We’re only half-way through the 2016 Xerox Rochester
International Jazz Festival, and there’s still a lot of music to hear. To make
it a little more digestible, our music critics pick their top concerts for each
day.
And if
you’re still looking for a full schedule of performances, or bios on each day’s
musicians, keep an eye out for our Jazz Festival Preview Guide (on stands now),
or check it out here.
Wednesday, June 29
Russell Malone (Hard bop jazz) Maybe
a decade ago, I was cruising along listening to the car radio, when the most
irresistible tune I’d heard in a long time came on. It featured an electric
guitar playing a catchy but sophisticated, soul-inflected melody. When the DJ
came on, he said it was “Sweet Georgia Peach” by Russell Malone, and I’ve been
hooked ever since. Malone’s first job in jazz was a stint with legendary
organist Jimmy Smith. He moved on to Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall before
going out on his own. I can’t wait to watch his fingers fly over the fret board
at Kilbourn. 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Kilbourn Hall; $35 or a Club Pass; vervemusicgroup.com/russellmalone — BY RON NETSKY
Nikki Hill (R&B, rock ‘n’ roll) The reigning queen of rock ‘n’ roll, Nikki Hill picks up
where Ruth Brown and Etta James left off. You’ve just gotta
hear this lady jive and wail while her hubby, Matt
Hill, strangles his guitar like Tarheel Slim. 7:30
p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Jazz Street Stage; Free; nikkihillmusic.com — BY FRANK DE BLASE
Jumaane Smith (Straight-ahead jazz) Trumpeter Jumaane
Smith is a force. The guy is musically flexible, has played with a laundry list
of jazz and pop greats — Natalie Cole, Ravi Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble — and got the stamp of approval from Wynton Marsalis.
If you love trumpet, or want a jazz set that’s going to be dynamic and rich,
Smith at Max of Eastman Place is your concert Wednesday. 6:15 p.m. and
10 p.m.; Max of Eastman Place; $30 or a Club Pass; jumaanesmith.com — BY JAKE CLAPP
Thursday, June 30
Claudia
Quintet (Progressive jazz) As jazz has
blossomed over the past 100-plus years, different strains of the music have
emerged. One of those branches is a form of jazz that fuses free-form
improvisation with an almost classical approach to composing and arranging. Since
moving to New York in the early 1990’s, drummer John Hollenbeck has gained a
reputation for his adventurous work in this genre. His group, The Claudia
Quintet, plays Hollenbeck’s avant-garde-leaning tunes and features top players
like Drew Gress, bass; Matt Moran, vibraphone; Chris
Speed, clarinet and saxophone; and former Rochesterian
Red Wierenga, accordion. 6:30 p.m. and
9 p.m.; Xerox Auditorium; $30 or a Club Pass; claudiaquintet.com — BY RON NETSKY
Chris
Botti (Pop jazz) I’m not big on pop jazz,
but you’ve got to admit, Botti draws the crowds like
a pied piper — I’ve even seen him weave through the twitterpated
audience. His retro tone and boyish good looks might remind you of Chet Baker
before the fall. Smooth and creamy, man, smooth and creamy. 8
p.m.; Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; This show just sold out; chrisbotti.com — BY FRANK DE BLASE
Emefe (Afrobeat,
pop, electronica) There are a lot of surprises to unpack in Emefe’s
music. Underneath the New York City band’s New Wave-style electric-rock is funk,
Afrobeat, cinematic pop, dance grooves, and just a
lot of interesting ideas. It’s at once immediately accessible, fun, thought-provoking,
and deep. 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Rochester Regional Health Big Tent;
$30 or a Club Pass; emefemusic.com — BY JAKE CLAPP
Friday, July 1
Helen
Sung (Straight-ahead jazz) Ever since I heard pianist Helen Sung’s early albums, “Helenistique”
and “Sungbird” a decade ago, I have been a fan of her
lyrical keyboard style. Over the last two decades, Sung has performed with a
Who’s Who of jazz, including Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Clark Terry. She
also won the Kennedy Center’s 2007 Mary Lou Williams Piano Competition, and has
appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz. But put the resume aside and just
listen to this woman play. It won’t take long to understand why she has emerged
from a crowded field of pianists. She’ll also be performing with her quartet
Saturday at Montage. Friday’s performance is 5:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.; Hatch Recital Hall; $30 or a Club Pass; helensung.com — BY RON NETSKY
Gregg Allman (Classic rock) One of the godfathers of Southern rock and blue-eyed soul — not
to mention his relationship with Cher — Gregg Allman and his slide guitar
genius brother, the late Duane Allman, formed The Allman Brothers out of their
earlier garage band, The Allman Joys. The band was one of the saviors of the
Muscle Shoals sound, which they packed — and Allman, at 68, still packs — into
their legendary, incendiary shows. 8 p.m.; Kodak Hall at
Eastman Theatre; $65-$85; greggallman.com — BY FRANK DE BLASE
Red
Baraat (Brooklyn bhangra) The music of Red Baraat is rooted
in joy — a baraat itself is a groom’s procession
during North Indian weddings. And the eight-piece band delivers it in a
high-energy blast of North Indian bhangra, D.C. go-go, jazz, hip-hop, and New
York City edge. While the percussion and rhythms of India drive the boat,
everything is glued together by funky horns and a little rockin’
guitar. 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.; Harro East
Ballroom; $30 or a Club Pass; redbaraat.com — BY JAKE CLAPP
Saturday, July 2
Dizzy
Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience (Afro-Cuban jazz) Once
you catch a glimpse of trumpeter Freddie Hendrix’s bent-bell trumpet aimed at
the sky, there is no doubt about who he is emulating. No one did more to bring
Afro-Cuban music to the United States than the brilliant trumpeter Dizzy
Gillespie, who distinguished himself with his incomparable technique, his
wonderful style, and that funny looking bent trumpet. The Dizzy Gillespie
Afro-Cuban Experience pays tribute to that legacy by playing vintage
arrangements of tunes like “Manteca” that sound as fresh today as they did when
Gillespie and his band played them decades ago. 6
p.m. and 9 p.m.; Kilbourn Hall; $35 or a Club Pass;
inadittke.com/dg-ace — BY RON NETSKY
Flat
Earth Society (Progressive jazz orchestra) By
playing the Lutheran Church, each artist is given a pass to go “out there.”
It’s the land of the free, the home of the weird. It is a fitting stage for the
Belgian big band of innovative madness that is so into its own version of the
truth you’ll leave believing you could seriously walk off the edge. 7:30
p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Lutheran Church; $30 or a Club Pass; facebook.com/flatearthsoc — BY FRANK DE BLASE
Trombone
Shorty & Orleans Avenue (New Orleans rock) There are a lot of
reasons to catch this show: it’s free; it’s at the new Midtown Stage; Trombone
Shorty has been a consistent Jazz Festival favorite and is sure to bring the
energy; and simply, the band rocks. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue has
figured out a way to distill down the best of New Orleans music — from the
brass bands and jazz outfits joyously playing in the streets to classic NOLA funk
and rock — put its own flair on everything, and then throw a party. 9
p.m.; Midtown Stage; Free; tromboneshorty.com — BY JAKE CLAPP
This article appears in Jun 29 – Jul 5, 2016.
