Jazz@Rochester has been on Twitter for a long time and is closing in on 11,000 followers. We follow local jazz artists, jazz artists from elsewhere with a local connection, and more than a few of my favorite artists, websites, blogs and other jazz information sources. There are a number of the artists (in jazz and other genres) on Twitter appearing at this year's Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and so far I've found 90 of them and added them to a Twitter List. I'm afraid I regrettably have had to leave some off due to the noise their feed creates in the list (Erykah Badu's @fatbellybella account, with over 1M followers, just drowns everything out...).  

It can be fun checking in on what XRIJF artists are doing before and after the festival, sharing relevant insights about them with my followers, and letting the artists know how much I enjoyed their performance at the festival. If you'd like to join that conversation, just click on the "tooting Tweeter" (or is it honking...?) to the right to check out our Twitter List and add it to your favorite Twitter client (or of course follow it directly on Twitter), or just follow the Jazz@Rochester Twitter feed (click on the blue Twitter bird at the top the middle column under Connect with Jazz@Rochester to check that out).

If you're appearing at XRIJF 2016 and are on Twitter and not on the List, please tweet to me (or contact me through the site) and let me know and I'll add you.

We've been on Twitter for a long time at Jazz@Rochester, with over 5,800 followers (more every day), and following local jazz artists, jazz artists from elsewhere with a local connection and more than a few of my favorite artists, websites, blogs and other jazz information sources.

There are a large number of the artists appearing at this year's Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival who have a Twitter account. Many of them actually tweet themselves ... really!  Thanks to the XRIJF staff, who kindly provided all the Twitter handles, we have them all (although I'm sure there are more, so please share if you got'em). Click the "tooting Tweeter" (or is it honking...) to the right to check out our Twitter list page or add the XRIJF 2013 Artists Twitter list to your favorite Twitter client (or of course follow it directly on Twitter).

Join in the conversation with your favorite artists.  See what they're saying before and after the XRIJF. I'll be sharing, too, so just watch the Jazz@Rochester Twitter feed (if you want to check that out, click on the blue Twitter bird in the middle column.

This post kicks off a number of posts that will be published over the next couple of weeks highlighting each night of the 2010 Edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, which is quickly approaching on June 11th to 19th.

As there is a wealth of information on the festival's own site about lineup of artists each night (as well as coverage elsewhere), I'm again going to focus these posts on the artists or groups I am planning to catch each day (partly it serves as a way for me to organize my own thoughts and schedule). Where available, I will try to provide some additional links to learn more about my picks and their music and mention some of the other available possibilities if you're finding my choices odd. During the festival itself, as I did last year, I'll add links to others who are covering it in the local mainstream media and blogger community.

Of course, as anyone who has been to the festival will confirm, you have to be flexible as you make your way through its nine days—the inevitable changes will sometimes lead to new discoveries or musical moments you will never forget. John Nugent, Music Director at XRIJF, has been using the phrase "...it's not who you know, it's who you don't know" to describe what he and fellow festival producer Marc Iacona are trying to do with XRIJF. I even bought the T-Shirt last year as I think it is a spot on description. Nugent programs in a wide variety of jazz and other music genres to draw a wider and more diverse audience. While it often leaves the "jazz police" scratching their heads as to why it is called the "Rochester International Jazz Festival," it is always an enjoyable voyage of musical discovery for me. If there was just straight ahead jazz presented, you'd have a couple of thousand people milling around for perhaps a night or two, but not 120,000+ (it will clearly top that this year) on the streets of downtown Rochester for 9 days. Some of those people who are listening to the wide variety of music will catch some of the majority of the shows that are jazz and come away with a desire to hear more. That's how you strengthen the jazz listening community throughout the year.

I have first heard scores of artists at the RIJF over the past 7 years (it had been going on several years before I arrived in Rochester), artists who I continue to listen to and who I likely would have never heard of otherwise. For people like me who hit "Jazz Street" (which Gibbs Street between East and Main is renamed each year) on all nine nights of the festival, it is a constant state of movement between venues, sometimes taking an unexpected detour to accompany friends to what they had on their list or sometimes because the line for the venue on my list is too long and I'll likely not get in. In each of these cases I often find out that it was the better choice anyway. That has happened time and time again.

The timing of the Club Pass shows allow you to hear up to 4 separate acts a night, 2-3 if you opt for one of the big shows at Eastman (or more if you go to the after hours).  What's great about XRIJF is you can come in for one, as many as you can fit, or just come down and sit in the evening air catching some of the free shows and great local talent in the outdoor venues. There will be a large number of local artists playing this year and, as every year, the very talented jazz bands from some of the areas high schools.

If you're on Twitter, you can follow my tweets during the festival (or follow me now) and add your commentary through replies. I am also trying to collect XRIJF artists who are also on Twitter into a Twitter list. Not much there now as I've got to find more artists (only one right now really is a major tweeter). As I have with past jazz festivals, I may try some moblogging (although admittedly, if I do, I have to work on the content) and other avenues of communication as well.

A number of the next posts (except for Wednesdays) will be setting out my initial stab at an itinerary through each of the nine nights of the XRIJF. Take them as you find them. I'm not a musician or an expert in jazz (although I play one on the Internet) and I like to challenge my listening by checking out some very eclectic sounds.  You may find more of that this year, as RIJF has programmed a number of artists who have been to the festival before and I'll usually opt for something new (although there are exceptions). I encourage you to add comments to the post for each night about your picks, what you think of mine, etc.  See you on Jazz Street....

As I've noted before, I don't want to let feeding content to this blog make it impossible for me to experience the music or spend time with friends, which are the qualities that make the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival such a wonderful experience for me. This isn't my job. This year I am feeling it more than before, so I'm stepping back, writing less, and using Twitter and other new ways to communicate as I experience the XRIJF this year. To that end, I'm going to try something new here.  Here are some of my "tweets" off the @jazzrochester Twitter stream for Day Two with a few notes on my day at the RIJF:

Geez, it's 5:08 & the line is already pretty long 4 6 pm Terrell Stafford Qt @ Montage. Glad I checked. #XRIJF

Have 2 remind myself how young these guys in Terrell Stafford's Qt are...they look just out of Stridex! Don't play that way, tho. #XRIJF

• On the weekends, the first show at the clubs like Montage are increasingly likely to have a line form early. This one was well on the way to snaking around the corner onto Chestnut when I poked my head around to look almost an hour before Stafford took the stage.
• Although the Stridex comment was probably a bit stupid for a number of reasons, members of Terrell Stafford's Quartet were mostly still studying in college. His drummer, whose solos just cooked, graduates from high school on Tuesday! 
• Although young, Stafford's quartet was tight and played a great set. While Stafford's playing on trumpet and flugelhorn was outstanding, he would often step back to let his companions shine through.

Made it ovr 2 Lutheran Church 4 Nordic Connect. Just getting started w/ set in ths beautiful setting w/ some lush sounds. #XRIJF

• The Reformation Lutheran Church was a great place to hear this music. By the time I got there there was next to no seating. While some friends slid over to give me a seat, I felt I was cramping them and realized I'd probably drive them crazy with pulling my phone out to tweet or check on other things while listening (see what I mean how it's starting to get in the way...?), so I moved back to the back and leaned against the wall.
• Nordic Connect, fronted by sisters Ingrid and Christine Jensen was perfect for that space. I had heard the wonderful solos that Ingrid had played when here with the Maria Schneider Orchestra and her trumpet and flugelhorn playing was again superb. Her sister's interplay on sax at times seemed to weave in and out of each other so you couldn't tell who was playing. While it wasn't for everyone, I enjoyed it and it was just what I needed right then.

Popped in 2 C a bit of SMV ... Walls of the Eastman Theater will B rumblin soon. Miller, Wooten, & Clarke (on bass clarinet @ 1st) #XRIJF

Ok, I'm sitting too far back & Mr. Clarke is bigger than I remembered. It was Marcus Miller on bass clarinet. Stanley is on standup #XRIJF

• This is one of those instances where the immediacy of Twitter makes for a egg-stained face.  I just came in and sat in back to hear some of the SMV set with bass gods Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, and Stanley Clarke.  I remember Clarke from his earlier days as pretty slim and don't know much about Marcus Miller (have an album). I just assumed that Stanley was in the middle (as he is sort of the "leader" of this supergroup), but couldn't really see well enough.  Of course, then the guy I was tweeting was Clarke, introduced Stanley Clarke. Oh well.  Insert foot ... in mouth.
• I only caught a bit of this set, but Miller and Wooten trading fours was probably sending the bass heads in the audience into something close to ecstacy.  

It's 10pm, & Jon Cleary just took the stage & is kickin out the N'awlins jams in high gear. Dancin in the aisles is not far behind. #XRIJF

• After running over to the ticket shop to get a ticket for my wife for one of the Taj Mahal/Susan Tedeschi show that was about to sell out, I came over to the Big Tent and just sat down for awhile until some friends showed up to catch the 10:00 pm of Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentleman. 
• Cleary is a student of New Orleans music and his set was like a history lesson taught by him, Professor Longhair and other NOLA musical legends.  He had people on their feet dancing within minutes. He is a madman on the piano, singing with a lot of soul and apparently moving so much while he plays that they duct taped his piano lid to keep it from falling while he played.  He plays again tonight.

I did other tweets yesterday, mostly "retweets" of information and links or replies to other posters. Twitter is clearly not for everyone, but there is a growing community of jazz musicians, jazz venues, and other lovers of jazz on this microblogging service and it is a great way to quickly get information out, share the experience of an event with others (potentially thousands), and even to meet some of those people in person which is why it is called "social media."  Check out the TweetFest widget here to check out or follow the conversation.  The folks at XRIJF are also on Twitter.