Burgundy Jazz makes its way across Canada

Sunset from VIA Rail Canada train on the Burgundy Jazz West Coast Tour.

The Burgundy Jazz team has just returned from an epic pan-Canadian tour of six jazz festivals! In an effort to get the word out about Little Burgundy – Canada's own "Harlem of the North–  and share the webdoc with as many Canadians as possible, we travelled to jazz festivals in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Our West Coast team featured Burgundy Jazz Producer Katarina Soukup and Director David Eng. They began the tour on June 22nd at the Edmonton Jazz Festival,  where they set up a booths at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre where the Brenan Brothers 12-piece band was performing, as well as at the Winspear Theatre. From Edmonton, thanks to our sponsorship from VIA Rail, they took a stunning train trip across the Rockies to Vancouver.

Burgundy Jazz director David Eng in the dining car of VIA Rail Canada train en route from Edmonton to Vancouver on the Burgundy Jazz West Coast Tour.

Once they arrived in Vancouver, on Saturday June 28th Katarina and David set up shop at the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival's outdoor site at David Lam Park. They were happy to discover that fellow Montrealer Lorraine Klaasen was performing at a nearby outdoor stage. 

Pyramid Falls seen from VIA Rail Canada train between Edmonton and Vancouver on the Burgundy Jazz West Coast Tour.

From Vancouver, our team continued on to the Victoria International Jazz Fest on Sunday June 29th. They set up in  Centennial Square in historic Chinatown and enjoyed the free afternoon of student jazz performances. Festival-goers were curious to learn about the history of jazz in Montreal, comparing how jazz scenes evolved across the country. The Burgundy Jazz booth also happened to be located right next to artist Douglas Walker who makes gorgeous found object sculptures made from brass and horns. Check out this video of his installation at the Victoria International Jazz Fest!

Meanwhile, our East Coast team was busy at work, beginning their tour in Ontario on June 24th at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Our two Burgundy Jazz ambassadors Carlos Carrión von Reckow and Rae Anna Maitland settled into the busy Nathan Philips Square, where the Amy McConnell & William Sperandei Quintet performed during lunch hour, followed by the Mike Murley Trio for the after-work crowd. 

Ottawa Jazz Festival.

Without skipping a beat, Carlos and Rae continued onto the Ottawa Jazz Festival, where the legendary soul / R&B band Earth Wind & Fire was performing a huge outdoor show on Thursday June 26th. From Ottawa, they made their way back to the "birthplace" of Canadian jazz in Montreal, for the opening of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. 

This year, we're excited to have a Burgundy Jazz kiosk set-up at the the Médiathèque Jazz/La Presse+. Festival-goers were able to come and explore the webdoc at their leisure, on a desktop, iPad and iPhone. The kiosk is accessible year-round during Médiathèque opening-hours, if you haven't already had a chance, check it out!  

Burgundy Jazz kiosk at the Médiathèque Jazz La Presse+

We're super proud to have completed such an ambitious tour, we've come a long way since our community launch in Little Burgundy last year! The tour served not only to introduce the project to Canadians across the country, but also as a reminder of the deep shared roots between rail travel and jazz music. What are some of your favourite rail-themed jazz tunes? Tweet us your songs @burgundyjazz!