Festival International De Jazz De Montreal Celebrates 30 Years

Montreal, Canada (Top40 Charts/ Festival International De Jazz De Montreal) - Ranked as the "world's largest jazz festival" by the Guinness Book of World Records, the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year with an all-star lineup that promises world-class music of all styles over the course of 12 days, from July 1st through 12th. Presented by General Motors in collaboration with Rio Tinto Alcan, the Festival offers a program of incredible diversity for this grand event, as Montreal is set to host 3,000 musicians & entertainers from 30 countries, more than 650 concerts, 400 accredited journalists and a total of 2.5 million attendees. The sheer amount of live music includes in excess of 450 free shows on 10 outdoor stages, plus approximately 200 indoor concerts at 10 different concert halls, showcasing jazz and music in all its forms, inspired by every style including pop, rock n' roll, '80s gypsy music, Afrobeat and other music from around the world.

Performances include British guitar god Jeff Beck in his first-ever Festival appearance; Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne performing with his longtime band in a show supporting his classics as well as a new album, Time the

Conqueror; Five-time Grammy Award-winning blues and rock guitarist/singer Buddy Guy with blues/soul powerhouse singer Susan Tedeschi; eclectic indie-rock stars Beirut with up-and-coming openers The Dodos; two shows by multicultural powerhouse Pink Martini, accompanied by a 51-piece orchestra and covering their patented cocktail blend of just about every musical flavor out there; jazz legends Ornette Coleman and Wayne Shorter with their respective quartets; the Gary Burton Quartet Revisited featuring beloved Festival veteran Pat Metheny with Steve Swallow and Antonio Sanchez; King Sunny Ade and Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, the African stars of Juju and Afrobeat music; a Battle of the Bands starring the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Harry James Orchestra; the George Wein and the Newport All-Stars; and and many, many more artists to be announced.

And remember that this is just a glimpse of the full program for this 30th edition of the Festival, which was named "the best in the world" by the Chicago Tribune, while The New York Times simply said, "Wow, what a festival!" 2008 was a record year for the Festival, with more shows than ever, including more than 128,000 tickets sold, more than 30 sold-out concerts and in excess of $4 million in sales of food, drinks and merchandise. In addition, last year's Festival was the greenest yet, as it collected nearly 30 tons of recyclable material on its site: 35% cardboard fibers, 15% plastic, 20% glass, 5% aluminum and 25% wood.