Just Call it the Montreal International Music Festival

A couple of years back a friend and I purchased tickets to see Ron Sexsmith in concert. It was worth it though we could not figure out why Sexsmith was invited to be part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival - the biggest jazz festival in the world. A year after that I met Sexsmith through Andy Kim and he intimated the same thing to me. He loves Montreal but couldn't quite figure out his connection to jazz. Hey, it was a gig to him and he packed them in.

The jazz festival is right around the corner and I'm one of those jazz fans that simply does not attend anymore. Once upon a time the free outside shows lineup was outstanding and the roster was made up of only jazz and blues musicians. After all, it's a jazz festival, right? I know, we tend to intertwine jazz and blues (and sometimes rock'n roll) but the relationship is tight. By the way, Chuck Berry once performed on one of the stages and it was masterful.

That was from the early to mid 90s- when I was stlll earning my Major in History. In the subsequent years the outside shows began to include performers and bands that had little connection to jazz and the real heavyweight jazz shows were pushed indoors at high ticket prices. I but a few times. George Benson and Ray Charles were enticing enough to check out. No more were the grassroots feeling of pure love of jazz to be soaked up on a sweet Montreal summer evening.

Once again, the jazz festival is upon us and is right around the corner. Now keep in mind, you're reading the words of a thirtysomething year-old who buys, among other things, the music of Tin Pan Alley for the love of Birdland. Even my mother - who can belt out a Bing Crosby or Connie Francis tune or two by heart - even finds me a tad stuck behind another era. My brother is hooked on 1950s and my sister and I witht he 20s and 30s.

The guest list includes that legendary jazz performer Bob Dylan. I doubt he'll be covering Wes Montgomery or performing some Cole Porter standards. Van Morrison - one of my all-time favorites - is also on the bill. Morrison is a tricky one. He has dabbled in jazz and blues. In fact, like most British and Irish singers of the 60s, he was influenced heavily by American rhythm and blues, jazz and motown. Originally, Morrison was part of the Irish formation "Them" band before he went on to carve out a solo career. Morrison is as soulful and mystical as they come. But is he jazz?

In any event, the Montreal Jazz Festival has packed its lineup with so many non-jazz acts these past few years. It may even have alienated the hardcore jazz community in the city. It panders to all now. It is inclusive of world music and is almost yuppy-like in its orientation. Interestingly, even though Montreal boasts the largest jazz festival in the world, it remains pretty much a second-rate jazz town 11 months out of the year. Thus furthering my theory that this city is committed to one-time events that last a week or so. It is not interested in supporting something all year round. Maybe we have ADHD?

This is the course the organizers of the festival chose. So be it. However, is it time to drop the jazz moniker? The Montreal Jazz Festival is no more a jazz fesitval than I am Chick Webb.