Come out to see some live jazz music in Rochester sometime during the next week. There's lots to choose from. Enjoy!

Thursday, November 29th

• Lumiere @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Susan Power (solo piano) @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• The Jimmie Highsmith Smooth Jazz Trio @ Merchant's Grill, 7:00 pm
• Mark Fillsinger Trio @ Virtu, 7:00 pm
• John Pisano @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:00 pm
• Dave Rivello Ensemble @ Village Rock Cafe, 9:00 pm
• J-San and the Analogue Sons with Filthy Funk @ High Fidelity, @ 9:00

Friday, November 30th

• Paul Hofmann/Mike Kaupa @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Dave Spinner @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• Greg Wachala & Dave Arenius @ Stucko's Bar & Grill, 6:00 pm
• Shared Genes @ Tasteology, 3536 Monroe Ave, Rochester, 7:30 pm
• Bob DiBaudo Trio @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Fred Stone & Co @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Kerry Hoffman Jazz Duo @ New York Wine and Culinary Center (Canandaigua, NY), 8:00 pm
• Ken Peplowski @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm
• Jimmie Highsmith Jr. & Friends @ Bistro 135, 9:00 pm
• Rhythm 6 @ Salenas, 10:00 pm

Saturday, December 1st

• Chris Ziemba @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Ralph Scicchitano @ Flat Iron Cafe, 6:00 pm
• Bob DiBaudo Trio @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• Tamir Hendelman Trio @ VENU Resto-Lounge, 7:00 & 9:15 pm (see November 25 post below)
• Fred Costello @ Red Fedelle's Brook House, 7:30 pm
• Gap Mangione New Blues Band @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Jazz Dawgs @ Starry Nites Cafe, 8:00 pm
• JIm Nugent Trio @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Ken Peplowski @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm (although he hasn't had time for awhile, Ken's a blogger)
• The Westview Project @ Flat Iron Cafe, 9:00 pm

Sunday, December 2nd

• After hours jazz jam w/ The Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 12:00 am
• Bill Slater @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 11:30 am
• Roslyn @ Artisan Works, 12:30 pm

Monday, December 3rd

• Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 9:00 pm

Tuesday, December 4th

• Deborah Branch @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• Tony Giannavola @ Beale St II, 6:00 pm
• Joe Santora & Emily Kirchoff @ Virtu, 7:00 pm

Wednesday, December 5th

• Margaret Explosion @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Engines featuring Dave Rempis, Jeb Bishop, Tim Daisy, Nate McBride @ Bop Shop Atrium at Village Gate, 8:00 pm

Those with "[added]" or that are stricken were changes found after initial publication of the post. Check the venue sites or call for more information. I've compiled these from other sources, so please forgive me if there are any discrepancies with reality. Artists please feel free to let me know via email (link on left panel) if one of your gigs isn’t on here and I’ll try to add it to the post before the gig happens. Email subscribers should check back here to see if there has been an update or revision before you make decisions on jazz to see (subscribers won't get an update email or posting).

Continuing the outstanding Exodus to Jazz series this year, series producer Jose DaCosta is presenting the Tamir Hendelman Trio, with Todd Coolman on bass and Dennis Mackrel on drums. Hendelman has been to Rochester before—he received a Bachelor of Music Composition from the Eastman School of Music in 1993. Since returning to Los Angeles in 1996, Tamir has been in demand as a pianist and arranger, and has toured the U.S., Europe and Asia. He has performed with the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Harry Allen, Teddy Edwards, Warren Vache, Houston Person, Jeff Clayton, Nick Brignola, Phil Upchurch, Rickey Woodard, John Clayton and Barbara Morrison.  In 2001 he became a member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, with whom he premiered John Clayton's Hollywood Bowl orchestration of Oscar Peterson's “Canadiana Suite," of which Peterson wrote:

It was a satisfying but strange feeling to...hear a new young voice make some exhilarating and thoughtful solos in the spaces that I used to occupy in those pieces. ...I look forward to hearing more from him.

Doug Ramsey wrote in a JazzTimes article on a 2000 performance of the Jeff Hamilton Trio that:

Hendelman's playing is firmly in the tradition of Peterson and Green, particularly in regard to its strength and swing, but his touch and use of dynamics... displayed an individual dimension of his talent that warrants greater exposure."

Bassist Todd Coolman has performed with such jazz luminaries Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Buddy DeFranco, Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, Ahmad Jamal, Stan Getz, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and Benny Golson to name a few. Coolman has also had an 18+ year association with The James Moody Quartet. In addition to an extensive performance and lecture schedule, Todd has written two books. Drummer Dennis Mackrel began his four-year stint with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1983 at the age of 21. He is well known among upper echelon artists as the drummer handpicked by Mel Lewis in 1990 to take over duties in the Village Vanguard Orchestra when Lewis was unable to continue. Mackrel has performed with many orchestras, including the Carla Bley Very Large Band, Slide Hampton and the Jazz Masters, the Carnegie Hall Classic Jazz Orchestra, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band, the Grover Mitchell Orchestra, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and the American Jazz Orchestra. In 1994, he appeared on Maria Schneider's Grammy Award winning recording “Evanescence.” Dennis has also performed in small combos led by McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, John Pizzarelli, Harry Connick Jr., Lionel Hampton, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, George Shearing, Diane Schuur, Quincy Jones, Clare Fischer and other artists.

Exodus to Jazz has brought in another set of world-class jazz artists to play for us.  Come out and support it so they keep coming back!  The showtimes are at 7pm and 9:15pm at the VENU Resto-Lounge and Niteclub on St. Paul in Rochester. Ticket info is available at www.exodustojazz.com and you can reach Jose Da Costa at (585)733-7685 or [email protected]. According to Hendelman's site, the Trio will be doing a jazz clinic at the Eastman School at 4:00 pm on Friday, November 30th.

Watch for the heavy-weight piano smackdown of Mulgrew Miller and Johnny O'Neal coming on December 8th at Exodus to Jazz.

I was contacted recently by Ben, a student at Pittsford-Sutherland High School (which, by the way, has a Business Department with kids learning marketing . . . surprise, surprise), who let me know that Bonerama, a great New Orleans brass funk band fronted by no less than four trombones, will be playing a concert at the school to benefit the Arabi Wrecking Krewe of New Orleans, which is a nonprofit that has organized volunteers, many of whom are musicians or former musicians from the New Orleans area, to provide disaster assistance to victims of the hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Proceeds of the benefit will go to help rebuild homes for musicians in NOLA.

Many of you might have heard Bonerama play one or more of a number of great sets at the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival, including one that we really enjoyed at the Montage where the combined firepower of those four frontmen almost knocked us off our chairs. If you missed them at the festival, you should really try to catch them. Check out their cover of the Led Zeppelin tune The Ocean on the band's MySpace page to see (well, hear) what I mean.

Bonerama's coming to town (OK, near town) on December 6th at 7:308:00 pm (based on the group's website, they're also holding a workshop with the students, which is cool). The concert will be at Pittsford-Sutherland's auditorium (the high school is at 55 Sutherland Street in Pittsford, NY) Adult tickets are $12 and student tickets are $10. They will also be available at the door for $12 per student and $15 per adult.Tickets will be sold through Wegmans stores.  The Sutherland Jazz Band will also be performing.

Come out and hear a band that really has to be heard live to be appreciated and support a great cause at the same time!

Sorry about how late these listings are (usually I do them on Wednesdays for those of you new to this blog). I was out last night catching sets by Bobby DiBaudo playing solo piano and Jimmie Highsmith Jr. with his group at Bistro 135 in East Rochester. By the way, Jeff, the entrepreneur at Bistro 135, who seems to be taking a serious shot at creating a dinner spot and jazz club in the space formerly occupied by Le Jazz Hot is looking to book artists (he tells me he used the links in the right column of this blog to contact a number of artists—glad to know that its of use to someone). Jeff's looking to have live jazz there every night folks, so get out and support it.

Thursday, November 22nd

• Happy Thanksgiving! I'm just hanging at home this year as my lovely wife Dianna is visiting her family out of town and I had to stay here to work. The only Bird I'll be indulging in today is the one with the last name of Parker. I'm thinking spaghetti . . . .
• Bill Slater @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 11:30 am
• Mark Fillsinger Trio @ Virtu, 7:00 pm
• Lumiere @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• The Dave Rivello Ensemble @ Village Rock Cafe (East Rochester), 9:00 pm

Friday, November 23rd

• Greg Wachala & Dave Arenius @ Stucko's Bar & Grill, 6:00 pm
• Gap Mangione New Blues Band @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Chet Catallo & the Cats w/ Todd East @ Merchant's Grill, 7:30 pm
• Fred Stone & Co @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Squeaky Chair Jazz Band @ Starry Nites Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Bill Dobbins/Mike Kaupa Quartet @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm
• The Funky Four @ Bistro 135, 9:00 pm
• Freddy Colon and the Latin Jazz Quartet @ Salenas, 10:00 pm

Saturday, November 24th

• Chris Ziemba @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Ralph Scicchitano @ Flat Iron Cafe, 6:00 pm
• Mark Fillsinger Trio @ Virtu, 7:00 pm
• Fred Costello featuring Kimberly Westcott @ Red Fedelle's Brook House, 7:30 pm
• Gap Mangione New Blues Band @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Steve Greene Trio @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Mike Kaupa Quartet @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm
• Mike Cottone Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 9:00 pm
• Sonic Duality Jazz Quartet @ Bistro 135, 9:00 pm

Sunday, November 25th

• After hours jazz jam w/ The Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 12:00 am
• Joe Santora and Emily Kirchoff @ Bistro 135, 5:00 pm

Monday, November 26th

• Henry Kearse @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 9:00 pm

Tuesday, November 27th

• David Spinner @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• Tony Giannavola @ Beale St II, 6:00 pm
• Joe Santora & Emily Kirchoff @ Virtu, 7:00 pm

Wednesday, November 28th

• Trio East @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Henry Kearse @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm

Those with "[added]" or that are stricken are changes found after initial publication of the post. Check the venue sites or call for more information. I've compiled these from other sources, so please forgive me if there are any discrepancies with reality. Artists please feel free to let me know via email (link on left panel) if one of your gigs isn’t on here and I’ll try to add it to the post before the gig happens. Email subscribers should check back here to see if there has been an update or revision before you make decisions on jazz to see (subscribers won't get an update email or posting).

My friend Tracy over at Rochester Music Scene (and Heard) is also a staffer at the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester. She let me know that on Friday, December 7, 2007 the Council is hosting one of a continuing series of legal workshops at the its offices at 277 N. Goodman Street. This one will be on "Best Practices for Musicians and the People Who Work With Them," featuring speakers Margaret Spoddig from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Marc S. Brown from the local law firm of Hiscock & Barclay.

Light refreshments will be served. Registration begins at 1:00 pm and the program will run from 1:30 until 5:00. The cost is $30 for students, $40 for Arts Council members, and $50 for all others. You can pre-register by calling Tracy Kroft at (585) 473-4000 x210 or email her here. Payment is requested at the time of registration.

Margaret Spoddig will be discussing issues of importance to performers, composers and venue operators. Currently a Director of Membership in the genre of rock and pop at ASCAP, she recruits music writers and publishers by going out to see the latest bands and communicating with others in the industry. Ms. Spoddig has worked in the recording industry administration at Sony and Universal. Her career began with the inception of her own record label, Devour Records. Marc S. Brown's practice is in the area of commercial litigation, with a particular focus on entertainment law, and he has represented a variety of local, regional and national musical artists, as well as entertainment, recording and publishing companies in contract and licensing matters. He will be talking about contract issues as they pertain to the business of music. Local musician, Greg Wachala, will speak about the challenges of working as a musician in Rochester. Arts Council staff will also be speaking about the member benefits of the pro bono legal assistance program and the health insurance program for artists, including musicians. The workshop is sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, Hiscock & Barclay LLP, and the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Flute player Greg Pattillo has built quite a following out on YouTube with his breathy, beatbox interpretations of jazz and other music.  Here he is doing Eddie Harris' Freedom Jazz Dance:

Tracy over at Rochester Music Scene (and Heard) has linked to another of Pattillo's videos. For more of Pattillo's music, check out his Project on CD Baby.

If you can't make the local appearance of Branford Marsalis at Roberts-Wesleyan, then check out some of the other great jazz with local artists appearing in and around Rochester over the next seven days. Again, check back often as there may be changes and additions as the week progresses.

Thursday, November 15th

• Reuben Allen @ The Grill at Strathallan, 6:00 pm
• Lumiere @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Jazz Lab Band @ Kilbourn Hall, 8:00 pm
• Dave Rivello Ensemble @ Village Rock Cafe, 9:00 pm

Friday, November 16th

• Paul Hofmann/Mike Kaupa @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Greg Wachala & Dave Arenius @ Stucko's Bar & Grill, 6:00 pm
• Shared Genes @ Triphammer Grill, 60 Browns Race at High Falls , Rochester, 6:00 pm
• Bill Tiberio Group with the Bowties @ Immanuel Baptist Church, 815 Park Ave, Rochester, 7:00 pm
• Gap Mangione New Blues Band @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Fred Stone & Co @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Richie Vitale Quintet @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm
• Rhythm Six @ Salenas Mexican Restaurant (Village Gate), 10:00 pm

Saturday, November 17th

• Chris Ziemba @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Fred Costello @ Red Fedelle's Brook House, 6:00 pm
• Sonic Duality @ Bistro 135 in East Rochester (re-opening), 7:00 pm [added]
• Gap Mangione New Blues Band @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Branford Marsalis @ Roberts Wesleyan Cultural Life Center, 7:30 pm
• Steve Greene Trio @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Jazz Dawgs @ Starry Nites Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Richie Vitale Quintet @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm
• Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Dakshina Ensemble @ India Community Center, 2171 Monroe-Wayne County Line Road, Macedon (call 425-3891 for more information)
• Brad Batz Group @ Pomodoro's (no time given)

Sunday, November 18th

• Late Night jazz Jam w/Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 12:00 am
• Bill Slater Jazz Brunch @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 11:30 am
• Michael Edwards @ First Presbyterian Church of Pittsford, 21 Church St, 3:00 pm

Monday, November 19th

• Bobby DiBaudo @ Bistro 135 in East Rochester (re-opening), 6:00 pm
• Swing Dance Class and live jazz with Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 8:30 pm [added]

Tuesday, November 20th

• Tony Giannavola @ Beale St II, 6:00 pm
• Joe Santora & Emily Kirchoff @ Virtu, 7:00 pm

Wednesday, November 21st

• Bobby DiBaudo @ Bistro 135, 6:00 pm
• Trio East @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Jimmy Highsmith and Friends @ Bistro 135 in East Rochester, 9:00 pm

Those with "[added]" or that are stricken were changes found after initial publication of the post. Check the venue sites or call for more information. I've compiled these from other sources, so please forgive me if there are any discrepancies with reality. Artists please feel free to let me know via email (link on left panel) if one of your gigs isn’t on here and I’ll try to add it to the post before the gig happens. Email subscribers should check back here to see if there has been an update or revision before you make decisions on jazz to see (subscribers won't get an update email or posting).

I just returned from out of town and was just too busy since Wednesday last week to do much in the way of posting. Upon returning, I realized I hadn't really given you all a heads up about some

• As I'm sure many of you know, Branford Marsalis Quartet, with Joey Calderazzo, Eric Revis and Jeff "Tain" Watts joining Branford, will be blowing into town to play at Roberts-Wesleyan College on Saturday, November 17th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $45 ($38 seniors, $20 students). Call (585) 594-6008 for more information. Check out Anna Reguero's article on Marsalis in the D&C.
• SUNY Brockport Department of Dance Visiting Professor Bill Evans and dancer Arianne Wilson will "Dance Through the History of Jazz" in a performance that will dance through the styles of dance that accompanied the development of jazz music, with narration by Peabody award winner Michael Lasser. Music will be provided by the Rod Blumenau Quartet. The performance is at the Nazareth College Arts Center in Pittsford. Tickets are $38. Call 585-389-2170 for more information. If you want to see more of Bill Evans, join the Friends of Brockport Dance (disclosure, I'm on the Board and created and maintain the organization's blog) on November 17th for a performance of DANSCORE at SUNY Brockport.

There is jazz over the next seven days in Rochester, New York and you can find it all over Rochester and its environs below. Over the last 7 days I managed to shake off the exhaustion and get out twice to see some great jazz in town—Mulgrew Miller Trio and Willem Brueker Kollektief. I'm in Philadelphia now and I'm going to see what I can hear here...if I can fit it into the schedule, that is. I'll add more as I hear about it, so check back.

Thursday, November 8th

• Matt Valerio @ The Grill at Strathallan, 6:00 pm
• Mark Filsinger Trio @ Virtu, 7:00 pm
• Lumiere @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Jazz Ensemble @ Roberts Wesleyan Cultural Life Center, 7:30 pm
• Billy Bang @ The Club @ Water Street, 8:00 pm
• Standard Jazz Quartet @ Starry Nites Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Dave Rivello Ensemble @ Village Rock Cafe, 9:00 pm

Friday, November 9th

• Paul Hofmann Duo @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Greg Wachala, Joe Chiappone and Dave Arenius @ Stucko's, 6:30 pm [Added]
• Fred Costello & Co featuring Kimberly Westcott and Bobby Blandino @ Red Fedelle's Brook House, 7:30 pm
• Tom Passamonte and Special Blend @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Fred Stone & Co @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm
• Al DiMeola and the New World Sinfonia @ Water Street Music Hall, 8:00 pm
• Kerry Hoffman Jazz Trio @ New York Wine and Culinary Center (Canandaigua, NY), 8:00 pm
• Bill Dobbins/Mike Kaupa Quartet @ The Grill at Strathallan, 8:30 pm

Saturday, November 10th

• Chris Ziemba @ The Grill at Strathallan, 5:00 pm
• Rapph Scicchitano @ Flat Iron Cafe, 6:00 pm
• Mark Filsinger Trio @ Virtu, 7:00 pm
• Tom Passamonte and Special Blend @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 7:30 pm
• Steve Greene Trio @ Little Theatre Cafe, 8:00 pm (Frank DeBlase over at City dug the scene at the Little with Greene last week)
• The Westview Project @ The Big Tree Inn (Geneseo, NY), 8:00 pm
• Sonic Duality (playing the Music of Phil Woods to celebrate his 76th Birthday) @ The Flat Iron Cafe, 9:00 pm

Sunday, November 11th

• Late Night jazz Jam w/Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 1:00 am
• Bill Slater @ Horizons at the Lodge at Woodcliff, 11:30 am

Monday, November 12th

• The New Energy Jazz Orchestra @ SUNY Geneseo-Wadsworth Auditorium, 8:00 pm
• Swing Dance Class and live jazz with Quinn Lawrence Trio @ Flat Iron Cafe, 8:30 pm

Tuesday, November 13th

• Tony Giannavola @ Beale St II, 6:00 pm
• Joe Santora & Emily Kirchoff @ Virtu, 7:00 pm

Wednesday, November 14th

• Trio East @ Little Theatre Cafe, 7:30 pm
• Kevin Norton's Counterpoint Three @ The Bop Shop (in the Atrium), 8:00 pm[cancelled, but Bop Shop hopes to reschedule]

Those with "[added]" or that are stricken were changes found after initial publication of the post. Check the venue sites or call for more information. I've compiled these from other sources, so please forgive me if there are any discrepancies with reality. Artists please feel free to let me know via email (link on left panel) if one of your gigs isn’t on here and I’ll try to add it to the post before the gig happens. Email subscribers should check back here to see if there has been an update or revision before you make decisions on jazz to see (subscribers won't get an update email or posting).

Water Street Music Hall is bringing back Billy Bang and Al Di Meola again this year (both Al and Billy were here last year), one day after the other on November 8th & 9th:

• Jazz violinist Billy Bang is a favorite here in Rochester and always puts on a great show with a fantastic band of musicians. His music is very personal, painfully so, much of it reflecting his experiences in Vietnam, which he explored in the albums Vietnam: The Aftermath (2001) and Vietnam: Reflections (2005), which he recorded with a band including several other veterans of that war. NeoCollage will be opening. Doors will open for his performance on November 8th at 7:00 pm. Tickets for the 13+ show will be $15 and $20 at the door and are available through Ticketmaster.
• Di Meola and the World Sinfonia 2007-2008 will be bringing on the guitar god thing on November 9th. His last time here, Di Meola was touring on his recently released album Consequence of Chaos. I was there last year as a guest of his congero (and long term member of Di Meola's band, Gumbi Ortiz). Great show. Al has a lot of friends and rabid fans around here.  Doors will open for this performance at 8:00 pm. Tickets for the 13+ show will be $30 and $35 at the door and are available through Ticketmaster.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to go hear either of them as I will be in Philadelphia. Perhaps I'll find some jazz there? More details are available on Water Street's site.