• Fresh live jazz in and around Rochester, April 9-15 and beyond ….

    Each week JazzRochester gathers the listings for live jazz to hear around Rochester for the next seven days, which are immediately below. Open the rest of the post at the end of this week’s listings (if you’re receiving via the email list you will see them all) and you’ll find live jazz we have heard about through the rest of April and May, plus some items of special interest beyond that. Check back from time to time as I will update the post throughout the week as I hear about new live jazz gigs around town until the next post is published. Tell your jazz-loving friends about the site so they can join us here or on our other channels.

    The Geneva Jazz Festival is running from April 9-12. The individual gigs are listed below, but you can check out their website here.  

    Are you ready to cruise the Erie Canal with some great music? Tickets for Jazz 90.1’s Jazz Cruise on the Colonial Belle with Bill Tiberio & Friends are available now. Plus, their Spring Pledge Drive is on now as well … hand over some cash here.

    Thursday, April 9, 2026

    • The Charlie Mitchell Group @ Lila’s, 5:00 pm
    • Ryan Johnson Duo @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
    • Dave Solazzo with Janelle Bradshaw @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Brewery Ardennes (Geneva), 5:30 pm
    • Ann Mitchell Jazz Trio @ Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, 6:00 pm
    • Bobby Henrie Trio @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Microclimate Bar (Geneva), 7:00 pm
    • Swing Night with The Biltmore Commandos @ The Biltmore Bar & Lounge, 7:00 pm
    • Mark & Janine @ Annette’s (Webster), 7:00 pm
    • Eastman Jazz Orchestra and Eastman New Jazz Orchestra @ ESM, Kilbourn Hall, 7:30 pm
    • Simon Fletcher Trio @ Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, 9:00 pm
    • Open Jazz Jam @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Linden Social Club (Geneva), 9:00 pm

    Friday, April 10, 2026

    • Jazz Happy Hour with Rev & Mabel @ The Biltmore Bar & Lounge, 5:00 pm
    • Dino Losito Trio @ Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, 5:00 pm
    • Mike Pallini @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
    • Avery Pambianchi Quartet @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Ventosa Vineyards (Geneva), 5:30 pm
    • Stanley Jordan @ Fanatics Pub, 7281 W Main St, (Lima), 6:00 pm
    • Jazz on Tap: Cinque Quintet @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 6:00 pm
    • Joel Kastner & Ariel Zylberberg @ Flight Wine Bar Downtown, 6:30 pm
    • Stewie Evans Trio @ Annette’s (Webster), 7:00 pm
    • Jill Minyé @ Geneva Jazz Festival, Microclimate Bar (Geneva), 7:00 pm
    • The Biltmore Commandos @ The Biltmore Bar & Lounge, 8:00 pm
    • Student Non-degree Recital: Daniel Andaya, jazz guitar and Ryden Ishihara, jazz drums @ Eastman School of Music (ESM), Louis P. Ciminelli Formal Lounge, 8:30 pm
    • John Randall Octet @ Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, 9:00 pm
    • Open Jazz Jam with Michael Gonzalez @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Lake Drum Brewing (Geneva), 9:00 pm

    Saturday, April 11, 2026

    • Colin Gordon Quartet @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Ravine Wine Cellars (Geneva), 2:00 pm
    • Banjo Juice Jazz Band @ Daily Refresher, 4:15 pm
    • Dave Solazzo @ Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, 5:00 pm
    • Grupo Pagán @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Watershed Brewing (Geneva), 5:00 pm
    • Moondance Trio @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
    • Mike Kelly & Peter Chwazik @ Flight Wine Bar Downtown, 6:30 pm
    • Rich Thompson Trio “Generations” @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm
    • Stewie Evans Trio @ Annette’s (Webster), 7:00 pm
    • Jazz Night with Annie Wells @ Rochester Academy of Medicine, 8:00 pm (doors at 7:00 pm, more info & tickets)
    • Chiticalla Trio @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Microclimate Bar (Geneva), 7:00 pm
    • Lou Grassi with Ken Filiano and Kenny Wessel @ Bop Shop Records, 8:00 pm (more info & tickets)
    • Escape Terrain @ Vanni’s Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, 9:00 pm
    • Open Jazz Jam with Michael Gonzalez @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Lake Drum Brewing (Geneva), 9:00 pm

    Sunday,  April 12, 2026 

    • Island Time String Band Jazz Brunch @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Geneva on the Lake Hotel & Resort (Geneva), 10:00 am
    • Saxophone Brunch @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 12:00 pm
    • Ronnie Leigh with Dino Losito @ Geneva Jazz Fest, Brewery Ardennes (Geneva), 1:00 pm
    • Jazz Generation @ Penfield Library (Penfield), 2:00 pm
    • Mike Kaupa Kuartet @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

    Monday, April 13, 2026

    • Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm
    • Simone Baron’s Arco Bello @ Bop Shop Records, 8:00 pm (more info & tickets)
    • Reverend Kingfish & Mabel Moon @ The Biltmore Bar & Lounge, 8:00 pm

    Tuesday, April 14, 2026

    • Victrola Voilà @ Lila’s, 5:00 pm
    • WGMC Jazz 90.1 and The Ontario Beach Park Program Committee present Jazz at the Beach with the Rick Holland Big Band @ Tropic Night Club (Charlotte), 7:00 pm (The Fairport High School Jazz Ensemble will perform at 5:45 pm)

    Wednesday, April 15, 2026

    • Dean Keller’s Soul Jazz Joint @ The Backroom Lounge at the Record Archive, 6:00 pm
    • Ben Miller Trio @ Spotted Octopus Brewing, 56 South Union Street (Downtown), 6:00 pm
    Categories:
  • Derrick Lucas Named 2026 JJA Jazz Hero

    In addition to the musicians who play it, live jazz depends on many people to thrive in a community. Every year the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) celebrates individuals from across the United States (and this for a first, London) as “Jazz Heros” in launching their annual Jazz Awards season during Jazz Appreciation Month and, climaxing on International Jazz Day (April 30). Yesterday, the JJA announced the 2026 Jazz Heroes. One of the 34 individuals from 32 cities the JJA is recognizing this year is our own Derrick Lucas, Music Director at WGMC Jazz 90.1, a constant denizen of “Jazz Street” during the Rochester International Jazz Festival and promoter of jazz throughout the Rochester community!

    I’ll let you read the JJA’s full post about Derrick, but anyone familiar with the jazz scene in Rochester knows that he is tireless in using jazz to help build a diverse community around the music and its appreciation. I hope to be presenting the award on behalf of the JJA this coming Tuesday night during WGMC’s Jazz at the Beach concert with the Rick Holland Big Band at Tropic Night Club in Charlotte.

    Welcome to the “club” of JJA Jazz Heroes, Derrick! You really deserve it and I’m already seeing a chorus of others voicing their approval of the JJA award and your service to jazz in this community!

    The Jazz Journalists Association is an international membership organization of traditional and new media professionals covering jazz. Since 2001, it has identified and hailed individuals who go beyond their basic professional responsibilities to sustain and expand on musical activities in their local circumstances and beyond. .

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  • Live Shots: Images of live jazz from around Rochester (week ending April 5, 2026)

    Here’s this week’s post of images of live jazz being played around Rochester during the past week. Click on the image to get the full picture.
    Please send us your images of live jazz being played around Rochester each week! You can send us an email (add “Live Shots” to the email subject) or tag @jazzrochester when you publish an image on Facebook or Instagram. Make sure you identify who you’re hearing and where they’re playing. If the image isn’t yours, tell me who to credit and confirm I have permission to post it. We need them by Sunday morning and the image should have been taken during the preceding week.

    Let us know in the comments whether you were at any of these gigs and/or what you think of this series of posts.

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Featured Posts

Derrick Lucas Named 2026 JJA Jazz Hero

In addition to the musicians who play it, live jazz depends on many people to thrive in a community. Every year the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) celebrates individuals from across the United States (and this for a first, London) as “Jazz Heros” in launching their annual Jazz Awards season during Jazz Appreciation Month and, climaxing…

Keep reading …

The 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival: Exploring the Full Lineup and Changes Announcement

Lineup Announced On March 10th, and without a press conference this year, Marc Iacona and John Nugent, producers of the 23rd Edition of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, June 19-27, announced the festival’s full lineup. Starting this year, there also were earlier lineup announcements starting in November. The 9-day festival turns downtown Rochester into a…

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New Jazz Sounds from Rochester: Laura Dubin Trio Live at the Rochester International Jazz Festival 2025

Here’s another in a series of posts we’re trying to restart here, this time to introduce you to a new recording by popular local jazz artists Laura Dubin and her husband Antonio Guerrero—Laura Dubin Trio Live at the Rochester International Jazz Festival 2025.  Laura and Antonio have been playing music together since the day they…

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