A few suggestions for shows to discover as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival.
He loves monsters, violins, vampires, mouse ears and pink dressing gowns. His name is Jan Verstraeten and he is the new specimen of Belgian pop. A visual artist by training, this Flemish singer enjoyed great success in Europe with his second album, Violent Disco (2022), and his hit Goodbye World. The voice is rock, the music leans more towards 1960s soul and orchestral pop, with its sumptuous arrangements straight out of a John Barry soundtrack. It’s also not bad on stage. To hear and see.
Combining psychedelic vibes with hip-hop, Kassa Overall, that’s its real name, doesn’t shy away from any imaginable jazz hybrid. The 41-year-old drummer, singer and composer based in Brooklyn alone represents the future of transcendent jazz, of an insolence that is not very hidden. His third and most recent album, Animals, was released this year on the essential English label Warp. Formerly a collaborator of pianist Geri Allen, Christian McBride, Vijay Iver, Ravi Coltrane and Brandee Younger – who she was at the festival four days ago –, the alchemist offers a nocturnal trip that will certainly make people run.
