The fourth night of the Rochester International Jazz Festival seems to have become the "night of the guitar" as my picks are predominantly lead by pickers (or guitar is featured) . . . oh, and vocalists. However, despite the uniformity of instrumentation, there is a lot of variation in these choices. You do you, but if you're interested, here is what I think will be a good bet to wrap your ears around:

• First stop, as often is the case, will be Kilbourn for the Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet. Rosenwinkel is a genre-bending player and composer who has jazz chops formed early in his career by being Joe Henderson's guitarist, through working with Gary Burton, Paul Motian, Brian Blade, Mark Turner, Joshua Redman, Seamus Blake, and even Steely Dan's Donald Fagen. After a number of years with Verve, in 2016 Rosenwinkel has set up his own label, Heartcore, that focuses on developing young musicians and also allows him a lot of room to explore his own music. Recent projects include a Undercover, recorded live at the Village Vanguard and a reimagining of Chopin's piano music, The Chopin Project. Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet will be playing Kilbourn Hall at 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm.
• The Olli Hirvonen Group will be a stop as well. This Finnish guitarist has been plying his trade in NYC since 2011. Listening to recent recordings, Hirvonen can move from achingly beautiful and sparse compositions to shredding those strings. The sounds of his guitar should resonate in the soaring sanctuary of Christ Church, where the Olli Hirvonen Group will be playing at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm.
• Victoria Victoria is the alter ego of North Carolina-based singer/songwriter Tori Elliot, with whom guitarist Charlie Hunter collaborated to produce the album To the Wayside.... Jazz? Not really... but the vocals and harmonies, Hunter's reserved playing, and the songwriting are often beautiful. Victoria Victoria with Charlie Hunter will be playing at Montage Music Hall at 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
• While Dawn Thomson & Gary Versace are local to Rochester, they are known world-wide. Pianist, organist, and accordionist Gary Versace has worked with John Scofield, Maria Schneider, John Abercrombie, Anat Cohen, Al Foster, Regina Carter, Rich Perry, John Hollenbeck, Ralph Alessi, Kurt Elling, Madeleine Peyroux, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen, among others. He also has been a prof in Eastman School of Music's Jazz Studies program since 2017. Guitarist and vocalist Dawn Thomson has worked with Gary, as well as Matt Wilson, Renee Rosnes, Ron Miles and many others and has released 6 CDs as a leader. She recorded and toured with Matt Wilson’s Honey and Salt project, contributing vocals and guitar on its music inspired by the American poet Carl Sandburg. Their 2017 release won album of the year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Oh, and festival producer John Nugent is her spouse.... Dawn Thomson and Gary Versace will be playing the Eastman School of Music's Hatch Recital Hall at 5:45 pm and 7:45 pm.
• A Rochester native, singer Nancy Kelly is well-known here, but she is also known throughout the U.S. and world-wide. She sings with the authority of someone who has been at it for many decades, swinging hard and cool, and as her bio notes with a "take no prisoners" attitude. Her phrasing and nuance stand out. Known as a "singer's singer," Nancy Kelly has twice been named “Best Female Jazz Vocalist” in the Down Beat Readers’ Poll, and has recorded six critically-acclaimed CDs, including B That Way, which enjoyed 8 solid weeks in the top 50 on the JazzWeek jazz radio charts, and Remembering Mark Murphy, named one of the top 20 Jazz recordings of 2019. Her most recent recording is Jazz Woman: The Reel to Real Sessions, which is a collection of songs she wrote early in her career when she was singing in a number of genres as she found her way to jazz. Nancy Kelly is playing the Wilder Room at 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm

While who I choose to get out to hear during the Rochester International Jazz Festival tends to be those coming from outside Rochester, there are so many great local jazz and other musicians who gig around Rochester the other 356 days of the year. From the kids starting out in one of the great high school jazz ensembles who play daily on the Jazz Street Stage, to students in the Jazz Studies program at ESM, to working jazz musicians, to nationally-known jazz artists who happen to be living or teaching here in Rochester, there is a lot of talent in town and many of them will be playing at the 2023 RIJF. I catch some as I pass between Club Pass venues or stand in line. But I do make it easy for you to find them by collecting them in one post (and throughout the other 356 days of at the year on this site).

Below are the local musicians, jazz and otherwise, who will be appearing at the RIJF this year (let me know if I missed any and I'll get them in here).

Friday, June 23rd

• CSE Music School Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, 4:30 pm
• Honeoye Falls Lima High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• All in Brass Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra with Herb Smith @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• iGNiTE Reggae Band @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & Wegmans Pavilion, 9:00 pm

Saturday, June 24th

• Pal-Mac High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 3:45 pm
• Penfield High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Gates Chili High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• 78 RPM Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• ECMS Jazz Combos Directed by Bob Sneider @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm

Sunday, June 25th

• Pittsford Mendon High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 3:45 pm
• Hilton High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Fairport High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• New Horizons Jazz Ensemble Directed by Don Sherman @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 1 with Kevin Murphy @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Dear Marian: Laura Dubin Trio Plays Marian McPartland @ Theater at Innovation Square, 6:30 pm
• USP @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm

Monday, June 26th

• Paradigm Shift @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Victor High School Jazz Band 
• Hilton High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Joey Stempien College Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Dawn Thomson & Gary Versace @ Hatch Recital Hall, Eastman School of Music, 5:45 pm & 7:45 pm
• Brockport Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 2 with Rob Varon @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Nancy Kelly @ The Wilder Room, 6:00 pm & 10:00 pm
• Phylicia Rae @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm
• Fred Costello @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm
• ESM-RIJF Jazz Scholarship Concert Celebrating Chick Corea ESM Jazz Ensemble @ Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 8:00 pm (Free)

Tuesday, June 27th

• Amanda Ashley @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Greece Athena High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Gate Swingers Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• New Horizons Big Band Directed by Priscilla Todd Brown @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Rich Thompson Trio "Generations" @ The Wilder Room, 6:00 pm  & 10:00 pm
• Atlas Band @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm
• ECMS Music Educators Jazz Ensemble @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm

Wednesday, June 28th

• Quinn Lawrence @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Greece Arcadia High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Pittsford Sutherland High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Penfield Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• ECMS Faculty With Special Guest Vocalists @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Mambo Kings @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm
• Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm

Thursday, June 29th

• Herb Smith @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Brockport High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• West Irondequoit High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Melody Masters Big Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• ECMS Jazz Alumni @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Joe Beard Band @ Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5, 7:00 pm
• Violet Mary @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm

Friday, June 30th

• Zahyia Rolle @ Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Bloomfield High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Eastridge High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Greece Jazz Band @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Mike Kaupa's ECMS Saturday & Junior Jazz Ensembles @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Latriste and the Frequencies @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm
• Vince Ercolamento & Friends @ Hyatt Regency Rochester Grand Ballroom, 7:45 pm & 9:45 pm

Saturday, July 1st

• Brighton High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 3:00 pm
• Spencerport High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 3:45 pm
• Webster Schroeder High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Canandaigua High School Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Harold Danko @ Hatch Recital Hall, Eastman School of Music, 5:45 pm & 7:45 pm
• Syndicate Jazz Octet @ Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 3 with Dan Mach-Holt @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• The BuddaHood @ Wegmans Pavilion, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm

Additionally, Bob Sneider or Mike Cottone will be leading the Squeezers Jam Sessions every night starting at 10:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Rochester's Main Street Gallery, which often attracts other artists appearing at the RIJF to sit in for a song or two.

Check my Wednesday posts on June 21st & 28th to find where some of them might be playing outside the RIJF. 

Welcome to the first in what I hope will be a growing series of posts about new albums being put out by one of the talented jazz musicians or groups in and around Rochester, NY. The first is by local drummer (and Eastman professor) Rich Thompson, who is asking that perennial question of those breaking into anything new with his new album Who Do You Have to Know? on Origin Records out of  Seattle, Washington. The quartet on the album includes Bobby Floyd on piano and organ, Corey Christiansen on guitar and Peter Chwazik on bass.

Rich, an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media at Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, isn’t “breaking in” to the world of jazz, he’s been there a long time as a educator and veteran sideman, touring and recording with Byron Stripling and other well-known jazz musicians as well as the Count Basie Orchestra, and Glenn Miller Orchestra. He directs the Eastman Jazz Lab Band. He performs with numerous symphonies in the U.S. and Canada.  You may have also seen him as a featured drummer at Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Pops concerts. Locally, you’ll see Rich playing with his bands Trio East and Rich Thompson’s Trio “Generations” (if you check out my listings posts, that is….). 

I asked Rich a few questions about Who Do You Have to Know? Below I've set out his answers, edited slightly for clarity. More information and links about the album on where you can get your own copy or stream it are at the end of this post, as well as a link to stream the title cut.  

What made you decide to record this album? 

After performing all over the US, Switzerland, and on five jazz cruises with Bobby Floyd while playing with Byron Stripling Quartet, I knew that I had to record a project with Bobby, other than the ones recorded previously. I wanted to give Bobby more of a lead role in the group. His ability to craft a melody, accompany others, and fire up an organ solo had to be heard. After performing with Corey at the Las Vegas Arts Jazz Festival in the spring of 2022, I remembered playing with him with Byron and Bobby for the Salt Lake City Jazz Society around 2010. The Las Vegas gig lasted 3 days and I was able to reconnect with Corey on a musical and personal level, and knew that he would be a natural for this CD. Peter Chwazik is a bass player who I have played with more and more the past few years and his ability to adapt to any situation from a trio to a large ensemble is something I admired. He has huge ears both on and off the bandstand. I felt really comfortable having him on this record as my right-hand man. He is incredibly supportive in the studio, as well as helping to mix the project afterward. Many thanks to all the musicians for their contributions to the recording!

What are the influences behind the music on the album? 

I wanted it to be a rhythm quartet, less horns. In following John Scofield’s trios, as well as Melvin Rhynes organ quartets with Peter Bernstein for years, I thought, this would be a perfect opportunity for me to record a project of that nature with people I knew personally and also loved playing music with. Both drummers Kenny Washington and Bill Stewart have been huge influences for me over the past 25 years. Kenny recorded extensively with Melvin’s organ quartets and Bill with John Scofield. It’s hard not to pay homage to these drummers even though I’m trying not to copy them verbatim. It’s inevitable that some of their vocabulary will creep into my interpretations of a couple of these tunes. Drummer Bill Goodwin was also a big influence musically, as Scofield’s Gray and Visceral [the third track on the album] was recorded only once in 1980 with John, Steve Swallow, and Goodwin on Bill’s record Solar Energy. My original tune Who Do You Have To Know is a nod to Miles Davis’s Freddie Freeloader [from the album Kind of Blue] as I’ve always been partial to that blues with its few altered changes producing a first and second ending on the head. I’ve performed Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World many times w/Byron Stripling in the context of jazz symphony outings and wanted to try my hand at a totally different approach, hence the A sections are in 7/4 and the bridge is set in 6/8 w/an extension harmonically before returning to the last A section in 7/4.

What is your favorite cut on the album? 

I guess I like so many of these tracks for their originality and subtle nuances, that this question is the hardest. It’s like asking a parent of 9 children who their favorite son or daughter might be.

What about this new album that make you most proud? 

I think that I’m most proud of the way everyone came together to make this music a reality. The musicians, Greg Thompson the engineer, Dave Darlington who mastered it, my wife Janine who kept encouraging me to record it, and all of people who’ve emailed and commented on Facebook about how the music made them feel after hearing it for the first time.

How is the CD being received so far?  

Through John Bishop of Origin Records and Lisa Reedy (music publicist extraordinaire), this CD is being heard all across the US, Europe, the Canary Islands, etc. It has been reviewed at Jazz Weekly and AllAboutJazz.com

Final thoughts? 

My hope is that one day, when I’m long gone, someone will hear this CD and comment in a very positive way about how the music made them feel. I think that most musicians want to do something that makes people forget about their everyday struggles, if even for the time that they are listening to our music. Art Blakey said “Music washes the everyday dust of life from one’s feet.”

Where can we get our hands on Who Do You Have to Know?

• Bandcamp
• Apple Music/iTunes
• Amazon (affiliate link)
• You can physically lay your hands on a copy locally at The Bop Shop and the HiFi Lounge

You can also stream the album at:

• Apple Music
• Spotify

Click below to listen the title track Who Do You Have to Know? 

Boston-based trombonist Brian Thomas, originally from Rochester, is releasing his first solo album On The Bone, which features a composition by the late Roger Eckers, Turn On (a cut from a 1972 Eckers record), which Thomas recorded in his memory of Eckers, who passed away on March 23 last year at 78. "Dr. Eckers was the first person to hand me a trombone at Crane Elementary School and was my band director at Rush-Henrietta High School," says Thomas, who is. "so thankful to have worked with Dr. Eckers and for his continued support and encouragement as I became a professional musician and music educator." Former Eckers student Scott Mayo of Earth Wind & Fire and The Voice also joins Brian on the track, adding a soulful sax solo that they think would make Doc proud. Mayo recalls "I miss him so much and am thankful fo ho he prepared me to be a professional." The album includes 5 additional original soul jazz compositions backed a classic organ trio and percussion rhythm section. 

The new album was available as a CD as of January 27th, and is also available to buy as a digital album (or by track) on Bandcamp (I've embedded it below and Turn On is the first cut). In coordination with Eckers' wife, Brian will be contributing 100% of the proceeds from sales of the Turn On track in Roger Eckers' memory to the University of Rochester Eastman School of Music, Performing Arts Medicine (if you want to send something more, you can send it to P.O. Box 270032, Rochester, NY. 14627-0032).

In the years since I moved to Rochester from Chicago, I've enjoyed reading (and often linking to) Ron Netsky's articles in Rochester's City Newspaper profiling the jazz musicians or groups playing at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, various programs at the Eastman School of Music, The Bop Shop, the former Exodus to Jazz series of concerts, and other venues around Rochester. So, it was great to receive a copy of Ron's new book, Jazz Snapshots, which assembles over 150 of those articles behind a cool cover by Rochester artist David Cowles, whose work you'll recognize from RIJF posters. As Ron describes the thought behind the title in the Introduction to the book:

The title is based on the premise that I wrote about these musicians at particular points in their careers and short articles are far from complete pictures. They are, rather, snapshots of moving targets. Every life is full of twists and turns; jazz musicians don't even know where their next solo is going.

The profiles and interviews in Jazz Snapshots include giants of jazz, major U.S. and international jazz artists from ragtime to straight-ahead to avant-garde who have played in Rochester over the years (some of whom have ties to Rochester), and some of the local jazz musicians who you love to go out to hear throughout the year. These thoughtful "snapshots" are not "so-and-so has played with X, Y, and Z" profiles, but rather dig much deeper into the artists to reveal more about who they are and and their craft. Ron sets out a few examples from the book of these revelations in the sheet he included with the book, like Ron Carter talking about his delight in making saxophonists inhale, McCoy Tyner recalling the moment John Coltrane decided to record My Favorite Things, and Cécile McLorin Salvant explaining why she doesn't mind making audiences squirm. There are many more. 

The nearly 500 pages of articles are mostly arranged by instrument (you all have your favorites...) and then chronologically once you are in a category, noting where they were playing at the time. Ron also provides a few miscellaneous articles on artists who don't quite fit the other categories (like Tom Lehrer) and from genres that have always had a close association with jazz like blues, R&B, and soul. After publishing JazzRochester for so many years, it reminded me that Rochester had provided me the opportunity to hear so many (if not most) of these artists play. I'm looking forward to re-reading many of these articles. If you have a favorite article (either from the book or City), leave a comment on this post.

You can buy Jazz Snapshots and check out some of the book in print or Kindle by selecting the Amazon links underneath the cover image in this post. Full disclosure, if you choose to purchase the book after clicking the "Buy" link, JazzRochester may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you or the author.  

Ron Netsky is currently a Professor and the Director of the Studio Art Undergraduate Program at Nazareth College (or should I say "University"?) and still writes occasionally for City about music.

While my picks for the RIJF tend to be those who are coming from elsewhere, there are great local jazz and other musicians who gig around Rochester the other 356 days of the year. From the kids starting out in one of the great high school jazz ensembles that play daily on the Jazz Street Stage, to students in the Jazz Studies program at ESM, to working jazz musicians, to nationally-known jazz artists who happen to be living or teaching, there is a lot of talent in town and many of them gig during the rest of the year. In the end, I always catch some as I pass between Club Pass venues or stand in line. But I do make it easy for you to find them by collecting them in one post (and throughout the other 356 days of at the year on this site). Here are the local musicians, jazz and otherwise, who will be appearing at the RIJF this year (let me know if I missed any). 

June 17th

• School of the Arts Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation)
• Hilton High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Dave Rivello Ensemble, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Midtown Stage at Parcel 5)
• Harold Danko, 5:45 pm (Hatch Recital Hall)
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra with Herb Smith, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• All In Brass Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Sonidos Unidos, 6:00 & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)
• Harold Danko, 7:45 (Hatch Recital Hall)

June 18th

• Canandaigua High School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Webster Schroeder High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Gary Versace Trio, 5:45 & 7:45 pm (Hatch Recital Hall)
• ECMS Jazz Combos with Bob Sneider, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• 78 Rpm Big Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Bob Viavatine, 7:00 and 9:012:00 PM Max DiBenedetto Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
• Robin McKelle, 7:00 and 9:15 pm (Temple Theater)
• Bad Sneakers, 8:30 and 10:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)

June 19th

• Brighton High School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Honeoye Falls–Lima High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 1, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Penfield Big Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Cinnamon Jones, 7:00 and 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)

June 20th

• Marvin Williams, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County)
• Brockport High School Jazz Band, 3:30 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Palmyra-Macedon High School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Eastridge High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 2, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Brockport Big Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Ryan Johnson & Escape Terrain, 7:00 and 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)
• Bill Tiberio Group, 7:00 pm (City of Rochester Midtown Stage at Parcel 5)
• ESM-RIJF Jazz Scholarships Performance, 7:30 and 9:30 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)

June 21st

• Max DiBenedetto, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County)
• Greece Athena High School Jazz Band, 3:30 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Spencerport High School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Pittsford Sutherland High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• New Horizons Big Band directed by Priscilla Todd Brown, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Gate Swingers Big Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• The Pickle Mafia, 7:00 & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)
• Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 & 9:30 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)

June 22nd

• Amanda Ashley, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County)
• Webster Thomas High School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Fairport High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Grupo Ife, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Midtown Stage at Parcel 5)
• New Horizons Jazz Ensemble directed by Don Sherman, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Prime Time Brass, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Jimmie Highsmith Jr., 7:00 & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)
• Music Educators' Big Band, 7:30 & 9:30 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)

June 23rd

• Latriste Fulton, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County)
• Bloomfield High School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Pittsford Mendon High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• ESM Wednesday & Saturday Jazz Combos, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Syndicate Jazz Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Judah Sealy Band, 7:00 & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)

June 24th

• Elliot Scozzaro Quartet, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County)
• Harley School Jazz Band, 4:15 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Gates Chili High School Jazz Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• ESM/ECMS Groups, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Greece Jazz Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Moho Collective, 7:00 & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)
• Julia Nunes, 7:00 pm (City of Rochester MLK Park Stage presented by Wegmans)

June 25th

• Victor High School Jazz Band, 4:15 PM (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• West Irondequoit High School Band, 5:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• ESM Jazz Honors Unit 3, 6:00 pm (City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage)
• Melody Masters Big Band, 6:00 pm (RIJF Big Tent)
• Red Hot & Blue Band, 7:00 & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E Fusion Stage)
• Majestics, 7:00 & 9:15 pm (Little Theatre Roots & Americana Series)
• Danielle Ponder, 7:00 pm (City of Rochester Midtown Stage at Parcel 5)

Additionally, Bob Sneider and Karl Stabnau will be leading the Squeezers Jam Sessions every night starting at 10:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Rochester's Main Street Gallery, often attracting other artists appearing at the RIJF to sit in for a song or two. 

This is the third installment in a series of post introducing and re-introducing local jazz musicians to the JazzRochester audience and beyond. In this post we introduce husband-and-wife jazz duo Laura Dubin and Antonio Guerrero, who have been playing music together since the day they met in 2011. Since then, they’ve traveled and performed together all over the world, established themselves here in Rochester, recorded and released eight albums together, launched their own Virtual Jazz Club, ultimately creating a unique musical concept together that by all indications delights their audience. Laura and Antonio come as a package musically so have answered a few questions in this post, which is drawn from their responses to a set of questions I forwarded.

JazzRochester: How did you and Antonio come to be playing your instruments and jazz? 

Laura: I started playing the piano when I was 6, and also started taking jazz lessons when I was 12. My uncle David Dubin is a jazz pianist and was the first person who taught me how to improvise. I took classical piano lessons here in Rochester with Roberta Honadle, from my very first piano lesson all the way until I graduated from high school, and from middle school through the end of high school I also took jazz lessons with Richard Delaney at Hochstein. In high school I had the opportunity to connect with the pianist Fred Hersch, who pointed me in the direction of Western Michigan University, where I ended up going for college. I studied jazz piano there with Steve Zegree, and Fred Hersch also became a mentor as he was a visiting artist at WMU during that time.

Antonio: I studied percussion in the Superior School of Music in Mexico City. My first years as a professional musician consisted of performing throughout Mexico and Latin America, as well as studio and session work with different artists and bands.

Laura: Antonio and I met in 2011 when we were playing in the same jazz trio on a cruise ship; we’ve literally been playing music together since Day One! It was the most fantastic place to meet, and of course we got to know each other very quickly, both as people and musicians. After our time on cruise ships came to an end and we were back on land again, we began forming our musical concept together and we made the decision to perform together exclusively. Of course, we invite other musicians to play with us, but we’re both committed to performing with each other at all times rather than playing separately with other bands or as solo performers. We love being able to build our life together in this way. It’s truly such a joy for us to play and perform together, and we both feel incredibly lucky!

JazzRochester: Who have you been listening to recently? 

Laura: We’re always listening to a variety of music, but recently we’ve been really digging into the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet recordings (their self-titled album as well as Study in Brown). These albums have been longtime favorites, but we’ve been getting deeper into them lately and we’ve been learning many of the tunes and playing them at our live performances. Plans are underway for an entire concert of this music, hopefully in 2022!

JazzRochester: How long have you been playing in and around Rochester?

Laura: We’ve been playing in Rochester since we moved here together in 2014.

JazzRochester: Tell us about your favorite places to play in Rochester and elsewhere? 

Laura: Our favorite venues where we regularly play in Rochester are The Little Theatre Cafe, and the recently opened Faircraft Brauhaus. Of course our performances at the Jazz Festival have been career highlights for us; we performed there in 2016, 2017 and 2019. In addition to these, one of our favorite and most unforgettable performances was in France! We played at a venue called Le Canapé in 2019, which is in a suburb of Paris called Gif-Sur-Yvette. There’s a tune dedicated to this venue (and the owner, Gwendal Wiren) on our Pieces of Paris album.

JazzRochester: How has jazz scene in Rochester and the Rochester area evolved over the time you’ve been playing here? What do you think could be done to build a more vibrant scene here?

Laura: There have definitely been venues both coming and going during the time we’ve been playing here, but we may not have been living here long enough just yet to see any noticeable changes either way. It’s always surprised us that there’s not a true jazz club here in Rochester, given the fact that there are so many jazz fans living here (as evidenced by the massive attendance at the RIJF every year!) I know that there were several jazz clubs here in the past; we really hope that another one will open someday! (We’ve often dreamt about opening one ourselves—you never know!)

JazzRochester: The pandemic has been a very hard time for musicians, for live music and the venues that present it.  Your approach during the pandemic has been unique, especially here in Rochester. Tell us about the Virtual Jazz Club and expand on what it has meant to you and Antonio, setting it up, and something about the audience, how it has sustained you during the pandemic, will you continue it after the pandemic fades, etc?

Laura: First, the details about where and when to watch our Virtual Jazz Club: we livestream every night at 8:30 pm on both Facebook and YouTube. Don’t forget to “Like” the Facebook page and subscribe to the YouTube channel! Also, I should mention that whenever we have live performances around town, there’s still a pre-recorded Virtual Jazz Club concert that airs at the usual time on both platforms.

Right from the start of the pandemic we knew that we’d have to figure out - and figure out quickly—how to keep going with our music when everything was shutting down! Since we’d already had some experience with live-streaming (and already had the audio/video equipment on hand, although our setup has evolved since then) we were fortunately able to start our livestream concerts right away. When we played our first online concert on March 16, 2020, we had no idea that we’d end up doing it every single night from then until now, but it ended up being the absolute best decision we could have possibly made! We’ve never have any desire to stop, and we have no intention of discontinuing the Virtual Jazz Club (even when—or if!—the pandemic finally ends) because it’s our favorite part of the day and it has truly been one of the most joyful experiences of our life.

The pandemic has of course been the most difficult situation that we’ve ever lived through, but having the routine of our nightly concerts has been so important for our mental, physical and musical health (even on, actually, especially on the hardest days!) We discovered how much we really love playing virtual concerts, and it turns out that our home music studio has become our favorite venue! It’s also been great for staying connected with our audience, and we’ve been so lucky to have had viewers every single night. We’ve truly appreciated their support of our music, and we feel that we’ve been able to experience a deeper bond with the audience (even with the virtual format) during this time. Many of our followers here in Rochester have been watching, and friends from all over the US—and the world—have been able to tune in as well. The power of the internet is amazing! 

On top of this, donations from the audience helped to sustain us during the times when live performances weren’t possible (and still now, when live performances are back but they’re not as frequent as they were before the pandemic). Our online concerts are always free to watch, but audience members are welcome to make a donation or become a monthly “patron” by visiting this page on our website. 

JazzRochester: Where and when will your next gig in Rochester be?

Laura: The Little Theatre Cafe on Saturday, December 18th from 6:30-8:30 pm, and Faircraft Brauhaus on Wednesday, December 22nd from 7:00-8:30 pm. Both performances are with our trio, and they’ll both be holiday-themed.

JazzRochester: What was your last recording? Tell us about it and where people can get it.

Laura:Our most recent album is Pieces of Paris, which we released in June 2020. It’s available for download on my website All of our previous albums are available there as well. We’ve got a new album currently in the works, which we look forward to releasing sometime in 2022!

JazzRochester: Anything else you want to let Rochester jazz fans know?

Laura: In addition to performing, I also teach virtual piano lessons through Zoom. You can visit the website to find out more information about Laura’s Virtual Lessons. I teach jazz piano and classical/traditional piano as well as music theory and composition; students of all ages and levels of experience are welcome! (Kids through adults, beginner through advanced) After teaching virtually for almost two years now (I was previously teaching at a studio before the pandemic) I can definitely say that virtual lessons are just as effective and engaging as in-person lessons, and there are also many benefits to the virtual format, such as the ability to take lessons from the comfort of your own home, and of course being able to take lessons from anywhere! (Most of my students live here in Rochester, but I’ve also had students from all across the US, and even from Mexico and Canada! The power of the internet strikes again!)

Also, there’s a mailing list signup on the homepage of our website; I encourage fans to sign up if you’d like to stay in the loop regarding our upcoming performances and projects! (As well as any other news we might share—the mailing list is always the first place we make announcements!)

♦♦♦♦

Thank you, Laura and Antonio for providing our readers with insights on your background, your music, and your musical life together. Please feel free to add comments in the comment field to this post and I’ll make sure Laura and Antonio see them.

Check out the earlier posts in this series, which can be found here:

• Mel Henderson
• Mike Melito

As part of the small efforts I can contribute to rebuilding a community around live jazz in Rochester as the pandemic (hopefully) recedes and we all begin to get back out in the world, I’ve started publishing a series of posts introducing or re-introducing the musicians and bands who perform live jazz and improvisational music in and around Rochester area. This is the second post in this series. You can find other posts in this series in the Local Artists category.

Drummer Mike Melito, a Rochester native, was born into drums and jazz music. He comes from a very musical family. His late father Chris, turned him and his two brothers on to jazz by playing records of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie to name a few. Mike started playing at age 4 with the help of his older brother Tom, who is also a drummer and seasoned NYC veteran. Tom guided him for many years through his childhood.

Mike started private lessons with former RPO percussionist John McNeill in 5th grade and continued through 11th grade. During that time he started his professional career at age 16 playing with vibraphonist Joe Locke at Foggy’s Notion, a club that was around in the 80’s. The late, great saxophonist Joe Romano was in the house that night and heard Mike and hired him immediately for a two month weekend stint at Lloyds on Alexander Street, a club that lasted into the early 90’s. Work snowballed for Mike after that and he began working with many other musicians around Rochester, and would travel to Syracuse and Utica to play with upstate jazz legends JR Monterose and Sal Amico. Mike would go on to lead his own groups, along with freelancing all over the country, which he still does today. Over the years, Mike has worked with legends such as James Moody, Benny Golson, Barry Harris and Junior Mance. He has also worked with Pat Labarbera, Ken Peplowski, Vincent Herring, Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein, Gary Smulyan, Harry Allen, Jerry Weldon, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine and many others.

Mike has six CD’s under his own name and is on over twenty more as a sideman. His latest release is a co-led project with pianist Dino Losito called You’re It on the Cellar jazz label. It was recorded just before the pandemic hit and continues to get a lot of favorable reviews and airplay all over the world.

Mike feels the jazz scene in Rochester has lost some venues during his career and the clubs aren’t what they used to be. He has, however, has been the main house drummer for the Rochester International Jazz Festival since it’s inception and feels the jazz festival has led and keeps leading to more opportunities for jazz gigs in and around Rochester. The pandemic hit the world music scene hard, but Mike has always had a large private teaching practice here in Rochester and he moved to teaching remotely during the pandemic to sustain him. He is hopeful as things open up and people start coming back out that this will help the jazz music scene here get stronger as people will be starved for live music. During the pandemic, clubs around the world would offer streaming with groups playing in clubs with no people, sometimes for free or for donations. Clubs such as Smalls and the Village Vanguard in NYC have done this, which has helped keep some musicians working as well as offering live music on the internet to watch and listen.

Want to catch Mike playing live? He will be leading a band at the Penthouse at One East Avenue’s Wine Down Wednesday, with guitarists Bob Sneider and Mike Kelly, along with bassist Dan Vitale on June 16th from 6:00 pm till 9:00 pm. Click here for more information or to purchase a ticket. His Quartet is also playing tomorrow at the North Stage at Fairport Canal Days at 11:30 am.

The live music scene all over the world changed dramatically on March 16, 2020, when all the music venues across New York suddenly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rochester’s bout with the pandemic has been brutal, but it has been especially hard on the area’s jazz musicians and venues. As gigs dried up, Rochester’s jazz musicians turned to new ways of getting their music out, focused on their teaching (although often through new media), or the day jobs they always had, and keeping themselves and their families safe. Some venues that featured jazz closed, never to return. Some new have emerged and others continued to feature live jazz as they reopened. The “new normal” will not be like the old, but perhaps we could make it better? As part of the small efforts I can contribute to rebuilding a community around live jazz in Rochester, I’m hoping to start a series of posts introducing or re-introducing the musicians and bands who perform live jazz and improvisational music in and around Rochester area. I’m starting this series with my good friend, Mel Henderson.

Guitarist Mel Henderson was born and raised in Rochester. Mel evolved into an internationally known jazz musician over the past three decades. He has performed and recorded with some of contemporary music’s finest musicians, including Al Jarreau, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joe Locke, Randy Brecker, Wycliffe Gordon, Marcus Printup, JD Allen, Jeremy Pelt, Ted Poor, Jack McDuff, Tommy Campbell, Wilby Fletcher, Fred Wesley and David “Fathead” Newman. Mel has toured extensively, with the band and sitting in with other artists, throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, performing at some of the best national and international jazz festivals including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Salzburger Jazz-Herbst, and the Markham, Newport and Paetec Jazz Festivals, as well as at renowned venues such as the Blue Note clubs in New York and Tokyo, and the Bee Hive and the Beat Hotel in Boston. Mel is on the faculty of Rochester Contemporary School of Music and is a much sought after clinician. He currently resides in Irondequoit.

Mel’s love of music started early. Both of his parents, who moved to Rochester from Wilmington, Delaware, were musicians. On scholarship, Mel’s mother attended Eastman School of Music in 1950s, one of the first African-American opera students at that school. His father played in neighborhood bands with famed jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown. There was always music in the Henderson home ... particularly jazz. Mel notes his “first Instrument was the accordion!” While playing the accordion, he met his bandmate, organist Gerry Youngman (who also plays a mean trumpet). Eventually, “after listening to George Benson and Wes Montgomery, as well as James Brown, the Temptations, Ray Charles and even the Beatles (smile), I persuaded my parents to let me switch to guitar.” At his parents insistence, Mel started studying classical guitar (“I wanted to play what I heard on the radio, LOL!”) at the Hochstein School of Music when it was located on Hoeltzer Street in Rochester’s Upper Falls, then later he started studying with Dick Longale, and later and most notably studying with Doc Severinson guitarist Tom Rizzo at the short lived Barley School of Music. In the 1970s, Mel attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, studying with Gary Burton and guitarist Mick Goodrick. For Mel, it has been “not so much schooling for jazz, as it is a calling…. All musicians more or less learn the same things ( or should)—it’s just what genre of music you apply it to.” Although I knew the answer before I asked, Mel told me he listens to a lot of different folks, from J.D. Allen and Keith Jarrett, to The Meters and El Debarge. He is a man after my own heart that way, listening widely and stretching his ears into new things.

Mel is a member of the group Paradigm Shift with his buddy of over 40 years, organist Gerry Youngman and drummer Sean Jefferson. In 2004, the band recorded the Grammy-nominated album Shifting Times (Apple Music link) on the German-based label Nagel-Heyer records, which featured Wycliffe Gordon, Marcus Printup and Joe Locke. Their latest recording was the 2007 disc Street Expressionism (Apple Music link), also on Nagel-Heyer, featuring Gordon and Printup, and Gray Mayfield. Paradigm Shift is currently completing its next project, which is being produced by SouLive co-founder and drummer Alan Evans.

Mel has been playing jazz in Rochester for a long time, and putting on many different hats (you know Mel has a lot of them!) in the local jazz scene, even owning and operating the jazz club Indigos in the mid-1980s. Mel thinks that the Rochester International Jazz Festival has caused a jazz renaissance of sorts (at least before the pandemic), not only in Rochester but also in the region, as many clubs and restaurants have been trying to include jazz and improvisational music in their entertainment line up. While Mel and the band have not done much streaming, he sees the online presence as huge and a developing area where all musicians are trying to find their way to have a presence, pandemic or not.

There has not been a lot of gigging around the Rochester area after the pandemic shut things down over a year ago, although now some gigs with the band and in small duos are starting to pop up now. Paradigm Shift’s next performance will be this Wednesday at the Penthouse at One East Avenue’s Wine Down Wednesday. As of this posting, there are still tickets so come out if you’re ready (I'm finally getting out myself...).

Dave Chisholm straddles a number of arts. He is an accomplished trumpet player, composer, and educator who lives and gigs in several genres around Rochester (well, pre-pandemic, that is...), where he received his doctorate in jazz trumpet from the Eastman School of Music in 2013. He is also a talented cartoonist who uses that art, combined with music, to tell stories that can draw you in and teach you something about something few outside the world of music or jazz could reach on their own. In 2017, I wrote here about his graphic novel Instrumental that followed jazz trumpeter Tom as he seeks to reach the next level in his art ... at a dear cost. This month, Chisholm is publishing a new graphic novel Chasin’ the Bird: Charlie Parker in Californi, 144 pages commissioned by the Charlie Parker estate with Instrumental’s publisher Z2 Comics in celebration of the Centennial of Bird’s birth. It explores the period beginning in 1945 during which Parker traveled to California with a band put together by his friend Dizzy Gillespie for a residence at a well-known club in LA.

Through recollections of those who crossed his path during this time on the West Coast, interviews with Bird, biographies, and other real and imagined situations and conversations, Chisholm builds a story that tries to capture this time in Bird’s life, the effect of his obsessions and the drugs, and sources of Bird’s musical genius. As Chisholm recounted in a recent interview with Publisher’s Weekly:

A huge part of the Charlie Parker story is the myth-building, legends, the impossible tall tales that could not be true, but could be true, and all the different versions of the same story—like a Rashomon kind of storytelling…. So there’s the legend side of Charlie Parker, versus the reality of Charlie Parker. So that angle led me to the storytelling method used in the book, where there’s a series of vignettes; each one from the point of view of someone whose life intersected with Charlie’s during that time.

As with Instrumental, I sat down and consumed a PDF of Chasin' the Bird in one sitting with a soundtrack of Bird playing on the stereo to accompany the images (Chisholm had written and performed a soundtrack for Instrumental). Again, I was lost in the story and images. A hour or so (and a few LP sides…) later I had learned so much about Parker's short life and felt like I had peeked behind a curtain to get some understanding of his compositions and playing. Each vignette is drawn in a different style and through these changes in style, Chisholm explores Bird’s life and his music and through this approach tries to fulfill the reason that the Parker estate had commissioned him, again as told to Publisher’s Weekly: "to reach people who wouldn't otherwise find Charlie Parker’s music” through a medium that he thought would help to synchronize the "temporal aspect of music, versus the temporal aspect of a still drawing.”

Chasin the Bird will be published in mid-October and I encourage you to get a copy of Chasin' the Bird, slap a Parker LP or disk (or stream) on your ears and dive in. It’s worth the ride. Here’s a link on Chisholm’s site for more info and links or you can order direct from Z2 Comics or your favorite online content provider.

For nine days in June the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival highlights a number of local musicians, Eastman jazz faculty & students and our great local high school jazz bands.  This year is no different.  I wanted to bring them into one post so you can see the wealth of talent we have available to us the other 356 days of the year.  They don't all play jazz (most do), but they're all Rochester....

Friday, June 22nd

• Greece Arcadia High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Honeoye Falls-Lima High School Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Bob Sneider's ECMS Jazz Performance Workshops, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Prime Time Brass, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)

Saturday, June 23rd

• Harley School Jazz Band, 3:45 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Penfield High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Webster Schroeder High Smith, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• 78 RPM Big Band, 6:00 (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• Doug Stone Quartet featuring Josiah Williams, 6:00 pm & 10:00 pm (The Wilder Room)
• Eastman-RCSD Jazz Ensemble with Mike Kaupa, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Charlie Linder Trio & Friends, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm (Squeezers Stage at Anthology)

Sunday, June 24th

• West Irondequoit High School Jazz Band, 3:45 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Pittsford Mendon High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Hilton High School Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Bill Dobbins, 5:45 pm & 7:45 pm (Hatch Recital Hall)
• Colin Gordon, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Penfield Rotary Big Band, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• Triocity, 6:00 pm & 10:00 pm (The Wilder Room)
• Sonidos Unidos, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E/Baclay Damon Fusion Stage)
• Paradigm Shift and the PShift Horns, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)

Monday, June 25th

• Hanna PK, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County)
• Greece Odyssey High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Fairport High School Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Brockport Big Band, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• BuJazz Orchestra & ESM Jazz Ensemble, Gerry Niewood Scholarship Night, 6:00 pm (Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre)
• Nathan Kay Quintet, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Teagan and the Tweeds, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E/Baclay Damon Fusion Stage)

Tuesday, June 26th

• Mike Melito, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County)
• Greece Athena High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Spencerport High School Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Gary Versace Trio, 5:45 pm & 7:45 pm (Hatch Recital Hall)
• New Horizons Big Band, Priscilla Todd Brown, Dir. 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Bill Tiberio Band, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)

Wednesday, June 27th

• Brendan Lanigan, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County
• Victor High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Webster Thomas High School Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Harold Danko, 5:45 pm & 7:45 pm (Hatch Recital Hall)
• Greater Finger Lakes Jazz Orchestra, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• New Horizons Vintage Jazz Band, Don Sherman, Dir., 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Tempest, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E/Baclay Damon Fusion Stage)
• Music Educators Big Band, 7:30 pm & 8:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)

Thursday, June 28th

• Bobbie Henrie & Djangoners, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County)
• Bloomfield High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• School of the Arts Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Junior Jazz Ensemble, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Syndicate Jazz Band, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• Jazz Goes to the Movies with Mark Watters, 7:00 pm & 9:15 pm (Temple Building Theater)
• Quinn Lawrence Band, 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (Avangrid Foundation/RG&E/Baclay Damon Fusion Stage)

Friday, June 29th

• Ryan Johnson Project, 12:00 pm (Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County)
• Canandaigua High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Brockport High School Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra, Doug Stone Dir., 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Greece Jazz Band, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• Rochester Jazz Allstars (Bill Dobbins, Danny Vitale, Mike Melito, Bob Sneider, Vince Ercolamento & Mike Kaupa), 6:00 pm & 10:00 pm (The Wilder Room)
• The Klick, 7:00 pm (East & Chestnut Stage)

Saturday, June 30th

• Hobart and William Smith Jazz Band, 3:45 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Newark High School Jazz Band, 4:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• MCC Jazz Band, 5:15 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• Abe Nouri, 6:00 pm (Jazz Street Stage)
• New Energy Jazz Orchestra, 6:00 pm (Rochester Regional Health Big Tent)
• Gap Mangione and the New Big Band, 6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (Xerox Auditorium)
• Joe Beard, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm (Jazz Street Stage)

See what I mean?  To learn more about some of these musicians and bands, see if you can access their websites on JazzRochester's Rochester Jazz Artists & Groups page, which is also available from a link at the top of the site above the banner.  Remember that some of them (and the rest) will be playing outside of the XRIJF. Check out my Wednesday posts on June 20th and 27th for listings during the festival.

I’m going to do something different here. A review of sorts, which is something I don’t do very much on JazzRochester. Why? Because one of Rochester’s jazz musicians, trumpeter Dave Chisholm, has pulled together a project that brings together sight and sound in a unique and compelling way and I wanted to share it with you. I’ve been acquainted with Dave since he was a student a the Eastman School of Music. He used to play with the pick up band of ESM jazz students who had a regular hit years back at Havana Moe’s (my local haunt due to an affinity for the occasional cigar). I remember Dave “trading fours” one night with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt when he came by Moe's after a gig in town (and the sidelong glances of admiration Dave got on his playing….). 

The project is Instrumental, a graphic novel and accompanying CD of music that Dave wrote and recorded with a great band, which accompanies the story as it unfolds on the panels. As the publisher's squib for Instrumental sets out, the story is about Tom, who is:

A solid, but not great, musician. While his bandmates are happy to play gigs for themselves at their own clubs, drinking free beer and shooting the breeze, Tom aches for the next level, whatever that is. And as musicians are wont to do in magical fables, he meets a mysterious stranger with a seemingly simple offer: take a battered old trumpet for free, and just enjoy it, no exchanges and no strings. Whenever Tom plays it, the extraordinary music blows away his growing throngs of fans, and deadly mishaps start to follow. Tom may not have sold his soul for the music of the heavens, but he seems to have bargained away something much more serious. Created by jazz musician Dave Chisholm, Instrumental is a high-spirited, suspenseful, formally inventive, visually musical graphic novel, an epic yet intimate riff on our longing search for what’s next.

I never was much of a comic book reader in my youth (except for Mad Magazine, I guess).  I’ve known about graphic novels since 1986’s Maus by Art Spiegelman, but somehow had never actually experienced one. I say “experienced” as my encounters with novels have been a text-only experience (sometimes with a few accompanying images). I’m an editor in real life, a recovering lawyer working with authors who write books for other lawyers, which are decidedly text-based, and are often quite a boring experience. As a graphic novel (I hesitate to use the word “comic” as the story is not comedic), Instrumental takes the genre one step further by including a CD of music that is meant to be listened to while reading the text and seeing images.

After receiving a review copy from Dave’s publisher Z2 Comics, I sat down to “read” it. I consumed Instrumental in a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon and the experience was new and compelling. The story is dark, the images full of motion, becoming dream-like as Tom plays the horn and his playing becomes more like what he's hearing in his head, the crowds come out to hear. It turns supernatural and lethal to some of those who hear the horn, who start coming apart in a Salvador Dali sort of way, leaving Tom with a choice.

In addition to the great images (see a panel of the band playing below and the aforementioned melting listener), the story and accompanying jazz “soundtrack” written to go with those images made the experience come together through every sense but touch (other than turning the page...).  It is a unique reading experience. Instrumental is coming out in late May and in the Rochester area, you should be able to get it at Comics Etc. or Pulp Nouveau in Canandaigua, or you can order it on Amazon (affiliate link).  Check it out!

The Eastman New Jazz Ensemble under Dave Rivello and Eastman School of Music students Theresa Chen, George Darrah, and Jon Rarick have received DownBeat honors in the magazine’s 40th annual Student Awards competition.

The Eastman New Jazz Ensemble was recognized in the Outstanding College Performance Large Jazz Ensemble category for its March 2, 2016, concert in which the musicians performed Bob Brookmeyers’s unreleased work Running in Place/Verticals and an unrecorded piece by Bill Holman titled The Big Izzy. Chen won the award for Outstanding Original Composition for Small Ensemble. Her work, Ilha Formosa (“Beautiful Island”), written for a piano trio, tenor and soprano saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and string quartet. Chen is currently a second-year DMA student in jazz piano performance. Darrah, a jazz composition major who will receive his master’s degree this month, won Outstanding Arrangement for Too Close for Comfort. Rarick was recognized for Outstanding Arrangement for his arrangement of J. Russell Robinson’s Portrait of Jennie, the title song for a movie of the same name. Rarick, a second year master’s degree student in jazz writing who is graduating this month, is from Grayslake, Ill.

The Student Music Awards were announced in the June issue of DownBeat. The issue was mailed April 25 (I have mine... although this info is from ) and will be on newsstands on May 16.  

FYI from an Eastman School of Music Press Release, December 22, 2016:

Jazz students and faculty from the Eastman School of Music will perform on the first night of the 8th Annual JEN (Jazz Education Network) Conference, being held in New Orleans Jan. 4 to 7, 2017. JEN is an international organization that promotes and advances jazz education, performance, and development of new audiences.  The annual conference features workshops, panel discussions, research presentations, clinics, and concerts.

The Eastman Chamber Jazz Ensemblewill be joined by Grammy- and Emmy-winning keyboardist, singer, and composer David Paich to perform the music of West Coast arranger Marty Paich, who arranged music for such singers as Ray Charles, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and many others.

David Paich, who is a founding member of the band Toto and the son of Marty Paich, is working with Eastman’s Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Department to house and perform his father’s music at the school. In 2014, the Eastman Chamber Jazz Ensemble under Jeff Campbell received a DownBeat award for its performance of the music of Marty Paich with David Paich and drummer Dennis Mackrel.

Performing in the ensemble at the JEN conference are Eastman students Luke Norris, C.J. Ziarniak, and Orlando Madrid, saxophone; Charlie Carr, trumpet; Abe Nouri and Tanner Jackson, trombone; and Rebekah Lorenz, horn. Faculty members joining the ensemble are Charles Pillow, saxophone; Clay Jenkins, trumpet; Harold Danko and Jeffrey Benetar, piano; Jeff Campbell, double bass; and Rich Thompson, drums.

The Eastman Chamber Jazz Ensemble is a select ensemble which has performed both locally and internationally, including the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, Saint Peter’s Church in New York City, and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy.

Congratulations!

I wanted to note the passing of one of the voices and long time advocates for the Rochester jazz community, Tom Hampson, who died this week at the age of 87.  While I was acquainted with Tom and listened to his WXXI Jazz from the Cellar program from time to time, I never had an opportunity to get to know him so don't feel qualified to say much more. Instead, I've gathered a few thoughts from local jazz musicians who knew him much better: 

• So sad to hear the news that Tom Hampson has passed away. He was a treasure to the Rochester community and music community at large. Tom was a very successful constitutional and corporate attorney @ Harris-Beach, jazz DJ at WXXI and all around great friend to so many. He was a champion of the Rochester Jazz scene and Eastman Jazz. He was the caretaker of the legal side of Alec Wilder's music and a close personal friend of Marian McPartland. His show 'Mostly Jazz' on WXXI would profile an artist for an entire show. He would tell the stories behind the music and personal anecdotes of his experiences hearing and meeting the greatest artists in the history of jazz. He was a dear friend that cared about people, not just because they played the music he loved. I'll remember him forever. —Bob Sneider
• RIP Tom Hampson. Tom was an amazing guy who had a show on WXXI 1370 for many years. He was one of the most supportive guys to all us jazz musicians in Rochester often dedicating shows just playing our music. Tom also wrote for City Newspaper back in the day and would review gigs and concerts in town. Most importantly he was a great person to talk with. He will be dearly missed. —Mike Melito

You can also read (or listen) about Tom here on WXXI's website.

I encourage others in the jazz community who knew Tom to share their memories of Tom and jazz in Rochester in the comments to this post. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. Given what I've been through for the past six months that I've mentioned in previous posts, you know mine does. 

Having heard Paul Smoker play a number of times since moving to Rochester, I knew the intensity and beauty of his playing and compositions. I felt that his recent passing on May 14th should be noted here in these pages, but I didn't know Paul and there had been some thoughtful pieces on Paul and his music by Jeff Spevak in the D&C and Ron Netsky in City and didn’t feel I had anything more to contribute myself. But Tim Sullivan, Professor Emeritus in the Music Department, who did know Paul, responded to my call out to my email list of local musicians about writing a guest post. Tim's guest post is below:

“A musician is one who travels with $5000 worth of equipment in a $500 car, 100 miles for 50 bucks.” That aging quip is one that many musicians and their spouses know, one to which they respond with grins and grimaces. Paul Smoker was known as a tough traveler, and as a strong player. Those aspects of his presence traveled quickly to our town when he moved here from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, largely to be closer to two members of his band who, by 1990, lived in New York.

What traveled more slowly was a certain deep beauty of his playing and person. Paul and his pianist wife Beverly decided that they would move to the place that provided work for one of them, and that place was Rochester, and that person was Beverly, who became the chief professor of piano at the Music Department of Nazareth College. Paul’s drive to play necessarily directed his energies toward “the city” and as the faculty of the college came to hear the reach of his musical thought we were glad to have him in town, when we could.

It was, I think, during the third year of the Smoker’s life here, the Spring semester of 1992, when an opening of particular beauty appeared: the college big band needed brass players and Paul was asked to identify trumpet students who might play. At the end of a phone conversation he said “well, of course, I could play….” And, when word got out that Paul would be in the band, players emerged from goodness knows where in a sort of re-enactment of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. That semester the band wailed, the band was fun, and Paul, I think relaxing in an environment where his fierce new music drive would not be under scrutiny--after all, one thinks of the Biblical question “What … could come out of Nazareth…?” (paraphrased here)--played for us from his gorgeous cornucopia of the knowledge of bebop. It was bebop superb, bebop beautiful, bebop flowing, bebop nourishing the band. And he was IN the band, swinging, inspiring, and illuminating all.

Around then one discovered a further virtue of the man, his generosity. If one wondered, as I would, about a particular piece of new-music by a composer such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, a cassette of the work would soon appear on one’s desk. (Yes, a cassette, this was during the last millennium … later, CDs, of course). That generosity, an inclusive one, flourished when Paul became the director of the jazz ensemble at Nazareth, as he wrote parts to fit kids into the band. Generous and provident he was.

Yes, effectively and rather famously, he presented the tough guy face. But a lot of us knew better. In his playing there was a fierce beauty, and in his person a helpful, generous guy.

Please feel free to add your own thoughts about Paul Smoker and his music in the Comments.

Congratulations are in order.... The Student Music Awards announced in the June issue of DownBeat magazine included four students at the Eastman School of Music:

• Garret Reynolds was recognized for Undergraduate College Outstanding Composition for his work Our Time. The 12-minute piece was recorded during his recital in November 14, 2014. It features Evan Burrus, alto saxophone; Matthew Sieber-Ford, tenor saxophone; Julian Garvue, piano; Emiliano Lasansky, bass; Michael Craig, drums; and Lanighan on trombone and Reynolds on flugelhorn. Reynolds, a member of the class of 2016, is a jazz trumpet major.
• Brendan Lanighan was recognized for Undergraduate College Outstanding Arrangement for Lament by J.J. Johnson. The piece was recorded in October 2014 and features Shoghi Hayes, trumpet; Mike Forfia, bass; Michael Craig, drums; and Garvue on piano and Tanaka on clarinet. Lanighan will receive his bachelor’s degree in jazz trombone and music education this month. In the fall, he will be student teaching at Williamsville East High School, gigging, and continuing to teach his private students. 
• Gabe Condon and Julian Tanaka were named Graduate College Arrangement winners for In a Sentimental Mood and Orbit (Unless It’s You), respectively. Condon’s arrangement of the Duke Ellington standard “In a Sentimental Mood” was inspired by a 1963 recording of the work featuring John Coltrane and Ellington. The seven-and-a-half minute work was recorded during a March 2014 concert by the Eastman Studio Orchestra, featuring Marc Abrate as baritone saxophone soloist and Condon as guitar soloist. Condon, who is receiving his master’s degree in jazz writing this month, is releasing his debut album on June 22. He will be pursuing a performing career in New York City after graduation. Orbit (Unless It's You) is a rarely performed Bill Evans trio piece.  Tanaka arranged it for a big band, and the five-and-a-half minute work was recorded during an Eastman Jazz Ensemble concert in fall of 2014. Featured soloists were Garvue on piano; Condon on guitar; Tanaka on clarinet; and Aaron Eckert, euphonium. Tanaka will be continuing his studies next year as a master’s degree student in jazz writing.

Entries for the annual Student Music Awards are judged on musicianship, creativity, improvisation, technique, sound quality and balance, excitement, authority, and other criteria. The judges include editors of DownBeat, professional musicians, and educators.  

Sam Nicolosi dropped this over my transom...

Psst! keep it to yourself, but we're meeting in the "Garden" on Wednesday. That's the day, June 26th, during which the two science guys (and acoustic-jazz guitarists), "Ted Nicolosi and Shared Genes" hit the stage behind the Central Library (that's across the street from the Rundel building). High noon, 90 degree temps, situated in the middle of an enormous heat sink comprised of concrete, asphalt and brick: A "Thermodynamic Scenario" for sure. Ladies: permission granted to bring hats! The guitar necks will be expanding causing the strings to go sharp, the coefficient of friction will rise along the frets, linear speed may be affected and power amps will loose efficiency.

Oh well, that's what goes through the mind of the very first Xerox Product Design Engineer to perform in the "Xerox-RIJF". Yup, sorry to disappoint you, but that's me, Sam Nicolosi, the elder of the duo. In many years of service I have had the privilege to develop mechanical designs and patents for several Xerox products, including the new Xerox iGen Production Printer.

I will be joined by my ace side-man and son, Ted, a guitar virtuoso in his on right. Ted, however, is off in a different science direction, he is a fourth year Biomedical Sciences major at the Rochester Institute of Technology (my alma mater), "premed as they say". So if you have the time and "curiosity', stop out to see us on Wednesday at noon, to see the R.I.T. "science" connection to the Xerox-RIJF. Ladies, remember the hats!

Note from Greg: I would love to have more personal experiences of XRIJF 2013 from the many local artists who are playing. Contact me through the email in the middle panel to get the ball rolling.

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.

Every year one of the treats that comes out of the Democrat & Chronicle's ever-growing coverage of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival is the series of photo essays by Will Yurman and the "Jazz Stories" videos. [Update: Will Yurman is no longer part of the project as he has left Rochester to begin a gig at Penn State). The first of those videos, by Annette Lein (who has taken on the "Jazz Stories" project), was just released (I think today), with a short profile of talented bassist-vocalist Katie Ernst, who just graduated from Eastman School of Music, will stop off for a gig at the XRIJF on June 16th before continuing on her journey (are you heading back to Chicago area, Katie?). I've had an opportunity to see Katie play (and sing) and those of you who go to her Max gig are in for a treat. Her enthusiasm for music is infectious.

These videos and all of the XRIJF-related articles in the Democrat & Chronicle can be found on their redesigned site.

Perhaps since the original deadline was getting close and there were only about 17 entries and to give bands and artists some more time to add their videos into the mix, the folks at the Rochester Jazz Star contest have extended the deadline for submitting videos to May 14th.  There were 20 up there at the time I posted this.

I've been watching some of the videos and there is a wide variety of talent from around Rochester, including some folks you see around town (and in my listings) and others you may not have heard of ... yet.

The contest is brought to us by Rochester International Jazz Festival sponsor Xerox in conjunction with the festival.  You can read more about the contest in my earlier post "Jazz festival sponsor Xerox brings jazz 'Idol' to Rochester in Jazz Star contest)".

Gerry Niewood—saxophonist and flutist, band leader and long-time sideman to Chuck Magione, died in the February 12, 2009, crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo. Niewood was also Rochester native, Eastman alumnus, and the original lead alto sax of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble under its first director, Chuck Mangione. If you haven't heard of it yet, Niewood's family, friends and admirers from Eastman have put together a great concert to honor Gerry Niewood's musical legacy on Wednesday, October 14th at 8:00 pm. The Eastman Jazz Ensemble and the school's New Jazz Ensemble will perform, along with guest appearances by Chuck Mangione, Lew Soloff, Pat LaBarbera, and Gerry's son Adam Niewood as well as other faculty and musicians associated with Eastman. The concert will premiere a number of never-recorded Niewood original compositions arranged by an all-star cast of writers, including Bill Dobbins, John Labarbera, Rich DeRosa, Dave Rivello, Mike Titlebaum, Don Menza and Russ Kassoff.

Tickets are $12 to $45 (discounts with UR or student ID) and available at the Rochester Philharmonic Box Office, 108 East Ave.; by phone (585) 454-2100; or online. Proceeds will go to the Gerry Niewood Memorial Scholarship Fund at ESM. Those interested in making a contribution to the Fund otherwise may contact the Eastman School of Music, (585) 274-1040, visit the school's fund page here, or send a check payable to the "Eastman School of Music" to: Eastman School of Music, Office of Development-Gerry Niewood Scholarship, 26 Gibbs St., Rochester, NY 14604.

As at the time of our post following Niewood's death, others have recently written about the concert and so I'm reprising the new with the older material I gathered below:

• Eastman concert honors the late jazzman Gerry Niewood (Anna Reguero,October 11th, D&C)
• Concert celebrates Niewood, his music (Jack Garner, August 7th, D&C)
• Listen to Niewood on his MySpace page.
• Gerry Niewood's page on ArtistDirect.
• Ron Netsky's obituary for Niewood and Mellett on Rochester City Newspaper in February.
• Jason Crane's thoughts at the time, plus links to interviews he has done with Gerry Niewood and his son Adam.
• Adam Niewood left a message on Facebook about his father's death reprinted here.
• Although he grew up in Rochester, Niewood was a long-time resident of Glen Ridge, NJ. A local site has their perspective (especially in the comments).
• Over at JazzCorner.com's "Speakeasy" forum, there was a thread on Niewood's death.

My focus during the Rochester International Jazz Festival often turns away from Rochester to increase my exposure to jazz and other music from beyond our area, but that doesn't mean that I don't value the jazz that is to be found right here. Of course not, if I didn't think that Rochester wasn't an interesting and, in fact, unique location for hearing live jazz and other music why would I be doing this blog at all? It ain't making me rich, that's for sure.

The fact is that Rochester has (and has a history of having) a great number of incredible and talented jazz artists who call this area home. There are many who are teaching the jazz artists of tomorrow and are students of the music themselves. Some are playing this year's XRIJF; some are not and should be. Come out and hear some of these great artists during the festival and find out what you're missing throughout the year (and don't forget check out posts each Wednesday here to find out when and where, like the one I'll post tomorrow). Here's a rundown of locals (and those who were here recently) at the XRIJF:

Friday, June 12th

• Gates-Chili HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Greece Olympia HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Mike Kaupa Quartet @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Gap Mangione Quintet @ Max of Eastman Place, 6:15 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Saturday, June 13th

• Smugtown Stompers @ Mary Jemison Boat on The Genesee River, 2:30 pm
• Smugtown Stompers @ Mary Jemison Boat on The Genesee River, 4:30 pm
• Honeoye Falls HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Pittsford-Sutherland HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Greece Jazz Band @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Sunday, June 14th

• Smugtown Stompers @ Mary Jemison Boat on The Genesee River, 2:30 pm
• Smugtown Stompers @ Mary Jemison Boat on The Genesee River, 4:30 pm
• Webster Schoeder HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Rush-Henrietta HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• High School Band Directors Big Band directed by Bill Tiberio @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Eastman Community Music School Jazz Combo @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Monday, June 15th

• Mike Cottone @ Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• West Irondequoit HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30
• Hilton HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15
• Bill Tiberio Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Mike Melito Quintet @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 7:15 pm
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra @ Eastman Theatre, 7:30 pm
• RIJF-ESM Scholarships Performance "Celebrating The Legacy of Woody Herman" @ Eastman Theatre, 8:00
• Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 9:15 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Tuesday, June 16th

• Matt Valerio Quartet @ Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Greece Odyssey HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Penfield HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Eastman Community Music School Jazz Combo @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage , 6:00 pm
• Sean Jefferson 5tet + Marcus Strickland @ Montage, 6:00 & 10:00 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Wednesday, June 17th

• Bob Sneider Trio @ Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Greece Athena HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• School Of The Arts HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Eastman Community Music School Jazz Combo @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage , 6:00 pm
• Dave Rivello Ensemble @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Thursday, June 18th

• Matt Owens @ Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County, 12:00 pm
• Brockport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Spencerport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Brockport Community Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Clay Jenkins & Friends @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• Eastman Community Music School Jazz Combo @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage , 6:00 pm
• New Horizons Big Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 7:15 pm
• Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 9:15 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Friday, June 19th

• Fairport HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Newark HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• John Nyerges Quintet @ XRIJF Club Pass Big Tent, 6:00 pm
• XRIJF Salutes the late Joe Romano with Special Guests @ Xerox Auditorium, 6:30 & 9:00 pm
• Campbell Brothers (opening for Robert Randolph) @ City of Rochester East Ave. & Alexander St. Stage, 7:00 pm
• Po' Boys Brass Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage,7:15 & 9:15 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Saturday, June 20th

• Webster Thomas HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 4:30 pm
• Kendall HS Jazz Band @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 5:15 pm
• Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra @ City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage, 6:00 pm
• Bacci Band @ City of Rochester East Ave. & Alexander St. Stage, 7:00 pm
• After hours with Bob Sneider Trio @ State St. Bar & Grille at the Rochester Plaza Hotel, 10:30 pm

Let me know if I missed anyone! If you're playing around town during the festival, send me an email and let me know when and where so I can get you into the post tomorrow and next Wednesday.

Come out to join more than seventy Rochester area musicians when they come together for a nine-hour benefit concert to honor their friend, Rochester bassist Rafael "Ralph" Ortiz, who passed away February 2, 2009, after a short battle with cancer.

The concert will take place at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water Street) on Sunday, April 26 from 1 to 10 p.m., and will feature 11 bands and many guest appearances on alternating main and club stages at Water Street Music Hall, including (subject to change):

• Chet Catallo & the Cats, with special guests Eli Konikoff and Peter Chwazik
• Prime Time Funk, with special guests Todd East, Jeff Cosco and Trevor Neumann
• Steve Greene
• Joe Brucato
• Atlas
• Don Maracle & Dave Hanlon
• The Buddahood
• Me & the Boyz
• Po Boys Brass Band
• The Legendary Dukes
• Dan Schmitt & the Shadows
• Mint Jam

"Incredibly, Ralph played with most of the musicians participating," says Prime Time Funk co-founder and best friend, Jim Richmond. "Some he taught, and the rest are fans who wanted to play with him but never got the chance."

Tickets are $20 and will be available this Friday, March 20 at: WSMH, Northfield Music, House of Guitars, Record Archive, The Bop Shop, Sound Source, Abilene Bar & Lounge, Murray Street Station (Newark, NY) and Irene's Coffee & Jazz House (Geneva). The event will also feature a silent auction of special items including one of Ralph's basses, guitars donated by Northfield Music and House of Guitars, and two club passes donated by the Rochester International Jazz Festival. The sale of food and concessions will also benefit the Rafael Ortiz Memorial Fund, which will help to pay medical and other family expenses as well as fund two music scholarships in Ralph's name: one for a graduating senior pursuing music studies from Ralph's alma mater, Newark High School, and the other for bass lessons at Northfield Music in Pittsford, where Ralph taught for 20 years.

Tom Kohn is relentless .... He is passionate about the music that inhabits the edges of our listening and he wants to share that passion with Rochester. He doesn't care that, from all evidence, there are few around town who share his feelings. Listening to music that challenges him fills him with joy and Tom simply is going to root out those who the music has a chance to reach and then try to share his joy with them. This desire in him has led him to spend more than 25 years running the Bop Shop, arguably one of the best remaining independent record stores in the country and also to put on more than 200 jazz (and another 50 or more rock, blues and other music) events near his store and elsewhere. He continues to branch out in his work of proselytizing. It is why he recently formed a nonprofit, Bop Arts Inc., to help fund more of this innovative and improvisational music throughout the year. It definitely ain't making him money. A similar passion is why I do this blog. I'm not trying to shove one type of jazz or another down any of my readers' throats. I just want you to try once in awhile to open up your ears to something other than what you've always been told to was “good music” by others.

So I came down to the Bop Shop Atrium on Sunday night, March 1st, to check out the symposium, called “The Making of a Music Community: Perspectives on New Music from Performers and Listeners," that Bop Arts put on to bring musicians and others together to talk about building a community of music. In this world, the “experts” are the musicians. Like the music that Tom programmed which took up most of the event, the symposium was improvised, but it was much more than a panel of experts. Trumpeter Paul Smoker, who brought his jazz ensemble from Nazareth College, and percussionist and vibe player Kevin Norton, who was here with his trio Counterpoint, both riffed on some great stories of why they “keep beating their heads” against the wall of indifference that confronts their music. Both have deep and long association with jazz and those who ply its less traveled paths like Anthony Braxton (who both played with on several projects). As Smoker put it, playing the music and the focus and drive it has given him saved his life. Guitarist Adam Caine, whose trio finished up the night brought the perspective of a younger artist who was just coming up in the jazz world.

Like the name Kohn gave to the symposium, last night we created a small community. As Norton said during the symposium, the music he loves forms "audiences and musicians into a community of the moment.” We came together for some compelling music, some tasty lasagna, and a bit of exploration of why we keep “beating our heads” in trying to bring live music making and improvising to a wider audience. All in all, it was a good night....

Gerry Niewood—jazz saxophonist and flutist, band leader and long-time sideman to Chuck Magione, Eastman graduate—was a victim of the February 12, 2009, crash of Flight 3407 near Buffalo (along with Coleman Mellett of Mangione's band). He was scheduled to perform with Mangione's band Friday in Buffalo. He came to play in Rochester pretty often; I heard him at the Strathallan in 2007.

Others have already written so much about him, I'll just point you to them (and the many comments that accompany them) and some other places you can go:

• Listen to Niewood on his MySpace page.
• Gerry Niewood's page on ArtistDirect.
• Ron Netsky has an obituary for Niewood and Mellett up on Rochester City Newspaper.
• Jason Crane adds his thoughts, plus links to interviews he has done with Gerry Niewood and his son Adam.
• Although he grew up in Rochester, Niewood was a long-time resident of Glen Ridge, NJ. A local site has their perspective (especially in the comments).
• Over at JazzCorner.com's "Speakeasy" forum, here's the thread on Niewood's death.
• Gerry's son, Adam, left a message on Facebook about his father's death.

In posting the list of the jazz fallen of 2008 (which I did from a conference in NYC) on February 2nd, I was unaware that a bass player Rafael "Ralph" Ortiz, beloved by many in Rochester, had just passed away Monday after a short battle with cancer discovered only weeks ago. I had heard that Ortiz was in the hospital at the Exodus to Jazz gig on January 30th and was told at that time that his time was short, but hadn't heard about his death from anyone and have been traveling.  Ralph was most recently associated with Prime Time Funk, but also played with Cabo Frio, Chet Catallo & The Cats, and a host of other bands.

Although I'm a bit late (apparently the wake was on the 4th), due to the number of folks who have already left comments elsewhere (and elsewhere on this blog), I thought I'd add a quick post to provide another place for musicians who worked with or loved Ralph Ortiz to write their thoughts on his passing.  You can find other thoughts on the City obit and on Jeff Spevak's article in the D&C and read comments there as well. Tracy Kroft remembers on Rochester Music Scene (and Heard).

Please click on the comment link at the bottom of this post if you'd like leave your thoughts here.

Friends and musicians who wish to get together and share memories of Rochester jazz saxophonist Joe Romano, who died of cancer in late November, are invited to a memorial party taking place this Sunday, January 11th, at the Midvale Country Club (2387 Baird Rd, Penfield, NY 14526; 585-586-7100). The party will start 2:00 pm. There will be music from around 2:00 to 4:00 pm, as well as pictures, videos, recordings, food, a cash bar, and lots of musicians, family and friends. For additional details call the Midvale CC or Diane Armesto  (716-913-1463). Proper dress is required--no jeans & sneakers please.

Since it was posted the day after Joe Romano passed away, a number of jazz artists have added wonderful reminiscences about Joe in the comments to my post, Joe Romano is sitting in with the angels now... Rest in peace, Joe. I encourage you to click on this link and read them.

Joe Romano, a sax man close to the hearts of many jazz musicians in Rochester and around the world has passed away. Joe played with a veritable Who's Who of jazz greats, including Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Woody Herman, Chuck Mangione, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins, Art Pepper, Barry Harris, Sonny Stitt, and Charlie Parker. As Ron Netsky noted in City Newspaper in 2003, "[o]ver the last half century, few Rochester jazz musicians have pulled off as much as Joe Romano."

Romano was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer a few months ago and recently moved back to Rochester to live out the rest of his days. He died yesterday evening at the age of 76.

If you'd like to leave a comment about memories of hearing or playing with Joe, please feel free to leave a comment or send an email to me here at the blog and I'll collect them and post them at a later date.

Here's a profile of Joe published today in the Democrat & Chronicle. Check out the growing number of rememberances in the comments (click on the Comments link below)

As I've promised, I'm trying to add new voices to Jazz@Rochester. I've heard today's guest post writer, drummer Mike Melito, a lot over the past few years, playing with various groupings with Bob Sneider and Phil Flanagan and others at the Strathallan, and sitting in with a number of other artists such as James Moody and Benny Golson at the RIJF. I've heard him enough that I can recognize Mike's style even before I see his smiling face. He's just a great guy and I'm glad he's willing to write some stuff for my readers. I asked Mike to write a bit about being an jazz artist here in Rochester and he sent in the following:

I’ve been a professional jazz musician in Rochester for 25 years. The jazz scene here has changed quite a bit over the years. Some years there would be all kinds of gigs and other years not as many. I would do quite a bit of driving between playing gigs in Buffalo, Syracuse and Utica as well. I can say that today Rochester probably has the most venues for jazz out of all those cities. I’ve been asked many times by people why I never moved to NYC? There are a few reasons but the main reason is the players I get to play every week here are every bit as good as most guys in NYC. I think there is a misconception about New York. People think if you live in New York you must be great. That is totally not true!! I’ve played with many guys who live in NYC and make a good living in jazz that can’t touch the guys I play with here every week.

My regular Strathallan gig has been going great! We’ve had some great guests come in to play with us. Guests have included Vincent Herring, Grant Stewart, Ralph Lalama, John Nugent, John Swana, Peter Bernstein, Ken Peplowski, Harry Allen, Don Menza, Frank Strazzeri, Rachel Z, Todd Coolman, Gerry Niewood, Pat Labarbera and many more. Bob Sneider has done a TREMENDOUS job with booking all these guests. Look for many more guests to come as well. The next guests to come are three on the same weekend! Trumpeter Jim Rotondi, bassist Lee Hudson and my brother drummer Tom Melito all play the Strathallan the weekend of April 11th and 12th. That should be a GREAT weekend! Having Bob Sneider, Paul Hofmann or Bill Dobbins on piano will be equally exciting! We play every Friday and Saturday night from 8:30pm to 12:00 am. No Cover!

I recently recorded a new CD that should be out in the summer. It’s called In The Tradition and features Grant Stewart on tenor, John Swana on trumpet, Bob Sneider, Paul Hofmann and bassist Neal Miner. I’m very proud of this record. It came out well! There are some great tunes by Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, Tadd Dameron, plus some originals too. Stay tuned . . . .

Watch for Mike's album on my Rochester Sounds page in the future and check out his albums now on CDBaby.com.  I'm sure we'll hear (and read) more from him in the future. By the way, feel free to leave a comment and let me know who you'd like to hear from and I'll see if I can get them to write something up.

The Future of Music Coalition is partnering with the the Rochester Musicians Association (AFM Local 66) and the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester to bring a “What’s The Future for Musicians?” seminar to Rochester. This free event will be held at the Rochester Museum & Science Center on Monday, April 28, from 3:00-8:30 pm. The Future of Music Coalition is a national non-profit that deals with issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law. One of FMC's missions is to help musicians understand these tricky issues in order to make better-informed decisions regarding their art and livelihood.

At the seminar, musicians will learn about such topical issues as promotion and distribution, internet marketing, access to media outlets such as radio, compensation in the digital age and the importance of open Internet structures. Artists from all genres—including jazz, classical, rock, folk and hip-hop—are welcome to come and learn. The seminar will be guided by a core group of presenters who have a wide range of expertise in the music, performance, technology, policy, copyright and law space. Attendees will have an opportunity to interact with peer-experts in breakout sessions and roundtable discussions. This seminar is part of a series of New York State music education events, which also includes presentations in Buffalo on April 2nd, Syracuse on April 29th, and Albany on the 30th.

It's free, but registration is necessary.  To RSVP, call the Rochester Musicians' Association at (585) 546-7633 or Tracy Kroft at the Arts and Cultural Council at (585) 473-4000 x 210 or via the online RSVP form.

I'll keep the image in the left panel until after the Rochester seminar. I'm reserving space in the left panel for this and other non-profit causes with a "jazz" or music focus.

Last night I got home from work and before I had moved completely into a post work week stupor, I got a call from my friend saxophone player Jimmie Highsmith Jr. While I knew Wycliffe Gordon, the fantastic trombone player with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and former veteran of the Wynton Marsalis Septet, was in town to play a concert with the kids out in Hilton, Jimmie told me that he might show up later at Jimmie's gig with members of Filthy Funk at the new Club Network over on Central Street near the old Post Office. Getting to hear Wycliffe blow live is always a treat, and I enjoy hearing Jimmie and Filthy Funk's jams so I headed downtown. Typical for a lot of venues in Rochester, Jimmie and the Filthy Funk were playing to a house of maybe ten, most of whom weren't paying too much attention. As they played a second set, still no Wycliffe, the place started filling up and people started noticing the funky sounds coming from the back of the room (really liked the version of Wayne Shorter's Footprints and Mr. PC, a Coltrane tune off of Jimmie's most recent album, It Is What It Is.

A third set started and it seemed that the fates had kept Mr. Gordon from joining us on this night. About a half hour before the end of the final set, in walked Wycliffe Gordon. He set up and then blew incredible solos and fills during the two last songs. I'm sure some of the folks in Club Network that night didn't know that they had just heard one of the best jazz trombone players in the world blow.  And boy did he blow . . . .

My friend Tracy over at Rochester Music Scene (and Heard) is also a staffer at the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester. She let me know that on Friday, December 7, 2007 the Council is hosting one of a continuing series of legal workshops at the its offices at 277 N. Goodman Street. This one will be on "Best Practices for Musicians and the People Who Work With Them," featuring speakers Margaret Spoddig from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Marc S. Brown from the local law firm of Hiscock & Barclay.

Light refreshments will be served. Registration begins at 1:00 pm and the program will run from 1:30 until 5:00. The cost is $30 for students, $40 for Arts Council members, and $50 for all others. You can pre-register by calling Tracy Kroft at (585) 473-4000 x210 or email her here. Payment is requested at the time of registration.

Margaret Spoddig will be discussing issues of importance to performers, composers and venue operators. Currently a Director of Membership in the genre of rock and pop at ASCAP, she recruits music writers and publishers by going out to see the latest bands and communicating with others in the industry. Ms. Spoddig has worked in the recording industry administration at Sony and Universal. Her career began with the inception of her own record label, Devour Records. Marc S. Brown's practice is in the area of commercial litigation, with a particular focus on entertainment law, and he has represented a variety of local, regional and national musical artists, as well as entertainment, recording and publishing companies in contract and licensing matters. He will be talking about contract issues as they pertain to the business of music. Local musician, Greg Wachala, will speak about the challenges of working as a musician in Rochester. Arts Council staff will also be speaking about the member benefits of the pro bono legal assistance program and the health insurance program for artists, including musicians. The workshop is sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, Hiscock & Barclay LLP, and the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Frank DeBlase over at the City Newspaper has written a profile of Quinn Lawrence, who holds down a job on the real swing shift with his trio at the Flat Iron Cafe at an after hours jam starting at 1:00 am on Saturday nights (OK, Sunday morning...it all depends on your perspective). Quinn is a multi-instrument jazz man (Frank, you left out the saxophone...) who is comfortable playing all across the spectrum of jazz. If you're out on the town and not quite ready to head home to the bed, Quinn and his trio will keep that head bobbing for awhile longer. There's some great jazz at the Flat Iron at other times, too. Flat Iron Cafe owner Tom LaBue would love to help you get some caffeine into those veins (or beer and wine) and get a bit more than a "modest crowd" out to support the jazz. Check out the story and the jam . . . it's worth staying up late.

My buddy Jimmie Highsmith Jr. is going to be celebrating his 40th birthday with some of his friends on Sept 15th from 7:00 to10:00 pm at VENU Resto-Lounge at 151 St. Paul St. in Rochester.

Jimmie will be joined in this celebration by 4X Grammy nominee Joseph Wooten of the Wooten Brothers (you may have heard brother Victor recently), jazz producer and sax player Will Holten, Tyler Owens on vocals and members of the groups Black August and Filthy Funk, plus others who may show up (every time I see Jimmie he's inviting someone, so who knows who will show up...). Admission is FREE (yes . . . free, although you might want to avail yourself of one of those great martinis they make at VENU and I bet they'll charge you for that). Doors open at 6:30 pm. Remember that VENU likes to see you dress to impress. Visit their website or phone (585) 232-5650.

So, can we call Jimmie a "Jr." anymore?  Of course we can as I'm sure Mr. Highsmith Sr. would appreciate it.  I'm one to talk about age....I passed this milestone over 5 years ago.  Forty years . . . It is what it is! Happy Birthday, Jimmie! Let's . . .

It's been a long time coming, but I thought why limit it to what's on my turntable?  One of the main focuses of this blog is to help promote local live jazz here in Rochester.  To that end, I'm inaugurating a new feature in the left panel "Rochester Sounds . . . " that will feature new CDs by local artists. 

I'll try to rotate as much as possible.  Unlike the other, which is connected to the Amazon affiliate program, for these I'm going to try to link to an online source for buying the CD that will provide the artist the most return. However, in the interest of full disclosure, on some of them  if you click through and buy, I may be  a member of an affiliate program and get a bit of coin (not serious money, actual coins) for the referral. 

Jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis's other groups, is joining local favorite saxman Jimmie Highsmith Jr. and vocalist Tyler Owens at the Memorial Art Gallery on Saturday, May 12, 2007 from 8 pm to 10 pm at "A Night of Hot Jazz and Cool Art," a benefit for The Advocacy Center. The Advocacy Center provides information, support and advocacy to individuals with disabilities and their families. Jimmie Highsmith will also be celebrating the release of his third CD, "It Is What It Is," which features Wycliffe on several tracks (tracks I had the opportunity to see being recorded). The benefit will also include an art auction, with proceeds benefiting The Advocacy Center's programs. Lia Lando from Fox Rochester and News 8 Now will serve as Host for the event. Hors d'oeuvres and desserts will be provided by local restaurants and bakeries. Sponsors include Wachovia, Faraci Lange LLP, Preferred Care, and WROC Channel 8. Advance tickets for "A Night of Hot Jazz and Cool Art" are $35 person and can be purchased by calling The Advocacy Center at 546-1700. Tickets will be $40 at the door. One of the standout things about my friend Jimmie Highsmith Jr. is how he tries to give back to the community through his music.  This is his second year playing for The Advocacy Center's event (and my second year trying to help them connect with you), and he is happy to be involved again: "I wanted to some way benefit a cause that I really felt strongly about," said Highsmith. "I've seen the struggles individuals with disabilities and their families go through to create quality lives. There are a lot of children, adults, and families who need help to break down the barriers that keep them from realizing their goals." Go get'em Jimmie.

Recently, I found out that Richard Shade Gardner over at Rochesterblog.com, an online cyberjournal about Rochester and its people, history, etc., had told my business partner that he wanted to link swap (and he has, in fact, linked to Jazz@Rochester).  I had come across Richard's blog awhile ago and had always meant to take a closer look, but hadn't.  You see, Richard writes....a lot and I've been having trouble recently doing the one thing required to follow someone like him . . . reading. But once I took the time, I found a rich source about all things Rochester. Once a week for several years he has written a long form article and published it on the blog. The articles span a gamut from a topless protest on Cobb's Hill to H.O.G. (House of Guitars for the uninitiated). 

In looking back into Rochester's past, he even touches on its history of jazz, including a wonderful article on happening upon a plaque in the Swillburg neighborhood commemorating:

In the middle of a small grassy square, encircled by Avon Place, Fountain Street, and Sycamore Street - tiny streets lined with small hundred-year-old homes - I spot a modest granite monument. I step across the grass and read the bronze plaque:

Dedicated to Cabel "Cab" Calloway the king of "Hi-De-Ho" - An internationally known band leader, singer, dancer, actor and composer. Cab, an African-American, was born in Rochester, New York on December 25, 1907 and once lived at 14 Sycamore Street.

As I've said many times before, Rochester has a rich jazz history and Cab Calloway is a big part of that history.  I really enjoyed reading and hope to find more of that history. Check out this short movie Hi-De-Ho with Cab and the band playing in a Santa Fe sleeper and at the Cotton Club (complete with fan dancers...):

So are you MySpacing? Like this blog, this phenomenon of social media allows one to easily set up a site that runs on creating links between people and building networks. There are also some great tools available on MySpace sites, including a way to stream an artist's latest music. Musicians of all stripes, not just the ones all the youngsters are listening to, are flocking to MySpace.  A number of jazz artists and groups are also getting in on the "Friends" action.  So far, I've managed to find the following local artists in my meanderings around MySpace (some of whom already have links in the right panel):

• Bob Sneider
• Mike Kaupa
• Paradigm Shift
• Richie Vitale
• Hard Logic
• Dubblestuff
• And my friend Jimmie Highsmith Jr.

If an artist is not in the Artists links yet, I'll be adding them soon.  If you wish to have your MySpace page added to my artist list, then let me know through the comments and I'll see if I can get them in there. I started to set up a MySpace page to see what it was all about.  Didn't get very far before realizing that I was just setting myself up for more work and, as you can see by the lean posting in the past week, I'm having enough trouble keeping up with the amount I have now in relation to this and other blogs that I post to.

My Sunday session hearing Wycliffe Gordon lay trombone tracks down for Jimmie Highsmith Jr.'s new album just wasn't enough, so Dianna and I drove out to Dynamic Recording Studios Saturday night while Jimmie did some more work on the album.  Another great experience as I had the opportunity to experience the full recording of one of the tracks—Marvin Gaye's What's Goin On.  First, John Viviani and Nick Murray of local band Filthy Funk laid down the rhythm track with Jimmie's drummer Jerome (Jimmie, shout out his name in the comments as I didn't get it).  Then Jimmie and Marvin Williams, one of Jimmie's mentors laid down the saxophone tracks separately.

Jimmie is trying make this album sound "live" by keeping some of the immediacy of the recordings, k keeping takes and not processing it too much in the mix.  It was fascinating watching the process roll out and getting to see one of the cuts on the new album be recorded from start to finish.  My thanks to Jimmie for the opportunity to see the process firsthand.

Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows that I try to let you all know about gigs that local jazz saxman Jimmy Highsmith, Jr. has around town.  One reason is that I want to give him props for his support of the Rochester community through benefits and in other ways.  I consider Jimmie a friend now and was delighted to find an email in my Inbox on Sunday asking me to come by Dynamic Recording Studios that evening while trombonist Wycliffe Gordon laid down some tracks on Jimmie's new album.  It was my first experience at a recording session.  Jimmie and the band had already recorded their parts; Wycliffe was here for a gig at the Memorial Art Gallery with Whitney Marchelle.  What was interesting was hearing Wycliffe lay down the solo on the title track of the album, It Is What It Is.  He set up three versions of the solo.  Each was completely different and each one worked (although one worked better), without music or a chart. 

Jimmie had just had a root canal and had laid down his tracks with the bad tooth and was feeling bad about his playing.  It was especially hard on him to have Wycliffe working with those tracks, which he was going to re-record on Saturday (we hope to be there for that as well), saying that it made feel like he was having company over and there are "dirty dishes in the sink and my drawers on the floor."  But he and Wycliffe go way back. Musicians are always hard on themselves when it comes to hearing their own work.  I'm really looking forward to going this Saturday and taking Dianna with me this time.