You won't find coverage of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, running through Saturday here in this post. If on the site, look below or click on the Category link for RIJF 2025 in the right panel for our coverage.  Tonight I called an audible and came home early in part to get this post out before hitting the sack (have some day-job work in the morning). So, to help you find some live jazz to hear outside the RIJF, I've gathered listings for the next seven days immediately below. After the "fold" (a link at the end of this week's listings) you'll find gigs for the rest of July and a growing number in August (and a few beyond that).

Thursday, June 26, 2025

• Funkyard Brass Band @ Stromboli's Restaurant, 130 East Ave. (Rochester), 4:30 pm
• Higher Ground @ Lila's, 5:00 pm
• Mike Pullano @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Ken Foster and Ryan Johnson Duo @ Brewery Ardennes, 570 Snell Road (Rochester), 5:30 pm
• Dan Atkinson Small Band @ The Spirit Room, 8:00 pm
• "Jazz Fest Afters" Jam Session with Scoulive @ Anthology, 336 East Ave (Downtown), 10:00 pm

Friday, June 27, 2025

• Ann Mitchell Duo @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• The Swooners @ Studio Lounge, 6:00 pm
• Jazz On Tap: Mike Melito Trio @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 6:30 pm
• Krewe de PTB - Stromboli's Restaurant, 130 East Ave, 10:00 pm

Saturday, June 28, 2025

• Special Blend Trio @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Ryan Barski Trio @ Studio Lounge, 6:00 pm

Sunday,  June 29, 2025 

• Jazzy Brunch with Branden Kelly on sax @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 12:00 pm
• Sunday Funday with the Rick Holland Little Big Band, featuring vocalist Lindsey Holland @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 5:00 pm 
• Gordon Webster @ Studio Lounge, 6:00 pm
• Bop Arts presents BIRTH @ Bop Shop Records, 8:00 pm (more info & tickets)

Monday, June 30, 2025

• Dean Keller’s Soul Jazz Joint @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

• Stewie Evans Trio @ Lila's, 5:00 pm
• Bop Arts presents The Golden Sea Duo, Kahil El'Zabar & David Murray @ Bop Shop Records, 8:00 pm (more info & tickets)

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 

• Eastman Summer Concert Series with Rich Thompson @ ESM, Hatch Recital Hall, 7:30 pm 
• The Biltmore Commandos @ The Spirit Room, 8:30 pm

Looking for some live jazz after this week? Then click on the link below ... the "fold" ... and check those listings out.

The last night of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, like the night before, the focus of the festival is out of doors at the free shows. This post will be a bit different as I really don't know what my final choices will be and factors such as crowds and a continuing heat wave may affect them as well.

So, for the last time, you do you but, if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I am aiming to hear on the last night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc.):

• As I noted in the pick post for June 27th, I was facing a dilemma on when to go hear Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz. At the moment, at the time of writing this I'm planning on doing that on the last night of the RIJF (although that could change). Born and bred in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, Doreen J. Ketchens, who has been dubbed “Lady Louis” (as in Satchmo) and “Queen Clarinet,” has been a fixture of traditional jazz in NOLA for more than 30 years. Whether wailing down on Royal Street or starring on a festival stage, Doreen Ketchens will likely bring her infectious joy, gravity-defying clarinet prowess, and the spirit of New Orleans to either venue she's appearing at the RIJF. Perhaps we'll second line in the aisles ... although that kind of movement in Kilbourn could be a bit dangerous. Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz will be appearing in Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

• Producer Pick Allison Au Quartet is likely to be the next stop on the last night. Allison Au is a Toronto-based alto saxophonist and an inventive composer, arranger, educator and bandleader whose Quartet has earned both critical acclaim and a devoted international following. Au (pronounced "ow") formed her Au Quartet in 2009. Their first album earned a Juno (Canada's Grammy) nomination in 2013, with her second release, Forest Grove, winning Juno Award for Best Group Jazz Album in 2016 and the third,Wander Wonder, earned her another Juno in 2019. Allison Au Quartet will be hitting the stage in The Inn on Broadway at 5:30 and 7:45 pm.

• Depending on weather, my mood, and other variables I may then head over to hear Kneebody, which is genre-defying quartet that’s been modern jazz since its founding in 2001 by Eastman School and CalArts alumni Adam Benjamin (keys), Shane Endsley (trumpet), Ben Wendel (tenor sax), and Nate Wood (bass & drums). Kneebody's music combines a lot of influences—the raw power of jazz fusion, the groove of hip-hop, indie-rock textures, and complex rhythms—resulting in a sound that is unpredictable but still gets your groove on. Back in 2010, Kneebody was described in the New York Times as "a band that inhabits the borderland abutted by post-bop, indie-rock and hip-hop, without seeming to give much thought to the border." They are known for a democratic approach—there is no leader (they all are) and have a unique system of live cues—and thrive on high-energy improvisation and tight ensemble interplay. I would like to see how they have evolved since first hearing them at the 2012 RIJF and then again in 2015. Kneebody will be hitting the stage at the Rochester Regional Health Big Tent at 8:30 pm.

• For those who want something completely different or to get out of the heat or crowds outside (and a third contender for the end of my last night), check out the excellent NYC salsa band La Excelencia. This band is an 11‑piece powerhouse of salsa dura—the gritty, brassy, percussive salsa of the 1970s that used to be heard all over the Big Apple—but revived with a more modern sound with a harder edge. This music is likely to cause some to dance or at least want to.... La Excelencia will be hitting the stage at the Theater at Innovation Square at 6:30 and 8:45 pm.

• However, given the timings of all of this, I may end up with the throngs at Parcel 5 to really get a different groove on with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Trombone Shorty has been sort of a fixture at past RIJFs, appearing at the festival six times from 2010 to 2016, and in 2019 and 2023. Trombone Shorty does not just play the bone, but is damn good on trumpet and does the singing bit pretty well. His high-energy shows are a lot of fun and a real experience when shared with probably over 10K of your fellow Rochestarians and others. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will be making some noise on the Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5 at 9:00 pm.

We'll see how I end up the last night at the RIJF, but you will figure out what works for you. I'm just going to go with the flow (although not necessarily the flow of people....). We'll be back next year with more.

On the penultimate night of the Rochester International Jazz Festival I will likely duck into the cool environs of the Club Pass and avoid the crowds in the streets outside for the free shows. On the last two nights of the festival, the artists may sometimes be lesser known, but as RIJF Music Producer John Nugent has said once or twice (as have I): "it's not who you know; it's who you don't know." So, you do you, but if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I am aiming to hear on the eighth night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc.):

• Although the star of this evening is the late Oscar Peterson, the members of the Oscar Peterson Centennial Quartet (or OPCQ) are not as well known at least here in the U.S.. I've always loved Oscar Peterson's music and heard him with his Quartet at the 2004 RIJF (a year before I started the JazzRochester site) and, I believe, once or twice at the Chicago Jazz Festival years ago when I was a denizen there. The OPCQ is a group of renowned fellow Canadians, JUNO Award winners Robi Botos (piano), Mike Downes (bass) and Jim Doxas (drums), along with a former member of Peterson's quartet, Ulf Wasenius (guitar). The group was formed to celebrate the centennial of Oscar Peterson’s birth and set out his life and music in a unique live concert featuring music from Peterson’s long career in jazz, multimedia presentations, and conversation (including memories from his youngest daughter Céline Peterson). Great jazz AND a lesson in jazz history sounded interesting. The Oscar Peterson Centennial Quartet will be on stage at Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

• Another venue, another piano-led quartet, but sometimes it just happens that way, so I'll be heading over to hear the Sean Mason Quartet. Sean Mason is a rising star in modern jazz. After picking up the piano and learning by ear, he cut his teeth in church and teaching himself gospel, hip‑hop, and R&B, Mason discovered jazz. Southern Suite, Mason's first album as a leader combines motifs recalling early‑jazz, gospel hymns, blues, and classical—mixed with some modern NYC jazz style, and Broadway pizzazz—to explore Mason's musical roots. The Sean Mason Quartet, described as “highly melodic and infectious,” will be hitting the stage at The Inn on Broadway at 5:30 and 7:45 pm.

• I'll close out the penultimate night of the RIJF with yet a third quartet, Yvonnick Prené "A Harmonica for Django", although the fact there are four musicians is where the comparison ends. This group, led by Prené on a chromatic harmonica, with two guitarists and a bass (apparently his NYC band Padam Swing), exploring the jazz manouche of Django Reinhardt. A bandleader, composer, and educator based in New York City. Known for his innovative artistry, Prené has released five albums as a leader and has collaborated with other artists like Peter Bernstein, Rick Margitza, Bill Stewart, and Geoffrey Keezer. Producer Pick Yvonnick Prené "A Harmonica for Django" will be turning the cool environ's of the Montage Music Hall into a dark French bistro (minus the smoke) at 6:00 and 9:30 pm. If you can't make it Friday, they're also playing Saturday at Max's at Eastman Place at 6:15 and 10:00 pm.

While I've made my choices, there are often artists who I wish I could hear as well but can't due to timing or other reasons, or perhaps others who might be a better fit for you. For one reason or another you may want some alternatives, so here they are:

• Nicole Zuraitis is a 2x Grammy winner (4x nominated) vocalist, pianist, arranger and bandleader. Zuraitis has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album, How Love Begins, co-produced with Christian McBride, won Best Jazz Vocal Album last year, making Zuriatis the only person ever to have won this award who wrote and arranged the entire album herself. She's the real deal, so why not a "Pick" above? I tend to limit my vocalist intake ar RIJF, but like I say at the outset, "you do you" and who knows, I may call an audible and go hear her anyway? She is so much more than a vocalist and will likely bring a killer band with her. This appears to be her first time at the RIJF. Nicole Zuraitis will be singing and playing at the Temple Theater at 7:00 and 9:15 pm.

• I want to add clarinetist Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz to this pick post as I will likely be going to hear her play at Kilbourn Hall the next night. But there is a dilemma posed here as she is known for the infectious music of the New Orleans jazz and do I really want to hear that music in the staid confines of Kilbourn ... not much chance of a second line forming. More on her in the post for the last day of the RIJF, but you can catch Producer Pick Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz   in the Rochester Regional Health Big Tent at 8:30 pm.

Thursday night's choices for me are all artists I've never heard before and range from jazz titans to those pushing the envelope a bit. By Thursday, I'm getting pretty tired, too, so I decided to stay away from a trio in Max's, opting for something more unique (and loud, I expect).

At the RIJF you are confronted with so many options. Some are imposed on you by timing, some by lines, some by sheer accident after hearing raves about an artist you didn't even have on your radar. But, you have to make the choice. So, you do you, but if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I am aiming to hear on the seventh night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc.):

• No Kilbourn for me on this night, so starting out with the George Colligan Quartet. Pianist (actually, multi-instrumentalist...) Colligan is also a composer, educator, and has recorded over 40 albums as a leader. He was also for a time a blogger, like yours truly, until putting his blog Jazz Truth on hiatus in 2016. Colligan has over 130 sideman credits playing with artists like Cassandra Wilson, Ravi Coltrane, Buster Williams, and Don Byron, and was a recipient of DownBeat’s Critics Poll in 2015 (the last year he was at the RIJF). Colligan’s compositions feature intricate harmonies, unexpected turns, and emotional depth. He blends tradition with a modern, exploratory edges and because he plays other instruments, Colligan brings a broader musical perspective to his piano. The George Colligan Quartet will be on the Montage Music Hall stage at 6:00 and 9:30 pm.

• Saxophonist Gary Bartz has a rich, soulful tone and spirit of adventure, which have made him stand out and apart in the jazz scene for over 60 years. Bartz made his bones playing with Max Roach, Charles Mingus, and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. In the late 1960s, he joined McCoy Tyner’s Expansions band and in 1970 joined Miles Davis’s call to play electric jazz and was featured on Davis's Live/Evil album. Bartz later founded NTU Troop—a boundary-breaking ensemble blending funk, soul, African folk, and post‑bop jazz. More recently Bartz has been working with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge for their Jazz Is Dead series, and the jazz-funk band Maisha. Finally, last year Bartz was named as a NEA Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. RIJF Producer Pick Bartz has not appeared at the festival before, at least as a leader. Gary Bartz and his band will be blowing into the Temple Theater at 7:00 and 9:15 pm.

• To stretch my ears a bit more, for my last stop on Thursday I'm heading over for Salami Rose Joe Louis, a Flying Lotus's Brainfeeder label-mate of Thursday's headliner in the Big House, Thundercat (who I would have loved to catch this year, but I'm a Club Pass denizen...). The soundscapes that multi-instrumentalist Lindsay Olsen (the real name of the woman behind Salami Rose Joe Louis) weaves with her voice and her beloved Roland MV8800, which is nicknamed “Funfunfun," along with her band can run from mesmerizing to a funky groove. If she's bringing a band like the one on this recent live concert on YouTube recorded for Seattle station KEXP, it should be a great show. Salami Rose Joe Louis is going to be hitting the stage at The Duke at 7:30 and 9:45 pm.

While I've made my choices, there are often artists who I wish I could hear as well but can't due to timing or other reasons, or perhaps others who might be a better fit for you. For one reason or another you may want some alternatives, so here they are:

• I saw Veronica Swift perform at the 2019 RIJF and on Thursday I wanted to go in different directions, but Swift is a versatile, blending jazz standards, vocalese, and daring genre crossovers—opera, rock, funk, and blues—all under her self‑described “transgenre” approach. Plus, she is an entertainer through and through. You can't miss with her, even if I'm going to. Veronica Swift will be gracing the stage in Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

• I think I remember hearing pianist Ehud Asherie play at an RIJF, but he apparently hasn't appeared at the festival as a leader yet but perhaps as a sideman with artists he's worked with, who include Eric Alexander, Roy Ayers, Peter Bernstein, Jesse Davis, Bobby Durham, Vince Giordano, Wycliffe Gordon, Scott Hamilton, Ryan Kisor, Jane Monheit, Catherine Russell, Ken Peplowski, and Clark Terry. Asherie has been described in the New Yorker as "a master of swing and stride” piano. The Ehud Asherie Trio will be playing at Max's at Eastman Place at 6:15 and 10:00 pm.

As usual, I'm getting down to the wire and nowhere near getting these pick posts done.  Wednesday, June 25th will be a great brew of different kinds of music with a starting out with one of my favorite jazz musicians and a finish with a nice drink at Max's while exploring the jibaro music of Puerto Rico. So, like I keep saying, at the RIJF you are confronted with so many options. Some are imposed on you by timing, some by lines, some by sheer accident after hearing raves about an artist you didn't even have on your radar. But, you have to make the choice. So, you do you, but if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I am aiming to hear on the on the sixth night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc.):

• I first heard drummer Matt Wilson play in 2009 with his quartet at the legendary Green Mill club in Chicago and have made it a point to see him play whenever I have had an opportunity. In addition to his inventive rhythms and using ALL of his kit to support his bands, Wilson always seems to be jus having fun playing music and it's infectious. Good Trouble is not all about the fun, though. Both band and the album were named from the words of the late Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis and its music often has a very serious message about community service, something that we can all support. Matt Wilson's Good Trouble quintet is a killer group, usually including bassist Ben Allison, saxophonist Tia Fuller, multi-reed player Jeff Lederer and vocalist Dawn Clement. Matt Wilson's Good Trouble will be hitting the stage at Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

• RIJF Producer Pick Jane Bunnett's Red Dragonfly project is an ambitious endeavor that, while rooted in the previous work she has brought to the RIJF, also diverges in interesting ways. The music primarily consists of jazz recreations of folk tunes from around the world that are meaningful to Bunnett. hey are performed by a quintet plus Canada's Penderecki String Quartet. The works come from Brazil, Japan, Cuba, South America, Canada, South Africa, Native America, and American Appalachia. Just this mélange of meaning behind the music was enough to hook me in to give it a listen. Jane Bunnett has been at the RIJF with her Spirits of Havana project in the inaugural 2002 festival and 2006, and was her with her group Maqueque in 2015 and 2018. Jane Bunnett's Red Dragonfly will be flying into the Temple Theater at 7:00 and 9:15 pm.

• I'll finish the evening continuing the international bent of the night with Fabiola Mendez, a master of the Puerto Rican cuatro, the national instrument of Puerto Rico, and the jibaro music of the mountains on that island. Her Tiny Desk concert is a great introduction to her music and NPR sums it up well, writing "In Méndez's hands, the cuatro becomes not just an example of a rich, Afro-Caribbean culture, but also an instrument to spread joy." Fabiola Mendez will be in Max's at Eastman Place at 6:15 and 10:00 pm.

While I've made my choices, there are often artists who I wish I could hear as well but can't due to timing or other reasons, or perhaps others who might be a better fit for you. For one reason or another you may want some alternatives, so here they are:

• On the 25th, there are quite a few local jazz musicians hitting at Club Pass venues, so I'll suggest a couple. Composer, arranger, Eastman educator and bandleader Dave Rivello is someone I first started hearing with his ensemble of the best Eastman graduates, students and notable local musicians at a rock bar in East Rochester years ago. Since that time, you'll see him in at the Fringe Festival and in these pages occasionally playing at ESM. Dave Rivello Ensemble is at the Inn on Broadway at 5:30 and 7:45 pm. The Brecker Brothers (Randy and Michael) recorded a legendary album Heavy Metal Be-Bop live in New York City in 1978. Two local jazz musicians (brothers Bob and John) are recreating the jazz, funk, and rock sounds of that album for RIJF. Celebrating the Brecker Brothers "Heavy Metal Be-Bop" will be at the Theater at Innovation Square at 6:30 and 8:30 pm. After you see these (and others listed on our post about ROC area jazz musicians and groups playing at this year's festival), remember that you may have more opportunities to hear them the other 356 days of the year....

• As you may remember from last year, I finished out the 2024 RIJF with the Meters reunion down at Parcel 5 (The Meters' Cissy Strut is my ring tone ... I never miss a call). But when you're looking at the resplendent beadwork of the Mardi Gras "Indians" marching down the street, what you're hearing is "the Rumble," the backline foundation of New Orleans music. The Rumble Featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.  is NOLA group with Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Young Eagles, trumpeter Aurélien Barnes, trombonist José Maize Jr., bassist TJ Norris, guitarist Ari Teitel, keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, and drummer Trenton O’Neal. They fuse New Orleans funk of The Meters and Neville Brothers, but updated for a new generation. The Rumble Featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. will be strutting the stage at Montage Music Hall at 6:00 and 9:30 pm.

• And for something completely different from the everything above, the neo-soul of Guelph, Canada based group SHEBAD, which brings to life the vision of artist and vocalist Claire Voy and multi-instrumentalist Ciccio Spagnolo that mines the rich influences of Stevie Wonder, Hiatus Kaiyote, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, and Erykah Badu. Of this year's lineup, only this group reached out to JazzRochester to give them a listen so I did and, if this is your cup of tea, they will be a fine brew. SHEBAD will be at The Duke at 7:30 and 9:45 pm.

You won't find coverage of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. running from this Friday through Saturday, June 28th here in this post. Look below for our coverage or click on the Category link for RIJF 2025 in the right panel.  But with the jazz festival around the corner it's pretty busy here in JazzRochester land as we prepare for nine straight days of great music, too much beer, and street food. Nonetheless, we still aim to provide you with the most comprehensive listings for live jazz gigs in and around Rochester, New York, broadly defined.  To help you find live jazz to hear outside the RIJF, I've gathered listings for the next seven days immediately below. After the "fold" (a link at the end of this week's listings) you'll find gigs for the rest of June and July.  I will update the post next Wednesday during the fest.  

Thursday, June 19, 2025

• Higher Ground residency @ Lila's, 5:00 pm
• Marco Amadio @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Erin and Ross with Their Better Angels @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Friday, June 20, 2025

• Mel Henderson/Gerry Youngman Duo @ The Inn On Broadway (out front), 4:00 pm
• Mark Bradley Duo @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Jazz On Tap: Stewie Evans Trio @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 6:30 pm
• Rick Holland Trio @ Lovin Cup Bistro & Brews, 6:30 pm
• Funkyard Brass Band @ Stromboli's Restaurant, 130 East Ave. (Rochester), 10:30 pm

Saturday, June 21, 2025

• Stewie Evans Trio @ Rohrbach's Railroad Street, 12:00 noon
• Live Jazz Jam @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 2:00 pm
• Mel Henderson/Gerry Youngman Duo @ The Inn On Broadway (out front), 4:00 pm (part of the Vanni's Jazz Lounge at the Inn, to be open soon more on that later)
• Michael Sidoti @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Ken Foster Quartet @ Studio Lounge, 6:00 pm
• Steve Grills and the Roadmasters @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 6:30 pm
• Bob Sneider Trio @ The Trestle, 8506 Greig St. (Sodus Point), 7:00 pm
• Jacobo Vega-Albela @ The Spirit Room (call for time, website says "all day")

Sunday,  June 22, 2025 

• Funkyard Brass Band @ Roselawn Neighborhood Party, Rose Park, Glen Ellyn Way (Rochester), 1:00 pm
• Heart Throbs String Band @ Spotted Octopus Brewery (Union Street, Downtown), 3:00 pm
• Mel Henderson/Gerry Youngman Duo @ The Inn On Broadway (out front, weather permitting), 4:00 pm
• Funkyard Brass Band @ Stromboli's Restaurant, 130 East Ave. (Rochester), 4:30 pm
• Sunday Jazz Matinee with the Darryl Parker Quartet @ Club 70 West, 420 Central Ave (Downtown), 5:30 pm
• Sound Logic @ Studio Lounge, 6:00 pm

Monday, June 23, 2025

• Laura Dubin & Antonio Guerrero @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

• Clay Jenkins​ @ Lila's, 5:00 pm

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 

• Ben Miller (solo piano) @ Spritz 146 (E. Rochester), 5:30 pm
• The Biltomore Commandos @ The Spirit Room, 8:30 pm

Looking for some live jazz after this week? Then click on the link below ... the "fold" ... and check those listings out.

Every June, the Rochester International Jazz Festival lights up the city, drawing international attention to our vibrant music scene. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of world-renowned artists, but don’t overlook the exceptional talent we have right here at home.

Rochester’s jazz community is alive and thriving—from promising high school ensembles to acclaimed professionals who live and perform here year-round. Many of these local musicians take the stage during RIJF, giving you the chance to hear them in a festival setting (and for them, more exposure, so perhaps you'll come out to hear them during the year). While my daily picks often spotlight artists you rarely get to hear in Rochester, I always make time to catch local sets between Club Pass shows. After all, this site is dedicated to supporting Rochester’s live jazz scene the other 356 days of the year.

Each year during the festival, I compile a list of local jazz (and other genre) artists performing at RIJF. It’s your chance to discover rising stars before they break nationally or reconnect with longtime local favorites. And on Wednesdays during the festival, I will still publish a post spotlighting artists playing outside the official RIJF footprint, offering even more ways to enjoy Rochester’s homegrown music while you're in town for the festival. Below, you’ll find this year’s lineup of local performers at RIJF. If I’ve missed anyone, drop me a note and I’ll be happy to add them. For more details on the artists and bands, be sure to visit their pages on the RIJF website.

Friday, June 20, 2025

• Harley School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Greece Arcadia High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Canandaigua High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• Prime Time Brass @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Dan Atkinson Septet @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 & 9:00 pm
• Ryan Johnson and Escape Terrain @ Hyatt Regency Rochester Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

Saturday, June 21, 2025

• School of the Arts HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Fairport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Gates-Chili HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Eastman School of Music (ESM) Jazz Honors Unit 1 @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• 78 Rpm Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• iGNiTE! Band @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm
• McKinley James @ The Duke, 7:45 & 9:45 pm
• Ryan Johnson and Escape Terrain @ Hyatt Regency Rochester Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

Sunday, June 22, 2025

• Honeoye Falls Lima HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Pal-Mac HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Pittsford Sutherland. HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Herb Smith Freedom Trio @ Montage Music Hall, 6:00 & 9:30 pm
• Joe Locke Group @ Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music, 6:00 pm (well, he was raised here... so gets the honorary local designation)
• ECMS Jazz Combos Directed by Bob Sneider @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• Penfield Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Jimmie Highsmith Jr. @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 & 9:00 pm
• Fred Costello @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 7:30  & 9:30 pm
• Bill Tiberio Band @ The Duke, 7:45 & 9:45 pm
• Bob Sneider Trio @ Hyatt Regency Rochester Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

Monday, June 23, 2025

• Joey Stempien @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Jazz Workshop with Dawn Thomson, Vocal Jazz @ Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room, 1:00 pm
• Webster Schroeder HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Spencerport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Penfield HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 2 @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• Brockport Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• RIJF-ESM Scholarship Concert @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 7:30 & 9:30 pm
• Grupo IFÉ @ Wegmans Pavilion, 9:00 pm
• Bob Sneider Trio @ Hyatt Regency Rochester Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

• Simon Fletcher @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Alexander HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Brockport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Victor HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Laura Dubin Trio @ Inn on Broadway, 5:30 & 7:45 pm
• New Horizons Big Band Directed by Priscilla Todd Brown @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• Greece Jazz Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Scott Mayo Band @ Theater at Innovation Square, 6:30 pm
• Flower City Trio @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 & 9:00 pm
• Music Educators Big Band Bill Tiberio @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 7:30 pm
• Bob Sneider Trio @ Hyatt Regency Rochester - Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

• Mel Henderson 4tet @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Jazz Workshop with Mike Kaupa, Trumpet @ Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room, 1:00 pm
• West Irondequoit HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Bloomfield HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Greece Athena HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Dave Rivello Ensemble @ Inn on Broadway, 5:30 & 7:45 pm
• ECMS Faculty with Special Guest Vocalists @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• New Horizons Jazz Ensemble directed by Don Sherman @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Celebrating the Brecker Bros 'Heavy Metal Be-Bop' with the Viavattine Bros @ Theater at Innovation Square, 6:30 pm
• Sonidos Unidos @ Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5, 7:00 pm
• Red Hot & Blue Band @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm
• Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 7:30 & 9:30 pm
• Bad Sneakers @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 8:30 pm

Thursday, June 26, 2025

• Mike Kaupa @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Jazz Workshop with Paul Hofmann, Piano @ Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room, 1:00 pm
• Webster Thomas HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Pittsford Mendon HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Rich Thompson Trio @ Inn on Broadway, 5:30 pm
• Hilton High School Jazz Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Public Water Supply @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm

Friday, June 27, 2025

• Quinn Lawrence @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Jazz Workshop with Jeff Campbell, Acoustic Bass @ Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room, 1:00 pm
• RIT Jazz Ensemble @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Brighton HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Eastridge HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 5:15 pm
• Mike Kaupa's Eastman Community Music School Ensembles & Junior Jazz @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• All In Brass Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• USP @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 & 9:00 pm
• Ryan Johnson and Escape Terrain @ Hyatt Regency Rochester - Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

Saturday, June 28, 2025

• MCC Jazz Ensemble @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 3:45 pm
• Joey Stempien Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 3 @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 6:00 pm
• The GateSwingers Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Helium Bubble @ Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5, 7:00 pm
• The Buddhahood @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 & 9:00 pm
• Majestics @ Temple Theater, 7:00 & 9:15 pm
• Ryan Johnson and Escape Terrain @ Hyatt Regency Rochester - Squeezers Jam Sessions, 10:30 pm

With the Rochester International Jazz Festival less than a week away, it's looking like I'll end up racing to finish these pick posts up before the RIJF starts (or not finish until after it starts ... as is usually the case).

At the RIJF you are confronted with so many options, but you have to make a choice. So, you do you, but if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I chose to hear on the fifth night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc.):

• I'll start June 24th at the RIJF out with the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet. One of the first times I heard Wycliffe was in a local recording studio where he was laying down some tracks for an album his friend Jimmie Highsmith Jr was recording. As the rest of the band had already recorded, he was just sitting in a booth with cans on and playing his parts. I remember he did three takes, each with a unique twist and, to my ear, equally killing. Wycliffe is one of the best jazz trombonists out there, he can make that instrument sing (and growl), and is also a world class composer, arranger and educator. Wycliffe was last at the RIJF in 2007 but over the years comes to town relatively often (I believe he has family in ROC).  The Wycliffe Gordon Quartet will be hitting the stage at Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

• The Scott Mayo Band will be my next stop. Mayo is Rochester native (and former intern at local radio station WDKX) is a Grammy-nominated producer, arranger and musician who was a 2024 inductee to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. After working with Brazilian Sergio Mendes on a Grammy-nominated album, he recorded the album Meu Brasil a couple years back and I'm hoping the Scott Mayo Band will be bringing some of that Rio groove to the stage at the Theater at Innovation Square at 6:30 and 8:30 pm.

• If you look back at my pick posts from past years (and you can do that in the links in the right panel), you'll see I like to stretch my ears to new sounds. For whatever reason, the venues at which many of the groups that scratched that itch of mine are not part of the RIJF this year, but this John Nugent has brought in some groups that do and John McKenna Resonant Structures Quartet appears to be one of them. Resonant Structures Quartet features tenor saxophonist John McKenna, guitarist Jim Robitaille, bassist Tom Casale, and drummer Hugh Sicotte. McKenna is also an artist and the music of the quartet is both inspired and informed by his Resonant Structure works. McKenna and Sicotte share an interest in modular synthesis (in modular synthesis, you build your own synthesizer piece by piece, choosing specific modules based on what sounds or functions you want) and electro-acoustic sound generation and incorporate these "Resonant Structure Instruments" into the quartet’s sound, which is a combination of original compositions and jazz standards. John McKenna Resonant Structures Quartet will be building their sounds on the stage at Montage Music Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

While I've made my choices, there are often artists who I wish I could hear as well but can't due to timing or other reasons, or perhaps others who might be a better fit for you. For one reason or another you may want some alternatives, so here they are:

• Brandon Goldberg is a young jazz pianist who has been a rising star and is a Producer Pick this year. He would fail if he was carded in a jazz club, but has graced the stage at Dizzy's in NYC (at which his 2024 live album was recorded) and other iconic jazz venues and festivals across the country. The Brandon Goldberg Trio will be at Max's at Eastman Place at 6:15 and 10:00 pm. He is also playing solo in Hatch Recital Hall the previous night at 5:45 and 7:45 pm.

• I'm seeing Matt Wilson's Good Trouble in Kilbourn the next night, so won't be catching their appearance on the 24th. Drummer Matt Wilson brings an energy and his band, usually including Ben Allison, Dawn Clement, Tia Fuller and Jeff Lederer, will really cook. Matt Wilson's Good Trouble will be bringing it to the Temple Theater on the 24th at 7:00 and 9:15 pm. More in the post for June 25th.

JazzRochester aims at providing you with the most comprehensive listings for live jazz gigs in and around Rochester, New York, broadly defined.  To help you find some live jazz to hear, I've gathered listings for the next seven days immediately below. Things are going to get a bit busy here after this week as the Rochester International Jazz Festival starts up on June 20th. I'll cover the local musicians who will be playing at the festival, but you can also find things happening during the RIJF elsewhere here if you're not planning on coming down to "Jazz Street. After the fold you'll find gigs for the rest of June and July (other than the RIJF, which will be covered separately).  

Hal Schuler has an exhibit of jazz images from the 1980s and 1990s at Image City Gallery, 722 University Avenue in the Arts District thru the end of RIJF. The Gallery is open from 12-6 Tuesday thru Saturday and 12-4 on Sunday. There is a reception on June 13 from 5 to 8:30 pm.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

• Higher Ground residency @ Lila's, 5:00 pm
• Ryan Johnson Duo @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Swordfish Collective Album Release Show featuring Bill Tiberio @ Lovin Cup Bistro & Brews, 7:00 pm (more info & tickets)
• Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet @ Summer of Roses, Rose Community Building, 10734 School St (Rose), 7:00 pm

Friday, June 13, 2025

•  Mel Henderson & Gerry Youngman @ Corn Hill Festival Poster Release party,  Flight Wine Bar (Corn Hill Landing), 2:00 pm
• Deepak Theta with Mike MacArthur, Judah Sealy and Bill Tiberio @ Brown Hound Downtown (at the MAG), 5:00 pm
• Mike Pallini @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Bob Vosteen & Mel Henderson @ Zambistro’s, 408 Main St. (Medina), 6:00 pm
• George Miller & Eric Davidson @ Flight Wine Bar (Corn Hill Landing), 6:30 pm
• Rich Thompson Trio Generations 5.0 @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm
• Jazz On Tap: Jon Randall Octet @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 7:00 pm
• Dream Float @ The Trestle, 8506 Greig St. (Sodus Point), 7:00 pm

Saturday, June 14, 2025

• Robert Glasper @ Juneteenth Festival & Parade at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park & Ice Rink, 353 Court Street (Downtown), 11:00 am to 8:00 pm (time of concert to be determined) (more info)
• Gerry Youngman & Mel Henderson @ Juneteenth Festival (Buffalo), 4:00 pm
• Prime Time Brass @ Rosé Soirée 2025 (Geneva), 4:00 pm (more info)
• Moondance Trio @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• The Sneider Brothers, featuring Gary Versace, Marco Panascia and Mike Melito @ Rochester Academy of Medicine, 6:00 pm (more info & tickets)
• Prime Time Brass @ Pulteney Park, 11 Park Place (Geneva), 6:00 pm
• Jim Nugent Duo @ Flight Wine Bar (Corn Hill Landing), 6:30 pm
• Jacobo Vega-Albela @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm
• Groove Juice Swing presents Hanna PK @ The Rose Room, 8:00 pm

Sunday,  June 15, 2025 

• The Djangoners @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Monday, June 16, 2025

• Laura Dubin & Antonio Guerrero @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

• Tuesday Jazz Conversations at the Library: Danica Rebudiao (bass, vocals) & Will Anderson (guitar) @ Dorris Carlson Reading Garden (Kate Gleason Auditorium if rain), Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 115 South Ave. (Downtown), 12 noon.
• Omega’s 3 with Bobbie Henrie​ @ Lila's, 5:00 pm
• Jazz in the Bowl with the New Horizons Jazz Ensemble (Don Sherman, Dir.) and Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet @ Highland Park Bowl, 7:00 pm (more info & tickets)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 

• JazzBuffalo presents "Art Meets Jazz" with the Ann Mitchell Trio, with John Gabriele and Kyle Vock @ The Hunt Art Gallery in the Brisbane Building, 6:30 pm (more info & tickets)
• Prime Time Brass @ Pane Vino on the River, 7:00 pm
• Bop Arts presents Joe Fonda and Bass of Operation @ Bop Shop Records, 8:00 pm (more info & tickets)
• The Biltmore Commandos @ The Spirit Room, 8:30 pm

Looking for some live jazz later? Then click on the link below ... the "fold" ... and check it out.

I'm putting together another eclectic stew of music for Monday, June 23rd, which is usually my aim at the Rochester International Jazz Festival. At the RIJF you are confronted with so many options—by timing, by lines, or by sheer accident after hearing raves on the street about an artist you didn't even have on your radar. But, you have to make the choice. So, you do you, but if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I am aiming to hear on the fourth night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc. to check out and help you make your own decisions):

• Tadley Ewing Peake “Tadd” Dameron was a composer, arranger, and pianist in the 1940s and 1950s known for his compositions and arrangements that spanned both the swing and bebop eras and combined broad and luscious arrangements of the big band with the harmonic language of bop. My first stop on Monday will be for Dameronia's Legacy All-Stars, a group formed to celebrate the music of Tadd Dameron, which was founded by Dameron's friend drummer "Philly" Joe Jones in 1980s. This octet will be burning up the Kilbourn Hall stage (figuratively, not literally....) at 6:00 and 9:00 pm

• I really enjoyed Spin Cycle when I heard them at the Bop Shop in October 2017 and looking forward to the set by this excellent group of NY players, including co-leaders drummer and composer Tom Christensen and multi-reedman Scott Neumann joined by the huge guitar chops of Pete McCann and bassist Matt Pavolka. This band's music ranges all over shuffle of a NOLA second-line through to more angular "out" sounds. Just how I like it. And I'll get an opportunity to hear a smaller group in a newish venue at the RIJF, which didn't happen in its inaugural year. Spin Cycle will be playing The Duke at 7:30 and 9:45 pm.

• To get something in an international vein into my evening (it is the Rochester International Jazz Festival, after all ....) I am finishing up my evening with Cuban pianist Chuchito Valdés and Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo. These two are monster artists on their respective instruments and it appears from the notes to their RIJF appearance we'll be getting them separately AND together at the end, which is intriguing (at least to me...). Chuchito Valdés comes from Cuban musical royalty, including father Chucho and grandfather Bebo, and his music draws from many styles and rhythms of that island and beyond. He was last at the RIJF in 2010. Diego Figueiredo was a child prodigy who has been a rising star in Brazilian music and jazz, although probably has graduated beyond that now. He last appeared at the RIJF with Ken Peplowski in 2023. Chuchito Valdés and Diego Figueiredo will be hitting the stage at the Temple Theater at 7:00 and 9:15 pm.

While I've made my choices, there are often artists who I wish I could hear as well but can't due to timing or other reasons, or perhaps others who might be a better fit for you. For one reason or another, you may want some alternatives, so here they are:

• Guitarist Mike Stern can play anything and across genres of jazz and rock and when he appeared last at RIJF in 2014 with a group that included Bill Evans (also at RIJF this year) and Tommy Smith, he was one of my picks. Stern has 18 recordings as a leader and played with Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Steps Ahead, David Sanborn, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Joe Henderson and the all-star Four Generations of Miles band. The Mike Stern Group was also at the festival in 2004 and 2012 and will be playing at the Theater at Innovation Square at 6:30 and 8:30 pm.

• Another good choice would be the David Hazeltine Quartet. Pianist Hazeltine is a master on his instrument and has worked with worked with many jazz luminaries including James Moody, Eddie Harris, Jon Faddis, Joe Henderson, Pepper Adams, Jon Hendricks, and Marlena Shaw. He was last at the RIJF with the Quartet in 2023 and appeared in 2018 with his group One For All, which included saxman Eric Alexander. The David Hazeltine Quartet will be at the Montage Music Hall at 6:00 and 9:30 pm.

• And as I noted in the post for June 22nd, Claudia Acuña will be gracing the stage again at Max's at Eastman Place at 6:15 and 10:00 pm.

JazzRochester aims at providing you with the most comprehensive listings for live jazz gigs in and around Rochester, New York, broadly defined.  To help you find some live jazz to hear, I've gathered listings for the next seven days immediately below. After the fold you'll find gigs for the rest of June and July (other than the RIJF, which will be covered separately).  

Thursday, June 5, 2025

• Ralph DeBergalis Duo @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Max Robbins and Misha Studenkov @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Friday, June 6, 2025

• Jazz at Fairport Canal Days (see my earlier post here for who's playing when)
• Jim Nugent @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Melvin Henderson & Deepak Thettu @ Flight Wine Bar (Corn Hill Landing), 6:30 pm
• Ken Foster’s Game Night Quartet @ The Trestle, 8506 Greig St. (Sodus Point), 7:00 pm
• Jazz On Tap: Darryl Parker Trio @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 7:00 pm
• The Biltomore Commandos @ The Spirit Room, 8:30 pm
• Bop Arts presents Jonathan Reisin Trio @ Bop Shop Records, 8:00 pm (more info & tickets)

Saturday, June 7, 2025

• Jazz at Fairport Canal Days (see my earlier post here for who's playing when)
• Mary DeFranco Jazz @ Cappelletti's Italian Restaurant, 100 Isla Way (Brockport), 5:00 pm
• Ben Miller @ Prosecco Italian Restaurant (Farmington), 5:30 pm
• Jaesic Wade & Mitch Klicki @ Flight Wine Bar (Corn Hill Landing), 6:30 pm
• Bob Sneider Trio @ The Trestle, 8506 Greig St. (Sodus Point), 7:00 pm

Sunday,  June 8, 2025 

• Jazz at Fairport Canal Days (see my earlier post here for who's playing when)
• Jazzy Mimosa Brunch with Marvin Dolly & Mel Henderson @ Vine and Tap Wine Bar (Charlotte), 11:00 am
• Mike MacArthur & Friends featuring Gumbi Ortiz @ Fairport Brauhaus, 3:00 pm

Monday, June 9, 2025

• Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers @ The Little Theatre Cafe, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

• Tuesday Jazz Conversations at the Library: Misha Studenkov (piano), Danica Rebudiao (bass, vocals) & Jacob Merrill (alto sax) @ Dorris Carlson Reading Garden (Kate Gleason Auditorium if rain), Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 115 South Ave. (Downtown), 12 noon.
• Rich Thompson Trio @ Lila's, 5:00 pm
• Jazz90.1 WGMC-FM and The Ontario Beach Park Program Committee present Jazz at The Beach featuring Deepak Thettu @ Tropix Nightclub, 4775 Lake Ave (Charlotte), 7:00 pm
• Jazz90.1’s Derrick Lucas and Rob Linton For Our Annual RIJF Preview @ On the radio at Jazz 90.1 and online, 7:00 pm (Register for Jazz90.1’s Ultimate Jazz Festival Giveaway! here)

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 

• The Biltomore Commandos @ The Spirit Room, 8:30 pm

Looking for some live jazz later? Then click on the link below ... the "fold" ... and check it out.

One of the first local town summer festivals (after the Lilac Festival, of course), Fairport Canal Days, is again going to feature at lot of jazz, this coming weekend June 6-8. Tim Forster, who is again heading up the music at the festival likes to think of it as “the jazz festival before the Jazz Festival,” dedicated to some of the Rochester area’s best talent and emerging artists.

Here's the jazz lineup based on what Tim has shared with us:

Friday, June 6, 2025

Canal Nights at Fairport Junction Stage

• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra (ECMS), 5:00-6:00 pm/li>
• Daniel King Band, 6:30-7:30 pm

Saturday, June 7, 2025

Lift Bridge West Stage

• Bob Sneider Quartet, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Dean Keller's Soul Jazz Joint, 3:00-4:00 pm
• Deepak Thettu, 4:30-5:30 pm

Fairport Junction Stage

• SOTA MS Jazz Ensemble & SOTA Senior High Jazz Ensemble, 10:00-11:30 am
• ER Jazz Band, 12:00-1:00 pm
• Mike MacArthur Group, 3:00-4:00 pm
• GatesSwingers Big Band, 4:30-5:30 pm

Village Hall Stage

• Los Pajaritos, 1:30-2:30 pm
• WiLDyR Jazz Combo, 4:30-5:30 pm

Fairport Brewing Company Stage

• Paradigm Shift, 12:00-1:00 pm

Kennelley Gazebo (Eastman Community Music School)

• Jazz Guitar Duets, 10:00-11:00 am
• New Horizons Jazz Ensemble, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
• ECMS Saxophone Quartet, 1:00-2:00 pm

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Lift Bridge West Stage

• FHS Jazz Combo, 10:00-11:00 am
• Ruckus Juice Jug Stompers, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
• Gregory St Vagabonds, 2:30-3:30 pm

Fairport Junction Stage

• JP Middle School Jazz Band & Fairport 9th Grade Jazz Band, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
• Fairport High School Jazz Band, 1:00-2:00 pm
• Bill Tiberio Band, 2:30-3:30 pm
• Sofrito Latin Jazz Quintet, 4:00-5:00 pm

Village Hall Stage

• Victrola Voila!, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
• Mid Century Jazz Quartet, 1:00-2:00 pm

Kennelley Gazebo (Eastman Community Music School)

• EMCS Jazz Performance Workshops, 1:00 pm & 2:00 pm

Of course there is a lot more music and other things to enjoy at FCD, including the running of the Rubber Ducks. Cross your fingers for warm and sunny weather!

Sunday at the RIJF is usually a bit more laid back. There isn't a headliner or major free show to bring the bigger crowds, so things slow down a bit. Sunday, June 22nd will be like that for me. When presented with that kind of night and a smaller number of choices, I tend to "go with the flow" be more fluid with my night.

So, you do you, but if you're interested, here are the artists/groups I am aiming to hear on the third night of the 2025 RIJF (I've included links so you can check their page on the RIJF site yourself, where you will find links to music, video, etc.):

• I'm starting out the evening with the Joe Locke Group. One of the top vibe players in jazz, Joe was raised in Rochester and comes back often to play before his hometown crowd. I have heard Joe play many times at RIJF and elsewhere and he always brings something different and unique, so while going to hear Joe is like "coming home" his music is usually fresh, and I know Joe will always bring a killer band to back him up. Joe Locke Group will be hitting the stage in Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

• There is a tradition in jazz of bands with two "dueling" tenor saxophonists. Riffing off that tradition, but taking the pitch down a few notches will be my second stop for the Boss Baritones, with two of the top players of the bari sax in jazz, Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile. I just listened to their new Boss Baritones album and loved the romp of these two great players. Boss Baritones will be blowing in at The Inn on Broadway at 5:30 and 7:45 pm.

• My next and final stop will be to hear Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña. Following a debut in NYC in the 90s, Acuña released five albums as a leader before slowing down to focus on life and raising her son. She returned to the jazz world in 2019, delivering a Latin Grammy-nominated album Turning Pages. Acuña last appeared at the RIJF way back in 2003. Claudia Acuña will be appearing at the Temple Theater at 7:00 and 9:15 pm. She will also be appearing at Max at Eastman Place the next night, June 23rd at 6:15 and 10:00 pm.

While I've made my choices, there are often artists who I wish I could hear as well but can't due to timing or other reasons, or others who might be a good fit for you. For one reason or another you may want some alternatives, so while there are fewer on Sunday here they are:

• You might want to check out Bill Evans and the Vansband All-Stars. Saxophonist Bill Evans in his 20s came on the jazz scene in the 1980s with Miles Davis. Evans has been at the RIJF several times, including his Soulgrass project in 2012, appearing with Mike Stern and Steve Smith in 2014, and with his own Bill Evans Band featuring Tommy Smith in 2017. Bill Evans and the Vansband All-Stars will be appearing at the Theater at Innovation Square at 6:30 and 8:30 pm.

• Pianists Bruce Barth and Eri Yamamoto will be playing a dual piano gig at the Hatch Recital Hall at 5:45 and 7:45 pm.

• For something completely different, head on over to the tent for the Western swing, with a tinge of Django, sounds of Austin band the Hot Club of Cowtown. They will be in the Rochester Regional Big Tent at 8:30 pm. If you miss them then, you can catch them when they hit the stage at The Inn on Broadway the next night, June 23rd, at 5:30 and 7:45 pm

There is also a lot of great music by local jazz groups to be had on the 22nd. I'll be detailing all the shows being offered by local artists and groups in a separate post later.