The 2011 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival kicked off on Thursday, but it’s the Free Opening Weekend that will really get crowds excited.
Today marks the start of the Jazz For Lunch Series, where The Paul De Gurse Quartet will perform at Old Market Square before taking the stage again tonight.
At 6 p.m., Larry Roy, Ministers of Cool, Brent Parkin, and Sheena are slated to perform.
The Free Opening Weekend wraps up on Sunday with an array of talent, including jazz by Paradigm Brass and The Blue Fisher Band, R&B from The Tight Fits and The Noble Thiefs, hip hop from The Lytics, and funk by Moses Mayes.
On Monday, the festival will move into downtown theatres and clubs for a week’s worth of concerts.
After the Free Opening Weekend wraps up, the festival moves into several downtown theatres and clubs for a week’s worth of world-class concerts. Monday’s concert will open with New York’s Ollabelle, featuring Winnipeg ex-pat Glenn Patscha.
Ticket information is available at JazzWinnipeg.com.