May 2021 was an early moment of relative respite from the pandemic.
The proceedings are imbued with a sense of palpable, I’d say audible, gratitude — probably due as much to a trick of timing as to the gender makeup of the band. May 2021 was an early moment of relative respite from the pandemic. It was one of the first attempts by the presenting organization, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, to stage a live concert during the pandemic. The musicians sat far away from one another and, when playing permitted, wore masks.