A blistering heat wave failed to deter music lovers from crowding into Confederation Park and jamming out to hip-hop band The Roots on Sunday.
The annual Ottawa Jazz Festival has a reputation for combining its titular jazz legacy with diverse programming spanning across rock, soul and hip‑hop. Marking the third day of 2025’s lineup, The Roots — popular for their impressive live instrumentation and improvisation on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon — headlined the main stage as a bold statement of the multi-genre event.
Before the Philadelphia band took on their two-hour set, the audience buzzed with anticipation as the host, DJ Noah from Live 85, rallied them for the show to come.
“How can Ottawa be boring with The Roots playing?” he asked.
Amidst loud cheering from giddy festival goers, The Roots hit the stage with their song “Intro / There’s Something Goin’ on,” an upbeat and electric tune that set the tone for the night.
What followed was a genre-blurring musical experience that felt both epic and masterful, with jazzy hip-hop beats complemented by the performers’ energetic personalities.
As the clear blue sky faded into a sunset, the concert’s high energy was palpable. The audience clapped to the lyrics, “Clap your hands this evening. Come on y’all, say it’s all right,” one of many times the performers had the crowd interacting with the music in unison.
The Roots’ ability to jam, improvise and transition between songs without missing a beat affirmed their reputation as excellent live performers. Throughout the show, each band member had space to shine.
Black Thought was a fantastic showman throughout the performance. His strong vocals were complemented by the beats of the drums, bass and wind instruments.
Dave Guy on the trumpet was a major highlight, as he embraced his improvisational skills with impressive rhythms and melodies, much like Ian Hendrickson-Smith on the saxophone and Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson on the sousaphone.
During his solo, Ray Angry took center stage in a black and gold outfit, which enhanced the red accents of his keytar and letting a groovy, powerful sound loose.
Similarly, “Captain” Kirk Douglas’s guitar strums sang when paired with his energetic personality and vocals, evidenced in the hit song “You Got Me.”
One point of the night was dedicated to a mix of solo performances, as each individual performer moved consecutively until all but two band members were left on the stage. Angry, who played the synth, provided a harmonic frame for the unshakable groove of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson on the drums.
Once all members joined back together, the band weaved their instruments back into a rich musical tapestry. In a powerful moment, Black Thought reminded the crowd, “This is hip-hop” — a perfect send-off to end the set.
The excitement was not over yet as Questlove took over the OLG Stage with a late-night DJ set, continuing Sunday’s hip-hop celebration into the night.
Featured image by Simon McKeown/the Charlatan
