Attendance for the Montreal Jazz Festival has increased from last year. Great weather, the excitement of the Canadiens’ playoff run and the Grand PRIX changing dates – All have something to do with it. Have I mentioned Angine de Poitrine?

The Quebec phenomena drew the masses to Place des Festival. 100.000 fans, curiosity seekers or just people who love music and being in the ambiance of the Festival placed ‘security’ on alert. The duo, whose music that is fresh to many yet very familiar to seasoned musicians and producers – appeased the crowd. Visually and sonically, Angine de Poitrine may have single handily placed a bandage on the Quebec people’s (Montreal) wound of the Montreal Canadiens not winning the Stanley Cup.

Montreal Jazz Festival Lineup Here

Marcus Miller was in town paying homage to a man who literally gave a (then) twenty-year-old Marcus the chance of a lifetime. That man was / is Miles Davis.

Mino Cinelu (percussion), Bill Evans (Saxophone), Mike Stern (Guitar) and Marcus Miller (bass) were the main players in We Want Miles! What made this concert so special is A) Bill Evans was the man who convinced Miles to come out of retirement and B) the foursome all played with Miles on the comeback tour and on the comeback record. History was on stage at Maison Symphonique and it showed.

**Left to right – Evans, Miller, Russell Gunn and Mino Cinelu**

Selected tunes from the 1981 ‘We Want Miles!’ live recording in Japan, along with classic compositions from Miles’ celebrated catalog spanning the 1950s and 60s, right up to his final era of Tutu and Amandla were played with precision and talent most musicians can only imagine. Miller produced both of the albums, so error or misrepresentation were not in the cards or in any room near by.