Jazz Fest opens with Marcus Miller tribute to Miles Davis

The 46th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal opened Thursday with Marcus Miller leading a full band through a sweeping tribute to Miles Davis at Maison symphonique, which played to a full house.

Miller performed material spanning decades of his own work and Davis's catalogue, drawing from the 1982 album We Want Miles!, which documented Davis's return to performing after a five-year absence. The bassist and his band—including saxophonists Bill Evans and Russell Gunn (who, like Davis, hails from East St. Louis), guitarist Mike Stern, and French percussionist Mino Cinélu—moved through funk grooves, reggae-dub segments, and deeper cuts like Joe Zawinul's "In a Silent Way" from 1969 and "Bitches Brew" from 1970.

Miller told the crowd he was reaching into albums "we listened to when we were ado," mining Tutu (1986) and Amandla (1989) alongside the Miles Davis material. The set closed with "Jean-Pierre," derived from the French lullaby "Dodo, l'enfant do," with Miller inviting the crowd to sing along.

Earlier in the evening, young brothers Zohar and Adam Cabo—Zohar on keyboards (19 years old) and Adam on drums (21)—opened with a jazz-fusion set that pivoted sharply between hip-hop and complex rhythmic structures, showcasing virtuosity that impressed the festival's opening-night audience.

The festival runs through July 4, with Diana Krall's sold-out trio performances also drawing crowds to the Wilfrid-Pelletier hall on the festival's opening weekend.