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.