Oliver Jones bids farewell to the Montreal Jazz Festival

It's been a long run for OliverJones and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, one that is coming to an endThursday night with his farewell to the festival show.

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The pianisthas playedhis hometownfestival 44 times in the last 37 years, but it never gets old.

"I'm truly looking forward to [Thursday's show]. Imay do 100 concerts a year, but playing at home is always special," he said.

Jazz wasn'talwaysthe plan

When he began playing piano as a boy growingup in Montreal's Little Burgundy neighbourhood, turning it into a profession was never thegoal.

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"My parents didn't push me, they were happy that I played but they would have ratherI play just classical or music fromthe church. I was very fortunate I had Oscar close to me," he said.

The Oscar he refers to, of course, is Oscar Peterson, another Montreal jazz legend who lived nearby.Peterson's sister was Jones's piano teacher.

"Without Oscar Peterson I don't think I would have had the inspiration to keep playing just jazz," he said.

This year will mark 77 years since the octogenarian and internationally-renowned jazzman played his first show.

He saysplaying with Peterson isone of his proudest moments.

Many, manymemories

During a career that has lasted longer than most, Jones has a number ofcherished memories.

One is from 1984, when he played shows in New Zealand and Australia, the first time he'd ever played a show outside of Canada and the United States.

"I arrived a little late and the people took me directly into the venue. I got on the bandstand and I met the two musicians I didn't know, we shook hands and I started to play. Within the first two minutes, I said 'Well there's no family out there, there are no friends, and the reaction was wonderful,'" he said.

"I think that gave me more confidence than anything else."

Jones haswon11 Flixawards, given out to Quebec musicians, in his careerand has been named to the Order of Canada and theOrdrenational duQubec.

"Even if I don't win anything more, I have an awful lot of memories to look back on," he said.

More of a so long than a farewell

Oliver Jones on his retirement plans

8 years ago

Duration 1:01

Montreal jazz pianist Oliver Jones may be retiring from the touring life, but he has plenty of ideas about how he's going to spend his free time.

Jones officially retired in 2000, but that didn't stop him from recording new albumsand playing more shows.

Hehas already started his farewell tour.His very last show will be in Barbados in Januaryas a tribute to his parents.

Thursday's show is billed as a farewell, but he clarified that hewill likely play a handful of times a yearat various fundraising events.

His retirement plans includetravelling, dusting off his saxophone andhelpingpromote Canadian jazz artists who are just getting started.

"I know that I'm going to miss the piano, but there are other things in life," he said.

Jones will play a sold-out show accompanied by his trio, then as a guest of the Orchestre national de jazz de Montral at the Maison symphonique de Montral Thursday night.