Ottawa Jazz Festival

What began as a weekend of outdoor jazz in Majors Hill Park back in 1980 has evolved into Canadas second largest jazz festival and one of the National Capital Regions most highly anticipated musical events of the summer. Founded in 1980 by local musicians who wanted to celebrate the popular jazz scene in Ottawa, the Festival quickly grew, attracting such international names as Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Herb Ellis, Bob Brookmeyer, Wynton Marsalis and Milt Jackson. Larger and larger crowds came out each year, and the Festival began to stretch beyond traditional jazz and attract new supporters. Expanding beyond its outdoor venue the Festival ventured into indoor satellite events and introduced the late night jam sessions so popular today. Spanning all genres and inspirations of jazz, diverse cultures, traditions and an array of styles that covers the spectrum from pop, rock to lush harmonies, as the only outdoor music festival with a grand presence in the citys downtown core, the F...