carrying on into his final year before retirement, as people come from in town and far beyond for the weeklong celebration of music and arts.
This year includes double-bill nights for each show, with highlights such as Italian guitar sensation Pasquale Grasso, Norway’s Kjetil Mulelid Trio, and many others that span a wide breadth both in and outside of what many people would generally understand to be jazz.
“Jazz has such broad borders, and has influenced so many genres and subgenres,” said Rebbeck. “For example, Mary Ancheta, from Vancouver, has a strong jazz influence, but her music is so funk and groove, and she plays electronic instruments. And it’s almost like this hip-hop infused Jazz music. I think that a younger crowd would sit in that audience and go, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I’m in Medicine Hat and listening to this.'”
This year has also seen some changes, including a new youth ticket, meant to draw out a younger crowd to come find their love of jazz. Anyone 25 or younger can get a ticket to all JazzFest shows for just $20 this year.
“For years, I’ve been realizing the necessity to expand the audience and fan base into a younger generation,” said Rebbeck. “Not only is it a necessity, but it’s something that we would want, we want our audiences to expand across different ages, as our age demographic tends to be older.”
The idea was taken from the Calgary Jazz Festival and Rebbeck hopes it will be implemented with great success,
The dance party, which will take place June 29, has also been extended. As always, free musical workshops will take place each day on the front lawn of the Esplanade.
“We have had a tagline over the years that we’ve used often saying you don’t have to be a jazz fan to be a fan of JazzFest,” said Rebbeck. “It is a jazz festival, it’s a festival. It’s as much about music as it is about community.”
The full lineup, as well as tickets, is available at medicinehatjazzfest.com.
