# Ottawa Jazz Festival 2017



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

*Ottawa Jazz Festival announces eclectic 2017 lineup*
*Kenny Rogers, Feist, Charles Bradley, Joss Stone, and more tapped for downtown Ottawa music festival
*
The Ottawa Jazz Festival has announced its 2017 lineup with an eclectic mix of international superstars performing over 10 days in downtown Ottawa.

This year's headliners include acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Feist, American country singer Kenny Rogers, British singer Joss Stone, American soul/funk outfit Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, and renowned saxophonist Maceo Parker leading a tribute to the legendary Ray Charles.









Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires are on the bill as headliners at this year's Ottawa Jazz Festival. (Manfred Werner)

Jazz Fest runs from June 22 to July 2 on stages at Confederation Park and the National Arts Centre.

Other acts gracing the main stage include Serena Ryder, The Legendary Downchild Blues Band, Caravan Palace, and St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

The bill also features eclectic Canadian musicians The Jerry Cans, Pierre Kwenders, and Hannah Georgas.

Big names from the world of jazz, soul, funk and R & B including Mavis Staples, the Robert Glasper Experiment, Kandace Springs, and Igor Butman and The Moscow Jazz Orchestra round out this year's lineup.



For full lineup details and ticket information, visit the Ottawa Jazz Festival website.

International superstars heading to Ottawa for Jazz Fest 2017


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Yeah, Kenny Rogers at a jazz festival. Exactly what the festival needs.LOL. I dont get it but then again, i dont get a lot of stuff.


----------



## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

Mavis Staples would be fun to see.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

marcos said:


> Yeah, Kenny Rogers at a jazz festival. Exactly what the festival needs.LOL. I dont get it but then again, i dont get a lot of stuff.


I was wondering the same thing. They are likely using him as a drawing card. I liked Kenny when he was at the top of his game but his voice is just not what it used to be.


----------



## jayoldschool (Sep 12, 2013)

The festival organizer was on CBC radio today as I drove home. It was simply "hey, Kenny, we have a stage at a really nice venue... want to come play?" and he said yes. Willie Nelson played the festival in the past with success.


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

jayoldschool said:


> The festival organizer was on CBC radio today as I drove home. It was simply "hey, Kenny, we have a stage at a really nice venue... want to come play?" and he said yes. Willie Nelson played the festival in the past with success.


I can see Willie at the jazz fest as he does have a certain style that can crossover but as much as i like Kenny Rogers, i just cant see it. He probably will draw a good crowd and thats whats important.


----------



## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

It's kind of like the Ottawa Bluesfest where they have hardly any blues acts. Example: I took my wife to see Kayne West at the Bluesfest once.


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

zdogma said:


> Mavis Staples would be fun to see.


There is an excellent (IMHO) documentary about Mavis...if you are interested.


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I am proud to say that Kitchener-Waterloo has annual blues and jazz festivals that are excellent (and have no admission fee). They tend to stay reasonable close to their respective genres. 

We also have an excellent jazz focused venue called "The Jazz Room"
The Jazz Room » Live Jazz Music in Kitchener-Waterloo


----------



## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

greco said:


> There is an excellent (IMHO) documentary about Mavis...if you are interested.


Cool, I'll look it up.


----------



## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Sigh...yet another jazz festival gone astray.


----------



## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

Merlin said:


> Sigh...yet another jazz festival gone astray.


In Canada all festivals are like that. A large part of their financing is dependant on coporate sponsors and government grants. They need big crowds and Kenny Rogers is a bigger draw than your typical jazz virtuoso. The music has little to do with it.


----------



## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

pattste said:


> In Canada all festivals are like that. A large part of their financing is dependant on coporate sponsors and government grants. They need big crowds and Kenny Rogers is a bigger draw than your typical jazz virtuoso. The music has little to do with it.


So call it a music festival.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

It's been many years since I've paid any attention to Kenny Rogers, so I have no idea what he's doing these days. BUt you never know. Willie Nelson is turning up as a jazz artist these days, so maybe Kenny has taken a bit of a turn as well. The stretch between "Just Dropped In (to see what condition my condition was in)" and "Lady" is much bigger than the stretch to singing the sort of standards that Mel Tormé or Michael Bublé would sing.

Actually what is more jarring is that the Jazz Festival looks like it might have more blues than Bluesfest.


----------

