Ten down...

We had a bit of extra excitement around here on Tuesday with the announcement of the first ten acts to go on sale for the 2012 TD Toronto Jazz Festival. In case you missed it, you can read the press release here, or just head over to our homepage. A little secret - although we only announced ten shows, we've actually got 12 on sale: Benny Green (solo piano) and Los Amigos Invisibles are also confirmed.

So - as the title of this post suggests, that's 10 (well, 12) down...and about 80 more to go. We continue to work madly behind the scenes to get artists confirmed, and we're working to preserve the diversity represented by this first announcement. You'll be seeing jazz of all flavours and sizes on our stages beginning June 22, including a healthy representation from our outstanding local musicians. (Note to local musicians: I'm still working my way through the submissions. I'm hoping to let you know by the end of February if we'll have a spot for you - thanks for your patience!)

Speaking of booking festivals, I'll be taking part in what is sure to be an interesting discussion tomorrow evening in Guelph. Presented as part of the Improvisation, Community and Social Practice (ICASP) Thinking Spaces series, the round-table discussion is called "Considering Jazz Festivals: Josh Grossman and Ajay Heble in Conversation," and will be an opportunity to examine the forces at work - artistic, financial, philosophical - when programming a jazz festival. If you're in the Guelph area, or would be interested in making the trip, the events takes place on the 2nd floor of the Guelph Public Library, 100 Norfolk Street, 4-6 pm tomorrow (that's Friday, January 27). You can get more information on ICASP and tomorrow's session on their website.

And now - back to those 600 submissions...

Josh