Montreal Jazz Festival Awards Recipients

Bob Dylan, Angelique Kidjo, Harry Connick, Mike Stern, François Bourassa Honoured

News Story by: Cindy McLeod

Place: Montreal, Canada

The 28th annual Festival International de Jazz de Montreal kicks off today and will run through July 8th. With over 2,500 musicians from around the world appearing over the 11 days, headliners include such names as Bob Dylan, Manu Chao, Keith Jarrett, Mike Stern, Zachary Richard, Francis Cabrel, Wynton Marsalis, Richard Bona, Harry Connick Jr., Oliver Jones, Angélique Kidjo and many more.

Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has created an awards program to honour musician's and their work, and to mark auspicious dates in the growth the Festival. The recipients of the 2007 awards have been announced by festival organizers, who will present the honours on June 28th.

Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan, pop icon and musical legend, is the second artist to receive the Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award. Created last year in celebration of the Festival's 27th anniversary, the Spirit Award salutes quality and musical innovation.

Antonio Carlos-Jobim Award: Angélique Kidjo

West African singer Angélique Kidjo is the 4th winner of the Antonio Carlos Jobim Award, created for the Festival’s 25th anniversary to honour artists distinguished in the field of world music whose influence on the evolution of jazz and cultural crossover is widely recognized.

Ella‑Fitzgerald Award: Harry Connick, Jr.

Harry Connick, Jr. is the 9th artist to receive the Ella Fitzgerald Award, established in 1999 for the Festival's 20th anniversary and conferred in recognition of the versatility, improvisational originality and quality of repertoire of a jazz singer renowned on the international scene.

Miles‑Davis Award: Mike Stern

Mike Stern will be the 14th recipient of the Miles Davis Award, created for our 15th anniversary in 1994 to honour a great international jazz musician for the entire body of his or her work and for that musician’s influence in regenerating the jazz idiom.

Oscar Peterson Award: François Bourassa

François Bourassa is the 19th artist to receive the Oscar Peterson Award, created on the 10th anniversary of the Festival in 1989 to salute a Canadian musician who’s made outstanding contributions to jazz in Canada.

for more info visit www.montrealjazzfest.com

Posted by:

Cindy McLeod
www.jazzelements.com



For more information: http://www.montrealjazzfest.com

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