Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest unveils full 2014 line-up

The Xerox Rochester
International Jazz Festival today unveiled the full line-up for the 2014
edition of the event, which will run June 20-28 in Rochester’s East End.

Among the 1200 artists
who will be performing at the 13th annual fest (see press release below for the
full line-up), blues legend Buddy Guy was announced as the final headliner; Guy
will play Thursday, June 26. He joins the previously announced Steve Martin
& the Steep Canyon Rangers (sold out), Earth, Wind and Fire (sold out),
Janelle Monae, Fourplay,
and Michael McDonald in the Kodak Hall line-up.

Major artists playing
the free outdoor stages include Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (June 20), the Marcus
Miller Band (June 27), the Lou Gramm Band (June 21), Soullive
(June 28), and George Thorogood & the Destroyers
(June 28). Those are just a few of the 75 free shows at this year’s event.

The 2014 festival will
also see the addition of a new Club Pass venue, Squeezers at the Inn on
Broadway, which will host a mix of jazz, blues, and R&B concerts, bringing
the number of Club Pass venues up to 13. This year will also see four of the
concerts in Kilbourn Hall taped by WXXI TV for
distribution on national PBS stations.

Club Passes are
currently on sale at the Jazz Fest website (rochesterjazz.com) for $194, plus
service fees. Tickets are also available for the Kodak Hall headliners.
Individual Club Pass show tickets will cost $20-$25 and be available at the
door.

Keep checking City and
rochestercitynewspaper.com for more information on the 2014 XRIJF as it becomes
available. City’s Jazz Fest Guide will publish on June 18, and City’s music
writers will exhaustively cover the festival on our Jazz Blogs.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – March 18, 2014 – John Nugent and
Marc Iacona, Producers of the Xerox Rochester
International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) (rochesterjazz.com) today announced the full lineup for the
festival’s 13th edition, the biggest festival ever, to be held in 20 venues
over nine days June 20-28, 2014.

Headlining this
year’s festival are Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell (both shows sold out), Earth, Wind and Fire (sold
out), Janelle Monáe, Fourplay,
Michael McDonald and just announced today, six-time Grammy winner and American
blues guitarist Buddy Guy.

The festival’s
13th Edition will feature more than 1200 artists from around the world
including Roberta Gambarini, Cecile McLorinSalvant, Bill Frisell’s Guitars in the Space Age, Snarky Puppy, Catherine
Russell, Vijay Iyer, Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet,
Roy Hargrove, Dianne Schuur, Lucky Peterson, Norma Winstone Trio, Lou Gramm, and many more.

Headlining on this
year’s free outdoor stages are Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Lou Gramm, Marcus Miller
Band, Soulive and George Thorogood
and the Destroyers.

Marc Iacona, Producer and Executive Director, said, “This
year’s festival will again deliver something for everyone. Thanks to the
support of the City of Rochester, Rochester General Health System, The
Community Foundation, Wegmans, RG&E and Lidestri, we will present more than 75 free shows on six
outdoor stages, and a free noon series at the Rochester Monroe County Library.
Our popular nightly jam sessions are also free at the Rochester Plaza.

“We continue
to invest in the next generation of talented jazz musicians in several ways, by
creating opportunities for young people to perform in
the festival, by supporting our annual jazz scholarship, and offering five
workshops for young musicians to learn from some of the finest artists in the
world.”

John Nugent,
Producer and Artistic Director, said, “Like other leading jazz festivals,
XRIJF has the remarkable ability to present not only exceptional creative
improvised music, but to also bring entire communities together. We are proud
to bring the world to Rochester in June and unite our residents with visitors
for nine days of joy and excitement.”

Nugent’s annual
not-to-miss producer’s picks include Cecile McLorinSalvant, Cyrille Aimee, Vijay Iyer, Roy Hargrove, Phaedra Kwant,
Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio, Laila Biali, Snarky Puppy, Jacob Young & TrygveSeim + Marcin Wasilewski
Trio, Peter Bernstein & Friends, Hot Club of Detroit, Les Doigts de L’Homme, and Susanna.

In addition to
being one of the world’s largest jazz festivals, XRIJF also presents one of the
most extensive international lineups. Artists performing at XRIJF this year
will come from 18 countries in addition to the US, including Canada, Aruba,
Cuba, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway,
England, Scotland, France, Mali, Israel, Netherlands and Poland. The festival’s
popular Made in the UK series is now in its seventh year and remains the
largest presentation of British jazz outside the UK. Nordic Jazz Now will
celebrate its eighth year at the festival.

• New Club Pass Venue – Squeezers at the Inn on Broadway: Featuring 18 jazz, blues, and R&B concerts during nine days, Squeezers will be in a tent with a capacity of 400 adjacent to the Inn on Broadway. Squeezers is named in honor of the former Bandbox on State Street, also known as Squeezers, for its owner, pianist Joe Strazzeri. Strazzeri’sfamily, the DiMarco’s of Rochester are sponsoring the venue.
• Televised Concerts: In partnership with WXXI TV (PBS), four concerts in the Kilbourn Hall Club Pass venue will be taped for national distribution on PBS stations.
• Apps: The festival’s 2014 official app for iPhone and Android smartphones will be released in May.
• Eastman School of Music – XRIJF Gerry Niewood Scholarship Concert is free, Monday, June 23 at 8:00 p.m. with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble directed by Bill Dobbins and special guest John Sneider. The 2014 Scholarship recipients will be announced at the concert. The festival has awarded more than $130,000 in scholarships to 31 Eastman School of Music students since 2002.
• 22 regional high school jazz bands will perform on the City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by The Community Foundation. Bloomfield, Brighton, Brockport, Buffalo Academy, Canandaigua, Eastridge, Fairport, Hilton, Honeoye Falls Lima, Spencerport, Greece Arcadia, Greece Athena, Greece Odyssey, Greece Olympia, Newark, Pittsford Mendon, Pittsford Sutherland, MCC, School of the Arts, Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas, West Irondequoit.
• Jazz Workshops for Aspiring Music Students: This series of five structured jazz workshops is sponsored by Wegmans, 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 meet, listen to and learn from professional jazz musicians and also play. The 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 through high school music students, no pre-registration is required.
• Street closings: same as 2013. The schedule will be announced in early June.

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

2014 Artists (in
alphabetical order) – 5head, 78RPM Big Band, Akiko Tsuruga
Quartet , Anders Hagberg Quartet, Anthony Strong, BenediktJahnel Trio, Bertoncini/Jenkins/Sturm, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Bill
Dobbins Plays The Music Of Dave Brubeck, Bill Frisell
Guitar In The Space Ages, Bill Tiberio Band, Blind
Boy Paxton, Bonerama, Brian Kellock
& Tommy Smith, Brockport Community Big Band, Brubeck Brothers, BUDDY GUY,
Catherine Russell, Cecile MclorinSalvant,
Christine Ohlman, Cyndi Cain, CyrilleAiemee, Dave Glasser &
Friends, David’s Angels, Deadstring Brothers, Diana
Panton Quartet, Diane Schuur, Don Mancuso & Ddrive, Don Thompson, EARTH WIND & FIRE, Eastman Youth
Jazz Orchestra, Eska, Ester Rada,
Etienne Charles Quintet, Euan Burton Quartet, Flat
Earth Society, FOURPLAY, Fred Costello, Gap Mangione
Septet, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Gerald
Clayton, Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra, Greece Jazz Band, GrupoCalle Uno, Harold Danko , Harris Eisenstadt Golden
Gate, Hey Mavis, Holophonor- The Thelonious
Monk Institute All Stars, Honey Island Swamp Band, Hot Club Of Detroit,
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Ian Shaw, Ibrahim Electric, Ivan Jansen Aruba Jazz,
Jack Allen Big Band, Jacob Young & Trygve, Seim + Marcin Wasilewski Trio,
Jamey Haddad Group , JANELLE MONÁE, Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Jazz FM 90.1
Youth Big Band, Jeanne Jolly Band, Joe Beard Blues Band, Joel Miller Quartet,
Joey Defranceso Trio, John (Papa) Gros
New Orleans Funk Kings, Jon Ballantyne Trio, Jonathan
Gee Trio, Julian Lage/Nels
Kline, Kari Ikonen Trio, Laila Biali,
Les Doigts De L’hommes,
Lorraine Klaasen Group, Lou Gramm Band, Louis Hayes
& The Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Lucky Peterson featuring Tamara
Peterson, Manuel Valero, Marcus Miller Band, Mark Lockheart
Trio, Matt Anderson, Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio,
MICHAEL MCDONALD, Mike Kaupa Trio, Mike Stern/Bill
Evans With Steve Smith, Mingo Fishtrap, Music
Educators Big Band, Mvt, Myles Mancuso, New Energy
Big Band, New Horizons Vintage Jazz Band, Newport Jazz Festival®: Now 60, Nikki
Hill , Norma Winstone Trio, Partisans, Pat Labarbera Quartet , Paul Towndrow
Trio, Penfield Rotary Big Band, Peter Bernstein & Friends, Phaedra Kwant, Prime Time Brass, Prime Time Funk, Rachel Brooke
Band, Rob Mostert Hammond Group, Roberta Gambarini, Rochester Metro Jazz, Roy Hargrove, Rufus Reid
Trio, Ryan Dilmore, Scott Feiner
& Pandeiro Jazz, Selwyn Birchwood, Shai Maestro Trio, Shine with John Viviani,
Significant Other, Snarky Puppy, Sophie Bancroft/Tom Lynne Duo, Soul Stew, Soulive, Spectra, Stephanie Trick, STEVE MARTIN & THE STEEP
CANYON RANGERS FEAT. EDIE BRICKELL, Sun Trio, Sunna Gunnlaugs
Trio, Susanna, Tessa Souter, The Brain Cloud, The Deciders, The Dirt Daubers,
The London Souls, The Lustre Kings, The Moho Collective, The Pine Leaf Boys, The Wee Trio, Two
Siberians, Vijay Iyer Trio, and Warren Wolf & The
Wolfpack.

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 and Android devices.
Visit rochesterjazz.com for the full schedule, map, venue
information, artist bios & photos.

About XRIJF – 2014 marks the 13th edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz
Festival presented by M&T Bank. The festival was founded in 2002 and is
produced by John Nugent, Artistic Director and Marc Iacona,
Executive Director. As one of the leading jazz festivals in the USA, the event
delivers more than 300 concerts including more than 70 free shows, at 19 venues
over nine days. The 2013 Festival drew more than 195,000 music lovers to hear
some of the finest artists in the world perform.

The festival is
sponsored by Xerox, the City of Rochester, M&T Bank, Monroe County, the Democrat
and Chronicle, Wegmans, Rochester Plaza Hotel,
Eastman School of Music, Brooklyn Brewery, Michelob, Stella Artois, Unity
Health System, Admar, Rochester General Health
System, The Community Foundation, 13WHAM-TV, Fox Rochester & The CW
Rochester, M/E Engineering, SWBR Architects, Paradigm, CMI Communications, VisitRochester, Mercury Print Productions, Lidestri Spirits, RG&E, SUNY College at Brockport,
Constellation Brands, DownBeat Magazine, MidTown Athletic Club, Max of Eastman Place, House of Guitars,
and Gates Automotive.

This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2014.