2026 marked the 40th Anniversary of the TD Halifax Jazz Fest, and since that initial festival in 1987, it has grown into the largest summer festival in Atlantic Canada. The festival has attracted a vibrant and diverse lineup of artists over the years, including such notable luminaries as Anderson Paak, Lauryn Hill, Killer Mike, St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, Iron and Wine and Emmylou Harris. While the festival slowly shifted away from the Jazz genre over the past number of years, this 40th anniversary provided an opportunity to put the focus squarely on its Jazz Roots.
That focus definitely allowed the music to reach the masses via the stages erected around the Downtown region; this allowed a degree of accessibility that the TD Main Stage rarely can. Those stages featured performances from some of the best Jazz and blues talent the city has to offer. This included performances from Laura Merriman, Garrett Mason, The Morgan Davis Trio, and the John Chaisson Trio, amongst others.
With the renewed focus, the main stage kicked off with a powerhouse pairing of beloved locals The Mellotones, who were tapped to warm up the stage for the legendary R&B / funk outfit Tower of Power, a band that is quickly approaching its 60th anniversary. Frontman Jordan John is one of the newer additions to the lineup and had the opportunity to showcase his vocal chops to the Halifax crowd, but it was his bandmates Emilio Castillo on the tenor saxophone (and backing vocals) and Stephen “Doc” Kupka on baritone saxophone, both of whom have been with the band since the late 60s and are the only remaining original members. While the headliners put on a well-oiled set that spanned the band’s extensive catalogue, it felt a bit too well-rehearsed, which is certainly a product of performing together for close to 60 years. We are all better having seen the band perform live.
You can only imagine that the Mellotones anticipated getting off stage to watch the masters at work, but not before putting on a vibrant and energetic set that established an ambitious bar for Tower of Power. The Mellotones certainly drew inspiration from the Oakland, California-based band, but did what they always do, and went out and absolutely crushed their performance.
The buzz surrounding the 2026 iteration of the festival might have been a bit muted outside of the concert grounds, but the throng of patrons who attended and attentively watched these two wildly talented bands perform were treated to a special night of music, which was a fantastic way to kick off the mainstage.
