Summer is here and the regular orchestral concert season is over. But you can still catch the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and its music director, Ward Stare, at a free concert at Ontario Beach next Wednesday. The populist program features plenty of Independence Day odes and a heavy dose of John Williams with film music from […]
Daniel J. Kushner
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Jazz Fest 2017, Day 5: Daniel reviews Mario Rom’s Interzone and Ole Mathisen’s Floating Points
At The Little Theatre on Tuesday night, the Austrian jazz trio Mario Rom’s Interzonepicked up right where it left off two years ago during its last appearance at XRIJF. Interzone is almost too much fun, if that’s even possible: Lukas Kranzelbinder continues to be one of the most riveting double bassists I’ve seen, and Herbert […]
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Jazz Fest 2017, Day 4: Daniel reviews Dinosaur and Lera Lynn
The “Made in the UK” series continued to captivate on Monday night with the American debut of Dinosaur, led by trumpeter and composer Laura Jurd. The band — which includes the members of the Elliot Galvin Trio — makes spacey jazz that sounds wonderfully imaginative and restless, yet always feels in control. The quartet can […]
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Jazz Fest 2017, Day 3: Daniel reviews Holophonor and Elliot Galvin Trio
Holophonor plays a brand of jazz loaded with understated swagger and suave cool. Mentored by jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, the band is rooted in the past while resolutely looking toward the future, as evidenced by its early set on Sunday evening at The Wilder Room. The powerhouse rhythm section — drummer Jonathan […]
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Jazz Fest 2017, Day 2: Daniel reviews Neil Cowley Trio and Durham County Poets
The Neil Cowley Trio doesn’t really play jazz. Yes, all the tell-tale instrumentation is there — piano, upright bass, and drums. But the music itself is more accurately post-jazz: spacious minimalism meets percussive pop piano and driving rock rhythms, resulting in a sound that is alternately introspective and punchy. The British trio delivered on that […]
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Jazz Fest 2017, Day 1: Daniel reviews Jacob Collier and Gwilym Simcock
English phenomenon Jacob Collier may be the most immensely talented musician I have ever seen live. As hyperbolic as that may sound, the proof was in the first of his two performances at Anthology on Friday. The first thing I noticed about the live performance of the London-based multi-instrumentalist was his irrepressible energy. The 22-year-old […]
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ROCK | Jared and The Mill
On Phoenix-based rock band Jared and The Mill’s latest album, “Orme Dugas,” front man Jared Kolesar and company balance pop hooks with country vibes and smatterings of folk and indie stylings. Having opened for major artists such as The Killers, Zac Brown Band, and The War on Drugs, Jared and The Mill are as radio-ready […]
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WORLD MUSIC | “Azafea”
This Monday, Temple B’rith Kodesh will provide the elegant setting for a transporting musical experience that melds Spanish and Jewish musical traditions. Presented by the Rochester Synagogue Council, “Azafea, a Spanish Odyssey: Music From the Sephardic Diaspora” features the mesmerizing Lev-Yulzari Duo. Guitarist Nadav Lev and bassist Remy Yulzari play a beautiful synthesis of […]
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Album review: ‘The Crooked North’
The Crooked North “The Crooked North” Self-released thecrookednorth.com Local Americana band The Crooked North’s self-titled debut album is a rootsy tapestry of heartfelt songs that sound better with each subsequent listen. Mike Brown’s production is flawless, giving the music an added fullness and warmth that is paradoxically chill-inducing. The tender, balladeering track “Where We Are” […]
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Album review: ‘Exquisite Corpse’
Jon Lewis Band “Exquisite Corpse” Self-released jonlewis.bandcamp.com Rochester singer-songwriter Jon Lewis has mastered the art of catchiness. Drenched in sunshine, “Exquisite Corpse” is an enjoyable set of smooth, mid-tempo rock and pop that defies you to keep your toes from tapping. Lewis’s laid-back voice is easy on the ears, characterized by the kind of heart-on-the-sleeve, […]
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Summer concerts for nostalgia junkies
Drift off to some place different at these upcoming Rochester area shows
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POPS | “Women Rock”
The RPO on Friday and Saturday will close out the pops portion of its 2016-17 season with “Women Rock,” a vibrant program of rock classics made famous by legendary, show-stopping female performers, such as Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Tina Turner, and more. Vocalists Cassidy Catanzaro, Katrina Dideriksen, and Shayna Steele (pictured) will share […]
