Canadian singer Jully Black delivered a commanding performance at a fundraiser held for the Ottawa Jazz Festival on Monday, May 25, 2026, at the French embassy and official residence of Ambassador Michel Miraillet. Photo by Lindsay Germano
Jully Black turns French embassy into a singing, dancing celebration for Ottawa Jazz Festival
“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing,” French Ambassador Michel Miraillet reminded guests Monday night, quoting Duke Ellington to a smiling crowd of about 150.
“What is that swing, if not the spark that turns notes into emotion, rhythm into joy and music into a shared language of the heart,” said Miraillet. “Jazz is that little light that cuts through the darkness, that feel-good energy that reminds us what it means to be alive.”
The embassy, along with its new landmark Institut français du Canada, hosted a benefit in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. The evening featured a powerhouse performance by Canada’s Queen of R&B, Jully Black, who seemed thrilled to be in one of the most elegant spaces in town.
“I feel like I’ve arrived,” joked the Toronto-born daughter of Jamaican immigrants.
“How do you say ‘Hallelujah’ in French?” she later asked while taking in her surroundings. Turns out, there’s no difference. “It’s the same all the way around.”
Accompanied by guitar and grand piano, she delivered a mix of covers and her biggest hit, Seven Day Fool. Black kept the audience engaged throughout, encouraging clapping and singalongs before stepping into the crowd to sing and dance with guests. She shared a warm hug with Sophie Grégoire after spotting her in the room and had octogenarian Doug Arends, chairman of the Canadian Bank Note Company, grooving to the music.
The three-time Juno Award winner’s easy charisma and crowd work drew praise.
“You can’t teach any of that,” said Danya Vered, vice president at StrategyCorp. “She’s so impressive, so natural. There’s an effervescence to her.”
At one point, Black got criminal defence lawyer and volunteer live auctioneer Lawrence Greenspon to belt out a few lines of Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly With His Song. It was an ironic song choice, given his less-than-gentle vocals.
The evening raised roughly $60,000 for the Ottawa Jazz Festival.
Canadian singer Jully Black got guests dancing, including Raphaëlle Spencer (left), cultural attachée for the French Embassy in Canada, at a soirée held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Jully Black gives Sophie Grégoire a hug soon after entering the Grand Salon at the French embassy, where she performed as part of a fundraising soirée for the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Lindsay Germano
Canadian singer Jully Black got friendly with BDO Canada partner Mike Abbott, comparing him to journalist Anderson Cooper, at a fundraising soirée held at the French embassy on Monday, May 25, 2026, in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. On the right is board member Brandon Brignell. Photo by Caroline Phillips
That’s Doug Arends, chairman at Canadian Bank Note Company, dancing with Jully Black during a performance she gave at the French embassy in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Earlier in the evening, guests mingled over drinks and bites from Harmons Steakhouse, North & Navy, Gitanes and Arlo Wine & Restaurant. The perfect spring night drew some guests outside.
The Ottawa Jazz Festival, now in its 46th year, is one of the largest of its kind in Canada and recently announced CF Rideau Centre as its presenting sponsor. It returns June 18 to 28 to Confederation Park and the National Arts Centre.
This year’s headliners include St. Vincent and the NAC Orchestra, Wyclef Jean, Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, WILLOW, Ibrahim Maalouf, BADBADNOTGOOD, among others.
Despite its scale, the festival still manages to feel intimate, said executive and artistic director Petr Cancura, describing it as an event where you bump into friends on the way to a show, where you discover an artist you’ve never heard of before, where strangers become friends over shared moments — like standing in the pouring rain listening to live music together.
“There’s a joy to it, a sense of adventure, a feeling that anything might happen. And while we call it a jazz festival, anyone who spends time with us knows it’s really about discovery.
“Experiences like these don’t just entertain us,” said Cancura, who also plays saxophone. “They bring life to our city, they create memories, they inspire young artists and they remind us that culture isn’t something extra; it’s part of what makes Ottawa a great place to live.”
Like many music festivals, the Ottawa Jazz Festival has faced its share of challenges. “Not every year has been easy,” board chair and marketing consultant Keith Gallop told the room.
The 2020s, shaped by the pandemic and rising costs, have been especially difficult for festivals and arts organizations, with some forced to close altogether. “We are up for the challenge, and we are working incredibly hard to adapt, innovate and change how we deliver this festival and keep it thriving as a core part of the Ottawa summer,” said Gallop, promising a lineup of artists that will “blow your socks off.”
He also highlighted the addition of free concerts and reduced ticket prices aimed at improving accessibility.
From left, Keith Gallop, board chair of the Ottawa Jazz Festival, alongside its artistic and executive director Petr Cancura, and French Ambassador Michel Miraillet, inside the ambassador’s office during a soirée he and his staff hosted on Monday, May 25, 2026 in support of the festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
During the live auction portion of the evening, hopeful bidders didn’t stand a chance against Doug Arends. He was the top bidder on three of the six items, winning a Jazz Fest lifetime pass for two, 120 tickets to the private Top Shelf Jazz Suite for the June 27 St. Vincent concert and a private house party catered by North & Navy and Arlo, with a sommelier and private jazz performance.
Sanjay Shah, founder of ExecHealth and executive advisor to WELL Health Medical and Longevity Centre, was one of the only bidders on the chance to introduce a headliner on the OLG Main Stage. It was an experience he secured in his effort to support the festival.
Danya Vered and her husband David Glick-Stal (CBRE) partnered with Alik Angaladian (Maple Leaf Strategies) to purchase a four-person dinner at Michelin two-star Restaurant Pearl Morissette in the Niagara Region, while Shana Levin and Ian Rapsey bought the trip to the Yukon, which includes passes to the Dawson City Music Festival.
Attendees were encouraged to support the festival’s artistic programming, accessibility initiatives and long-term future by becoming a Friend of the Festival. Contributions come with a tax receipt. Supporters include Jeff Clarke, CEO and chairman of Inflector Environmental Services. He’s a childhood friend of Alex McMahon, who’s co-owner of Arlo Wine & Restaurant, a festival board member and co-organizer of the fundraiser.
McMahon also had the pleasure of introducing Black to the audience that night, saying, “I couldn’t believe she said ‘Yes’.”
From left, Le Germain Hôtel Ottawa general manager Jacques-Alexandre Paquet, attendee Sophie Grégoire and Alex McMahon, co-owner of Arlo Wine & Restaurant and a board member with the Ottawa Jazz Festival, at a fundraising soirée held in support of the festival at the French embassy. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Jeff Walker, president and CEO of CAA North & East Ontario, joined the bidding action during the live auction. Photo by Lindsay Germano
Petr Cancura, executive and artistic director of the Ottawa Jazz Festival, at a fundraiser held at the French embassy with Leacross Foundation president Roslyn Bern, who’s receiving an honorary doctorate from Dalhousie University next month. Photo by Caroline Phillips
French ambassador Michel Miraillet welcomed attendees to a special evening at his official residence in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Claridge Homes founder and CEO Bill Malhotra and Mona Fortier, Liberal MP for Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester, at the French embassy for a soirée held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Singer Jully Black, at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador, didn’t hesitate to engage with her audience during her performance on Monday, May 25, 2026, in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Lindsay Germano
Sanjay Shah, founder of ExecHealth and executive advisor to WELL Health Medical and Longevity Centre, and his wife, Dr. Bella Mehta, at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Danya Vered, vice president at StrategyCorp; her husband David Glick-Stal, associate vice president at CBRE; and Alik Angaladian, senior principal and strategic growth Lead at Maple Leaf Strategies, were winners of one of the live auction items during a fundraising soirée held at the French embassy in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Singer Jully Black got Lawrence Greenspon to belt out the lyrics to Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly With His Song. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, John Geiger, CEO at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) and president and CEO at Canadian Geographic, and RCGS chief of staff Riley Schnurr at the French embassy for a soirée held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
French Ambassador Michel Miraillet conversing inside the Birch Room with attendees of a special evening held at the ambassador’s official residence in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Ottawa Jazz Festival board member and senior communications officer William McCullough and realtor Jennifer Skuce with Kristen Smith, senior director with the Canadian Medical Association, and senior vice president Brian Murray with Waterford Property Group at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Sam Fuller, president of Thomas Fuller Construction, and Mike Abbott, partner at BDO Canada, at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, lawyer Chris Spiteri (Spiteri & Ursulak) and his wife Jane Spiteri with Angela Grant Saunders and Mark Saunders, from Saunders Farm, at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, lawyer, strategic advisor and advisor Whitney Fox and her son, Jack Goldberg, with Geneviève Quenum-Miraillet, spouse of the French ambassador to Canada, at the French embassy and official residence for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Mathieu Gravel, chief of staff at the City of Ottawa; David Glick-Stal (CBRE); Danya Vered (StrategyCorp) and Ada Agamah (Morgan Stanley) at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, attendee Sanjay Shah with lawyers Lawrence Greenspon, Jaspreet Kalra and Yves Ménard at the French embassy and official residence of the ambassador for a special evening held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Mona Fortier, Liberal MP for Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester, with Vincent Klassen, board president of the Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, at a special evening held at the French embassy and official residence in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
French Ambassador Michel Miraillet, with his wife Geneviève Quenum-Miraillet, quietly listened as Ottawa Jazz Festival representatives thanked him for opening up the residence and embassy for a special soirée in support of the organization. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation CEO Stéphane Grégoire at a benefit for the Ottawa Jazz Festival with OCH Foundation executive director Traci Spour-Lafrance and Annie Premachuk, manager of partnerships and innovations at OCH Foundation, and its board treasurer Brandon Bignell, who’s also on the board of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Romina Malhotra and her husband, Bill Malhotra, founder and CEO of Claridge Homes, at a special evening held at the French embassy and official residence in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
French Ambassador Michel Miraillet and his wife Geneviève Quenum-Miraillet with guest performer Jully Black at a special soirée held in support of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Photo by Caroline Phillips
This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WEALTH (WCPD), Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law and Prime Benefits Group.
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