Concert review

FIJM 2026 | Domi & JD Beck: vibe, energy, musicianship

by Vitta Morales

Safe to say we have been pretty spoiled for free programming at this year’s Jazz Fest. While we at PAN M were still working out coverage, in fact, I was surprised to discover just how many of the artists I wanted to see this year were ticketless affairs, including the slick and dynamic duo Domi and JD Beck. And having missed this dynamic duo’s first visit to La Belle Province three years ago, I did not want to miss them this time around.

On The Rogers stage, on Thursday night at 10h30 PM, would appear empty save for the duo’s set up consisting of stacked keyboards and a drumset (with a metal chair suspended in place of a ride cymbal); these set ups would face each other in the middle of the stage. Suddenly an orchestral backing track began to play serving almost as walk-out music. Eventually the two would come on and it appeared as though the track would be a mainstay of the set as the two would play to the preprogrammed melodies and either solo overtop, accompany, accentuate, or play against them.

The duo would show of their chops for much of the show, (I’d be disappointed if they didn’t), with Beck playing triplet based partials in his left hand around the kit or start leaning into some 16th note drum and bass style invention while Domi would burst into solos with some, at times, very whimsical keyboard sounds including something akin to midi flute, toy piano, plucked strings, and others.

Half way through the show Beck explained these orchestral interludes and backing tracks as them playing the songs from their new album which has not been released as of writing this. He half jokingly stated that the interludes were to catch their breath and added simply “we’re trying shit.”

And so most of the show went on like this. I myself enjoyed their musicianship immensely but not the sound of Beck’s drums which included a paper thin snare drum which was overpowered by the midi trigger on his bass drum providing, as far as I could tell, sub bass notes. Another gripe of mine had to be the compositional variety of the songs; do not ask me to sing back any particular moment of any of them as they became indistinguishable in my head after an hour. In other words, at the risk of sounding like a non jazzer, it all kinda sounded the same. Although, the upcoming album is called Who Asked? so maybe it matters little to them.

It was only at the very end, the last two songs of the set in fact, that the duo did away with the backing tracks and started instead to play to, and for, each other. The chemistry between them here was much stronger when they didn’t have to consider an unmoveable, uncaring, third member of the band in the way of a prerecorded material. Here is when I got a glimpse of the vibe, energy, and musicianship that rocketed the duo’s careers back in 2022 and won them much deserved accolades.

Photo by Frédérique Ménard-Aubin

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Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Anamaria Oramas Showcases Authentic Colombian Jazz

by Michel Labrecque

Away from the large crowd heading towards Patrick Watson’s concert, the spectators who had chosen the Molson Pub were treated throughout the evening to moments of varied and generous Latin music.

Follow me and you’ll understand that “everything is in everything,” as the poet Raoul Duguay said. At 7 p.m., Quebec trumpeter Rachel Therrien presented her Latin jazz show; in the middle of it, she introduced us to her “great friend” from Colombia, Anamaria Oramas. The two women embarked on a rather inspiring dialogue between flute and flugelhorn.

Once the show is over, I head towards Ste-Catherine Street, where Hilario Duran is preparing to deliver a solo piano performance, right in the middle of the street. Originally Cuban, Duran has lived in Toronto for two decades. Is he the best pianist living in Canada right now? The question deserves to be asked. A magnificent solo performance, a moment of grace, only spoiled by the too omnipresent presence of a speaker which broadcast totally different music, too close.

Back at the Molson Pub at 9 p.m., it was the turn of Colombian flautist Anamaria Oramas to take the stage. It was her first time at the FIJM, she told us in French tinged with Spanish, but after five minutes, she had won over a fairly large audience.

The flautist, who plays the transverse flute but also the typically Colombian gaita and the gauta, a sort of mixture of the two instruments, quickly made us understand that her music was a percussion jazz which encompasses all Colombian musical influences. And it worked very well.

Accompanied by an excellent trio of drums, double bass and electric guitar, Anamaria delivered original, vibrant music, which she presented as a form of resistance and freedom.

His country, Colombia, won its soccer match against Ghana while playing in Montreal. However, it has just elected a Donald Trump wannabe as its new president.

This always poses the dilemma of Latin America and the South for me: how can music and culture be so bold when these countries are so burdened by problems of inequality and corruption?

In the middle of her concert, the Colombian singer invited her Quebec friend, Rachel Therrien, to join her on stage. She told us that the two women had studied music at university together in Cuba 20 years ago.

The only thing missing to complete the Latin hat trick was the presence of Hilario Duran on stage.

It was an evening that seemed to satisfy fans of innovative music. Including the person writing this text.

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Jazz

FIJM 2026 | The Art of the Perfect Trio at Upstairs with Billy Childs

by Frédéric Cardin

The pianist Billy Childs may not be a super star of jazz piano, like Brad Mehldau, Robert Glasper, or Vijay Iyer, but he has been carving out a very high-quality personal path for about forty years and knows how to offer music lovers exceptional jazz evenings. This is exactly what happened on Friday evening at the Upstairs club, which was lucky enough to welcome him for the first of two evenings (four sets, therefore) that will remain in the memory. If you are reading this text on this little Saturday morning, know that there may still be a few rare spots left for tonight. Maybe.

Childs launched his program with 34 Skidoo by Bill Evans. The message is clear: there will be good energy, without any fuss but with a lot of class. Childs is a marathon runner on the keyboard: he maintains the pace without rushing, sometimes daring a few deviations, but the overall focus is unshakeable, assured, logical, and above all, inspired. He is with two giants of the rhythm section: Matt Penman on double bass and Ari Hoenig on drums. These two guys finely frame the leader’s discourse, but not only that. They are intrinsically part of the discussion, often stepping out of the pulsing skeleton to chat more freely. That said, we never lose the thread. A close and intimate symbiosis.

Childs then introduces one of his compositions, Tight Rope, followed by another, Like Father, Like Son, a tribute to his father. One of Childs’ early pieces, released on the album Twilight Is Upon Us in 1989. Exciting hard bop flights on a solid but subtly undulating rhythmic cushion. Next comes a classic by Dexter Gordon, another giant of Hard Bop.

Between the pieces, Childs briefly introduces the pieces to us, without any fuss, but sometimes with an anecdote, a reflection. Above all, with class, restraint, and authenticity. In the hushed atmosphere, crowded with attentive ears, at Upstairs, we are experiencing a jazz event of a high level of classicism and intelligence together. Upstairs is one of the best clubs in North America. Maybe in the world. This is the proof. 

The set officially ends with New World Disorder, a committed commentary dating back to the era of U.S. President George H.W. Bush, but which applies with even more acuity in 2026. The sharp chords, the disjointed pulse bring a dose of modernity not heard until now. A curious way to end a concert. What the “encore” (Whisper Not by Benny Golson, a benevolent standard) quickly corrected.

The music lovers and other curious attendees at Upstairs were lucky: we haven’t heard much from Childs in a trio format in recent years. The recent release of the album Triumvirate, by the way, is a return to form after a thirty-year absence! Once again, the three masters will be there tonight, Saturday, July 4th.

Hurry up and call Joel (Giberovitch, the owner of Upstairs) to hope to get a spot (if there are any left, honestly I’m not sure).

INFO AND TICKETS

FIJM 2026 | A Kind of Blue moment

by Michel Labrecque

On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the United States, or, if you prefer, Divided States, the Gesu celebrated the centenary of the birth of the mythical trumpeter Miles Davis, by playing his 1959 album, the equally mythical Kind Of Blue, which profoundly transformed the jazz of that era.

Montreal trumpeter Ron Di Lauro conceived this project in 2010 and has revived it occasionally since. Given that we’re talking about jazz and improvisation, this project is never exactly the same each time it’s revived.

It’s no easy feat for this sextet of Montreal musicians to embody Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderley on saxophone, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Mike de Masi on double bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. And yet it’s possible, as they demonstrated with conviction.

The Gesù was largely filled, mostly with white or salt and pepper hair, in great shape for a concert that started at 10:30 pm. Many die-hard fans of Miles Davis from that era and sometimes, a few younger ones, well educated by their parents or music teachers.

Di Laurienne’s recipe for this reincarnation: certainly, we play a classic, we respect its form, but when the time comes for solos, for magical improvisation, we remain ourselves and, in doing so, we give new life to the music.

Yannick Rieu and Jean-Pierre Zanella played tenor and alto saxophones, one more languid, the other more edgy and virtuosic. They were instantly recognizable. Taurey Butler, the American turned Montrealer, distanced himself considerably from Bill Evans with much longer solos. And why not?

Martin Auguste on drums provided a subtle rhythm section, and the bassist, whose name escapes me, delivered solos more innovative than his predecessor on Kind of Blue. After all, we’re 63 years later, and we need to feel it.

And Ron Di Lauro was Ron Di Lauro. The former university professor knows his trumpet and how to use the mute to resonate like Miles. All while asserting himself in the solos. A blend of respect and innovation.

I had a great time. Judging by the loud applause during the encore, I wasn’t the only one.

Hello Miles and hello to those Montreal musicians who have reincarnated him for us!

Photo Frédérique Ménard-Aubin

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Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Music for a Crowded Elevator 

by Frédéric Cardin

Thursday evening at Gesù, a cine-concert like no other was held. Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, a film by Louis Malle released in 1958, and whose almost entirely improvised soundtrack by Miles Davis contributed as much to the film’s success and fame as the quality of Malle’s direction itself. One had to ask the following question: should one replay note for note a score originally created spontaneously, thus betraying its original spirit, or should one rather pay homage to that spirit by improvising anew, even if it means breaking the solidly rooted references in the minds of movie buffs?

In this dilemma, trumpeter Rémi Cormier has clearly chosen his side by favouring the second solution. The Montrealer, already comfortable with the nocturnal and urban groove style of the original music (listen to his music on Bandcamp), went for atmospheres that were sometimes subdued, sometimes more dynamic and propulsive (for car scenes, for example). Musically speaking, Cormier weaves a rather velvety tapestry, with occasional dissonant or grating outbursts. A picture of warm, muted colours. His colleagues Théo Abellard on piano, Levi Dover on bass, Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums, and Nick Di Giovanni on guitar play along and insert their own contributions within the rather straightforward framework of the suggested emotions and atmospheres. In terms of paying tribute to Miles’ music, it’s effective and very appealing. We will note some passages where the volume of the music is unbalanced compared to that of the film and the dialogues. The kind of thing that gets refined over time.

Here is the purely musical and technical aspect of the relationship between the music and the film. It is at the level of its dramatic and emotional connection with the images that one sometimes wonders what should have been done differently. Several originally silent (meaning without music) scenes (there are quite a few, given that there were only about 20 minutes of music in the final cut of the 1h30 film, I remind you!) seem here overloaded, as if they were a bit too abundantly covered with “mood” and atmosphere. Notwithstanding the quality of the score improvised by Rémi Cormier’s quintet, one cannot overlook the symbiotic relationship with the images.

In the 1958 film, Malle had deliberately chosen to limit musical interventions to a few selected moments. There was a reason for that. The dramatic effect, the communicative and emotional expression of the characters’ psyche, all of this was distilled sparingly, and above all balanced between the “natural” vitality of the actors’ performances and the “commented” delivery by the soundtrack. In the film, as it will be seen on any streaming site, the arrival of the music marks an important moment each time, a departure from the raw space of the story, a step back to better embrace a broader perspective of the emotions and inner lives of the protagonists.

In the version presented at Gesù, this balance is shattered by the presence, almost wall to wall, of music that covers everything. We are somewhat overwhelmed, in a closed elevator, and the references crumble. Even though Rémi Cormier’s composition is very good, it is heavily overused. I have remarked to myself, several times, that I would prefer it to be a simple concert rather than a film concert. 

A striking example: the scene where Florence (Jeanne Moreau) leaves the café after asking the bartender if he had seen Julien (stuck in the elevator). The feeling of solitude of the character, immersed in the nocturnal urbanity, is magnified by the appearance of the trumpet and its haunting melody, gently cushioned by the rest of the quintet. After almost thirty minutes without music, the quiet strength of this moment is striking. Last night, it was completely overshadowed by the incessant presence, from the very first moments of the film, of the soundtrack. An originally significant appearance now stripped of any particular interest. 

I’m not saying that the music should have been played note for note either. Cormier’s argument seems very valid to me: Miles would never have done that. But it seems to me that the spirit of this music does not reside solely in its style and sonorities, but also in its place in the narrative and dramatic progression. In other words, fewer notes and more silences should also have been part of the analysis of the character of this music.

Even if the dosage will have to be adjusted, the concept, bold, and the beautiful score, were carried out with authentic and fully successful involvement.

What will be your primary intention in going to this concert: to listen to good music inspired by Miles Davis, or to experience a very special relationship between images and sounds? The answer will certainly influence the degree of your satisfaction. 

Jazz

FIJM 2026 I “Modes of Coltrane” in the Rain

by Vitta Morales

The Club Montreal stage would play host to the Christine Jensen Sextet as they gave a short and sweet fifty-six-minute show titled “Modes of Coltrane.” Jensen, as one might expect given the name of the show, would skillfully perform arrangements of the prolific John Coltrane repertoire as well as lesser-known “deep cuts,” as she was fond of saying, including “Blue World,” “Equinox,” “Moment’s Notice,” and “Village Blues,” among others. She was well backed by some of the usual suspects of the Montreal jazz scene in the way of André Leroux, Lex French, Rémi-Jean Leblanc, Jim Doxas, and François Bourassa, with each of them having moments to shine throughout. Jensen herself pulled out various colours and harmonic ideas from her alto and soprano horns showing her familiarity with the language of Coltrane. Leroux, for his part, also channelled Coltrane well on his tenor (as he did on Échanges Synaptiques, which was reviewed here and whose rhythm section was nearly identical to Jensen’s on the night).

Jensen had impeccable timing, in the phrasing of her lines, but also when she would choose to play the tune “After the Rain;” the crowd’s umbrellas would open and close repeatedly throughout the first half of the show as the intensity of droplets varied, however, by the time Jensen and company had finished the tune, the rain had mostly stopped and “Village Blues” could close out the show.

Overall, the sextet performed aptly and injected a shot of old-school canonical jazz into this year’s programming, bringing us back to the genre’s roots.

Photo by Victor Diaz Lamich

Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Kalia Vandever’s Nocturnal Trombone creates the right mood

by Frédéric Cardin

At the Molson Pub, on the Jazz Fest’s Esplanade Tranquille, we were quite a crowd Wednesday night to savour the music of Kalia Vandever, a new voice on the trombone, whose reflections you can further explore by reading the interview I conducted with them.

READ THE INTERVIEW WITH KALIA VANDEVER

The artist based in New York (Brooklyn) manipulates her instrument in a way different from her usual jazz colleagues. Don’t think of Trombone Shorty, Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, etc. Vandever does not take much pleasure in distributing bouquets of notes in virtuosic fireworks. It is the long and patient melodic lines, as many cushions for elegant improvisations, that inspire them.

Vandever creates atmospheres that oscillate between ambient and chamber rock groove inherited from the previous generation (E.S.T.), endorsed by the current one (Bad Plus). They are solidly supported by their colleagues on stage in the deployment of well-structured horizontal frameworks. The rhythmic backbone is well maintained by Kayvon Gordon (drums) and Kanoa Mendenhall (double bass), the same as on the album Another View (released in 2025), which constitutes the essence of the performance. On guitar, the only deviation from the album’s lineup, Gregory Uhlmann knows his stuff. Although Mary Halvorsen is inimitable in her unusual timbral creations, Uhlmann still manages to hold his own. He knows how to colour the discourse and even generate astonishing soundscapes. He surprises us by imitating a saxophone in a stunning passage.

A performance that leaves a pleasant memory, like a soft moment of nocturnal and groovy mood at the end of a humid and slightly rainy evening.

Much, much to like.

Americana / Jazz

FIJM 2026 | BEATrio: A Deluge of Warm Notes

by Michel Labrecque

“We’re the weirdest jazz band on the planet,” said drummer Antonio Sanchez on stage at a packed Théâtre Maisonneuve on July 1, referring to himself and his two bandmates, Edmar Castañeda and Bela Fleck. A banjo, a Colombian harp, and a drum set—it is, indeed, a little weird.

I’ve already expressed how much I love this band, selecting their one-of-a-kind album as one of my top five picks of 2025 for PAN M 360. After a concert that lasted nearly two hours, I walked out blown away, just like most of the audience.

Especially since the Mexican Antonio Sanchez told us, “Please don’t become the fifty-first state of the United States—you deserve better,” to thunderous applause.

This unlikely trio exemplifies musical openness and American music at its best. Here, “America” refers to the territory stretching from Baffin Island to southern Argentina. A Colombian, a Mexican, and a New Yorker who met in New York, where they have all lived.

We’re dealing with three virtuosos on their instruments who are open to a wide range of styles. Bela Fleck has played Bach on the banjo, improvised with the great jazz pianist Chick Corea, performed with Indian and African musicians, and recorded bluegrass albums with his wife, Abigail Washington.

Antonio Sanchez played for several years with guitarist Pat Metheny and recently performed with the Elipsis Trio, alongside Cuban musician Pedrito Sanchez and multi-instrumentalist Michael League, who leads several bands, including Snarky Puppy.

And Edmar Castañeda has played his Latin American harp with a wide range of artists, from the Mexican singer Lila Downs to the Japanese pianist Hiromi.

On July 1, Edmar Castañeda seemed to be in particularly good form. I’ll admit: sometimes I worried about his Llanera harp, which is smaller than the Western harp and has a very distinctive sound. He would fiddle with it, tap it, and stretch it to make the strings sound differently, but always with a huge smile. This instrument is sometimes processed with effects pedals. This was especially true on “Whisper of Resilience,” a song he composed during a difficult time in his life—a piece that takes us through a range of emotions, from despair to hope. A truly memorable moment.

Bela Fleck has shown us just how much can be done with a banjo by reinterpreting George Gershwin’s orchestral piece, Rhapsody in Blue, to which he dedicated an album in 2024 to mark its 100th anniversary. The piece features a complexity of harmonies and astonishing chords.

On his drum set, Antonio Sanchez can hit very hard, then scrape his cymbal to produce strange sounds. Or he can play with subtlety.

However, beyond each musician’s tremendous talent, what stands out above all is the rapport and synergy between the three. The banjo and the harp blend together, as do the percussion instruments.

“We are a democratic group, and we don’t like authoritarian rhetoric,” said Antonio Sanchez. He didn’t mention the U.S. president by name, but we all knew who he was talking about.

BEATrio—a name derived from the initials of each member’s first name—embodies the United States’ openness to immigration, diversity, and imagination. It is the exact opposite of what is advocated by the man whose name we will refrain from mentioning.

Photo: Victor Diaz Lamich

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Contemporary Jazz / Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Kind of Blue And A Love Supreme on the Same Bill?… A Supreme Blue… What’s the Connection?

by Alain Brunet

Among the programs commemorating the centennial anniversaries of Miles Davis and John Coltrane was the mashup Supreme Blue, presented late in the evening on Monday, June 29—a combined reinterpretation of the iconic albums Kind of Blue (Miles) and A Love Supreme (Coltrane) by trumpeter Nicholas Payton and the Virginia-based groove jazz group Butcher Brown — Marcus Tenney (saxophone), Morgan Burrs (guitar), Corey Fonville (percussion), and Andrew Randazzo (bass).

Butcher Brown hasn’t really given us this kind of repertoire before, so it was easy to imagine that funk grooves or even Afrobeats would be part of these arrangements, conceived in collaboration with Louisiana trumpeter Nicholas Payton, who regularly explores this repertoire himself.

In this way, tracks from Kind of Blue (“So What,” “Freddie Freeloader,” “Blue in Green,” “All Blues,” “Flamenco Sketches”) are interwoven with those from A Love Supreme (“Acknowledgement,” “Pursuance,” “Psalm”). For example, “Freddie Freeloader” can blend into “Acknowledgement” and express two states of mind that are, all things considered, quite different.

Kind of Blue was one of the first albums of modal music in modern jazz, performed by one of Davis’ finest ensembles (Coltrane, Cannonball, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb), and it became one of the greatest commercial successes of modern jazz in the late 1950s (1959). This was a far cry from the massive success of A Love Supreme, released in January 1965, which was a true mystical incantation—a profession of faith in divine love—performed by Coltrane’s famous quartet (with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison).

Positioned on the left side of the Rogers Stage, Nicholas Payton regularly provides harmonies throughout the set, complementing guitarist Morgan Burrs, while also delivering a few high-quality, powerful solos. Marcus Tenney’s tenor sax will also be put to good use, with substantial solos drawn from this musical colossus.

The fusion of these two albums into a single program is justified here by the centennial of these two musical giants, and the aim is to adapt this almost sacred repertoire to Southern and African-American jazz, deeply rooted in soul, R&B, and the blues. Payton is from Louisiana, Butcher Brown is from Virginia; this Black culture has its own distinct characteristics, and we see this here in the adaptation of the works, which are magnified through an approach closer to contemporary African American popular music. I remain, however, perplexed by the aesthetic connections between Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme, whose intentions and atmospheres are extremely different… and which have now been filtered through the lens of Southern jazz.

crédit photo: Benoît Rousseau

Contemporary Jazz / Jazz / Jazz Fusion

FIJM 2026 | Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah: Anti-Jazz Hero… Nevertheless… Chief!

by Varun Swarup

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah’s, formerly known as Christian Scott, show at the Théâtre Jean-Duceppe last night was less a concert than a statement of intent. The Louisiana-born composer used the evening to unveil much of the music from his forthcoming 2027 album, Anti-Jazz Hero, a project that seeks to question what jazz means nearly a century after the music first emerged. Reinvention has long been central to Adjuah’s work, but this latest chapter feels like his boldest yet.

Looking beyond the conventions of modern jazz and back toward its African roots, Adjuah has developed his own instrument, Adjuah’s Bow, an intricate hybrid inspired by three different African harps. Combined with an array of effect pedals, it became the driving force behind the first half of the performance. The music often felt closer to electronic sound design than to anything recognizably jazz, built on hypnotic grooves, dense textures and explosive rhythmic interplay. The dialogue between the drummer and djembe player was especially electrifying to watch and had us fully locked in. 

The second half took a slightly different but welcome turn. Long-time collaborator Elena Pinderhughes joined the ensemble, bringing a welcome lyricism that contrasted beautifully with the raw physicality of the opening set. Setting the Adjuah Bow aside, he returned to the trumpet, reminding everyone that beneath all the experimentation remains one of the most distinctive horn voices in contemporary music. His phrasing carried the same emotional urgency that has defined his career, now framed by an ensemble equally committed to exploration.

Whether Anti-Jazz Hero can ultimately reshape the conversation around jazz remains to be seen, but this premiere made one thing clear: Chief Adjuah has little interest in preserving tradition for its own sake. 

Photo by Benoît Rousseau

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Contemporary Jazz / Jazz / Modern Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Elena Pinderhughes, a fine debut

by Varun Swarup

Elena Pinderhughes perhaps had one of the tougher assignments at this year’s FIJM. The Pub Molson stage, nestled between the festival’s two largest outdoor stages, isn’t the easiest place to hold an audience, and for a flautist especially it’s hardly the ideal setting to debut your band. Still, none of it seemed to faze Pinderhughes. At only 31, she already carries herself with the confidence of a seasoned bandleader, and her technique was sharp as ever, cutting through the humid and noisy air.

The set leaned heavily on material from her forthcoming album, including several numbers that have yet to be titled. They offered plenty of room for lyrical improvisation and served just fine as vehicles for Pinderhughes’ dazzling solos, but as compositions they rarely left a lasting impression. Much of the music settled into the same blend of contemporary soul and modern jazz. My favourite moment came during a duet with her brother, Samora Pinderhughes on the piano. Unencumbered by the drums and bass, the musicians could really fly. Moments like these hinted at an emotional depth that the rest of the set only occasionally reached. Certainly some more memorable melodies, or simply stronger shifts in mood would have given the performance greater definition.

Still, it speaks to Pinderhughes’ gifts as a performer that the evening never lost its charm. Her playing remained luminous even in less forgiving conditions, and her generosity on stage gave the music a warmth that the compositions alone didn’t always provide.

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Contemporary Jazz

FIJM 2026 | The Artistry of the Trio with Craig Taborn

by Alain Brunet

I’ve been a fan of Craig Taborn ever since his debut in Montreal, playing with Steve Coleman’s band. There’s no sign that my admiration for him is waning, as the American pianist delivered one of the best performances of this year’s FIJM on Tuesday. It was June 30, 2026—and that music was from June 30, 2026, both conceptually and sensually.

Craig Taborn’s exploration of harmonic motifs and rhythmic patterns on the keyboard has always been a source of surprise and admiration. He has never presented himself as a master of classical jazz or European music forms; for him, the piano is a tool for creation and exploration, as well as a vehicle for virtuosity. For this is indeed a style tailor-made for him.

The chords are very forceful, sometimes hammered out to the very edge of noise. The phrasing is always based on highly contemporary rhythmic patterns, far beyond simple binary or ternary structures. For the high-flying passages, the right hand can take off at any moment. The beauty of it all is that the rhythmic complexity doesn’t exclude the groove; the audience feels its full energy and reacts spontaneously. There’s no need to overthink it, because the balance between familiar and unfamiliar elements is always maintained—in other words, there are enough melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that everyone knows, which then allows for taking risks.

Taborn is backed by drums and double bass, creating a very powerful three-headed beast. The subtle contribution of the formidable double bassist Thomas Morgan and the playing of the formidable drummer Tim Angulo enhance Craig Taborn’s absolutely unique vision.

So, here it is: my favorite jazz trio in a piano-double bass-drums lineup in 2026.

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