Press Release For immediate distribution
An extra-special concert at the Festival! in association with Radio-Canada and CBC Television The Pat Metheny Group – The Way Up Tour A Sunday like no other at the Grande scène General Motors !
Montreal, Friday, July 8, 2005 – The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has scheduled an extra-special closing concert for patrons of this 26th edition — thanks to the close collaboration of Radio-Canada and CBC Television — when Montreal’s favorite jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and his group will be taking over the Grande Scène General Motors at 9 p.m. for a unique presentation of the Way Up Tour. Festival organizers are particularly proud to be offering such a rare treat, because it’s not at all often that such an internationally acclaimed artist performs free of charge on an outdoor Festival stage. The show will be filmed for television and broadcasted on Radio-Canada in two weeks, on Sunday, July 24 at 8 p.m. Like all Metheny shows, this one promises to be a memorable event, if his 1989 show on McGill College Avenue is anything to measure Montrealers’ collective memory by. The historic evening was more than just a turning point for the Festival, but for the career of the guitar superstar himself. This Sunday’s event will be all the more extraordinary for coming on the heels of the five scheduled indoor concerts he’ll have completed by then, all of which were sold out way in advance. The Pat Metheny Group is the only ensemble in history to have garnered seven consecutive Grammy Awards for seven consecutive albums. And word on the street is that his 12th album, The Way Up, is going to be yet another mind-blowing masterwork. Besides his perennially brilliant stage and studio companions Lyle Mays, on piano, drummer Antonio Sanchez and bassist Steve Rodby, Pat will be appearing with the astounding trumpet player Cuong Vu, born in Viet Nam but brought up in the U.S. Cuong’s style has been reported to be “as revolutionary as it is magnificent.” Now add Swiss-American harmonica player Grégoire Maret (who’s played with Cassandra Wilson, Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane and many others) plus Brazilian guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Nando Lauria and you’ll have at least a faint idea of the terrific show that awaits you Sunday night. Public Transport’s the way to go As in previous years, we’ve done our utmost to make the site as secure as possible for the mega-show. But we need public cooperation to make sure everything comes off without a hitch. Please take careful note of the following: 1) Folding chairs and lawn chairs are strictly forbidden. 2) If you’re planning to bring a baby carriage, we won’t stop you, but it’s not a good idea to be pushing one in a crowd. 3) Bicycles and in-line skates are prohibited, as well. 4) No cans or glass bottles of any description are allowed. (Just the same, we advise you to bring some water in plastic bottles because it can get hot down there.) Lastly, it goes without saying that you are NOT allowed to bring alcoholic beverages onto the Festival site at any time. Festival organizers also strongly suggest that you enter the Festival site from the east, moving west, or from the north, moving south. Public transport is always the best way to get to the Festival. Once you’re there, don’t forget that we’ve organized security corridors for your use exclusively to exit the site during the show. And if you use them to leave, they’re strictly “one way” so you can’t use them to get back. Security corridors will take you to the Place des Arts metro, to Complexe Desjardins, and to Jeanne-Mance Street toward the north. Because the corridors are intended to keep people moving, remember that you can’t stand still once you’re on them. If you’re in a wheelchair, you must advise us in advance by calling Mathieu Thuot Dubé at (514) 602-2166 to reserve a place on the esplanade of Place des Arts.
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Source: Festival International de Jazz de Montréal – Press Room : (514) 288-5544
Media Information: Myriam Achard, Media Relations Director - (514) 288-5544 ; [email protected] Marie-Eve Boisvert, Press Attachée - (514) 288-5544 ; [email protected] Sophie Desbiens, International and Travel Media Relations – (514) 288-5544 ; [email protected] Alain Des Ruisseaux, Press Attaché – (514) 288-5544 ; [email protected]
Public Information: Bell Info-Jazz Line – (514) 871-1881 or toll free 1-888-515-0515 ; www.montrealjazzfest.com