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A service in honour of Oliver Jones will take place at Union United Church, steps away from the jazz icon’s childhood home and where he played his first concert at the age of five to catapult his legendary career.
Jones died on July 22. He was 91.
Thursday’s service comes a day after a public visitation was held at city hall.
Union United Church, a 119-year-old Black congregation, is located mere minutes away from Jones’s family home in the Little Burgundy neighbourhood.
In a musical career that spanned decades, Jones earned numerous honours, including JUNO awards, honourary doctorates and being appointed to the orders of Montreal, Quebec and Canada.
Jones was synonymous with Little Burgundy and the Montreal Jazz Festival, performing there countless times including every year between 1981 and 1999.
Thursday’s service will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. There will be several musical tributes, prayers and speeches.
A public visitation was hosted at Montreal’s city hall to honour the award-winning jazz pianist on Wednesday. Oliver Jones worked closely with Montreal’s Jazz Festival, and was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 2023. He died on July 22, at the age of 91.
