Oliver Jones bids farewell to the Montreal Jazz Festival
Jones will play a sold-out show at the Maison symphonique de Montréal Thursday night
It's been a long run for Oliver Jones and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, one that is coming to an end Thursday night with his farewell to the festival show.
The pianist has played his hometown festival 44 times in the last 37 years, but it never gets old.
"I'm truly looking forward to [Thursday's show]. I may do 100 concerts a year, but playing at home is always special," he said.
Jazz wasn't always the plan
When he began playing piano as a boy growing up in Montreal's Little Burgundy neighbourhood, turning it into a profession was never the goal.
"My parents didn't push me, they were happy that I played but they would have rather I play just classical or music from the church. I was very fortunate I had Oscar close to me," he said.
The Oscar he refers to, of course, is Oscar Peterson, another Montreal jazz legend who lived nearby. Peterson's sister was Jones's piano teacher.
"Without Oscar Peterson I don't think I would have had the inspiration to keep playing just jazz," he said.
This year will mark 77 years since the octogenarian and internationally-renowned jazzman played his first show.
He says playing with Peterson is one of his proudest moments.
Many, many memories
During a career that has lasted longer than most, Jones has a number of cherished memories.
One is from 1984, when he played shows in New Zealand and Australia, the first time he'd ever played a show outside of Canada and the United States.
"I arrived a little late and the people took me directly into the venue. I got on the bandstand and I met the two musicians I didn't know, we shook hands and I started to play. Within the first two minutes, I said 'Well there's no family out there, there are no friends, and the reaction was wonderful,'" he said.
"I think that gave me more confidence than anything else."
Jones has won 11 Félix awards, given out to Quebec musicians, in his career and has been named to the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec.
"Even if I don't win anything more, I have an awful lot of memories to look back on," he said.
More of a so long than a farewell
Jones officially retired in 2000, but that didn't stop him from recording new albums and playing more shows.
He has already started his farewell tour. His very last show will be in Barbados in January as a tribute to his parents.
Thursday's show is billed as a farewell, but he clarified that he will likely play a handful of times a year at various fundraising events.
His retirement plans include travelling, dusting off his saxophone and helping promote Canadian jazz artists who are just getting started.
"I know that I'm going to miss the piano, but there are other things in life," he said.
Jones will play a sold-out show accompanied by his trio, then as a guest of the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal at the Maison symphonique de Montréal Thursday night.