Countdown to the Montreal International Jazz Festival – Interview with André Papanicolaou

We are counting down the days until the beginning of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, running from June 26th to July 6th! With over 500 shows (2/3rd of which are free), there is something for every taste! Leading up to the festival, we sat down with some of the amazing acts on the lineup, starting today with André Papanicolaou.

CB: Summer is right around the corner, and so is festival season! How are you getting ready for your show at the Jazz Festival?
AP: I’ll be performing at this year’s Montreal Jazz festival, reinterpreting Bruce Springsteen’s classic Nebraska, but with original arrangements.


CB: Have you ever played in Montreal before? If so, what was that like?

AP: I’ve played the jazz fest a few times over the years and it’s always surreal to be invited to such an iconic festival, where I’ve gone to see many of my heroes in the past.

CB: When you come to Montreal, do you have any favorite places to visit?
AP: I’m from Montreal, so my favorite spots tend to be new restaurants I haven’t tried before.

CB: The Montreal International Jazz Festival is known to be one of the biggest in the world. How does it feel to be a part of it this year?
AP: Humbling.

CB: What is your best music festival memory?
AP: I remember walking down St-Catherine street on my way to see Daniel Lanois play at Place des Arts, and running into him. We walked to the venue together, and talked about music the whole way.

CB: The lineup for the Jazz Festival this year is stellar, who are you most excited to check out?
AP: I’m hoping to catch Alt-J

CB: Do you have any other exciting festivals or shows in Canada planned this summer?
AP: I’ll be performing at Montreal’s Francofolies which is another great lineup of shows in our city.

CB: For our readers who have not seen you live yet, how would you describe your show?
AP: We try to create soundscapes around which to play. The band is sparse, with only three musicians, so its fun to try to make it sound as huge as possible without using any playback or computers.

 CB: Last but not least, can you give us a sneak peek of what’s next for you?
AP: My new EP, Modern Pain, Part 2 will be released on all digital platforms at the end of June, and I look forward to performing it and promoting it throughout the summer.

Connect with André Papanicolaou