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Jazz Fest Guide: Three thoughts for the 2019 CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival
The 2019 CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival is here, and with it, a whirlwind of concerts by national, international, and local musicians. It can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned jazz fest fan. As you sort through your personal concert itinerary, I have three thoughts that we at CITY Newspaper hope will be helpful…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 5: Jeff reviews VickiKristinaBarcelona and Ozmosys
Interpreting the music of a beautiful beast The music-noir trio VickiKristinaBarcelona tames the beast with beauty. The beast in question is the gruff, hardscrabble world of Tom Waits. The trio charmed the Rochester International Jazz Festival last year, returned to Rochester for a show in January at The Little Theatre, and was back at it…
Primary night results
The unofficial results are in: there were a few upsets, some seasoned incumbents also pulled through, and for one City Council seat and one city school board seat, the results are too close to call.
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 5: Ron reviews Harold Mabern, Trish Clowes My Iris, and MIkkel Ploug Trio
The language of the piano One of the great things about the Rochester International Jazz Festival is the opportunities it has offered over the years to hear members of the greatest generation of jazz players. Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck — they’ve all been here, along with several more legends. Harold Mabern belongs to…
It’s primary day, and polls are open
As of noon, registered Democrats in the City of Rochester and some suburban election districts can head to their polling places and vote. There are Democratic primaries for all City Council district seats, as well as two City Court seats. On the city school board, 10 Democrats are vying for four seats. Democrats also have…
Dinolfo plans to sue over driver’s license law
Monroe County is probably going to sue New York State over a new law that will give undocumented immigrants the ability to apply for a driver’s licenses. The state Senate and Assembly passed the Green Light Bill last week during the final sprint of this year’s legislative session, and Governor Andrew Cuomo promptly signed it.…
Rochester hospitals face shortage of prescription drugs
Prescription drug shortages have been a fact of life for pharmacy workers across the country for more than a decade, and they’re a fact of life for Rochester hospitals. Now, trade disputes threaten to further interrupt the supply.
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 4: Frank reviews The Willows, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and Bria Skonberg
Bria Skonberg. Yup, Bria Skonberg. I was just gonna type her name here a few thousand times. But even that would leave a hole that needs explaining. Let’s talk about the music of other artists I witnessed on Monday night first. Angelic splendor The Willows arrived at Max of Eastman Place as if descending on a…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 4: Jeff reviews Enemy and Paa Kow
Embracing the uncomfortable When a band climbs onstage, a trio wearing all black, you will soon discover one truth. There are many shades of black. Cavernous Christ Church can make a band look and sound like trolls scuffling through a shadowy cavern. Enemy overcame that through sheer virtuosity during its first set Monday night at…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 4: Ron reviews Cyro Baptista, Adam Ben Ezra, and Kari Ikonen
The beat goes on Cyro Baptista was a combination of Frank Zappa and George Clinton all rolled up into one mad Brazilian percussionist at Geva Theatre Center’s Wilson Stage on Monday night. In a furry yellow hat, Baptista ruled the stage with a table full of objects in front of him. With cymbals to the…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 3: Jeff reviews the Campbell Brothers and Circus No. 9
A kind of church Rochester’s sacred-steel gospel stars, the Campbell Brothers, parted ways with the House of God because the Pentecostal church wanted to keep the music within its walls. The Campbells wanted to take the sound to the world. It was a difficult decision for the Campbells, but jazz festivals throughout this country and Europe…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 3: Frank reviews Stefon Harris & Blackout, Over the Rhine, and Michael Winograd & The Honorable Mentshn
In memory of Jack Allen I am dedicating this blog entry and all those to follow this week to the memory of Rochester big band leader and trumpeter Jack Allen. Allen passed away peacefully Saturday. He was 93. Check out this story we did on Allen back in 2005. R.I.P., big daddy. Like a cool…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 3: Ron reviews Kit Downes, Bill Dobbins, and Jostein Gulbrandsen
Pulling out all the stops Kit Downes played an era-bending concert at Christ Church Sunday evening, creating decidedly 21st-century avant-garde improvisations on a late-Baroque organ. Christ Church is famous for its distinctive Craighead-Saunders Organ, a near-perfect copy of a 1776 organ that was built in East Prussia and now resides in a church in Vilnius,…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 2: Frank reviews Steven Taetz, Patti LaBelle, and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
My Saturday night was a tale of three singers. During early set from Steven Taetz at Max of Eastman Place, the Toronto-based singer sang and rang like a veritable bell. His tone was pristine and clear as he wove in and out his set of originals and American Songbook classics. Patti LaBelle has vocal range…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 2: Jeff reviews Bill Frisell Trio and Kevin Gordon Trio
Off the top of his head It’s a stunning moment when an artist allows us inside his or her head, to that lifetime-retrospective rattling around in the brain. But that’s what happened during the second show from the Bill Frisell Trio on Saturday night at the Temple Building Theater. This is the 18th Rochester International…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 2: Ron reviews Peter Johnstone & Tommy Smith, Gilad Hekselman, and Empirical
Deep resonance There were many great moments in the Tommy Smith & Peter Johnstone concert at Hatch Recital Hall on Saturday, but none of them beat Smith’s solo on Robert Burns’ “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose.” Smith played the song, written in 1794, on tenor saxophone, but he played it into the…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 1: Ron reviews Leo Richardson Quartet, Girls in Airports, and Janice Friedman
Back to the future If you closed your eyes during a set by the Leo Richardson Quartet at Christ Church Friday night, you could easily imagine that you were back at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem, circa 1959. The saxophonist wails, with a muscular and edgy sound that meanders, but to all the right places. The…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 1: Jeff reviews Steve Gadd Band and Western Centuries
After 18 years, the secret is out. The Rochester International Jazz Festival isn’t really a jazz festival. It’s actually a culture museum of many rooms. But on Friday night, opening night of the nine-day event, the fest did have its giant jazz moment: the Steve Gadd Band, at Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall. Gadd is a…
Jazz Fest 2019, Day 1: Frank reviews Jake Shimabukuro, Scott Sharrard, and Downchild Blues Band with Dan Aykroyd
A human music box Jake Shimabukuro is reality; he’s the truth. When I said that as I walked out of his early show at Geva Theatre Center, I felt like the people who left with me may have only latched onto the ukulele master’s hyperbolic slash-and-burn, and not more to his understated charm. Don’t get…
Jazz Fest 2019: Meet CITY’s jazz bloggers
Frank De Blase I agree with Frank Zappa when he said writing about music is like dancing to architecture. I’ve been dancing to architecture for 20 years for CITY Newspaper and this is his 17th year writing about the Rochester International Jazz Festival. I consider it the most wonderful time of the year. I like…
What to expect at the 2019 CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival
In its 18th year, tectonic shifts continue to shape the Rochester International Jazz Festival landscape. The newest and most significant development at the festival is music throughout all nine nights on the famous gravel lot known as Parcel 5.
New York passes ambitious climate plan
Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic-led state Legislature have agreed on the most ambitious goals in the nation for reducing carbon emissions in the next few decades.
Album review: ‘Camp’
Borger ‘Camp’ Self-released borger.fun Complete with a meme-based moniker, Borger uses serious music to discuss not-so-serious subjects. Formed by local singer-songwriter Mackenzie Harris, the local quartet provides an irresistibly dark spectacle in its debut EP, "Camp." Borger evokes the youthful feeling that there’s so much left to live for. Songs like, "Mr. Rodgers" and "Vineyard"…
Council approves referendum on state takeover of RCSD
In a 5-3 vote, with one abstention, last night City Council approved a no-binding referendum on a temporary state take-over of the Rochester school district and removal of the school board.
COMEDY | 2019 Funniest Person in Rochester Contest
The annual Funniest Person in Rochester Contest is back at Comedy @ The Carlson, and the competition this year will be steep. The preliminary round runs from Wednesday, June 26, through Saturday, June 29, featuring 87 local stand-up comedians each doing a tight four minutes in the hopes of making it to the semifinal round…
Profile: Harold Mabern
When Harold Mabern was growing up in Memphis, he had no ambition to become a jazz pianist. “I didn’t choose it; it chose me,” says Mabern, a self-taught musician. “I don’t know anything about Chopin. I never studied piano. It’s a God-given talent.” Many of the homes in his neighborhood had pianos, and one day…
Profile: Bill Charlap
You might say pianist Bill Charlap was born to play standards. His father, Moose Charlap, was a Broadway composer best known for his iconic musical “Peter Pan.” His mother, singer Sandy Stewart, had a major pop hit with “My Coloring Book” in 1963. In recent years, collaborations with her son have revived her career. Although…
The Players: Tuesday, June 25
Soul Passenger | soulpassenger.com 4:30 p.m.: M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage | (Rock) Yeah, I know it says soul in its moniker, but the band is more of a rock passenger. This quartet brings considerable heat with its mixed set of originals and covers. And it’s what it draws out of its own compositions that…
SPECIAL EVENT | ZooBrew
In partnership with the International Elephant Foundation (IEF), the Seneca Park Zoo Society is once again hosting its summer ZooBrew series. This season, the spotlight is on Masai giraffes and plains zebras, who are part of the zoo’s new Animals of the Savanna expansion. Guests who are 21 and over can explore the zoo grounds…
Six Dems campaign for City Court seats
This year is proving to be an active election year for Monroe County Democrats, not only for November’s general election, in which they hope to take control of the county executive’s office, but also for the June 25 Democratic Primary. Thanks to a change in state law, the primary is three months earlier than usual,…
The Players: Friday, June 28
Kansas Smitty’s House Band | kansassmittys.com 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.: Geva Theatre Center – Wilson Stage | (Straight-ahead jazz) This band is the houseband for a club they own. Jazz justice, huh? According to John Nugent, the group’s so popular you’ll have a hard time getting a seat. The band bops steady with the…
Feature: Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
When you’re known for being chased by dinosaurs and being turning into a giant fly, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to do the rounds: going on press junkets, shaking babies, kissing hands, and hocking your latest wares — in this case, a jazz recording. Jeff Goldblum, the actor and Hollywood bon vivant found himself on…
THEATER | ‘Defamation’
Religion, race, and class clash in Todd Logan’s interactive courtroom drama, “Defamation.” The play reveals the conflict between Regina Wade, a black woman business owner, and her client Arthur Golden, a wealthy Jewish man who has accused her of stealing his family heirloom watch. Wade (played by Kat Rina Davis) sues Mr. Golden (Frederick Nuernberg)…
The Players: Wednesday, June 26
Herb Smith Freedom Trio | herbtrumpet.com 4:30 p.m.: M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage | (Straight-ahead jazz) The fact that Herb Smith occupies the third trumpet chair in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra tells you a lot about his musical prowess. But when he’s not buttoned down, he’s a blistering jazz player in his own Freedom Trio.…
The Players: Saturday, June 22
Ambassadors Jazztet | armyfieldband.com/about/ensembles/jazz-ambassadors 4:30 p.m.: M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage | (Straight-ahead jazz) This small ensemble features members of the Jazz Ambassadors of the United States Army Field Band. See the Jazz Ambassadors bio on page for more details. (DK) Brecker plays Rovatti | randybrecker.com 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.: Geva Theatre Center –…
Interview: Cha Wa
The music of New Orleans band Cha Wa is a party in itself, a joyful collision of brass band music, funk, soul, and Mardi Gras Indian music and culture. The group is led by singer J’Wan Boudreaux and drummer Joe Gelini, both of whom learned from the preeminent musician Monk Boudreaux, Big Chief of the…
Feature: George Coleman Quartet
In the early 1960’s, after saxophonist George Coleman had earned his way to the top of the jazz world playing with Booker Little, Max Roach and Slide Hampton, he was tapped by Miles Davis to play in one of the greatest quintets in the history of jazz. Coleman recorded four seminal albums with Davis: “Seven…
Interview: The Honey Smugglers
Blame it on love. Rochester’s The Honey Smugglers is here because it’s frontman, Brian MacDonald, fell in love. He fell in love with the mandolin; he fell in love with bluegrass. He put those two loves together and started writing songs. These songs had an unpolished beauty, a tangible warmth that most bands in and…
Feedback 6/19
We welcome your comments. Send them to feedback@rochester-citynews.com with your name, your daytime telephone number for verification, and your city, town or village. Comments of fewer than 500 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Responding to…
The Players: Thursday, June 27
The Buddhahood | thebuddhahood.com 4:30 p.m.: M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage | (Jam-band, world music) This Rochester legend has gone through a pantload of personnel changes. But with all the chaos and uncertainty that goes with it, The Buddhahood endures. It all melts away once this drum-heavy onslaught begins like a thousand heartbeats set to…
Festival Information
Everything you need to know about tickets, venues, parking, and how to connect with us to make the most of your Jazz Festival experience.
ART | ‘Beneath the Tapestry’
Inspired by her Russian grandmother’s repurposing skills, Trina Bartimer Bruno creates nature-inspired mixed media art, blending different techniques and the various textures and colors of her collected materials. Having recently moved to Rochester from Ithaca, her show at the First Unitarian Church will mark her first local exhibition of her work. “Beneath the Tapestry” will…
The Players: Friday, June 21
Teagan and the Tweeds | teaganandthetweeds.com 4:30 p.m.: M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage (Bluesy rock ‘n’ roll) These Rochester jazz fest veterans deliver straight-up barroom-brawlin,’ beer-and-a-shot rock music at its finest. Teagan Ward sings soulful, salty, and salacious as her band occupies that coveted in-the-pocket groove and tone. It’s gonna be good. (FD) Jake Shimabukuro…
Feature: Sasha Berliner Quintet
When 20-year-old vibraphonist Sasha Berliner received the call, letting her know that she’d won the 2019 LetterOne RISING STARS Jazz Award, she couldn’t believe it. “It was a surreal moment,” Berliner says. “It seemed too good to be true. I thought, I hope I’m not being scammed. But it was real and it’s another incentive…
The Players: Saturday, June 29
Acoustic Alchemy | acousticalchemy.co.uk 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.: Geva Theatre Center – Wilson Stage | (Smooth jazz) Acoustic Alchemy began innocently enough in the 1980’s with two excellent guitarists knocking out Londoners with their catchy arrangements. After several personnel changes over the decades, Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale continue to perform their guitar magic,…
Profile: Dawn Thomson’s Imagine That
When digging on an artist of two or more disciplines, you have to wonder which one dominates in that artist’s heart and head. Dawn Thomson plays it slick and sweet on the guitar. The music soars. It positively floats. But a coupla clicks north and you’ll hear her voice. Now, it’s not the bop or…
AMERICANA | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Jason Isbell’s concerts at CMAC have become a summer mainstay. Isbell and his backing band, the 400 Unit, consistently deliver strong performances anchored by songwriting that oscillates between country and rock. While Isbell’s musical identity is planted in the Americana camp, his lyrics are less pigeon-holed, often gravitating toward a more progressive message than the…
SPECIAL EVENT | ‘2019 Paws Under the Dome’ Dog Show
Fans of dog shows (and especially, fans of “Best in Show,” the film) listen up: This week is your opportunity to experience the pageantry, the prestige, the joy and the tears, as primped and proper pups fill the Dome Arena. The Genesee Valley Kennel Club and Tonawanda Valley Kennel Club’s three-day “WNY Twin Valley Cluster”…
DUBSTEP | TRUTH
Just when you think the trance is over, TRUTH shifts gears in a totally new direction, leaving the listener wanting more and waiting in anticipation of what’s to come. Formed in 2006, New Zealand’s darkly meditative duo consists of world-class DJ-producers Andre Fernandez and Tristan Roake. TRUTH has celebrated numerous original releases and collaborations since…
Giving deaf refugees a voice
The number of deaf refugees in Rochester is small, but the problems they face can be huge without proper support. Deaf Refugee Advocacy of Rochester, a non-profit agency, helps service providers work more effectively with this vulnerable group of people. DRA serves about 35 deaf refugees at this time, most of whom have come from…
SPECIAL EVENT | Make Music Rochester
Make Music Rochester is modeled after the Parisian “Fête de la Musique” (a Parisian tradition? Already, I’m in), which began in 1982 as a tribute to the Summer Solstice. Each June 21, Paris is filled with all kinds of musicians performing all kinds of music in all kinds of spaces — sidewalks, lawns, balconies, parks,…
The Players: Sunday, June 23
Zion Hill Mass Choir 4:30 p.m.: M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage | (Gospel) Under the joyous swagger and baton of choir director Paul Boutte, the Zion Hill Mass Choir is the gospel equivalent to a Sherman Tank with salvation on it’s mind. Soulful and powerful to the max. Get saved, get down. (FD) Over the…
BRASS BAND | Buffalo Brass Machine
Audiences across Western New York have been losing themselves to Buffalo Brass Machine’s boisterous music since 2015. Formed by University of Buffalo students, Buffalo Brass Machine the eight-piece collective offers friendly homage to classic New Orleans-style brass bands. Playing meaty covers of the tunes people know and love, Buffalo Brass Machine is a big-band party…
ART | ‘Paul Garland: Come In’
Only about a week remains to view Paul Garland’s solo show at AXOM Gallery. The Fair Haven, New York-based artist’s work continues to evolve after five decades. Garland says that his practice transitions between landscapes, non-objective work, and a blend of the two styles. The exhibit at AXOM, “Come In,” features 60 new non-objective paintings…
Jazz Fest 2019: CITY’s Daily Jazz Blogs
The 2019 CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival runs from Friday, June 21, through Saturday, June 29, and CITY Newspaper will be out every night of the festival, covering multiple shows. Check back each day for reviews, photos and video of each nights festivities. For live updates follow us on Instagram @roccitynews and follow the hashtag…
ROCK | The Stonewall Vessels
As Tall as Lions meets Rx Bandits in Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s alternative rock quintet The Stonewall Vessels. Vocalist Darrion Washington has a versatile range, tastefully switching between a fragile vibrato, aggressive shrieks, and sky-high harmonies with ease. The music is a lush mix of indie rock, pop, and alternative; The Stonewall Vessels trudge through drum crashes,…
Interview: The Willows
The voices of Krista Deady, Andrea Gregario and Lauren Pedersen are spun gold, blended so well that they come across as one three-tiered voice. The trio known as The Willows makes other vocalists sound like Edith Bunker. It’s simply beautiful as the group goes at its classic jazz with mucho swing. We tracked down the…
REGGAE-ROCK | Personal Blend
Rochester reggae septet Personal Blend takes you straight to the beach with its tribal mix of surf, reggae, rock, dub, and Rasta. With a new full-length album, “Heavy Currents,” the band delivers simple lyrical concepts about love, daydreaming, and living your best life through complex arrangements of digital drum rhythms, punchy horn lines, and ambient…
Islamic Center president calls for unity
The Dome Arena, that round white button-looking building off East Henrietta Road that seats more than 4,000 people, was nearly filled to capacity by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4. Muslims from all over the Rochester region gathered there to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. The lively ceremony marks the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting…
The Players: Monday, June 24
Fred Costello | fredcostello.com 4:30 p.m.| M&T Pavilion – Squeezers Stage | (B-3 organ jazz) Fred Costello may be best known as a sports organist. And indeed, he is so sought after in that role that he has turned down the Yankees, the Mets and several other major league teams. But when he’s not in…
Review: “The 66th Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition”
This year’s iteration of the biennial Rochester-Finger Lake Exhibition has a strong emphasis on experimental drawings and many from that group were among Rebecca’s favorite works in the show. She discusses her top 20 picks from the group of 62 featured artists.
There’s no one ‘fix’ for the RCSD’s problems
Some of the district’s problems may be too hard to solve without some dramatic reforms and initiatives. We need to talk about that.
Film review: ‘Men in Black: International’
Reuniting “Thor: Ragnarok” co-stars Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth should have been a home run, but “Men in Black: International” whiffs it by refusing to take any chances whatsoever. Gone is the imagination and wit that made the original such a success; in its place is a lifeless and unforgivably generic piece of studio content.
Film review: ‘Late Night’
Tackling issues of sexism, race, and gender politics in the television industry, “Late Night” couldn’t be timelier, and though it could have used a sharper bite, the filmmakers deserves credit for weaving those serious, hot-button issues into such a breezy, enjoyable comedy.
Chick’N Out Thursdays at Blossom Road Pub
Rochester’s newest fried chicken joint isn’t a brick-and-mortar (yet) but does pop-up nights around Rochester, including its Thursday night stint at Blossom Road Pub (5 p.m. until sold out!)
Rochester Fringe announces 2019 lineup
The 8th annual Rochester Fringe Festival takes place Tuesday, September 10, through Saturday, September 21, at venues in and around downtown Rochester.
Album review: ‘Trobairitz’
The Archive Ravens ‘Trobairitz’ Self-released thearchiveravens.com Rochester’s enigmatic art-folk quartet The Archive Ravens delivers a distinctive blend of world folk, neo-Renaissance, and classical chamber music in its impressive debut album of original music, "Trobairitz." There’s the deep, bellowing cello, accented by lead vocalist Ava Sauer’s interwoven vocal harmonies in the Japanese-influenced "Kintsugi," or the cathedral-level…
Wilder Maker: indie rock for adults
When your life is literally filled with nonstop music, there’s little time to catch your breath. Case in point, Wilder Maker is currently on a 10-concert tour through the Midwest and the Rust Belt, in support of its new digital single “Love So Well” and the B-side “Rose Room.” The band will play in Rochester…
