The  2015 Rochester Fringe Festival, presented by First Niagara Bank, will be hitting the streets and venues across Rochester from September 17-26. In addition to over 500 performances aross a wide variety of music, dance, performance art, and circus acts, there will be jazz.

While some of of the choices may stretch your definition of jazz (wouldn't be the first time for us to do that here...), we're assembling below the music that will be presented during the Fringe that is at least at the "fringe" of jazz. I hope you join me while I get out and stretch my ears a bit.

I want to highlight one of the performances first. On 20 December 2013, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies. So, in conjunction with Rochester Institute of Technology and Photonics, jazz composer and Eastman School of Music professor Dave Rivello has formed a new ensemble of 37 top-flight Eastman jazz and classical musicians to perform the world premiere of a concert-length original composition An Exploration of Music and Light, commissioned by Rick Williams, exploring the connections and concepts of light and music in collaboration with W. Michelle Harris, a renowned lighting artist from RIT. As he noted in an email announcing the performance, Rivello has been "dreaming about forming this ensemble and writing for it for three years, and I can't believe that it's actually happening! This is a BIG one and I promise it will be a special evening of music and visuals." The performances will be in Eastman's Kilbourn Hall on Friday, September 18th at 7:00 and 9:00 pm.

Here's what's happening around the Fringe, jazz-wise....

Friday, September 18, 2015

• Al Biles and GenJam @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 5:30 pm
• Passive Aggressives Anonymous @ Bernunzio's Uptown Music, 7:00 pm
• The Peter Torpey Trio @ Java's Cafe, 7:00 pm
• Dave Rivello's An Exploration of Music & Light @ Kilbourn Hall, 7:00 & 9:00 pm

Saturday, September 19, 2015

• Matthew Cochran Trio @ RAPA at School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre, 1:00 pm
• Passive Aggressives Anonymous @ Bernunzio's Uptown Music, 8:00 pm
• The Music of Steve Hahn @ RAPA at School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre, 9:00 pm

Sunday, September 20, 2015

• Al Biles and GenJam @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 12:00 pm
• Pete Ciraolo All-Star Big Band @ RAPA at School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre, 1:00 pm
• Matthew Cochran Trio @ RAPA at School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre, 1:00 pm\
• Institute for Creative Music Collective @ Gibbs Street Main Stage, 4:05 pm

Monday, September 21, 2015

• Al Biles and Gen Jam @ The Little Theatre Cafe,12:00 pm
• Nicholas Goluses' Extreme Guitar (includes world premiere of a composition by Bill Dobbins) @ Kilbourn Hall, 7:00 pm
• The STEEL Double Trio @ Bernunzio's Uptown Music, 8:30 pm

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

• The Sounds of Sinatra and Friends @ Java's Cafe, 5:30 pm

Thursday, September 24, 2015

• The Peter Torpey Trio @ Java's Cafe, 7:00 pm

Friday, September 25, 2015

• Al Biles and Gen Jam @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 5:30 pm
• Prime Time Funk @ Gibbs Street Main Stage, 9:30 pm

Saturday, September 26, 2015

• Rochester Fringe Festival presents “Jazz On Tap” @ RAPA @ School of the Arts (45 Prince St., Rochester), noon  
• Matthew Cochran Trio @ RAPA at School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre, 1:00 pm
• Normal People @ Gibbs Street Main Stage, 4:40 pm
• The STEEL Double Trio @ Bernunzio's Uptown Music, 8:30 pm
• The Music of Steve Hahn @ RAPA at School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre, 9:00 pm

Now of course there is much, much more, so check out their site. Hope to see you at the Fringe!