Seen in the city – All that JAZZ & more

Vancouver is on sensory overload.  It’s like Feast or Famine – where do you go when there’s so much happening in one day? This past weekend alone was alive with the sound of music and the aromas of all kinds of cuisine and street shopping.  I tried to take in as much as I could with the help of a friend & managed to do exactly that.

Friday kicked off the 28th Annual TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival.  The festival brings us 11 days of pure musical enjoyment with 1800 musicians, featuring up to 300 concerts at over 35 venues – many of them free.  What a treat.

Friday I went to Pat’s Pub (attached to the Patricia Hotel – definitely not a 5 star) for the first time to hear Hugh Fraser (pianist, trombonist and composer) and his jazz band.  They were great, the food was really good too & inexpensive.  I didn’t like the location, but once inside you forget all about the hookers standing outside, especially when the music starts.  Some history on the place:

Established in 1914 The Patricia Café (its original name) was run by Will Bowman and was one of Vancouver’s jazz hotspots at the time. Pat’s Pub is thick with jazz history; some of the musicians who played at the Patricia Café at the time were influential in the transition between ragtime and jazz piano styles. Most notably is Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton who at the age of 28 made Vancouver his home during August 1919 thru to January 1921. During his time in Vancouver “Jelly Roll” Morton performed in the Patricia Café as well as roomed in the Patricia Hotel. To this day the Pub’s original wood floor exists as a reminder of its history.

On Saturday –  I loved the sound stages that were set up at Robson Square for the first time.  My friend and I sat on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery while listening to wonderful Jennifer Scott’s Brasileira band and then following that, a most amazing fiddle player by the name of Kytami.  Then we wandered over to another stage set up behind the gallery for a little bit of big band jazz.  Good times.

Sunday was a bit dreary weather wise so we opted for some shopping on South Granville which had a weekend long sidewalk sale & then up to West Broadway for Greek Festival.

It’s all Greek to me:  The yearly Vancouver Greek Fest took place on West Broadway between MacDonald and Blenheim from 11am to 9pm  which included musical and dance acts and other various activities and presentations showcasing Hellenic culture, Greek tourism, and Greeks (and non Greeks) in Vancouver. Of course there were several food tents with delicious Greek food, and refreshments.  Many local merchants were set up  on the street as well.

Then….

For the Foodie or at least the Food Cart fans:  Food Cart Fest started on Sunday, June 23 and will take place every Sunday from 12 p.m.-6 p.m. until September 22.  Over 20 of Vancouver’s top Food Carts is complemented by community markets, live music and DJs, craft food vendors, kids activities, and lots more.

This year they will be operating out of a new location on 215 West 1st Avenue (on the south-east side of the Cambie Street Bridge). The site is next to the Seawall and a short walk from the Canada Line’s Olympic Village Station, the Aquabus’ Spyglass Place Dock, and major bus routes along Broadway, Cambie, Main, West 2nd Avenue. In short, it’s a much more convenient location.  Admission is $2. Children 13 and under get in free.

So what’s happening in your part of town?