Montreal Jazzfest-Bran Van 3K

Not sure who the bassist was, but at the signature outdoor extravaganza last night it was the low man on the totem pole who drove the band (with a well-worn Fender Jazz). The mixture of disco and hip-hop was fun, but the best thing about this fest, which I've loved and attended religiously since its' inception in the early 80s, isn't the daily free outdoor shows. It's not the variety of jazz and world music. It's not the fact that it has become the largest. No, it's the fact that in THIS city, well over 100,000 people can have a massive outdoor party with beer sold on the streets, traffic rerouted, the masses dancing and smoking, around 50 cops, and nary a broken bottle, let alone serious/violent crime. Lovin' it, big-time. Now if only the hockey hooligans could learn from this ....