The Lucio Ferrara Trio kicked off the 2012 Jazz Festival for me at the Rochester Club. It played soft,
slow, romantic jazz, with Ferrara’s
guitar playing holding most of the spotlight. His fingers walked up and down
the frets, guiding the string bass and drums while each took separate turns at
soloing.
The trio was a good fit for the room, working well with the casual dinner
atmosphere. The band kept everything pretty mellow, save for a few crescendos
and percussive explosions, but that was as much due to what seemed to be some
over-micing of the drum set, which was mixed a little
loud with the other instruments. We also got a few bowed string-bass solos,
which are always a good time. It’s nice to hear an exploration of the lower
octaves of the jazz world.
The GoranKafjesSubtropicArkestra played Friday, June 22, at the LutheranChurch of the Reformation as part
of the 2012 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.
Next up was the GoranKajfesSubtropicArkestra on the Nordic stage at the LutheranChurch of the Reformation. The
group called for and required a bit of patience. It took simple ideas and
melodic lines and mixed them with an accompanying scramble of sounds, including
effects, electronic sampling, and the keys/organ, slowly building it all
into something like a roar, before simmering and stopping abruptly, just short
of overkill. It was a mix of weird and groovy, each song like a wad of musical
putty that the band would slowly roll out, bend, twist, and mix, before the
audience could finally see the exact sculpture the group was creating. If you
trusted them enough to follow along on the ride, you just might enjoy it. The
group is also the recipient of my first Ron Burgundy Award of the year for its
use of the super-awesome jazz flute.
L’Orkeste des Pas Perdus played Friday, June 22, at the Big Tent as part of
the 2012 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.
I finished my night at the Big Tent with L’Orkestre des Pas Perdus. Fierce, feisty, powerful,
and French (well, OK, French Canadian), the group combines some of the rarer
stars of the jazz world, such as the French horn, and my personal favorite, the
tuba, with trombone, trumpet, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, drums, and
an auxiliary (and electronic gizmo) percussionist. The group had that big
brass-band sound and was fast, loud, and raw: just the way I like my women (and
my jazz). It was in your face and intense, and rocking the way that only
high-powered brass jazz can be. Canada
might not be New Orleans, but this
orchestra could give the best bands on Bourbon Street
a run for their money.
The icing on the cake?A
multi-phonic tuba solo. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
I’m taking Saturday night off, but I’ll be back on Sunday with reviews of
the 78 RPM Big Band at the Big Tent, EivorPalsdottir with MikaelBlak at the LutheranChurch, and Monophonics
at the Big Tent.
Looking for more of City’s Jazz Fest coverage? Click
here for City’s 2012 Jazz Fest Guide, click here for our Jazz Blog landing page, or Like City on
Facebook or follow us on Twitter @roccitynews.
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