chris wong in sync

I have this ritual that I observe every year after Coastal Jazz & Blues Society announces the lineup for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The ritual goes something like this:

After going through the festival's program guide, I turn to the middle section that contains the festival schedule and draw little red dots next to the names of artists I want to catch (regardless of whether I can realistically make it to all of the concerts). I always mark many performances, but on the schedule for this summer's 17th annual jazz festival, I've put more red dots that usual. In fact I've covered the schedule with dots, which tells me something: it's Coastal's best festival in recent memory.

Every night of the jazz fest, running June 21-July 1, there will be at least two and often three separate concerts that I will want to attend. I will either have to make some tough decisions about missing certain shows, or quickly dart between venues so I can have it all. That's how much depth this year's program has.

I'm excited about the major concerts in the festival for a number of reasons:

• The lineup includes some true jazz greats-guitarist Pat Martino and pianist Ahmad Jamal-who haven't performed here in years.

• I like the sounds of the festival's Scandinavian music component, which will be both adventurous and accessible.

• There's a strong opening night show at the Orpheum, featuring singers Dianne Reeves and Denzal Sinclaire.

• There are no concerts featuring artists of the Emmylou Harris or Cowboy Junkies variety that obviously have little to do with jazz. Holly Cole (who's more pop than jazz) will perform at the Orpheum, but in the unique context of orchestral works by contemporary composer Gavin Bryars.

• The festival offers its usual diversity-from improvised music to world music and electronica-but jazz is unequivocally at the core of the program.

It's common knowledge that Ken Pickering, Coastal's artistic director, has a thing for improvised music (what some would label avant-garde). While he included an ample proportion of that kind of music in this year's festival, Pickering has clearly listened to and addressed criticisms that he doesn't program enough musicians that more closely connect to the jazz tradition. At the festival launch, Pickering himself described this year's festival as the "most balanced" one Coastal has ever produced in terms of stylistic approaches. That's a welcome development.

At the same time, Coastal's level of collaboration with the local community seems higher than ever. That collaborative spirit helped spawn the excellent new North Shore Jazz program, co-produced with Fiona Black and Kevin Mooney, which will include performances by artists such as Chris Barber, Mose Allison and Renee Rosnes.

Does the festival include enough high-profile gigs for local musicians who creatively play straight-ahead jazz? Probably not, but it's refreshing to see some previously under-utilized players like saxophonist Campbell Ryga (opening for Pat Martino) are prominent in the mix.

The festival's press kit has a "scoop sheet" that lists, among other things, concerts that are exclusive to the festival and artists in the event that Coastal initiated tours for. It's interesting to note that both lists were far longer last year. But that's understandable given how the events of September 11 made it extremely challenging to secure commitments from artists to perform at the festival. And really, those lists are meaningless to the average jazz fan who just wants to hear sublime music. The 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival will provide more than enough opportunities to experience sounds of that quality.

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A benefit concert for the World Rhythms Youth Ensemble will take place May 25 at Britannia Auditorium. The ensemble's 13 members, aged 11 to 18, study and perform percussion-based music from Brazil, West Africa and elsewhere. The concert will feature Jou Tou-including André Thibault, Qiu Xia He, Pepe Danza (one of the youth ensemble's teachers) and Amy Stephen-and Masabo, led by Fana Soro (another musician who teaches the ensemble).