This is the point where, for those of us that are "all nine day"-ers, the collision with the working week begins and the (usually) late nights of Friday-Sunday are beginning to take their toll. While my schedule for Monday, June 13th, at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival may be a bit ambitious, it's within the realm of possibility. Again, as usual, it spans the world of jazz and jazz in the world.

The links below on the artists' name in bold will take you to the artist's page on the XRIJF site. Where available, I've mined a few additional sources and video of the artists from the Interwebs to help you decide whether you want to join me (figuratively, that is...) during my perambulations during the fourth evening of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival on June 13th:

• Jim Hall Quartet @ Kilbourn Hall, 6:00 pm (also at 10:00 pm): The Jim Hall Quartet is one of my "must sees" this year. Born in Buffalo, Jim Hall started his career in Los Angeles, playing with Chico Hamilton Quintet (1955–1956), Jimmy Giuffre Trio (1956–1959), Ella Fitzgerald (1960–1961), Ben Webster, Hampton Hawes, Bob Brookmeyer, John Lewis, Zoot Sims, Paul Desmond, Lee Konitz and Bill Evans. After moving to New York in 1960 he worked with Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer, among others, and also collaborated with Bill Evans, Paul Desmond and Ron Carter. Here's a conversation with Hall put out by the Library of Congress in 2010, a Jim Hall Trio performing Sonny Rollins' St. Thomas live at BIMHUIS' in Amsterdam in 2007, and cooking it with Rollins on the Jazz Casual TV show from back in the day.
• Mika Pohjola Quintet @ Nordic Jazz Now, Lutheran Church Of The Reformation, 7:30 pm (also at 9:30 pm): Mika Pohjola is a Finnish-born jazz pianist and composer, residing in New York City playing in the downtown jazz scene and running the Blue Music Group label. Gary Giddins wrote in The Village Voice that Pohjola music showed "[s]ubstantial improvisations and quirky compositional gambits that avoid the usual head-solo-head routine." I hope he brings a group of powerhouses the group in this video medley from a 2009 performance, with Ben Monder, Miguel Zenon, Fernando Huergo, and Roberto Dani. More at Pohjola's page on AllAboutJazz.com.
• The Rodriguez Brothers @ Xerox Auditorium at Xerox Plaza, 9:00 pm (also at 6:30 pm): These brothers have been seen before at the Rochester jazz festival as sideman for Joe Locke (oops, Robert was here recently with Joe Locke's Force of Four project as Tom points out in the comments) and, I think, some other groups I've enjoyed in past festivals, so I'd like to get a taste of them in their "own thing." Pianist Robert and trumpeter Michael have played together as The Rodriguez Brothers since 2002 when not serving individually as sidemen Roy Haynes, Charlie Haden, Ray Barretto, Eddy Palmieri, David Sanchez, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Locke, Carla Bley, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Bob Minzter, Harry Connick Jr., Christian McBride, Richard Bona and Quincy Jones. In addition to the video on the XRIJF site there is also the introspective Farewell from the same Dizzy's gig for another taste, as well as some tracks to listen to on their site.
• The Triodes @ Montage, 10:00 pm (also at 6:00 pm): Looks like I'm going to end up the night by getting my funk on at Montage. Triodes describes themselves as a "genre-jumping instrumental group that traces its roots to the upbeat instrumental R+B, soul, and funk of groups such as Booker T and the MGs, The Meters, and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, but with generous nods to early reggae and ska, modern jam bands, experimental rock, jazz, and electronica." Another project of Michael Occhipinti, who has brought several other groups to the Rochester jazz festival (remember the Sicilian Jazz Project?), Triodes was formed as a spin off of the JUNO Award winning jazz ensemble NOJO (Neufeld-Occhpinti Jazz Orchestra) with NOJO co-leader and long-time collaborator Paul Neufeld. Here they work the groove with Don Byron on Big Belly at the Rex in Toronto. I think you'll see Occhipinti a lot around XRIJF 2011 as he's also going to be sideman on several other gigs.

I wouldn't mind catching ex pat Brit John Escreet playing solo at Made In The UK Series in Christ Church and, if I decide to take a break from jazz, head over to Abilene for Professor Louie & The Crowmatix. Of course, there is the XRIJF-ESM Jazz Scholarships Performance at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre on Monday as well, which will include the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, directed by Bill Dobbins with special guest Dick Oatts on alto saxophone. One of my father-in-law's favorites Rick Braun will be over at Harro East.  And there is so much more...

Additionally, as this blog exists to highlight the great jazz talent we have here and around Rochester, I'm also going to be highlighting the local and regional artists for each day. You can find some of their links on my Rochester Jazz Artists page):

• Herb Smith @ Monroe County Central Library, noontime concert.
• High School Jazz Bands @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage Presented by The Community Foundation, starting at 4:30 pm.
• Brockport Community Big Band @ Verizon Wireless Festival Big Tent, 6:00 pm.
• Will Cleary Quintet (Eastman Jazz Performance Workshop Honors Unit 2) @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage Presented by The Community Foundation, 6:00 pm.
• Dawn Thomson & Friends @ Max of Eastman Place, 6:00 & 10:00 pm (Dawn is festival music director John Nugent's wife, so perhaps he and his sax will be included among the "friends"?).
• Colin Cannon Quartet @ The new RG&E-XEROX Stage (next to the RG&E building), 7:00 & 9:00 pm.
• Rick Holland Uptown Society Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage Presented by The Community Foundation, 7:15 & 9:15 pm.

Let me know what you're going out so see on the 13th in the comments, or on the Jazz@Rochester on Twitter or Facebook.