Putting the jazz in jazz festival: Genre's influence focus of Halifax music fest
Headliners for this year's festival stretch across various genres such as folk, rock and hip-hop.
Jazz can be heard in each one of those styles of music, according to one musician who specializes in the genre.
"Jazz inspires pop music and pop music inspires jazz," said Quebec jazz bassist Carl Mayotte, whose band the Carl Mayotte Quintet performed at the festival this year.
Mayotte, who completed a master's degree in jazz performance at McGill University, hosted one of several "jazz labs" that are part of the festival's year-round educational programming.
The labs offer the public an interactive look at how a musician works on their craft and produces music.
Despite peaking in the 1920s, Mayotte said jazz has had a lasting effect on different types of music that have been popular throughout the decades since.
Folk, prog-rock, R&B and hip-hop are just some examples of types of music that have borrowed elements of jazz, he said.
"Rap is like the [child] of jazz," Mayotte said.
'Jazz is for everyone'
The Halifax festival's mandate has always included an educational component, said one organizer.
"We like to do a lot of our workshops prior to the concert so people can come and learn from the artists and then go see them perform later in the day," said Andrew Jackson, the festival's artistic director. "That's a really special way to just get more out of the music as well."
Several jazz musicians are part of the festival every year but typically perform at venues away from the main stage on the Halifax waterfront.
Jazz is not as represented as other genres, Jackson said, which is why it's important to have education be part of the annual event.
"[Jazz] music is for everyone. And so being able to, like, unlock some of those mysteries is really important to us," he said.
For Mayotte, an event that has the word jazz in its name should be promoting jazz music in some way.
There are a lot of talented young jazz musicians in Canada who just want the opportunity to perform live and events like the Halifax festival should be making space for them alongside the larger mainstream acts, he said.
Mayotte, who also teaches music in schools, said there will always be an interest in jazz because young people are naturally drawn to it.
"Because there's this kind of child play in jazz and there's this kind of feeling to be free in it, like how this concept of liberty is really implied in jazz," he said.
MORE TOP STORIES
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
21 minutes ago
- Forbes
NYT ‘Connections' Hints And Answers For Sunday, July 27th
Hints, clues and answers for today's Connections are here. Looking for Saturday's NYT Connections hints, clues and answers instead? You can find them here: Stuck on today's NYT Connections puzzle? Don't worry — we've got you covered. Whether you need just a gentle nudge or the full set of answers, this guide will walk you through the hints, clues, and solutions for the Sunday, July 27th edition of The New York Times's Connections. Read on for help grouping those tricky words and completing today's challenge without spoilers — unless you want them! New York Times Connections Guide Sunday July 27th It's the last Sunday of July and still blazing hot out here in the American southwest. Maybe August will bring those monsoons we need so desperately. If you're looking to escape the heat, be sure to check out my weekend streaming guide. Lots of new shows and movies to keep you busy while you cool off indoors. I also reviewed the new Fantastic Four movie, which I thought was pretty bland unfortunately. In any case, we have a Connections to solve. Let's group some words! Connections is the second-most popular NYT Games puzzle game outside of the main crossword itself, and an extremely fun, free offering that will get your brain moving every day. Play it right here. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder The goal is to take a group of 16 words and find links between four pairs of four of them. They could be specific categories of terms, or they could be little world puzzles where words may come before or after them you need to figure out. And they get more complicated from there. There is only one set of right answers for this, and you only get a certain number of tries so you can't just spam around until you find something. There are difficulty tiers coded by color, which will usually go from yellow, blue/green to purple as difficulty increases, so know that going in and when you start linking them together. You pick the four words you think are linked and either you will get a solve and a lit up row that shows you how you were connected. If you're close, it will tell you that you're one away. Again, four mistakes you lose, but if you want to know the answers without failing, either come here, or delete your web cookies and try again. If you want to play more puzzles, you can get an NYT Games subscription to access the full archives of all past puzzles. These are the hints that are laid out on the puzzle board itself, but after that, we will get into spoiler territory with some hints and eventually the answers. First, here are today's Connections words: Today's Connections Alright, the full spoilers follow here as we get into what the groups are today: The full-on answers are below for each group, finally inserting the four words in each category. Spoilers follow if you do not want to get this far. The Connections answers are: Today's Connections I used up to 'tries' today on my first batch of yellow words because I thought ELEMENTARY should go with the other 'EASY' words. As in 'Elementary, my dear Watson.' It's kind of an unfair word since it does, absolutely, 100% mean the same thing as NO SWEAT, CHILD'S PLAY and PIECE OF CAKE in that context. Unfortunately, I hadn't really noticed that it fit even better with GRADE, GRAMMAR and PRIMARY, all words that also go before SCHOOL. The final ones took a bit of thinking, simply because HALLOWEEN is also largely an outdoor event. It wasn't until I started thinking about tricks and pranks and so forth that I realized how the purple words could fit together. I was thinking of costumes first, but that didn't quite work (Magicians have costumes, con-men sometimes wear them…but beyond the obvious with HALLOWEEN…what?) In any case, this wasn't the most challenging Connections ever, but it got my little grey cells working. Find more guides to Wordle, Strands and the Mini Crossword on my blog where you can also follow me for TV and movie and video game coverage. Read my weekend streaming guide right here.


Fox News
22 minutes ago
- Fox News
Public shame is having a moment again and the Coldplay kiss cam scandal explains why
Public shame is having a moment again and the Coldplay kiss cam scandal explains why By Kaylee Holland Over the past week, the Coldplay Kiss Cam scandal has completely rocked the internet with memes, social commentary and op-eds since the show took place in mid-July. During the now-viral performance, Andy Byron — former Astronomer CEO — appeared on the Kiss Cam with his arms wrapped around a woman, who was later identified as his company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot. The pair were on the big screen during "The Jumbotron Song," where singer, Chris Martin, improvises songs about couples in the audience. Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame. Martin then joked, "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." Since then, nearly everyone on the internet jumped in, eager to share their thoughts or jokes on the viral moment, including celebrities, media pundits, bands and politicians. COLDPLAY'S CHRIS MARTIN HAS WARNING FOR CONCERTGOERS DURING FIRST PERFORMANCE AFTER KISS CAM CONTROVERSY "Anybody in here with their side chick or whatever, I think you're safe here," musician Luke Combs can be heard saying during his show, in a video posted to Instagram, taken by a concertgoer. "I don't condone cheating, anymore." Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., used the viral moment to bash New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. "Commie Mamdani holding [Gov. Kathy Hochul] headed for re-election in 2026," Stefanik said on X. Even KFC's official X account joined in with a joke referencing HR oversight: "Just know our sides are always HR approved." The figureheads are among over 6 million others who have watched the video on TikTok alone. Art also imitated life with a "tidal wave of content," Free Press writer Kat Rosenfield said — pointing to a fake statement someone had written on behalf of the CEO, a reenactment by the Phillies mascots at a game and apparel such as T-shirts cheekily noting the moment. "...public shaming has been a staple of human society since the dawn of time, a necessary correction to the social transgressors in our midst," said Rosenfield. "If there's a truly compelling reason not to normalize shaming as a global, always-on public spectator sport, it's not that it degrades the humanity of the shamed; it's not even the trite "who among us has not canoodled at a Coldplay concert with his sidepiece" justification. It's simply this: When we take joy in the distress and ruination of other people, we make monsters of ourselves." LUKE BRYAN'S CHEEKY JOKE ABOUT VIRAL COLDPLAY KISS CAM SCANDAL HAS CONCERT CROWD ROARING WITH LAUGHTER But the fallout was not only cultural, as the company at the center also took action. Days after the incident, Astronomer released a statement reinforcing its values and announcing it had launched a "formal investigation," which was followed by the resignation of Byron as CEO. NYC/DC psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert said he believes the cultural obsession with viral sensations like the Coldplay scandal is the perfect mix of psychology and social media dynamics, and gives society a way to "channel judgment" on smaller issues — allowing for a mob-like mentality. "These scandals offer what I call 'safe outrage.' They give people a way to channel judgment and frustration without touching the bigger, more divisive issues in society. At the same time, they create a shared space for humor and group bonding. Memes and viral posts turn a private embarrassment into a public spectacle where everyone feels like part of the mob," Alpert shared with Fox News Digital. Alpert pointed to other similar patterns society has experienced before, such as mocking the fall of WeWork due to bankruptcy, Elon Musk and the royal family. "We've seen this pattern before: Adam Neumann became a meme when WeWork collapsed, not just because of bad business decisions but because people loved mocking his ego and excess. Elon Musk 's every misstep on Twitter instantly spawns jokes, with users flipping between adoration and ridicule," Alpert stated. INTERIM ASTRONOMER CEO EMBRACES COMPANY'S PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT IN WAKE OF KISS CAM CONTROVERSY "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's public grievances sparked endless memes and hot takes, not because people care about British royalty but because the drama feels like a stand-in for their own family feuds. Even Will Smith's Oscars slap became less about the actual slap and more about collective projection," Alpert said. At the end of the day, Alpert noted that the reason people hyper-fixate on these types of scandals has less to do with the acts themselves, and more to do with one's own shortcomings. "These scandals are more about our own anxieties about success, failure and power. They are cultural junk food — irresistible, satisfying in the moment, but ultimately empty. In today's hyper-connected world, these narratives have become psychological pressure valves. They give people permission to judge, vent and bond, all while avoiding the larger and more uncomfortable divisions in society." In a New York Times op-ed, author Helen Schulman echoed a similar feeling and noted she was happy to see shame being resurrected, drawing comparisons to not only today's cultural field, but the political landscape and President Donald Trump 's administration. CLICK HERE FOR MORE MEDIA AND CULTURE "...in the age of Trump, it's a strange relief to watch as two fellow citizens come to realize they have done something reckless and inappropriate and not pretend they had nothing to hide. Instead, they did their best to disappear," Schulman said. Schulman also called out the "utter shamelessness" of the landscape she says America is living in, and pointed to the House and the Senate's vote to cut funding for things such as food assistance programs and healthcare. "This is legislation that is inherently shameful," Schulman said. While memes and social commentary continue to make the rounds online, and experts share their opinions about the effects of this cultural moment, Astronomer's new interim CEO, Pete DeJoy, has found the silver lining in it all. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter," DeJoy shared in a statement on LinkedIn. "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name." URL
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Did Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Just Soft-Launch an Engagement?
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have never needed a red carpet to go public — but their phones might be doing the talking for them. On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs star shared a 13-photo Instagram carousel recapping his offseason adventures, and it didn't take long for Swifties to zoom in. In one image, the couple sits at a dinner table, and on the screen of Kelce's iPhone? A black-and-white photo of him and Swift — sparking immediate speculation that it wasn't just a cute snapshot, but an engagement photo. More from SheKnows Taylor Swift & Blake Lively's Tension May Be Behind This Party Snub 'Is she holding up her hand with a ring on it?' one fan commented. 'Not to be that person,' another chimed in, 'but is she pointing at her hand like she's… engaged????' Adding to the frenzy: Swift's own phone appears visible in the same photo. Though slightly obscured, eagle-eyed fans claim her lock screen also features a matching couple shot — one seemingly from their Lake Como trip in May of last year, based on Kelce's striped sweater. For a couple that's never walked a red carpet together, dual lock screens feel like the most Swift-Kelce version of a soft launch. The post marked Kelce's first time featuring Swift directly on his Instagram grid — a big move for a relationship that's been public for nearly two years but still keeps its milestones low-key. Their fans, however, are not so subtle. Comments poured in: 'THE LOCK SCREEN!?' and 'They got married?!' That last theory stems from a separate incident earlier this summer. In June, a wedding planner posted a photo from Chicago Bears player Cole Kmet's wedding — and the invite list included 'Taylor and Travis Kelce,' seated at Table 13. While many chalked it up to wedding-day aesthetic, it was enough to send Swifties into overdrive. For what it's worth, Swift shut down marriage rumors just last month, referring to Kelce as 'my boyfriend' during a hospital visit in Florida. Still, sources close to the couple have confirmed they're 'on the same page' about the future. Still, insiders have confirmed to TMZ that the two are still not engaged, despite the cutesy lock screens and the mysterious ring on Swift's left hand — which happens to be not one, but three of Kelce's Super Bowl rings, mind you. One thing's still clear: the lock screens were no accident. In Swiftian terms, this is a curated kind of chaos — the kind that says, we know what you're looking for — and we just might be giving it to you. Before you go, click to see all of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's cutest PDA moments. Best of SheKnows Actors Who You Forgot Have Impressive Singing Careers Too All About Conor Kennedy, RFK Jr.'s Private Son Who Was Once Linked to Taylor Swift 16 Times the Celebrity Death Rule of Threes Actually Happened Solve the daily Crossword