I love how the Ottawa Jazz Festival consistently attracts great musicians—and an audience that genuinely appreciates them.
Nevertheless, it often struggles to attract a younger crowd. Not this year, though. Gen Z is flocking to the festival to see Laufey, a young Icelandic singer-songwriter whose explosive popularity has garnered millions of followers. As of early May, her June 28 Jazz Fest performance was already sold out.
Other popular names sure to draw big crowds include Kathleen Edwards, Lake Street Dive and Parliament-Funkadelic.
True to its name, the festival presents some of the world’s best jazz. Look forward to New Orleans sensations Trombone Shorty and the Preservation Hall Orchestra, local favourites Kellylee Evans and Miguel de Armas, and global jazz legends Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter and Al Di Meola.
My taste leans toward the eclectic and ethereal. With that in mind, below are five Jazz Fest artists I think are especially worth checking out.
Elisapie
Elisapie’s most recent album, Inuktitut, is a collection of ten covers of pop and rock songs—all translated into Inuktitut. Each represents a memory from her childhood and includes classics such as Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” But her covers are more than mere nostalgia—they are complete reinventions that soar with heartfelt yearning.
Her Jazz Fest performance will likely include tracks from her 2018 Polaris short-listed album The Ballad of the Runaway Girl and the Juno-award-winning Taima. I can’t wait.
Elisapie performs on Tuesday, June 25 at 6:30pm. on the Main Stage at Confederation Park. Day passes are $57 + fees and include Kathleen Edwards and the Lemon Bucket Orchestra.
Chief Adjuah
If you’re up for a musical adventure, you’ll want to see Chief Adjuah. Formerly known as Christian Scott, Adjuah changed his name to reflect his family’s West African and Indigenous lineage. But it’s not just his name that is transformative—the award-winning jazz trumpeter invents and plays his own instruments and has created a genre he calls Stretch Music.
I hope he brings along the exceptional jazz flautist Elena Pinderhughes, Grammy-nominated saxophonist Alex Han and djembe master Weedie Braimah. Regardless, expect sounds you’ve never heard before and improvisation that goes places.
Chief Adjuah performs on Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30pm on the Main Stage at Confederation Park. Day passes are $65 + fees, including Al Di Meola The Electric Years and The Commotions.
Gabi Hartmann
The Paris-born chanteuse has travelled the world to build her chops in jazz, bossa nova and fado—and a voice described as smooth, clean and magical.
Relatively new on the scene, she’s already opened for Jamie Cullum and Melody Gardot and has performed at the famous Duc des Lombards jazz club in Paris. On the tail of a European tour through France, Belgium and Austria, Ottawa is lucky to be one of a handful of North American appearances by Gabi this summer.
Gabi Hartmann performs on Thursday, June 27 at 7:30pm on the OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza. Day passes are $75 + fees, including Lake Street Dive, Jeff Rogers and Huntertones.
Norah Jones
The optimism of Norah Jones’ most recent release, Visions, is exactly what the world needs. By turns raw, sultry and soulful, her latest collaboration with longtime producer Leon Michaels is earning stellar reviews for its warmth and depth.
This, in no way, diminishes Norah’s past work. Her 2002 classic “Nightingale” still breaks my heart, while her 2016 country-meets-gospel track “Carry On” continues to inspire. I look forward to revelling in it all.
Norah Jones performs Saturday, June 29 at 8:30pm on the Main Stage at Confederation Park. Day passes are $99 + fees, including Laura Anglade, Le Ren and LA LOM.
Yussef Dayes Experience
What an amazing way to close off the 2024 Jazz Fest. London-raised producer, composer and musician Yussef Dayes is a phenomenal drummer and a major player in the new wave of UK jazz.
His 2023 debut solo album, Black Classical Music, has been described as “an expansive, soulful set that embraces modern West Coast fusion, Hancock-style funk, psychedelic soul-jazz and more.” Whether you’re a fan of drum and bass, jungle or plain old jazz, you need to catch this show. I just hope I can stay up that late.
Yussef Dayes Experience performs on Sunday, June 30 at 10:30pm on the OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza. Tickets are $45 + fees.
The Ottawa Jazz Festival takes place June 21–30, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website.
