Jazz Fest trio delivers intuitive set on heat-drenched evening

Craig Taborn performed Tuesday evening on the outdoor stage of Esplanade Tranquille with his trio — bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Timothy Angulo — offering what may be the most intuitive and captivating performance of the opening night of Montreal's 46th International Jazz Festival.

The American pianist remained largely still on his padded bench, his back to the audience through most of the set, though he rose briefly to acknowledge the crowd. His hands moved across the keyboard with remarkable acrobatics — sometimes delicate, often rhythmic, occasionally skidding sideways in unexpected directions. The trio drew from Taborn's original repertoire and new compositions, with Morgan and Angulo hanging on every gesture. Even in dissonant passages, the dynamic between the three remained remarkably tender.

The music was avant-garde but never hermetic. The audience under the tent stayed attentive to each flourish, though the pop and R&B performances of Willow Smith on the nearby Place des Festivals occasionally blurred the focus.

Alfa Mist, the London-based composer, pianist, and MC, took the main stage at 7 p.m., presenting material from his sixth album concept, Roulette, released last fall. His ensemble — biberonné on jazz, hip-hop, and underground electronic currents from London's scene — created a groove that blended electronic textures with live instrumentation. Mist moved between piano and Rhodes while his collaborator filtered bugle sound through effect pedals. The rhythm section didn't lean heavily into hip-hop but instead crafted a convincing dubstep groove in the style of Digital Mystikz. The tight ensemble added degrees to the summer humidex.

Guitar player Jamie Leeming stood out for a clear, assured, and ingenious sound — his debut album Sequent drops in September.

Mei Semones, the evening's discovery, performed at 8 p.m. on the Festival grounds. With a father from Michigan and a mother from Japan, the 26-year-old sings in English and Japanese on her debut album Animaru (released May 2025), blending indie rock with Brazilian tropicalia rhythms and jazz touches. On paper the combination sounds incongruous. In concert, it tasted entirely credible.