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New Orleans Jazz Orchestra · Putting “Jazz” back in Music
The obsession with trying to define or assign a meaning to the word “jazz” is almost as old as the first soli played by the legendary Jelly Roll Morton, who – if you believe him – claims to have “invented” it. Everyone from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie, to Miles Davis and Charles Mingus have been quizzed about it. There have been as many answers (or non-answers) as there have been musicians questioned… And so in the end, when asked, no one quite gets the answer they are looking for… because there is no answer.
“The music sang and notes literally leapt off the page, and danced in the air of the room”
The Black American musician, who experienced it, wrote it. They called it music… and this and that. For instance: Buddy Bolden called it “Funky Butt”, Charlie Parker called it “Ornithology” and “klactoveedsedstene”, Dizzy Gillespie called it “ooh bop sh’bam”, Thelonious Monk called it the “Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are” … and Charles Mingus called it “Pithecanthropus Erectus”, “Oh Lord Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me” and “Ecclusiastics”… Duke Ellington simply called it “The Feeling of Jazz”… but they all played “it”… Moreover if you don’t get it from “the spirit of the real music”, then you’re not likely to “get it” at all.
Moreover, every once and a while there comes a band that not only communicates “the spirit of the real music”, but embodies it in everything it does because each and every thing – every note played, every phrase “sung”, every melodic and harmonic invention and in the very heartbeat of every rhythmic phrase that every musician plays alone and together… and that band is the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. There are many other great bands in New Orleans, of course, but few who so embody the history of the city – its despairs and its hopes, and the music that it gave the world more completely than the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, here in Canada to celebrate – among all things Jazz – the music of Allen Toussaint.
Mr Toussaint is to the piano in New Orleans what Zigaboo Modeliste is to the drums. People in New Orleans – and the artistic cognoscenti of the world at large – have long known him to be a person of sartorial elegance and a composer non pareil. His music is joyful, eloquent and breathtakingly beautiful to listen to and play. Like the great composers – and unlike even more of them – in Jazz he had something of the Aesop in him; he was capable of condensing an epic into just over three minutes such as he did, for instance, in “Southern Nights”. He had an eye for detail and it showed when he was describing human endeavor in “Working in the Coal Mine” and “Java” (immortalized by the trumpeter Al Hirt). But he was also in touch with his inner self and could thus describe the greatest human emotion – love – bringing to life as if with hot breath on a cheek, the most spine-tingling moments of romance just like in “Ruler of My Heart” and best of all in “With You in Mind”.
Jazz quite literally hung in the air all night long. Even the characteristically polite Canadian audience in Markham, Ontario, quiet in their applause, was whistling and yelling their appreciation by the end of the night at the Flato Markham Theatre when the band closed its Canadian tour on the last day of February in this leap year, 2020. Jazz also shone on the faces of the musicians. But most of all, “Jazz” came to life, especially through ensemble passages of spectacular arrangements such as what pianist Victor Atkins created for “It’s Raining”, as the music sang and notes literally leapt off the page, and danced in the air of the room. And the fun refused to set until long after the rousing Second Line procession led by Musical Director Adonis Rose up, then down the aisles through the small theatre, twirling the ornately decorated black parasol was a perfect end to a memorable concert.
Of course there was much more to the unforgettable evening and it all began with the opening song of the first set – “Get the Bucket”, one of the best-known compositions by the Godfather of Jazz, Mr Ferdinand Joseph LaMenthe, “Jelly Roll Morton” (1890–1941). It may not have been one of Mr Morton’s more famous songs (such as “King Porter Stomp” or “Wolverine Blues” or “Black Bottom Stomp”). But the song was, almost certainly, the next best thing to turning up the heat of the furnace of the Flato Markham Theatre.
Moreover we got to hear the first solo of the night – a breathtaking one by tenor saxophonist Ricardo Pascal – several bars long (and reminiscent of – if not in length, then certainly in heft – the legendary 27-bar solo taken by Paul Gonsalves with the Duke Ellington Orchestra on “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival). This was “Jazz” coming alive, not only – proverbially – in the flesh but, more importantly, in the spirit, just like the day in July when The Duke and his great band performed on Rhode Island. On the 29th of February the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra had just cut loose and there was no looking back.
“Inheriting a proverbial mess, Mr Rose rebuilt the orchestra seemingly from the ground up together with other founding members”
Adonis Rose, one of the best-known protégés of two famous men: the first was his uncle, Chris Severin, once the bassist in the band of the legendary Allen Toussaint and the other was the great New Orleans drummer and history-come-to-life, Herlin Riley. Mr Rose came to greater prominence when he was called upon to pick up the pieces of The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra after it was hit by the double whammy of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Irvin Mayfield, the founder of this celebrated orchestra (in 2002), who was forced to step down from artistic leadership in 2016. Inheriting a proverbial mess, Mr Rose rebuilt the orchestra seemingly from the ground up together with other founding members, Ed Peterson, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown and pianist Victor Atkins. After a year in limbo, Mr Rose led the revival of the great orchestra, recording under his leadership an iconic album Songs – The Music of Allen Toussaint (Storyville Records, 2019).
The North American tour of the ensemble brought this music to life again. Seldom has a Jazz orchestral programme (with poignant and joyful vocals mixed in) hung together so perfectly, with each successive song in its repertoire tightening the ratchet of intensity towards the proverbial final burst of explosive energy on “Do What You Wanna” with which the programme ended. It helped that all of the performers directed by Adonis Rose – from the brass and woodwinds to the rhythms section and featured vocalist – the seductive-voiced Gabrielle Cavassa – who worked together like a well-oiled machine to create the rippling Jazz grooves.
Every one of these masterful musicians were at the top of their powers and it seemed that everyone had interiorised Mr Toussaint’s music perfectly. So much so that they seem to effortlessly swing their way through the technical challenges – and there certainly are some, especially on “It’s Raining” and “Southern Nights”. One of the remarkable moments early on in the programme came when the orchestra showcased “Working in the Coal Mine”; alto saxophonist Khari Allen Lee not only shone on his instrument, but also brought the house down with his Blues shout at the end of the song.
The soli by dueling trumpeters Ashlin Parker and Ricio Fruge was humourously set up by an outrageously funny story by Adonis Rose and the orchestra also seemed to revel in the high and mighty brassy quarrel. There were also moments of great showmanship and musicianship during other songs – such as the challenge to percussionist Alexey Marti who responded with a masterful tumbadora introduction to “Tequila”, the gigantic 1958 hit song by Danny Flores for his group The Champs. The orchestra also brought to life the song’s famous dirty-sax solo. Trevarri Huff-Boone also shone on baritone saxophone. And if you thought that the tuba dwelt in the shadows of the stage, perish the thought, for Steven Glenn – a virtuoso on the diabolically difficult-to-play instrument – seized his moment in the spotlight with a breathtaking solo.
“Some of the finest moments of the night also came during the songs that featured the two vocalists on that memorable evening”
The finest moment together of Miss Gabrielle Cavassa and the velvet-voiced trombonist Michael Watson, whose vocal turn was at times even evocative of the great Al Jarreau, came with a glorious ballad, “With You in Mind”, which turned into a kind of enactment of the true love story envisioned by Mr Toussaint when he penned this ballad. Miss Cavassa also shone on Duke Ellington’s monumental song “Come Sunday”.
The song was written by The Duke in 1942, becoming the first part of his iconic “Black, Brown and Beige” suite. It’s most celebrated recording came in 1958 when Mahalia Jackson sang the lyric in the 1958 recording Black Brown and Beige (Columbia).
Another breathtaking version came in 1965 when Queen Esther Morrow sang the song on Duke Ellington’s Concert of Sacred Music (RCA), the first in a trilogy of Sacred Concert recordings by the grand master of Jazz. Miss Cavassa “wept” the lyric in a benchmark version that night as she sang with extraordinary Gospel fervor and pathos especially when singing this, Alice Babs’ poetic entreaty:
“Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.”
Miss Cavassa is an extraordinary interpreter of song and the work of Duke Ellington, of Mr Toussaint and others seemed to speak to her in a very special way. She surely had the audience hanging on to her every word that she sang with smoky eloquence. Michael Watson, was just as riveting when he was called upon to sing. The orchestra responded splendidly to both singers.
There is much to be said of the orchestra’s rhythm section and this is often left unsaid; left, as it were, in the back of the stage where not much of the spotlight shines because it’s almost always focused on the soloists. But the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra also boasted a superb drummer in Gerald Watkins and a marvellous bassist in Amina Michele Scott, who played with sinewy ingenuity, giving the music muscularity that it so greatly deserved. Miss Scott will be remembered because of the musicality she brought to her instrument and not only because she was the only woman in the group (other than Miss Cavassa, that is).
At the end of the evening – just after a performance of “Tremé”, by John Boutté (another iconic son of New Orleans) and the Second Line on “Do What You Wanna” – it was hard to leave the venue. I, for one, wanted to hang back and soak in the echoes of the music by one of the most vibrant big bands in the world.
“Like many iconic cultural figures in New Orleans Mr allen Toussaint weathered the great challenges of life with a nobility that will forever be reflected in his music”
I wanted to soak in the community that Jazz brought me – indeed all of us – but not only that night; every night I choose to put on an LP which features the music. Jazz… Perhaps the most significant description of it is “community”. It is, after all the music of Black Americans, descended from The Blues which, once upon a time it helped alleviate the pain of slavery. But it was – and is – enormously cathartic. It leaves you feeling drained but happy just as once the ancient griots of African civilisation did for their communities and like the epic drama of ancient Greece did for their communities. If you believe, as I do, that one of the greatest joys for a Jazz musician – more than composing and improvising, more than dazzling melody, harmonic and rhythmic conception – it is building and sustaining healthy community. And we experienced all of this with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra on the last day of February 2020.
The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra had also done, once again, exactly what they had set out to do, which was to honour the music (and memory) of the great Allen Toussaint, favourite son of New Orleans and one of the finest – sometimes unsung – composers in Jazz. Like many iconic cultural figures in New Orleans Mr Toussaint weathered the great challenges of life with a nobility that will forever be reflected in his music, a legacy so rich that it continues to enrich our lives – for now and for always in performances by one of the premier large ensembles of our time, anywhere in the world: the great New Orleans Jazz Orchestra directed by the incomparable Adonis Rose.
The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra – Adonis Rose: director and drums; Dr Brice Miller: trumpet; Barney Floyd: trumpet; Ashlin Parker: trumpet; Ricio Fruge: trumpet; Terrance Taplin: trombone; Michael Watson: trombone and vocals; Christopher Butcher: trombone; Steven Glenn: tuba; Khari Allen Lee: alto saxophone; Bryan McNamara: alto saxophone; Ricardo Pascal: tenor and soprano saxophones; Norbert Stachel: tenor saxophone; Trevarri Huff-Boone: baritone saxophone; Victor Atkins: piano; Amina Michele Scott: contrabass; Gerald Watkins: drums; Alexey Marti: percussion; Gabrielle Cavassa: vocals.
Set list – 1st Set: 1: Get the Bucket; 2: Working in the Coal Mine; 3: Java; 4: It’s Raining; 5: Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans; 6: Southern Nights 2nd Set – 1: Come Sunday; 2: Basin Street Blues; 3: With You in Mind; 4: Tequila; 5: What a Wonderful World; 6: Tremé/ Do What You Wanna
How one composer spent four decades forging a distinctly Québécois path through the experimental music landscape
When Joane Hétu picks up her alto saxophone, she claims territory. At sixty-six, the Montréal composer, vocalist, and saxophonist has spent forty years carving out space for experimental music in Québec, building institutions and communities that define the province’s musique actuelle scene.
Her latest recording, Elle a son mot à dire, captures Hétu leading Ensemble SuperMusique through thirteen of her compositions from across two decades. The album opens with “Elle n’a pas de mot” (She has no words)—a brief ambient piece that stacks wordless singing atop a chorus of “whirly tubes,” ribbed hoses spun above players that pirouette through the harmonic series. An apt introduction to an artist who has spent her career finding new ways to give voice to the unspoken.
Finding Her Voice in the Underground
Hétu’s path began in the early 1980s with avant-pop groups like Wondeur Brass, Justine, and Les Poules. These bands merged the pluralist ethos of New York’s downtown scene with European progressive sensibilities while maintaining something distinctly Québécois. “I was very young, in my twenties, and this fusion happened quite instinctively, without real premeditation,” she recalls. Through connections to figures like Zeena Parkins, Ikue Mori, and Fred Frith, and the Recommended Records network, these groups found their place in an international experimental music community.
Even while performing with these bands, Hétu was thinking beyond individual artistic expression. In 1980, she co-founded SuperMusique with Danielle Palardy Roger and Diane Labrosse. Eight years later, they organized a Festival of Innovative Women Musicians, devoted entirely to women’s groups working in avant-garde music—a radical curatorial gesture that signaled Hétu’s growing interest in building infrastructure alongside making music.
“We were connected to the New York scene,” Hétu explains, “but we wanted to create something here, something that would support the community we were building in Montréal.”
From Performance to Institution
The instinct to support that community would shape Hétu’s career as much as her compositions. By 1998, she had taken on co-direction of Ensemble SuperMusique, transforming the organization into one that explicitly welcomes “emerging artists, mid-career artists, and major figures alike.” Where many experimental music scenes fragment along generational lines, Hétu has consistently worked to bridge those gaps.
“This intergenerational cohabitation is a great richness for us,” she explains. “It opens perspectives, stimulates listening, and provokes essential exchanges.”
On Elle a son mot à dire, this collaborative philosophy becomes musical practice. In “Mot elle a,” vocalist Sarah Albu’s written part interweaves with improvised percussion, creating what Hétu calls “flexible, malleable” pieces that depend on interpretation. “For now, I only have one recording, but I hope it will live through other recordings and interpretations,” she says. “This is one of the objectives of open scores: to encourage multiple and living interpretations.”
[click on image to enlarge]
The Economics of Experiment
Running an experimental music organization led Hétu deeper into the infrastructure questions that determine which music gets heard and preserved. As founder and longtime president of DAME Records (Distribution Ambiances Magnétiques Etcetera), she took on the less glamorous work of documenting and distributing Canadian experimental music—a role she maintained for three decades.
“I’ve always had a passion for sound recording,” she reflects. “From 1985, I got involved in Ambiances Magnétiques, then DAME took over.” The work came with unexpected costs. “After my daughter’s birth in 1990, I was looking for a certain stability, knowing that tours would be more difficult. Naively, I believed that having a record label would offer a form of security. It was quite the opposite. This enterprise cost me a lot in creative time. Looking back, it’s perhaps what I regret most: having carried it for so long, for thirty-three years.”
Despite the personal sacrifice, DAME has documented a vital chapter in Canadian music history, providing a platform for artists like Jean Derome, Pierre-Yves Martel, Tim Brady, and dozens of others who might otherwise have remained unrecorded. “DAME documents this precious musical heritage and ensures that these musics are represented, supported, available, and that this artistic history is accessible,” Hétu explains.
Claiming Creative Territory
The questions of space and belonging that drove Hétu’s institutional work find their most direct artistic expression in her concept of territory. The idea runs through much of her work, most explicitly in her piece La femme territoire ou 21 fragments d’humus. For Hétu, territory encompasses everything from the intimate to the political: “the Earth, my room, Quebec, my soul—a woman who becomes vastitude.”
“In it, I take a position, as a woman, on my territory—intimate and collective,” she explains. “I doubted while writing it; I had trouble trusting myself. Today, I’m happy with the path traveled and with this work.”
The territorial thinking extends to her approach to voice and instrumentation. Hétu never formally learned to sing, drawing from influences like Tenko, Phil Minton, Jaap Blonk, and Paul Dutton. “I have a deep love for the voice and its noise-making potential. It’s visceral and fundamental to me,” she says. In her work with La chorale bruitiste JOKER, founded in 2012, she explores what collective vocal improvisation can accomplish using techniques like soundpainting.
[click on image to enlarge]
Seasons of Composition
Hétu’s relationship to place extends to her famous engagement with Québec’s harsh winters. Where others see obstacles to cultural life, she found creative catalysts. Her trilogy Musique d’hiver emerged from the practical reality that “January, February and March are rather quiet in the record industry, which leaves time to compose.” But the relationship between season and creativity runs deeper than scheduling.
“I love winter, I love the sound, the cocoon effect it produces,” she explains. The final piece in the trilogy, Récits de neige, focused specifically on snow’s geometry: “I hoped to compose 30 short pieces that musicians could amalgamate as they want, like snowflakes, which each have a different geometry.”
Building for the Future
Today, as Hétu approaches her fifth decade in music, she remains committed to the experimental principles that have guided her career while grappling with new challenges facing the experimental music community. “I believe the public has the capacity to welcome innovation,” she argues. “But it needs tools, which are becoming scarce: radio broadcasting, interviews, production support, and venues dedicated to new music.”
Her work with Ensemble SuperMusique continues to demonstrate that experimental music can build lasting institutions and communities. Recent projects include ongoing workshops in graphic scores and conducting gestures, international collaborations, and regular concert series that have sustained the musique actuelle community for decades.
“I respond to the call, to the impulse of the moment. I am still, fundamentally, the same composer,” Hétu admits. Viewed across four decades, her work reveals a consistent thread: the understanding that experimental music concerns itself with creating the conditions for a community of artists to flourish.
In an era when funding for experimental music remains precarious and cultural institutions focus on measurable outcomes, Hétu’s approach offers a different model. Her career demonstrates that sometimes the most radical act is creating space for other voices to emerge, building the infrastructure for artistic communities to sustain themselves across generations. After four decades, Joane Hétu still has something to say. She’s still creating spaces for others to find their own voices within the experimental music territory she has helped map. In Québec’s cultural landscape, that may be her most enduring composition.
“One of the most unforgettable moments of the Festival was the electrifying performance by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue”
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal took place from June 26 to July 5, 2025, in the Quartier des Spectacles. The 45th edition of the world’s largest jazz festival was a resounding success, attracting jazz enthusiasts from around the globe.
The Heart of the Festival
Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, the Festival site becomes a meeting place for jazz lovers worldwide for ten days. The area is closed to all vehicular traffic and remains open until midnight, allowing visitors to enjoy close to 150 indoor concerts and more than 350 free, open-air shows presented on the specially redesigned Quartier des Spectacles.
A Personal Journey
As a jazz fan and festival enthusiast, I had always intended to attend the Montreal Jazz Festival. Despite missing several chances, I finally managed to go this year, although for a shorter time than I would have preferred, from June 30th to July 3rd.
Arrival and First Impressions
I enjoyed a pleasant 5-hour Via Rail train trip from Toronto to Montreal, arriving around 2 PM. After settling into my Airbnb, I found the jazz festival site and met up with Danilo Navas, the editor-in-chief of That Canadian Magazine. We eagerly waited for the first act to perform on the TD Stage, a free concert by UK tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia.
Garcia and her band delivered an energetic and incredibly enjoyable set that featured music from both of her recordings. This is an artist I will be watching more closely.
One of the most unforgettable moments of the festival was the electrifying performance by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. This mind-bending concert had everything thrown into the mix, creating an explosive fusion of world jazz, funk, and New Orleans soul.
The unbridled excitement and energy from the stage were infectious, drawing the audience in and making them an essential part of the show. The crowd danced, cheered, and grooved to the irresistible beats, unable to resist the magnetic pull of Trombone Shorty’s music.
After this exhilarating experience, the only thing left to do was find a chill spot to unwind and bask in the afterglow of this burst of New Orleans magic.
Canada Day Celebrations
On July 1st, Canada Day, I took a walk to Old Montreal to check out the celebrations. The area, reminiscent of Europe, was closed off to most traffic, allowing visitors to enjoy the numerous restaurants with patios and sidewalk cafes. I indulged in a coffee and biscotti at one inviting cafe before making my way back to the jazz festival area, with a brief stop in Chinatown for some delicious dumplings and soup.
Memorable Performances
This Canada Day was my most active in terms of concerts, with three free shows happening almost consecutively at outdoor venues.
The Sugar Darlings: Miche Love, a key figure in the Montreal blues scene, captivated the audience with her powerful and soulful voice, supported by the electrifying solos of Paul Lucyk on guitar and Kaven Jalbert on saxophone.
Julien Fillion Band: This lively quartet, led by the talented Julien Fillion on saxophone, guitar, and keyboards, delivered an energetic performance to a rain-soaked crowd. The show must go on despite the unpredictable weather challenges.
Endea Owens & the Cookout: Detroit-raised recording artist, bassist, and composer Endea Owens captivated the audience with her soulful singing and jazz and soul-infused playing.
My Last Full Day at the Festival
My last full day at the festival was spent exploring the grounds and soaking in the vibrant atmosphere of the Montreal Jazz Festival, discovering the many facets of this grand celebration.
Christine Jensen Quartet at Le Studio TD
One of the last jazz concerts I attended was at an indoor venue that offered a free performance by the Christine Jensen Quartet, which featured alto saxophonist Christine Jensen. This outstanding group of world-class musicians includes Jim Doxas on drums, Gary Versace on keys, and Adrian Vedady on contrabass. The quartet played tunes from Jensen’s latest recording, “Day Moon,” released in 2023, as well as selections from her other quartet albums.
A Memorable Experience
In summary, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is an excellent event held at a captivating venue, offering a wonderful experience with many free concerts and more. I look forward to returning and delving even further into the modern music of our era.
Editor’s Note: We will publish our photo gallery from the 45th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in a separate post in the next few days.
Luminato at Harbourfront – June 15, 2025
Somd’agua: A Dance Migration Performance
A mesmerizing collaboration featuring Esie Mensah, Alex Oliver, Reimundo Sosa Reinoldes, and Adrianna Yanuziello, Somd’agua provided a profound exploration of Afro-Brazilian culture. The performance artfully depicted the sacred connection between the deities Oxum and Yemanjá through movement and rhythm.
The fusion of powerful singing, chanting, and dynamic Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion created an immersive backdrop for the dancers’ graceful movements.
As the river meets the sea, the performers wove their magic, creating a flowing exchange of energies that stirred deep emotions and evoked memories of distant lands.
The natural setting of Harbourfront Centre enhanced the experience, with the breeze from Lake Ontario and passing tall ships complementing the performance’s aquatic themes. The audience’s enthusiastic participation peaked during the climactic duet, where the dancers achieved perfect harmony.
Santé! By Cirque Kikasse
Quebec’s innovative circus troupe transformed a food truck into an extraordinary performance space.
Their show seamlessly blended fast-food preparation with spectacular acrobatics, showcasing remarkable athleticism and gravity-defying feats both on and above their unique mobile stage.
Musical Performances and Workshops
Afro-Indigenous roots of Colombia Cumbia workshop with Beny Esguerra
Beny Esguerra, the Juno-nominated multi-instrumentalist, delivered an engaging exploration of Afro-Colombian rhythms. Accompanied by his daughter, who acted as her father’s assistant. She helped distribute percussion instruments.
Esguerra created an interactive experience where the distributed percussion instruments became integral to the musical performance. It featured a fun and engaging demonstration that showcased the communicative power of drumming.
Kombilesa Mi
This vibrant Afro-Colombian ensemble brought the distinctive sounds of San Basilio de Palenque to life. Their dynamic performance merged traditional rhythms (Mapalé, Bullerengue, Son Palenquero) with contemporary hip-hop elements, performing in both Spanish and their native language, Palenque.
Formed in 2011, the group serves as a cultural bridge, connecting young people with their heritage while embracing modern musical expressions. The show was well-attended, and these fantastic entertainers had the crowd singing along, clapping in time, and seemingly having a joyful experience.
The festival experience concluded perfectly with an evening stroll along the Harbourfront paths. The day’s artistic celebrations settled into memory as night descended over Lake Ontario.
Photo Gallery: Adrianna Yunuziello Dance Migration performing Somd’agua
Photos by Paul J. Youngman [click on images to enlarge]
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