My wife, son, daughter-in-law and I spent last Thursday thru Sunday in Montreal at the Jazzfest. We went last year over the 4th as well (and may well make this an annual tradition). What a great festival this is! Literally four square blocks in a convenient location are closed off for 12 days. 8 outdoor stages are set up for the free concerts, and another 8 theatres are located within a block for the pay events.
We went to only one pay event: "Africa fete" which featured four African artists. It was fun, but the sound system was much too loud, and I had a ringing in my ears for 10 minutes after we left the theatre. An evening like that reinforces my preference for acoustic instruments!
The outdoor concerts continue to be of very high quality. They range from blues and gospel to dixieland to straight ahead and avant garde. At least half of the groups are lesser known artists from Canada. Some of them are excellent. One group I liked is called "Moment's Notice." One of the more delightful concerts was by a trio of US black women called "Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women". They consist of Gaye Adegbolola , Andrea McIntosh and Ann Rabson. All three are wonderful, especially Gaye. She sang a great version of "I want to be Your Black Angel." They have several recordings out on the Crocodile label. I highly recommend them.
The wonderful thing about this festival is that from Noon until 1am for 12 straight days there are at least 2 free jazz events going on at any given time. It's a real feast.
Not to mention that Montreal is a beautiful, laid-back city. Apart from the jazzfest there is the wonderful old city, the incredible Botanical gardens, the Olympic Stadium, great museums, and wonderful restaurants at great prices. We stayed in the Travelodge on Blvd. Rene Levesque, just one block from the festival site. The accommodations were comfortable, and it cost us all of $84 Canadian ($58 American) per night for a double room.
In the malls, many restaurants have ethnic meals for under $5. U.S.And it's only a 7 hour drive from New York City -- through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains (I'm starting to sound like a Travel Agent!)
The long and short of it is -- if you want to have an inexpensive vacation in a lovely city with a French accent (like a piece of Europe on American soil) and hear as much free jazz as you can possibly stand -- go to the Montreal Festival. Next year it will be held from June 30 - July 11.