Bruce Cockburn, Christine Jensen and Tanya Tagaq lead award-winning lineup at Marion Dewar Plaza
The Laurier Avenue Music Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza welcomes a bevy of award-winning and emerging talents for a diverse series of 7:30pm concerts. Presented by Tartan Homes, the venue is steps from Confederation Park and offers a strong supplement to the Festival’s main stage lineup. Beloved Ottawa native Bruce Cockburn is no stranger to jazz, despite being best known as an archetypal folk troubadour. With an enormous catalogue and boundless curiosity, Cockburn’s accolades are too numerous to list. Cockburn has released 31 albums, won 12 Juno Awards, amassed 21 gold and platinum certifications and earned distinctions amongst the highest honours ever bestowed upon a Canadian in the performing arts. He remains a consummate performer. The awards and critical raves bestowed on Christine Jensen reflect the high level of compositional and arranging talent she brings to her work. Not since the heyday of Oscar Peterson has a Canadian jazz artist received a five-star review from DownBeat magazine – the rare designation for a ‘classic’ recording. It’s a family affair as this performance by the cream of Montreal’s jazz scene includes Jensen’s husband, saxophonist Joel Miller, and her older sister, renowned trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. Lindi Ortega has been aptly described as a blend of Dolly Parton’s sass and Emmylou Harris’ sultriness. Nicknamed “Indie Lindi”, Ortega spent nearly a decade as an independent artist in the Toronto music scene. After a 15-year climb that included a stint as backup singer to Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, Ortega finally broke through with consecutive Polaris Prize nominated albums in 2012 and 2013 before ultimately winning a JUNO in 2014. From the infectious energy and high quality musicianship of New York City’s Lucky Chops to the mesmerizing stage presence and innovative use of Inuit throat singing by Polaris Prize-winning Cambridge Bay native Tanya Tagaq, the Laurier Avenue Music Stage’s eclectic offerings are guaranteed to satisfy musical tastes from across the spectrum. This year’s TD Ottawa Jazz Festival runs from June 18 – July 1st in a variety of venues throughout Ottawa’s downtown core.
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