There was a real step up in the wide variety of live jazz over the next seven days. In addition, there's quite a lot of stuff coming in the next few months so check out the "Heads Up" listings at the bottom of this post.
As some of you may know, I'm a recovering lawyer. Although I never practiced in the great state of New York, I work on books that help lawyers practice in my "day job" for Thomson Reuters. Hope you can catch the jazz at the Monroe County Bar Association's Jazz For Justice benefit this year. It's for a good cause. The MCBA Foundation provides funding to a number of worthwhile programs and initiatives, including: Deaf Equal Access Fund, Lawyers for Learning, Rochester Legal Diversity Clerkship Program, Rochester Teen Court, Sydney R. Rubin Mock Trial Competition, and ACT For the Children. Click on the image in the center panel to get more information and buy tickets.
Thursday, February 9, 2011
- Jazz & Wine Happy Hour with The Swooners @ Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, 5:00 pm
- Jon Seiger and the All-Stars @ Market Cafe at Wegmans, Calkins Road in Henrietta, 5:30 pm
- The John Palocy Trio @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
- Bob Henley @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant & Bar, 1550 Route 332, Farmington, 6:00 pm
- Joe Santora Trio with Emily Kirchoff @ Michael's Valley Grill, 7:00 pm
- Annie Wells @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
- Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Duo @ Portobello, 1369 Pittsford-Mendon Rd., 7:30 pm
- Captain Marvel @ Tala Vera Cantina, 8:00 pm
- Ben Bishop, Jeff Mcleod & John Fatum @ Abbott’s Downtown, 8:00 pm
- Eastman New Jazz Ensemble @ Kilbourn Hall, 8:00 pm
- Soul Express @ Pane Vino, 8:30 pm
- Lovin Art with the Moho Collective (Artist: Sandy Seniuk) @ Lovin Cup, 9:00 pm
Friday, February 10, 2011
- Paul V. Gaspar, Lynn Ligamarri, Dave Mancini, Joe Santora, Jon “Skeeter” Seiger and John Viavattine @ 9th Annual "Evening of Jazz: A Rochester Connection" @ Merton Williams Middle School, Hilton (For more information on the event and to order tickets [$13], please contact HS Jazz Ensemble Director Jared Streiff at 585-392-1000 ext. 2293).
- Johnny Matt Band @ Wegmans-Eastway, 5:30 pm
- Tinted Image @ Bistro 135, 5:00 pm
- Amanda Montone Jazz Trio @ Lemoncello, 7:00 pm
- Joe Santora Trio with Emily Kirchoff @ Michael's Valley Grill, 7:00 pm
- Ted Nicolosi & Shared Genes @ Glengarry Inn at Eagle Vale, 4400 Nine Mile Point Road, Rt 250 Fairport, 6:30 pm
- Ryan T Carey @ Thali of India, 7:00 pm
- Open Stage Jazz Jam @ Cafe Aviv @ 321 East Ave., 7:00 pm
- Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Duo @ Charley Brown's Restaurant, Penfield, 7:30 pm
- Mike Kaupa Trio Madness @ Tala Vera Cantina, 8:00 pm
- Mark Cassara @ Bistro 135, 8:00 pm
- Stringplicity @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:30 pm
- Run For the Roses with The Meta Accord @ Lovin Cup, 9:00 pm
- The Po’ Boys Brass Band @ Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint, Henrietta, 9:30 pm
Saturday, February 11, 2011
- Mark Cassara "Just for Dinner" @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
- Ted Nicolosi & Shared Genes @ Prime Steak House 42 E Main St Webster, 6:30 pm
- El Rojo Jazz @ Lemoncello, 7:00 pm
- Jive Street Five @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant & Bar, 7:00
- Carlton Wilcox Live presents The Lovers Lounge @ R.O.A.R, 233 Mill St., Rochester, 7:00 pm
- Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Duo @ Charley Brown's Restaurant, Penfield, 7:30 pm
- Exodus to Jazz Presents Houston Person Quartet @ Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 8:00 pm (two 1-hour sets) (see my earlier post)
- Artisan Jazz @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant & Bar, Farmington, 8:00 pm
- Tinted Image @ Horizons Lounge at Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, 8:30 pm
- Sofrito @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:30 pm
- East End Jazz Boys @ Havana Moes, 9:30 pm
Sunday, February 12, 2012
- Bill Slater Solo Piano (Brunch) @ Woodcliff Hotel, call for time
- Allan Harris Quartet (CNY Jazz Central’s Black History Month Cabaret) @ Sheraton Syracuse University's Grand Ballroom, 5:00 pm
- Anthony Gianovola @ Lemoncello, 6:00 pm
- Iced Chill @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant & Bar, 6:00 pm
Monday, February 13, 2012
- The Westview Project @ Horizons Lounge at Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, 5:30 pm
- Mark Bader @ Bistro 135, 5:30 pm
- Tony Gianavola @ Beale Street Cafe, 7:00 pm
- Russell Fielder Trio @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
- Scott Krier @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant & Bar, 5:00 pm
- Tinted Image @ Horizons Lounge at Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, 5:30 pm
- The Swooners @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
- White Hots & Tina Albright @ Monroe's Restaurant, 7:00 pm
- Bob Sneider Trio @ Tala Vera Cantina, 7:30 pm
- Eastman Jazz Ensemble @ Kilbourn Hall, 8:00 pm
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
- Michael Vidala Trio @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
- Greg Chako @ Lemoncello, 6:00 pm

- Robert Chevrier @ Pomodoro Monroe Avenue, 6:30 pm
- Paradigm Shift @ Pomodoro's Grill & Wine Bar (University Ave.), 7:30 pm
- Coffee Wachala Duo @ LIttle Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
- Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band @ Tala Vera Cantina, 8:00 pm
Heads Up ... Look for these Jazz Gigs and Special Jazz Events in the Future
- Jimmy Heath Big Band A Jazz Masterpiece: Four Black Immortals: In tribute to Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. Composed by Ernie Wilkins with narration by Camille Yarbrough and performed with 16 Strings and the A.R.C. Choir @ Auditorium Theatre, 885 E. Main St., Friday, February 17th, 8:00 pm (more info at Facebook Event or Ticketmaster.com)
- Hunt Real Estate Art of Jazz Series presents Enrico Rava Tribe @ Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, Sunday, February 26, 3:00 pm
- Billy Childs with the Ying Quartet (performing jazz and classical pieces) @ Kilbourn Hall, Sunday, February 26th, 3:00 pm
- Exodus to Jazz presents 480East @ Water Street Music Hall, Thursday, March 8th, 8:00 pm (new date and venue)
- Jazz90.1 Presents Annual Pancake Breakfast @ Greece Olympia High School, Saturday, March 10th, 10:00 am–1:00 pm (tickets on sale now)
- Gilad Atzmon with Rich Siegel presents a spoken word and musical dialogue against war and apartheid in the Middle East (benefit for Deir Yassin Remembered Scholarship Fund) @ The Cracker Factory, Geneva, Tuesday, March 13th, 7:00 pm
- "Jazzography" with the Rod Blumenau Quartet @ Ingle Auditorium, RIT, Friday, March 16th, 8:00 pm

- David Benoit @ Buffalo State College, Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, Friday, March 16th, 8:00 pm
- Katie Ernst Quartet & Alexa Tarantino Trio @ Jazz for Justice Benefit at the Harro East, Friday, March 23rd, 6:00 pm (click on the image in center column for more information)
- Cornell Concert Series presents The Bad Plus @ Barnes Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, Friday March 30, 8:00 pm
- Exodus to Jazz presents The Ulysses Owens Quintet (with Christian McBride, Marcus Printup, Christian Sands, & Jaleel Shaw) @ Hochstein School of Music Performance Hall, Saturday, April 14th, 8:00 pm (replacing Johnny O'Neal)
- Wayne Bergeron with the Greece Jazz Band (Tribute to Maynard Ferguson to benefit Honeoye Schools music programs) @ Honeoye Central School, Tuesday April 17th, 7:00 pm
We've compiled these listings from information obtained from the performing artists themselves and other sources. The aim is to give you a one stop place to find all your jazz in Rochester.The aim is to give you a one stop place to find all your jazz in Rochester. Only start times are listed, visit or call the venue for more details (the sites for many are in the right panel). Please forgive any discrepancies with reality and feel free to let me know what the problem is, and I'll get the corrections up on the site as soon as possible (click on the "Contact Us" button above). If you go out to hear a performance listed here, feel free to drop a comment to this post to let us know how it went. I want to hear from you!







OK, wishful thinking, but here's your live jazz in and around the ROC for the next seven days.
The folks over at 
Jazz pianists
Gerald Clayton, a 2010 Downbeat Magazine’s Critic’s Poll Rising Star returns to Rochester riding the crest of a very recent Grammy nomination for his acclaimed new CD, Bond: The Paris Sessions. Award-winning jazz pianist Tamir Hendelman has performed with the Jeff Hamilton Trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Harry Allen, Teddy Edwards, Warren Vache, Houston Person, Jeff Clayton, Nick Brignola, Phil Upchurch, Rickey Woodard, John Clayton and Barbara Morrison.
His Destinations CD is described in Downbeat as an "innately impressive new album" showing Hendelman's "undeniable depth and technical mastery of his approach to his instrument." Both
One of the tireless supporters of great music and that jazz with that twist around Rochester has always been Tom Kohn and
As we put the year 2011 behind us (good riddance in many ways), let us pause to reflect on the jazz we've heard this year and will hear in 2012 .... OK, I'm just kidding. However, if you take a look at the archives for 2011, you'll see the wide variety of jazz that is available in Rochester, both from our own great home-based artists and those who drop in from time to time from New York City and other locales. There's something happening almost every night of the week. So I encourage you to get out and hear some in 2012, especially if you haven't done it before. Happy New Year!
Still in Kansas, so you'll have to find your jazz in Rochester on your own...just kidding, it's all here (or as much of it as I can find). Of course, is it light over the next seven days for good reason. Let me know if you know of any New Years Eve events so I can add them in next week's post. While I take a lot of pains to ensure accuracy, sometimes these listings are wrong... so best to make sure.
Where is the snow? Don't worry, we'll get ours... Unfortunately, I've been holed up at work a lot recently getting my end of the year shipments out so haven't been able to get out to hear much, but I hope to in the coming weeks. Check out the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble at RIT on Friday or Chieli Minucci & Special EFX at Exodus To Jazz on Saturday, or one of our other fine jazz purveyors....
Is there anyone out there? Of course there is and despite the holiday one can find jazz in and around Rochester, although you'll be hard pressed to find a meal without turkey in it. I would check some of these with the venue before heading out as I couldn't independently confirm that all of these gigs will actually take place, especially on Thursday.



Too busy to stop and chat... Here are the next seven days of jazz in and around Rochester, New York:
We're back in town and hoping to get out to see some live jazz soon. Here are the options that are coming up in the next seven days and beyond. Please let me know if I've missed anything.
Has it been a week already? Geez! I'm so busy at work that the time is flying by and here it is Wednesday again... Oh well, here are the next seven days of jazz in and around Rochester, compiled lovingly for your aural pleasure....






