A couple of years ago I made my first trip to Montreal to see The 2005 World Aquatics Championships. I stayed at the Le Meridien Versailles Hotel which was a fantastic choice. Located in the centre of everything, this hotel was set amidst historic architecture and offered oversized and cosy guest rooms with panoramic views of the city.

The competition took place in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen's Island. Being a former swim coach as well as a swimming enthusiast, this trip was to be the highlight of my entire year. I was eyewitness to the record breaking performance of Alexandre Despatie (Canada) when he broke the 800-point barrier scoring 813.60 points in the men's 3-metre platform event, winning gold, and the World Record. I also saw Chelsea Davis (USA), 17, hitting her face against the end of the springboard, in a dive gone awry, landing hard in the water.

After the games ended, I decided to explore Montreal. Nestled in the heart of a 300 year old historic neighbourhood, I found a great restaurant, Jardin Nelson. Most of its seats were located outside in a nice garden near the Old Port. I stopped here not only because the restaurant had such a charming feel (it did!) but because they had a hand written sign on a blackboard stating that they will have live music - Jazz music.

Of course I have heard that Montreal had a really good Jazz scene, being the Chicago Jazz snob that I am, I simply imagined that the music they offered would be a watered-down version of real Jazz - Chicago Jazz. That night they featured a trio under the leadership of Gilbert Joanis, and from the first moment that they began playing my opinion started changing.

The smooth jazz styling of this polished trio made for an amazingly relaxed atmosphere. The hypnotic sounds of the clarinet floated, filling the sky with a seductive musical mouthful of Jazz. I had to see if this wonderful Jazz experience was a fluke or was this really a true representation of Montreal Jazz. I checked into the Hyatt Regency during my second week in Montreal and was amused when they included a Jazz CD as a free gift along with a US$20 gift certificate that was redeemable at the Casino Montreal during the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. This was definitely a really good sign.

I have to say that there is something special about Montreal. Perhaps it is the easygoing vibe, the almost European feeling that makes it stand out against the hurriedness of most of the US cities that I’ve visited. There are so many Jazz lovers here and so much great music that it makes the ambience of the city romantic and alluring.

The Jazz festival was spectacular! There was a huge variety of performances including big names like the Dave Holland Big Band which has become the premier large ensemble. If your particular musical taste makes you long for a little ragged energy now and again, then you would have loved Charlie Haden’s new Land of the Sun Project who can only be described as “cookin”.

If you enjoy sultrier Jazz, you would have cherished the maddeningly beautiful sounds of saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Antonio Sanchez who barely played above a whisper. The gentleness of the sound was nothing short of soothing and elegant. Each performance, although they varied greatly in style, was met enthusiastically from the entire audience.

The whole evening was filled with energy and a shared love for the melodic sounds and emotion that exudes from Jazz. I must admit that the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal is probably the best organized, most user-friendly event of its kind in North America. I stopped at a great restaurant, the Nagano Sushi Bar in the Ruby Foo’s Hotel, before beginning the trip back to Chicago.

While I was enjoying a delicious lunch, I was drawn to the music playing on the stereo in the background. Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by the Ellington Orchestra, was playing a recording of one of my all-time favourites, ‘Moonbeam’. As if that wasn’t enough, ‘Moonbeam’ was followed by the cheeky scat dialogue between Ella and Clark Terry during their rendition of 'I Can't Give You Anything But Love’. Needless to say, my appreciation for the Montreal Jazz scene elevated even more.

While Chicago will always be unsurpassed in their Jazz offerings (leave New Orleans out of this), Montreal has to be considered one of the finest places in the world for Jazz enthusiasts to gather together and enjoy this unique soul-stirring music. Jazz is not only a music genre, but it is very much an attitude. Montreal has captured that attitude brilliantly.