About the Markham Jazz Festival
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In 1997, local residents, Hal Hill and his wife Chris, came up the idea of a holding a jazz festival in Markham. Hal is a well known jazz authority, broadcaster, concert producer and the author of Jazz Canadiana. With the assistance of a team of volunteers, the Markham Jazz Festival made its debut in 1998 to critical acclaim. That first year saw Oliver Jones perform at the Markham Theatre on Friday night and concerts in Toogood Pond Park just north of the Varley Art Gallery in Unionville on Saturday and Sunday. Since Hal's retirement, the Markham Jazz Festival has strived to maintain the high quality of performers that Hal insisted upon during his tenure as Artistic Director. Our thanks go to Hal for his edication over the years.
In the nine years that the Festival has been in existence, it has garnered a reputation as one of the finer community jazz Festivals in Canada.
This year's Festival:
The 2007 Markham Jazz Festival runs from Friday, August 17, to Sunday, August 19. "Servin' up Jazz for the past ten years", festival events take place in the picturesque, historic Village of Unionville, the thriving Markham Main Street (on the migratory flight path of their Canada Goose mascot!), and the Markham Heritage Museum – all just about 30 minutes north of downtown Toronto. The "Main Stage" events are located at the Millennium Bandstand and the Varley Patio on Unionville Village's Main Street, at the Markham Heritage Museum – a new site that will appeal particularly to families, and at the Farmers' Market and the Pavilion on Main Street Markham.
To compliment the Main Stage events, "Hot Spots" (a variety of venues in Unionville and Markham) present fantastic jazz artists in a 'Street Festival and Concert Environment'. Festival attendees can wander from venue to venue, soaking up the party atmosphere, the jazz music, and the historic beauty of the villages of Unionville and Markham- a truly a magical experience.The theme for the 2007 Festival is "Servin' Up Jazz for the Past 10 Years".
The festival will highlight a large variety of music within the family of jazz. The festival committee has worked hard to recruit a wide range of diverse, interesting and well-known artists who will present jazz in all its forms.
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