History

What began as a weekend of outdoor jazz in Major’s Hill Park back in 1980 has evolved into one of the National Capital Region’s most highly anticipated musical events of the summer.

The OIJF was founded in 1980 by local musicians Bob Misener and Tony Pope –subsequently joined by the late Bill Shuttleworth – who wanted to throw a summertime jazz festival to celebrate and develop the popular jazz scene in Ottawa. Jazz festivals were still a relatively new phenomenon in Canadian cities, and there really was no grand design behind Ottawa’s first edition.

The festival grew quickly, attracting such international names as Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Herb Ellis, Bob Brookmeyer, Wynton Marsalis and Milt Jackson. Larger and larger crowds came out each year, and the festival began stretching beyond traditional jazz and attracting new supporters. It also began to expand beyond the borders of its outdoor venue to include indoor satellite events and the late-night jam sessions that are so popular today. Some of the OIJF’s earliest supporters saw the potential of the Festival and worked to expand its scope.

In the mid-1980’s, the Festival moved to the National Capital Commission’s Astrolabe Theatre when Major’s Hill Park underwent refurbishment. A partnership was also struck with the City of Hull that brought concerts to several outdoor and indoor venues across the river. More and more big names were booked, including Sonny Rollins, Jack DeJohnette and Ornette Coleman. In 1989, the festival moved to its own stage in Confederation Park and the organizational personnel of the current festival became involved – Jacques Émond joined the programming committee and Doug McNab took over the volunteer brigade.

In the 1990’s, the festival’s programming began to reflect Jacques’ love of big band music and West Coast jazz, and the Festival’s loyal fan base has grown to trust and appreciate his choices, as well as the broad spectrum of artists he brings to the Festival each year. Jacques is also well known for his ability to spot up-and-comers, and has brought such artists as Diana Krall, D.D. Jackson and Dave Douglas to festival-goers long before they were signed to major labels or featured in mainstream media. The Festival’s focus on Canadian talent has also never wavered, and features approximately 300 domestic artists in the lineup each year.

Catherine O’Grady took over as Executive Producer of the OIJF in 1996, and with the combined efforts of the Board of Directors, the contribution of the community, and good management practices, the Festival has since become financially solvent and has seen an audience increase of 300%.

The Festival’s big break came with the programming of Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra during the 1999 Festival. That was followed up with two major sold-out concerts at Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre as part of the OIJF’s 20th anniversary celebrations, which featured the Festival’s first year-round jazz programming. In October 2000, there was a performance by the Buena Vista Social Club, followed by the return of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in 2001. Tickets for each event sold out in record time and the Festival has never looked back.

With the rising popularity of jazz – a genre that enjoys not only a very loyal fan base, but is also beginning to appeal more and more to a younger audience – the OIJF program continues to expand its reach. The 2003 edition of the Festival brought two exciting new series to its audience: Women in Jazz and Jazz Meets the World. The 25th anniversary edition of the Festival, in 2005, was a blockbuster year that saw musicians such as Sonny Rollins, Diana Krall, Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, and Harry Connick Jr. take the stage in Confederation Park.

Now celebrating its 30th year of consecutive programming, the Festival boasts the biggest loyal audience of any event in eastern Ontario. It exists to advance the appreciation and knowledge of all music, in particular jazz, by programming music that richly underscores the continuing creativity and diversity of the artists and the music itself.

Over the years, the Jazz Festival has presented some of the most dynamic jazz artists on the scene, from the traditional to the avant-garde, such as Herbie Hancock, Salif Keita, Dave Brubeck, Roy Haynes, Toots Thielemans, Branford Marsalis, Béla Fleck, Kenny Werner, Stanley Jordan, Sonny Rollins, Terence Blanchard, Diana Krall, D.D. Jackson, Maynard Ferguson, and John Mayall – to name only a few.

By presenting great music to our audience from both emerging and established repertoire, we aspire to make the arts inclusive in people’s everyday lives, thereby adding an intrinsic richness and purpose. In 2009, the Festival’s total attendance was 262,000, proving just how popular a destination it is for tourists and local audiences alike.

The Ottawa International Jazz Festival is the premier music event to take place in downtown Ottawa and we are proud to be part of the continuing tradition of bringing jazz to the National Capital Region. We look forward to presenting exciting and innovative music from around the world for many years to come!

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Ottawa Jazz, 30 Years: June 24th to July 4, 2010

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