MUSIC: Jazz Fest announces full 2013 line-up

The 2013 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival line-up was
announced on Tuesday, March 26. In
all 1200 artists will perform 280 concerts over the nine-day festival running
June 21-29. (NOTE: The official press announcement appears in full below.)

The June 28 soul double-bill of Sharon Jones and the Dap
Kings and The James Hunter 6 on the free East & Chestnut is not only likely
to be the best show of the festival, but possibly the best show of the year. In
terms of straight-ahead jazz, we’ll get a display of legendary bloodline with
the return of Ravi Coltrane, while Dr. Lonnie Smith brings back his B-3 swagger
and cool. Swinging mayhem will come in the form of Philly’s Gas House Gorillas.
And festival promoters raved about relative unknowns like Quincy Jones-nurtured
vocalist Nikki Yanofsky and the world’s tallest trio,
The Stretch Orchestra.

The
acts announced Tuesday join previously announced headliners Willie Nelson &
Family (the only sold-out show so far), David Byrne and St. Vincent, Pink
Martini, Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus, Roger Hodgson, and Bob James &
David Sanborn with Steve Gadd.

New this year are free jazz workshops for aspiring music
students. Free shuttle busses have been added, with stops at parking garages
around the city. Another major outdoor concert has been added for the first
Friday of the festival, with Dr. John playing the East Ave/Chestnut Street
Stage on June 21. The Rochester Club has broadened its
focus from strictly Italian musicians and is now called Groove Nights. And as announced earlier,
Little Theatre 1 has been added as a Club Pass venue. Festival organizers have
added more Club Passes to accommodate this addition.

Club
Passes and headliner tickets are on sale now at rochesterjazz.com. For full
schedules and updates check the festival website, or head to rochestercitynewspaper.com.

OFFICIAL
PRESS RELEASE:

Rochester, NY – March 26, 2013 – John Nugent and Marc Iacona, Producers of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz
Festival (XRIJF) today announced the lineup for their biggest festival ever, to
be held over nine days June 21-29, 2013.

The XRIJF 12th Edition will feature Bob James & David
Sanborn with Special Guest Steve Gadd, David Byrne
and St. Vincent, Roger Hodgson, Pink Martini, Willie Nelson & Family (SOLD
OUT), Frampton’s Guitar Circus, Trombone Shorty (his fourth appearance at
XRIJF), Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Dr. John, Christian McBride’s Inside
Straight, Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio, Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band, Alfredo
Rodriguez Trio, John Patitucci Trio, Gretchen Parlato, Gregory Porter, Kurt Elling,
New York Voices, Eric Alexander & Harold Mabern,
Kurt Rosenwinkel, Anat
Cohen, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Youn Sun Nah & Ulf
Wakenius, Larry Goldings-Peter
Bernstein-Bill Stewart, Matt Herskowitz Bach to
Brubeck, Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Ben Taylor, GregoireMaret, Terell Stafford, Hilario Duran Trio and many more!

More than 1200 artists from around the world will perform in
280 concerts including more than 75 free shows at 19 venues and outdoor stages.
Last year’s festival drew more than 187,000 people from around the world and
across the U.S. XRIJF has grown to become one of the world’s largest jazz
festivals with one of the nation’s most extensive international lineups. With
bands coming to XRIJF from more than 15 countries, the festival will offer
something musically exciting for everyone.

“I am very excited and am looking forward to year
12,” said Marc Iacona, Producer and Executive
Director. “The festival has fast become a best-in-class event for culture
and music for Rochester, New York State and the world. Local businesses will
benefit from the economic impact from almost two hundred thousand attendees.
This year we are pleased to add the Little Theatre as a new Club Pass venue. We
are welcoming four new sponsors, Wegmans, Unity
Health System, Delta Air Lines, LiDestri Spirits and
CMI Commuications. And with the support of Wegmans, we will be expanding our jazz improv
educational program for youth with a new five-day jazz workshop series.”

“As we prepare to welcome the world to the 12th edition
of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, the concept we have created
– ‘it’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know’ – has once again proven
true,” said John Nugent, Producer and Artistic Director. “We have had
strong advance sales for Club Pass before any artists were announced. Our
headliners this year are also either sold out or near capacity and we expect
the free shows to attract tens of thousands to downtown Rochester.”

“We’ve learned that music lovers truly enjoy artistic
discovery and our nine-day voyage into the musical unknown,” added Nugent.
“We salute our incredible patrons and sponsors for their belief in the
power of great music and the amazing artists who bring their creativity to us
at the highest level.”

Headliner Series Tickets on Sale Now at rochesterjazz.com.

June 21 – An Evening with Pink Martini, $105/$85/$70/$55 +
service charges

June 22 – An Evening with Willie Nelson & Family – SOLD
OUT
June 25 – David Byrne & St. Vincent, $105/$95/$85/$70 + service charges
June 26 – Roger Hodgson The Legendary Voice of Supertramp,
$125/$105/$85/$70 + service charges
June 27 – Bob James and David Sanborn with Special Guest Steve Gadd, $85/$70/$55/$40 + service charges
June 28 – Frampton’s Guitars Circus, featuring Peter Frampton and Robert Cray,
$125/$105/$85/$70 + service charges

Free Shows – All shows FREE! No tickets required. Shows go
on rain or shine.

City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage Presented by The Community Foundation

June 21-29, all nine days on Gibbs Street (Jazz Street),
concerts starting from 3:45pm and 4:15pm daily until 11. See full schedule at rochesterjazz.com.

City of Rochester East Avenue & Chestnut Street Stage
Presented by Wegmans

June 21:7pm,Joshua Panda & The
Hot Damned / 9pm,Dr. John

City of Rochester East Avenue & Chestnut Street Stage
Presented by Rochester General Health System

June 22:7pm, Coupe De Villes /
9pm, Delbert McClinton

June 28:7pm, The James Hunter Six /
9pm, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

June 29:7pm, Thunder Body / 9pm, Monty Alexander’s
Harlem-Kingston Express

City of Rochester East Avenue & Alexander Street Stage
Presented by Rochester General Health System

June 29: 7pm, Mingo Fishtrap /
9pm, Trombone Shorty

2013 marks the sixth year for the ‘Made in the UK’ concert
series, part of the Club Pass Series and held at Christ Church. Made in the UK
has grown to become the largest presentation of British jazz outside of the
United Kingdom.

This year’s free scholarship concert on Monday June 24 will
feature Mike Brignola with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble
directed by Bill Dobbins. The winner(s) of the 2013 Scholarship will be
announced at the concert. The festival has awarded more than $120,000 in
scholarships to almost 30 Eastman School of Music students since 2002.

Twenty-one high school jazz bands, a record number, will
perform this year on the City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by The
Community Foundation. See rochesterjazz.com for the schedule.

In 2013 XRIJF will one again
partner with WXXI to produce televised concerts for distribution nationwide on
PBS stations. Details will be announced in June.

What’s New in 2013!

Jazz Workshops for Aspiring Music Students – This new series
of five structured jazz workshops will be hosted by Bob Sneider,
Eastman School of Music Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary
Media and Senior Instructor of Jazz Guitar, and led by five visiting
international musicians performing at XRIJF. Aspiring students will have an
opportunity to meet, listen to and learn from professional jazz musicians from
overseas, and also play. Sponsored by Wegmans, the
new series will be held in room 120, the Ray Wright Room, at Eastman School of
Music from 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Workshops are open to all aspiring grade school and high
school music students, no registration is required.

Saturday, June 22 – Cleveland Watkiss,
Voice

Sunday, June 23 – Yolanda Brown, Saxophone

Thursday, June 27 – Ryan Quigley, Trumpet

Friday, June 28 – Jasper Hoiby,
Acoustic Bass

Saturday, June 29 – GwylimSimcock, piano

Free Shuttle Service Added – For all nine days of the
festival a new free shuttle service will be available connecting festival fans
with City parking garages making it easier to get to venues. The route will
include multiple stops. The free service is being sponsored by AAA Horizon Club
Tours and Simcona Electronics. The route and schedule
will be announced in June.

Big Free Concert Added on First Friday on East Ave &
Chestnut Stage Featuring Dr. John – Dr. John, the universally celebrated living
embodiment of the rich musical heritage exclusive to New Orleans will perform
on June 21 at 9 p.m. in a free concert sponsored by Wegmans.
Joshua Panda & The Hot Damned, a rising star in
the music world from Vermont will open at 7.

Festival App for Android to be Launched
– In addition to the iPhone app introduced last year, this year the Festival
will launch an app for Android users, which will be available for download in
April.

New Venue – The Little Theatre 1 is being added as a new
Club Pass Venue with 18 concerts over nine days.

Free Library Series is Back – Monday June 24 – Friday June
28 with Mike Kaupa, NikFinzer, Ted Nicolosi and Shared Jenes, Herb Smith, and Karl Stabnau.

New Venue Name – The RGE-LiDestri
Spirit Stage at the corner of Chestnut Street and East Ave will feature free
concerts June 23 – 27 including the Bill Tiberio
Band, Violet Mary, Calle Uno, Jimmie Highsmith Jr. Experience, and Customer Service & The Gem City Horns.

Full Schedule of Concerts – See rochesterjazz.com for the
complete lineup.

2013 Artists (in alphabetical order) – 78 RPM Big Band,
Aaron Goldberg Trio, Al Chez & The Brothers of Funk Big Band, Alfredo
Rodriguez, Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Amherst HS Jazz Band, Amy Lynn & The Gunshow, Anat Cohen, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet,
Ben Taylor, Bill Dobbins, Bill Tiberio Band, Blaggards, Bob James & David Sanborn with Steve Gadd, Brad Turner Quartet, Brighton HS Jazz Band, Brockport
Community Big Band, Brockport HS Jazz Band, Bruce Barth & Steve Nelson, Calle Uno, Canandaigua HS Jazz Band. Carmen Souza, Chris
O’Leary Band, Christian McBride’s Inside Straight, Christian Wallumrod Ensemble, Christine Tobin, Cleveland Watkiss, CNY Jazz Orchestra, Courtney Pine – House of
Legends, Culture Clash with Carl Atkins, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble,
Customer City & The Gem City Horns, Cyrus Chestnut, Dave Rivello Ensemble, Dave Spinner B3 Band, David Byrne &
St. Vincent, Delbert McClinton, Dirty Dozen Brass
Band, Djabe, Dr. John Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers,
Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra, Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra Senior Combo, Eastridge HS Jazz Band, ECMS Jazz Combo led by Bob Sneider, ECMS Jazz Combos led by Mike Kaupa
& Paul Hofmann, ECMS Latin Jazz Ensemble, ECMS Saxology,
EeroKoivistoinen Quartet,
Eric Alexander – Harold Mabern Quartet, ESM Jazz
Honors Unit, ESM-XRIJF Gerry Niewood Jazz
Scholarships Performance, ESM-XRIJF Jazz Scholarships Alumni Combo, Fairport HS
Jazz Band, Five Play, Frampton’s Guitar Circus, Gap Mangione
Big Band, Garland Jeffreys Band, Gas House Gorillas,
Gates HS Jazz Band, Geoffrey Keezer, Giacomo Gates & Friends, Goldings-Stewart-Bernstein,
Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra, Greece Jazz Band, Greece- Athena HS Jazz
Band, Greece- Olympia HS Jazz Band, Greece-Arcadia HS Jazz Band,
Greenfield-Rosenberg Quartet, GregoireMaret, Gregory Porter, Gretchen Parlato,
GwilymSimcock, Hackensaw Boys, Halie Loren Trio,
Harold Danko, Herb Smith, Hilario
Duran Trio, Hilton HS Jazz Band, Hiroya Tsukamoto
& Satoshi Takeishi, Honeoye Falls HS Jazz Band, Howard Levy, Jack Allen Big
Band, Jacob Karlzon & Viktoria
Tolstoy, Jacob Karlzon 3, Jaimoe’sJasssz Band, Jimmie Highsmith
Jr. Experience, John Mooney Band, John Nyerges
Quartet, John Patitucci Trio, Josh Panda & The
Hot Damned, Julian Arguelles Quartet, Karl Stabnau,
Kurt Elling, Kurt Rosenwinkel
Trio, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Lina Nyberg,
Loren and Mark, Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band, Marianne Trudel,
Mario Romano Quartet, Marti Brom Band, Matt Herskowitz Bach to Brubeck!, MCC Jazz Band, Michael Mwenso, Michael Wollny, Mike Brignola and Friends, Mike Cottone
Quartet, Mike Kaupa Quartet, Mingo Fishtrap, Monty Alexander’s Harlem-Kingston Express, Music
Educators Big Band Directed by Bill Tiberio, New
Energy Jazz Orchestra, New Horizons Dance Band, New Horizons Vintage Jazz Band,
New York Voices, Newark HS Jazz Band, NikFinzer, Quincy Jones Presents: Nikki Yanofsky,
Noah Preminger Quartet with Ben Monder, Patricia
Barber, Paul Hofmann, Penfield HS Jazz Band, Phronesis,
PINK MARTINI, Pittsford-Mendon HS Jazz Band, Pittsford-Sutherland HS Jazz Band,
Prime Time Brass, Rafael Zaldivar, Ravi Coltrane
Quartet, RitmoSeis,
Roberto Occhipinti Group, Robin McKelle
& The Flytones, Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra,
Rocky Lawrence plays Robert Johnson, Roger Hodgson: The Legendary Voice of Supertramp, RudreshMahanthappa’sGamak, School of
The Arts HS Jazz Band, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Shared Jenes, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Shine On – The
Universe of John Lennon, Shuffle Demons, Sicilian Jazz Project, Sienna Dahlen, Soul Stew, Soweto Kinch,
Spencerport HS Jazz Band, Stretch Orchestra, Student Jazz Workshops at ESM
Presented by Wegmans, Terell
Stafford Quartet, The Black Lillies, The Coupe De Villes, The James Hunter Six, The Sneider
Brothers, Thiefs, Thunder Body, Tim Berne SnakeOil, TorbenWaldorff’sWahWah, Trio Globo with Howard Levy,
Trombone Shorty, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Two Siberians, Tyson Naylor Trio, US
Jazz Ambassadors, Vince Ercolamento & Sidesteppin, Violet Mary, Webster Schroeder HS Jazz Band,
Webster-Thomas HS Jazz Band, West Irondequoit HS Jazz Band, Willie Nelson &
Family, XRIJF Nightly Jazz Session with The Bob Sneider
Trio, Yellowjackets, YolanDa
Brown, Youn Sun-Nah & Ulf Wakenius,
Zoe Rahman

Tickets & Admission

Club Pass Series: Entry is first-come, first-served cash
only, at the door for $20/ $25 per show or with the Club Pass, on sale at rochesterjazz.com for $194
plus service charge ($6 if purchased online, $8 if mailed) until sold out. Club
show tickets are not available in advance.

Headliner Shows: Tickets available at rochesterjazz.com.

Jam Sessions at the Rochester Plaza Hotel State St. Bar
& Grill: free admission,nightly
from 10:30 p.m.

Outdoor Stages: free, no tickets required,
all shows rain or shine.

Information – Download the official XRIJF App for iPhones
from iTunes. New this year, the festival will also offer an app for Android
devices. Visit rochesterjazz.com for the full schedule, map, venue information, artist bios & photos.

About XRIJF – The Xerox Rochester International Jazz
Festival presented by M&T Bank was founded in 2002 and is produced by John
Nugent, Artistic Director and Marc Iacona, Executive
Director. The 2012 Festival drew more than 187,000 music lovers to hear some of
the finest artists in the world perform.

This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.