The excitement is building for the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. 10 days where musicians run the show and performances pop up in every corner of the city. While much of the focus is on the mainstage, big name acts, it’s the free stages around the city that make this event so magical. There are too many concerts to list one by one so here are my highlights. For the full program guide, follow this link.

 

July 3

The fun kicks off around the city with acts like Saskatoon’s Stone Frigate Big Band performing at River Landing. You can also catch Holy Soleil and Saskatoon’s Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue at the amphitheatre in Brighton, Carter Powley & The Chop Shop at Remai Modern and Brett Graham & Outer Chaos at KW Nasser Plaza.

 

July 4

Too Soon Monsoon will keep the party going with a performance in Brighton at the Amphitheatre and that stage will continue with Rooky Kamiz and Skaravan. Other performances that day will include Brett Down at KW Nasser Plaza, the Ian Sinclair Trio at The Venue at McLean Block and the Gillian Snider Trio in the Maurice Drouin Lounge.

 

July 5

Sister Grace will capture the crowd with their harmonies as they open the Victoria Park main festival grounds. Other performers in Victoria Park include Indigenous rockers Sëdézë, yacht rockers Blue Beach Band, and psych-pop act Dump Babes. The Maurice Drouin Lounge will be filled with the sounds of Hot Club Saskatoon, Poor Nameless Boy will be at Loqui and Joe Callahan & Tim Campbell will play on the Little Stone Stage.

 

July 6

Sunday will see the jazz manouche stylings of Sons of Django play at Cafe Del Rey, jazz trio The Lost Keys will be at The Banks, and the Barrelmen will perform at Glass & Lumber. The lineup at Victoria Park will include Mallory Chipman, The Shuffle Demons, Lyssa & The Try-Tones and Oral Fuentes Reggae Band will wrap up the evening with all of us grooving.

 

July 7

Country music duo Last Birds takes the stage at Bon Temps Cafe as part of the neighbourhood pop up series and the Fabian Minnema Band will play at KW Nasser Plaza. The mainstage in Victoria Park will welcome Keegan Isaac and the Itsy Bitsy Big Band, followed by Toon Town Big Band and Footnotes Big Band.

 

*For more of the Free Program July 8 – 12 stay tuned to Brit’s Picks!