Jazz singer Christie-Anne Blondeau is known for stopping people in her tracks with her voluptuous voice and raw talent.
“Our music is just completely stripped down,” Blondeau explained. “When you add in some of those jazz influences it allows people to enjoy the music.”
Blondeau is part of the jazz band, Resonance – one of more than 50 groups performing at this year’s JazzFest Regina, which kicked off Wednesday.
Over the next five days, local and international artists will perform at venues and clubs throughout the Queen City.
“We’re now in our eleventh year and the festival keeps getting better,” organizer Peter Champagne said.
Jazz is a genre of music that has a longstanding history in North America.
“Jazz is the only art form that evolved on the North American continent,” Champagne said. “No other art form is completely owned by us.”
Throughout the last century, Champagne said Regina hosted many jazz icons including Louis Armstrong.
“A lot of musicians travelled to play in the capital,” Champagne said.
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Champagne said it’s that foundation that keeps attracting audiences and artists to the annual event.
One of the headlining acts is Grammy-award winning musician Larnell Lewis, who is best known for his longstanding position on the drums in the jazz and funk collective Snarky Puppy.
Also taking the stage on Sunday are the infamous Brubeck Brothers, the sons of legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.
“He was the very first jazz musician to get his picture on the cover of Time Magazine back in the 50s,” Champagne said.
Many of this year’s performers grew up in musical households including jazz pianist Benny Green.
“My father introduced me to the music,” Green said. “He played the tenor saxophone and I grew up hearing him play his horn around the house.”
Free performance stages will run through Sunday in the City Square Plaza.
Shows will be held at venues throughout the city including the University of Regina, the Hilton Double Tree Ballroom and Bushwakker Brew Pub.
For more information, visit the Regina Jazz Society’s website.
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