6/29: Day 3 of the Montreal Jazz Fest
Little Magic Sam, Noé Lira, Ekep Nwkelle, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Naïka and LeCypherX
I make it to the Rogers stage by 7:10pm and it is raining hard. I stay on the other side of the street from the venue watching and listening from afar underneath the awning of a building. Always bring an umbrella while traveling. They literally help so much in rain. Just saw the cutest moment of a girl hugging her man underneath the umbrella in a rain storm and I took a pic just in time before they started moving again and I stopped them to give it to them and they were so appreciative. Ugh, I’ve always wanted to do that before. Take pictures of strangers capturing a beautiful moment and give it to them. I guess in a way I am doing that with my writing. Capture ephemeral moments of human brilliance at a show.
Blues harmonica goes a long way for me in loving the Little Magic Sam band. Well I cannot comment much on Little Magic Sam other than they rock all the way across the street. I’m staying dry underneath the awning on the building opposite of the stage. They’re killing it. They brought an award winning blues musician up on stage. Dedicated a song to Willie Dixon the godfather of blues writing thousands of classics. I wish I could see them and be closer to hear them but there’s a long night ahead of me and I might as well stay dry for as long as I can. Classic blues ending to a song with the guitar bass and harmonica all in harmony with each other with the slow drum roll.
7:32pm I got a toothpick from a sample in the mall and the flavored ones are so much better but the wood lasts longer on this probably cause I’m not chewing them like a beaver. “If you don’t come out and support live music then it will go away so thank you so much for coming out tonigh!” - Little Magic Sam band and gave a shoutout to the whole crew and everyone working. Big thanks. This is a big community event that takes the community to make it happen. "The bassist has bass in his blood!" He sure indeed does.
7:57 got my spot center stage close to the front for Noé Lira at the Rio Tinto stage. Little Magic Sam band was fucking awesome exactly what I wanted to hear so damn good. I really do love me some blues but really live in person is where it’s at because the genre is so emotional. Little Magic Sam said it himself "You will never get what you receive with live music from a studio recording so keep coming out to support your live acts." He is right. I am trying to help encourage people to go out for live music. Go people go. I go as much as I can and my life has only gotten ten times better.
Lira is incredible and after her first song introduces her band in French but I understand what she is doing. She does so in a funny way that the people love as you hear them respond to each introduction. She sounds amazing. Definitely, music for the sunshine despite the rain. She has got the kids dancing on the shoulders so fun it’s amazing. Anastasia joined me just in time for the show on the first song! It is fun to go to a show not knowing anything about an artist and guessing their inspiration and roots My bet is that she has got Latin roots. With her drummer setting up a steady Latin groove. The drums always tell where you are from. She is so good she is making me want to dance. The rain freed up for the first couple songs but is now coming back down harder.
Super cute Latino family in front of us. The baby girl pointed at my beer and her mom was like "Nooo hay cervesa para ti." It made me laugh. The baby kept looking at me with her big round eyes. I was playing peek-a-boo and dancing with her. We had a great time. Babies fucking rule. Anastasia points next to us to an older gentleman handwriting notes about the show. “I’m him! But from the future!” as I am writing alongside him in parallel in my notes on my phone.
Inspired to perform another google search to find out more about the artist I am watching kill it on stage. Lira is Quebec-Mexican first generation so latin roots were correct. She’s really beautiful. She’s got sunflower earrings which I’m obsessed with and this beautiful yellow romper she dances so fun on stage not afraid to get down with it. She has eccentric dance moves running around the stage like it is her field of flowers to prance around in. Unfortunately, the rain keeps pouring down so we decide to dip out and catch Ekep Nkwelle because she is playing at a covered stage.
Just got to Pub Molson at 8:31 pm. “If you’re familiar with this bass line it’s from the great Nina Simone. I call her my god mother. I thought maybe I’d tell my own story over this foundation. Most people think a foundation is only the drums but it can also be the bass so here is my story it’s called 'blackness'." What an intro to a song to walk up on. Also, say it louder for the people in the back "Bass lines can be the foundation of a song." It is really awesome to see the bass and drums trade off on the foundation or noting in a song who really has the foundation.
“Talk to ‘em Russel!” to the bassist and boy did he have something to say. She begins introducing herself starting where she's from "So I am from Washington DC wait wait wait hold up DJ rewind it back let me start at the beginning. I am Ekep Nkwelle and I am a 25 year old American from Washington DC." I love the delayed introductions for a band. The first half off the show says more about who they are than their name but we always do want to know their name and the bands.
"We are going to my arrangement of Duke Ellington’s composition 'Solitude'. I like to see if I got perfect pitch -- I mean I don’t. Do you guys think I should play the game with my band? Have them not give me my notes." "Yeah!!" "Okay well then you can’t make fun of me if I come in on the wrong notes." Fair enough. She kills it immediately coming in hot before the band joins her after her first couple measures.
Finishing it with an extra one they might go over but the crowd is yelling her name, screaming and shouting she’s got usssss. The intoxicating feeling of when musicians on stage hood an entire crowd to such jubious celebration of their sound is what I live for. She is singing about getting a shotgun to go kill your ex lover which doesn’t play well in Canada that’s some American vengeance type shit not the first story to be told like that. I love it tho I’m familiar with that. “ she even laughingly tells the crowd "Huh, you don’t like that one do ya.”
I love the blues and Ekwep Nwkwelle is a blues singer singing off the backs of the greats of the American Jazz scene from the 40s-60s. She fits right in with the greats of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Such an iconic period of jazz music that went through it's own transformations just look at Miles Davis through that period. Anastasia is in shock of seeing music like this for the first time it’s been her dream ever since she first heard it at 16. She’s blown away. I love that. Reminds me of the privilege I have had seeing perfomances like that growing up and just having it accessible in America.
I get ready to head to TD Stage to get a good spot for Dominique Fils-Aimé. On my way over there I bump into Ekep's band and got to slap up Russel the bassist, the pianist and the drummer. All super chill dudes now excited to experience the jazz festival for themselves. It really is a great place to meet the musicians you see especially playing on the larger stages. They often come out to the crowd after or you can see them around. They come here to play but for the same reason you are here too they want to see what is out there as well and catch some great fucking music.
It is 9:28pm not wanting to push too too close I easily get pretty close left of stage but like 15 people back. Great view though and they are ready to go on time. I don’t know what to expect with her. So I cannot wait I love being surprised. Immediately starts off with "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone, looks like the nods to the greats are out tonight. However, in my favorite part of that song when the brass comes in with Nina singing "and I am feeling good" that part never gets delivered. Instead, it builds into her own beautiful song. 18 hours later as I am writing this the tension "Feeling Good" builds at the beginning my ear is still waiting for that resolve so I have it queued up.
"Hi Mom, Je t'aime!" after her first song and immediately goes in to introduce her band. She’s got a drummer, bongo player, bass player with a synth , keyboardist with multiple sets of keys, guitar, and a full 9 piece choir. Her song was gorgeous bringing a heavy comforting bass with gorgeous melodies on top and her voice, man, her voice. She looks absolutely stunning with her entire self decked out in gold jewelry with lotus flower hair pins, gold accents in her hair, gold armlet, a silver equals sign under her right eye, a silver x under her left eye dressed in this shimmering gown. She looks like a goddess.
“Everything is frequencies so just let them in and hopefully they will stay as a piece of you.” Shit man I just learned something brand new. I never thought about the keep the vibes we feel with in me. Thank you Dominique for some new wisdom and to Brian Wilson for starting the conversation about those sweet sweet good vibrations.
Woah the bass coming in with a sick line and her hitting her lower alto range with some soft smooth motherfucking lyrics hitting low and hot. The crowd is swaying to the sounds of her soul. Even the rain is holding off for this beauty and it’s drying and warming up making for a beautiful night. Getting into a doo wop bop u love it to hear it. The people to my right have a beautiful crowd that they keep having stragglers of their crew join them with cheers and hugs throughout the show. Which I really love to see. The song transitions into a fucking trap beat. Hell yeah hit me with those good vibrations.
Oh what the fuck! This band can just jam out on fucking hypnotic layered complex sounds with crazy effects for a super dreamlike and surreal experience. Wow, wow, wow, wow.
Whatttttttt?!?! keys 1 switched with keys 2 so now he’s playing bass and Keys 1 is up on his crazy multi keyboard set up let’s see this switch up fucking flip it. We got an organ sound on the keys which I love and the bass is just strumming along for us. The trumpet is going wild with staccato riffing hitting as much as he can on his runs very percussively. These guys are fucking phenomenal the presence of them on stage is amazing. I like being a helpful public person. I just saw this trio getting their fourth to take a pic of em all so I was like hop in there and I’ll take some of all of you!
"Every battle won in an individuals heart is a win for humanity. You’re not alone there are people always rooting for you even if you don’t know them." thank you for the reminder Dominique.
Just saw a true fan with his love sign up with his hand and singing along to the song. “Let’s let gravity do its thing” I love that line . Love the dance break so much let’s jam and I love when the singer just turns to the band and just dances.
Trumpet and the choir back hell on stage! Hell yeahhhhhh. At 10:21pm, I’m having the time of my life the last song was such a banger of a dancing tunes with a Latin-esque sound. Into "To Walk A Way” probably the best intro of her songs so far. The music will get really spacey with the keys layering chords and sending it through a wild filter effect with a lot of echo. Then just snap back to the trumpet ripping out the melody down over the groove that is within our bones. At 10:41pm, she brings out a guest singer well know due to the applause and cheers. I think from Montreal or she performed earlier. “Think of this song as a collective meditation” she says.
“For anyone going through a hard time just know know it’s going to be alright.” Then she’s says “It’s gonna be alright.” just like Kendrick does and then she goes into her song singing that repetitively for her intro and our favorite trumpeter is back out on stage. Okay what the fuck. Is this just what jazz is? Like you got your own songs for sure but your intro to that song is just like a famous song in your own rendition and then you just segue to your own stuff. Like if that’s the case bye bye world Imma disappear into the whole jazz thing for forever.
A woman moving around looking for someone with drinks in her hands. Eventually, she starts talking to me in French "I’m so sorry I don’t know French" Easy switch for her which I find so cool. I experience it all the time here having someone have to switch to English. She’s looking for her mom. She is middle aged so her mom is definitely elderly. She is laughingly cursing her mom for moving from their spot because now she has no way to find her. She made a joke she probably made friends and is heading to an after party. Cute interaction, I hope she finds her!
Dominque gave a very heartfelt thank you to the crowd. I do not even know what she said but you could see the love and appreciation pouring out of her body language with her whole weight of emotion. I am blown away by that performance. My theory was right any act on that stage will be incredible.
I find a place to sit down and this girl is raving about this show she just saw. The artist came down and hugged the entire front row to say good bye to the crowd at the end of the show. I ask her who it was "Adi Oasis" Ugh, I really wanted to see her too. The Le Studio acts say they go to midnight but i really think they end at 11. That is how I only caught some of Aja Monet when I really should have been there the whole time.
Ended up making friends with Jerro from Chile! He walks me over from to the other side of the fest to catch the rest Naïka's set at Rogers stage. We end up talking about the world, about politics, Chile, their new leftist president, their almost fascisit president and how America has fucked so much of the world especially Latin America. "Normally you guys are setting up dictators around the world but now you guys are getting your own." Hilarious commentary on the US political situation but also very sad. He was awesome! Great convo and I got his contact info. Turns out he’s a musician and a physicist! My kind of people absolutely amazing.
Wow, I actually walk up to the Naïka song that I know. I love it she’s in this beautiful ruffled top with a paired skirt. Her outfit is amazing and she looks stunning as she sits on a stool with her legs crossed. The rest of the crowd that’s left after such a rainy day those still out to see her play to our hearts. Concerts in the rain always create a special atmosphere. The love the people have to withstand the weather to see the show. Her music even sounds like rain.
“Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to fuck with you again” her swooning voice is cascading over us and she goes back to singing French and I end up even knowing this song as well. I thought I only knew one song of hers going in "Belle, Belle!"
Her mom is Haitian and she’s starting a favorite story of hers and some people may know the song because it’s her favorite. The crowd erupts into cheers. They do know it and are very excited to hear it. It's about her grandpa and she has this emotional story about his chipped tooth which allows him to make a beautiful sounding whistle. Her mom found a record while cleaning the house in Haiti and it was his! He had pressing made of him whistling and talking through out the record. That new found recording became a very special piece of history for the family. She listened to it and then made a beautiful love song inspired by this whole thing. A collaboration from the beyond.
Little cute ass baby dancing behind to my right with ear muffs in a baby holder on papa's chest. You love to see it especially with the ear muffs. Parents y'all better protect your babies ears out there. Hell I am trying to do the same for myself.
“I want to see everyone dancing here for this next one!” Hell yes queen! Say less. I just want more people dancing around me. A tale as old as time.
Okay I know a lot more her than I thought and she is soooooo damn amazing like god damn! Give me more of this carribean music love. What an infectious energy. Ending with "Sauce", she teaches the lyrics to us so we can do the call and response which makes it so fun because this song is alllll fun.
"Who brought the sauce? (I brought the sauce)
Who made the sauce? (I made the sauce)
Who got the sauce? (I got the sauce)
What's in the sauce? (I am the sauce)"
Hilarious banter with folks leaving the show. With them singing about who’s got the sauce so I chime in as I walk by looking them dead in the eye. “I got the sauce” is all you gotta say for the most joyous belly filled laughter.
I head over to M2 to catch LeCypherX. There is a wait to get in which makes sense because it is the only show available. I have no idea what to expect. The line is moving slow so I start chatting with the fun crew behind me. "Is it worth waiting to get in?" "Yeah man, it will be really good. This is where all the musicians go to and will just hop up on stage to play around." Now I am stoked. I end up meeting Allen and we have an amazing conversation about the world. He's Haitian but born in Bolivia. There is a lot of respect there when you say you are Haitian. Going back to the days of the revolutionaries of Toussaint Louverture and Simón Bolívar. Beautiful conversation. He has a press pass for working as a photographer. I express my interest of trying to get into the Yussef Dayes show and he said work your media front. If you are writer use that. It can help get you places. Wish me luck!
Walking into this place, there is a stage with at least ten people up there. They even got two drummers, the cypher made up of at least four people, keys, sax, trombone and bass. The trombone player has a big raincoat on zipped all the way up. That’s a vibe. It was wet today but hot as hell in here.
This cypher is amazing people are just doing whatever there is a drummer switchup. On his way out, he gets corralled to spit on the beats and he kills it. "What do we want?" "We want this!" "What do we want?" "We want this!" and he brought us back there after a wild verse it’s not easy he said that but it’s crazy these guys can just keep it going immediately picking up where someone left off. Our favorite trumpeter from Dominique Fils-Aime's show is back on stage here. I told him amazing job from earlier on his way up and he appreciated it. Hell I told half her band fucking great job as they walked by. It’s amazing that they’re here I guess this is where everyone ends up to end the night.
I honestly think there are 15 up on stage now. The red haired singer that did a couple songs at the Dominique FIls-Aime show just walked past me with the girl who was on stage before. I think they’ll go on stage. Hell yeah! They’re are it’s 1:28 am and it keeps on getting better and better the artists that come out on stage providing infinite improve of amazing freestyling over the jazz music. Vibes are so high so amazing. “Wine your waist. Wine your waist. Come on baby and wine your waist.”
I could live here forever. The ever rotating cast of characters that you become familiar with and you start getting excited when they come back around to the mic but it’s always the same party we can just take it to new directions that become familiar. It’s like returning to the party you always wish to return to but there multiple of them. Wow what a party — multiple conversations with poets on stage and you cannot wait for them to come back to their own story. Free off the cuff.
Seeing two guys scheming up on stage and then getting to hear their melody’s and lyrics they came up with. "Tell me what you want for me. Communication is the key" on repeat.
It is 1:55am and I can’t stop laughing these cyphers are actually so fire but often fucking hilarious like killer killer stuff. They don’t even stop they just keep going I don’t want to go home that’s how good it is. It is supposed to end at 2am but then we just return to this "What do we want?" "We want this!" "What do we want?" "We want this!" and the party keeps going. I am dancing my ass off getting very sweaty.
My favorite of them all jumps down off the stage to start a whole dance party. Thank god. I’ve been wanting this so bad I almost started it myself.
It is 2:21am and the famed chant of the night starts again. "Who wants it?" "We want it!" "Who wants it" "We want it!" "We got mooooooore!" then the whole room erupts with elated cheers. Hell fucking yes.
Crazy double drum solo they’re both playing reading off each other and trading it off and on. Absolutely wild to see. They are hitting the curtain behind them as part of their solo and then the other drummer responds to running his sticks over the bass amp next to him. After their jam, they slip into a dance beat with the biggest applause either everyone is dancing now.
What sounds like the music to “Hot In Herre” by Nelly starts coming to fruition. The keys started it just with the notes of the melody and then everyone else slowly followd along until we get “It’s getting hot in here (so hot) so take off all your clothes” from someone on the mic. It is HOT in there so it is perfect.
Its 2:40 am and I do not want to leave yet but I know I must because tomorrow is another big day. Then the next and the next and the next and next. It keeps going a ten day fest is no joke. I love that those guys just kept asking if we want more and then delivering more literally for like a whole two hours that I saw. It was such an amazing way to rile us up because fuck yes we want more. We always want more. I’ll be hitting my pillow dreaming of the next cypher I go see. That is an awesome party.