We have a lot of jazz talent conveniently located here in Rochester and they will be out in force this year. The number of local artists (and artists who hail from around here) playing the festival seems to have increased and there are more than a few who are gracing the stages of some Club Pass venues, including:

• Penfield Rotary Big Band @ Verizon Wireless Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Gap Mangione & Special Guests @ The Rochester Club Viva Italia Series, June 23rd, 6:00 & 10:00 pm 
• RPO Marimba Band @ Verizon Wireless Festival Big Tent, June 23rd, 6:00 pm 
• J.M.O.G (Jazz Men on the Go, including Pat LaBarbera) @ Xerox Auditorium at Xerox Plaza, June 23rd, 6:00 & 10:00 pm 
• Joe LaBarbera Quintet @ Montage, June 24th, 6:00 & 10:00 pm 
• ESM-XRIJF Gerry Niewood Jazz Scholarships Performance @ Kodak Hall At Eastman Theatre, June 25th, 8:00 pm
• Bill Dobbins Plays Ellington @ Hatch Recital Hall, Eastman School of Music, June 26th, 5:45 pm
• Jack Allen Big Band @ Verizon Wireless Festival Big Tent, June 26th, 6:00 pm 
• The Westview Project @ Verizon Wireless Festival Big Tent, June 27th, 6:00 pm 
• Generations Trio with Rich Thompson @ Xerox Auditorium at Xerox Plaza, June 27th, 6:30 & 9:00 pm (you can check out their new "Generations" CD on the Rochester Jazz Sounds page by clicking on the button above)
• Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra @ Verizon Wireless Festival Big Tent, June 28th & June 29th, 6:00 pm 
• Harold Danko @ Hatch Recital Hall at Eastman School of Music, June 28th, 7:45 pm.

 On the free venues, there's even more:

• ECMS Jazz Combo led by Bob Sneider @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 22nd, 6:00 pm
• John LaBarbera Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 22nd, 7:15 pm
• The Uptown Groove @ The RG&E Fusion Stage, June 22nd, 9:00 pm
• John LaBarbera Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 22nd, 9:15 pm
• Dan White Group @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, June 23rd, noon
• Bill Tiberio Band @ The RG&E Fusion Stage, June 23rd, 9:00 pm
• ECMS Latin Jazz Ensemble @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 23rd, 5:15 pm
• ESM Honors Performance Units 1, 2 & 3 @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 23rd, 6:00 pm
• Teagan & The Tweeds @ The RG&E Fusion Stage, June 23rd, 7:00 pm
• Calle Uno @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 25th, 7:15 pm 
• Doug Stone Group @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, June 26th, noon 
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 26th, 6:00 pm 
• New Horizons Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 26th, 7:15 pm 
• Music Educators Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 26th, 9:15 pm 
• Sean Jefferson Group @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, June 27th, noon
• ESM-XRIJF Jazz Scholarships Alumni Combo @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 27th, 6:00 pm
• Russell Scarbrough Soul Jazz Big Band @ The RG&E Fusion Stage, June 27th, 7:00 pm
• Fred Costello @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 27th,  7:15 pm
• Russell Scarbrough Soul Jazz Big Band @ The RG&E Fusion Stage, June 27th, 9:00 pm
• Fred Costello @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 27th,  9:15 pm
• Bob Sneider & Friends @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, June 28th, noon
• The Gutbusters @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage,  June 28th, 4:00 pm
• Bat McGrath @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 28th, 6:00 pm
• Bill Tiberio & Friends @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, June 29th, noon
• ECMS Saxology + Jazz Bones @ City of Rochester Jazz Street, June 29th, 6:00 pm
• Po' Boys Brass Band @ City of Rochester East Ave. & Chestnut St. Stage, June 29th, 7:00 pm
• ECMS Jazz Combo led by Howard Potter @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 30th, 5:15 pm
• ESM Honors Performance Units 1, 2 & 3 @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 30th, 5:15 pm

And of course there are the great High School Bands we all love to listen to while we get our first beer and get in line (or just sit on Jazz Street and the other venues and chill):

• Fairport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 22nd, 4:45 pm 
• Hilton HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 22nd, 5:15pm 
• Gates HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 23rd, 4:30 pm 
• Buffalo Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 23rd, 5:15 pm 
• Brockport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 24th, 4:30 pm 
• Spencerport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 24th, 5:15 pm 
• Webster-Thomas HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 25th, 4:30 pm
• Greece-Athena HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 26th, 4:30 pm
• Pittsford-Sutherland HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 26th, 5:15 pm 
• Webster Schroeder HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 27th, 4:30 pm
• School of The Arts HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 27th, 5:15 pm
• Eastridge HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 28th, 5:15 pm
• Greece-Olympia HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 29th, 4:30 pm
• Newark HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 29th, 5:15 pm
• West Irondequoit HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, June 30th, 4:30 pm

Geez, that was a lot! I apologize if I missed any (and feel free to point it out so I can amend. You can find out information on a number of these artists by checking out their sites linked to from Rochester Jazz Artists Links.  Remember that you can go hear many of these artists all throughout the year, so if you miss them at XRIJF (as I will, I'm afraid), you can likely catch them later. Just watch my listings posts on Wednesdays or, if you prefer to be notified by email, put your email address in the box in the middle panel, follow the instructions, and you'll get all the posts to this blog (and nothing else... I don't spam or sell your address).

In addition to the above, the nightly late nigth jams at the State St. Bar & Grill at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, which in addition to Bob Sneider and the guys usually includes local students and others who sit in for a tune or two before the XRIJF artists step up to the stage for a jam. There will be some other performances around the XRIJF that are not part of the XRIJF as well. The Little Theatre has teamed up with WXXI for some nearby "tie-in" jazz events and Bernunzio's Uptown Music has at least one special event during the festival. Check out my Jazz Around Town posts on Wednesdays below (and to come) for more details on that and on the jazz going on outside of the festival.