Jazz festivals in Vancouver, Fort Langley plan for summer concerts, online and live

In Vancouver, ‘plans are also afoot for limited in-person attendance, should health orders allow’

While this year’s TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival will stream early this summer, Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival planners have shifted their concert dates from July to September.

The 35th edition of the Vancouver jazz fest will be held online from June 25 to July 4, with streaming packages now on sale for a series of concerts broadcast from Vancouver-area venues including Ironworks, Performance Works, Pyatt Hall and Frankie’s Jazz Club, plus streams from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Amsterdam and Paris.

After cancelling the 2020 festival due to COVID-19 uncertainty, the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society offers a modified 2021 festival featuring more than 100 virtual events. “Plans are also afoot for limited in-person attendance, should health orders allow for small gatherings,” notes a media advisory.

This year’s festival includes performances by British Columbia’s “plethora of talented artists” and free online workshops. Featured artists are Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Blue Moon Marquee, Peggy Lee Band, Jill Barber, Phil Dwyer, Dave Sikula with Brad Turner, Bill Coon, Trilogy, Jeff Parker & The New Breed, John Beasley’s MONK’estra, Ravi Coltrane, Sun Ra Arkestra and more.

Single-stream tickets go on sale May 3 at 10 a.m. on coastaljazz.ca, and some free shows will be announced by festival planners in coming weeks.

Meantime, Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival will now be held from Sept. 2-5, due to B.C.’s COVID-19 restrictions.

“The 2021 festival will be a mix of limited capacity, socially distanced live shows and live streamed events,” says a news released posted online. “Tickets for select signature events will be available at the end of May, when the festival announces the headlining artists for 2021.”

Organizers of the Fort Langley fest, established in 2018, also announced that Odlum Brown Limited has signed a multi-year deal as title sponsor.

“Having been involved with the festival as a sponsor since 2019, this partnership will help further develop and support the festival,” said Karen Zukas, co-founder and executive director of the Fort Langley event. “It’s another exciting milestone in the growth of our festival.”

The festival welcomes returning sponsors Conwest/Vicini Live Urban as presenting sponsor of the Friday Blues Show, and Kane Shannon Weiler as presenting sponsor of the Saturday Jazz Show along with funders from the Government of Canada/Canadian Heritage, SOCAN, BC Arts Council, BC Touring Council, ArtsVest and the Township of Langley. Look for more details on fortlangleyjazzfest.com.