Is the Kensington Jazz Festival Toronto’s finest?

Is the Kensington Jazz Festival Toronto’s finest? For me, this year it definitely was. Why? Well…….

I’ve been to the TD Toronto Jazz festival almost every year. It boasts all the top tier artists in venues big and small. So too does the arguably better Montreal Jazz Festival.

But this year was not a great year for the big boys on the block. It was not a stellar year for talent. Don’t get me wrong there were some great acts for sure but the festivals did not live up to their fame in my opinion. This year’s Toronto festival was under-advertised, in a totally new and one of the most expensive areas of town. If you wanted to sit at a cafe and watch a band you’d better make sure your credit card is paid up or your wallet is fully stocked. Love the Yorkville area but not for a Jazz festival.

Then came the Kensington Jazz Festival. Held in the Kensington neighbourhood and situated mostly along Augusta Ave. and Baldwin Street. If you’ve never been to Kensington, it’s a few streets with a cluster of small shops, restaurants and galleries. It’s not the prettiest but it sure has character. And believe me there were no pushed up nose in the air ‘I’m better or richer than you’ show offs on this side of town…maybe a few wanna be’s.

This festival spanning Friday evening to Sunday night featured over 300 artists in 12 venues, store fronts and street corners. With talents ranging from some of Toronto’s highest profile artists to guys who just love to play jazz for fun. And believe me, some of those dudes on the street corners would be good enough to play right along side the big boys (and girls).

One of the many things that made this festival unique was the venues. The shops and restaurants in this area are very small so to see your favorite artist you most likely will be standing in a tightly packed crowd in maybe a supermarket, a back yard, a bycicle shop or even a suit store. Oh and some of these you had to pay for the privilege ($12 to about $22). But we are jazz lovers. We don’t care. These kinds of venue make for a more intimate atmosphere. You can turn and speak with people from all walks of life. The other good thing about this festival is that all the acts were literally within a 5 minute walking area. No jumping into public transit or navigating for parking spaces.

There were a few artists I wanted to see (Rich Brown, Mike Downes, Laila Biali, Joe Sealy, Ted Quinlan and Robi Botos) but had to miss those due to other commitments. I did however get a chance to see Mike Murley, Lorne Lofsky, Elizabeth Shepherd, Eddie Bullen and a slew of really good free outdoor acts.
(bonus – 3 perfectly sunny days, lots of great places to sit and have a brew or glass of wine)…oh and my sweetheart by my side.

Seriously, what more could you ask for?