From vineyard sunsets to waterfront views, Niagara-on-the-Lake became one big jazz stage last weekend as music lovers travelled from venue to venue as part of the Niagara Jazz Festival’s annual Jazz Crawl.
The crawl began Saturday morning at Ferox by Fabian Reis, followed by the NOTL Golf Club in the afternoon, then Strewn Winery in the evening. Some guests took a shuttle to travel between spots, while others planned carefully to see their favourite artists.
Hamilton couple Caroline Jordan and Peter Zelewsky chose the latter option, ensuring they could hear Barbra Lica sing at Strewn Winery. The pair spent more than six hours on the crawl and hit each stop on the Saturday schedule.
“We are big fans of jazz, we’ve been following it for years,” Jordan said. “This is our first time coming to the Niagara Jazz Festival. When they opened, they said, ‘This is our 13th (year),’ like, 13? Where have we been?”
The couple, married for 36 years, says music is a cherished shared interest.
“We like to get out and support live music. Going to the big concerts, we don’t really do that,” Jordan said. “This is so much better — you get to hear and feel the music.”
The welcoming atmosphere created by the performers and venues is by design, said Mila Bolgar, a volunteer with Niagara Jazz Festival.
Strewn Winery placed its stage facing the vineyards, where guests sipped wine as the sun set. In contrast, the NOTL Golf Club’s patio gave guests a view of Old Fort Niagara, as seagulls squawked along to the jazz.
“People are really happy and excited,” Bolgar said. “There’s definitely a lot of regulars that will come because they know the Niagara Jazz Festival, but there’s a good amount of people that come for a specific artist that’s playing.”
“We had a lot of people looking forward to seeing Barbra Lica play,” she added.
As an 18-year-old jazz singer, Bolgar said the crawl is the kind of event she aspires to perform in. Her favourite part of the experience, she said, is the jazz jams, where multiple musicians follow a leading artist and join the performance.
“People just walk in, usually they’ll know about it beforehand, but there’s no rehearsal. They just call a random song and then they all play it,” she said. “It’s super cool to see.”
Like a jazz jam, the crawl is a casual, free-to-attend experience.
Myles Brett, NOTL Golf Club hospitality manager, said the event brought “a lot of traffic” but was also a nice surprise for regular members.
“(Music) really adds some value and some extra appeal to the patio,” he said. “Even if they’re not watching the performance, just having that background noise really elevates the dining experience.”
The scenery of the water, combined with the smell of food and the soulful voice of singers like Ashley St. Pierre, sparked the club’s interest in hosting more live music events.
“We’ve got the best view in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and then you add some great jazz music to that, and it’s a win-win,” Brett said.
The crawl marked 13 years of the Niagara Jazz Festival and the first weekend of this year’s summer schedule, the second week bringing the music from NOTL to St. Catharines.
Jordan and Zelewsky, first-time Niagara jazz crawlers but longtime music fans, called the experience “intimate” and “beautiful.”
“I think it’s really important to support local artists,” Jordan said. “The performers have been really amazing.”
