rev:text
| - I recently had the privilege of witnessing the "Queen Of Soul" Aretha Franklin bring the audience to a delirious stupor during her FREE show at the opening night of the TD Canada Trust Downtown Jazz Festival 2011. As throngs of spectators gathered inside and outside the main marquee tent, clamouring for position to see their idol in the flesh, I couldn't help but be impressed by the way that the physical space of Metro Hall was seamlessly able to accommodate them.
The Jazz Festival has been a Toronto staple since 1987, providing 500,000 loyal patrons the opportunity to enjoy more than 350 performances with over 1,500 musicians performing at approximately 40 locations across Toronto. Previously held at the venerable Nathan Phillips Square, the Festival has since relocated to the strategically situated Metro Hall. I have been a semi-regular patron for the better part of the decade and freely admit that I am more than impressed with the layout, location and overall ambiance that Metro Hall provides. There is a beautiful open green space right in the center of the bustling grounds where people are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets and can enjoy free shows every afternoon during the Festival-a nice perk indeed.
Jane Jacobs with her primary interest in communities, urban planning and use of space in relation to people would be proud of the way that physical space is optimally utilized and enjoyed at Metro Hall. Jacobs of course was a prescient thinker that ultimately saw cities as living and breathing organisms, and Metro Hall, in its relation to the Jazz Festival, is a true microcosm of Jacob's embodiment of this grand ideal.
A truly complimentary pairing to be certain!
|