Accessibility is sometimes a problem for instrumentalists who spend their night playing complex‚ often fast pieces that display a staggering degree of technique. Jordan's ear for composition and his emphasis on melody made his performance a true tour de force of originality‚ showmanship and soul. He led us through his own world and through some covers-musical memes like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and numbers by Simon & Garfunkel and Led Zeppelin. And he even took his performance to another level by sitting at a grand piano and playing both the piano and guitar at the same time. Now‚ this could easily be overkill or novelty-His regular approach is enough‚ isn't it?-except that he did it‚ as he does nearly everything‚ with taste‚ style and passion. Tapping with one hand and playing the piano with the other‚ he used the ringing sustain of both instruments to layer together melodies‚ harmonies and counterpoint that couldn't have been done any other way. (Except if another person had been there.) And there was the element of amazement-and wizardry‚ yes-that he can actually do what he does‚ and not make it seem like he's showing off.

Part of attending Montreal Jazz Festival as a journalist is providing the festival's publicity department with a list of the shows you would like to see. They set you up with as many of those tickets as possible‚ but you don't know what your shows are until you arrive onsite‚ in the press room. And by then‚ the other shows you may have wanted to see are likely sold out. For that reason‚ our Monday night schedule was pretty light. (We made the most of it walking and eating our way around the city-again.) We were fortunate enough to close out our jazz tourist weekend with a reminder of the heights of skill and legend in the jazz world. Jimmy Cobb‚ the remaining surviving member of the band with which Miles Davis recorded Kind of Blue‚ was performing the entirety of the best-selling jazz album of all time with a quintet that included Wallace Roney‚ Vincent Herring‚ Javon Jackson‚ Larry Willis‚ and Buster Williams.

After the traveling musically from Redman to Garrett to King Sunny to Jordan-not to mention dozens of snippets of outdoor shows by artists I can't name-there was something both comforting and uncertain about sitting down to a performance of an album that is so ingrained in my own experience and that of millions of jazz fans. Performing watershed albums in their entirety has become popular-almost clichéd-in the rock world‚ with everyone from Sonic Youth to Van Morrison revisiting their classics. But this was a huge album by a titan who passed away nearly 20 years ago. This was Miles. Could it ever compare to the magic of the original? Would it simply be a nostalgia act? Could they really make it work-especially without the man with the horn?

The result was magical. From the first notes of Paul Chambers' iconic bassline-with a little added energy and tempo this time around-the band climbed into the tunes and brought them to life. It's hard to use such a cliché‚ but it's true. The album literally came to life onstage‚ and as the night developed‚ each player‚ especially pianist Larry Williams‚ trumpeter Wallace Roney‚ and Cobb himself‚ made the tunes their own. Williams almost wiggled back and forth on his seat as he gave a bit of a boogie-woogie‚ stride-piano feel to the swing tunes; Roney was able to put across Davis' understated confidence while also making clear that he was a towering presence onstage. His solos were direct and referenced the album in spirit‚ without mimicking or copying Davis. He was both a part of it and apart from it‚ making his own statement. (The connection isn't a coincidence: Roney was mentored by Davis from 1985 to 1991.) And then there was Cobb‚ who not only swung nimbly and dropped bombs when needed‚ but played with an enthusiasm and respect that was easy to see from the crowd.

Kind of Blue is‚ of course‚ only 45 minutes long. In an inevitable move that felt awkward at first‚ the band moved on from the album's five tracks to a short set of standards that let them stretch out a bit. And though the playing was still inspired‚ the air of an extraordinary performance dissipated after "Flamenco Sketches‚" Kind of Blue's final track‚ and didn't quite return. But the entire band‚ Cobb especially‚ looked like they were having so much fun that you couldn't blame them for playing as long as they could. At least once‚ the drummer started to walk off the stage‚ only to bring the band back for another number.

Two things were clear after three days in Montreal: There are more shows than you can possibly see in the course of any one evening‚ and the team that programs the festival has crafted an experience that does what all great music festivals should do: illustrate the depth and potential of music by scheduling artists who may not seem to have much in common-except that they're all producing work that reflects the truth of who they are as people. Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman are completely different? Yes. And that's the point! And why should it be any other way? If I hadn't seen King Sunny's dancers shaking their humps‚ Stanley Jordan may not have dazzled the way he did. And after Jordan's pyrotechnics‚ Jimmy Cobb's Kind of Blue may not have felt at once so reverent and alive‚ Wallace Roney's tribute to Miles as poignant. Ah‚ Montreal. Thank you.