Arts·Commotion

What have jazz festivals become?

Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with jazz fan and media personality Garvia Bailey about why so many jazz festivals are including artists from other genres as part of their lineups.

Jazz fan Garvia Bailey explains why so many jazz festival lineups include artists from other genres

A country and folk band plays a festival stage in a city park, with a large brown government building in the background.
William Prince plays the main stage of the Ottawa Jazz Festival June 25, 2023. (CBC)

Summer is here, and it seems like live music is everywhere right now. One reason? It's jazz festival season.

Right now there are jazz festivals happening all over Canada — from cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, to Edmonton, Ottawa and Halifax.

If you've been to one recently, you might have noticed that among the more traditional jazz and big band shows, there's also more non-jazz artists featured, like Vance Joy and Ashanti. Jazz fan and media personality Garvia Bailey joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to explain why so many jazz festivals are including artists from other genres as part of their lineups.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Garvia Bailey produced by Danielle Grogan.