In his introduction to the opening night concert of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF), Michael Tortoni, the artistic director, noted that some 43,000 patrons were expected to attend over 120 concerts during this year's program. That is a lot of devotees to a musical form often marginalised, or perceived as difficult. Certainly, it is a sure sign of endorsement not just for contemporary jazz, but for this major Melbourne event, which has, in recent years, positioned itself as a key festival within the city's increasingly crowded arts calendar.

The theme of this year's Festival was the 'evolution' of jazz, a celebration of the ongoing dialogue between past icons and emerging figures. This intent was nowhere more evident than in the opening night concerts, one headlined by saxophone legend Gary Bartz, now in his sixth decade of music-making; the other featuring bass wunderkind Esperanza Spalding, with her project Emily's D+Evolution.