To
take full advantage of all RIJF has to offer, you have some planning to do.
Read this section for short descriptions of almost every act in the festival.
Our critics — Frank De Blase, Ron Netsky, Chad Oliveiri, and Saby
Reyes-Kulkarni — have tried to give you the information you need to decide
which acts you want to catch.
The
boxes are organized by day and order of appearance, but keep in mind that many
musicians perform more than once. So refer to our full festival calendar to see
when an artist will first appear. Also, check out the box on logistics for all
the venue and ticket information.
Friday,
June 10
New
School University Jazz Quartet
Just
in case you were afraid jazz was getting a little stodgy, this New York quartet
stars 19-year-old jazz prodigy Curtis MacDonald. A native of Calgary, Canada,
MacDonald has been rubbing elbows and blowing his alto sax with the pros since
he was nine. He frequently appears at The Sweet Rhythms Club in Greenwich
Village. (FD)
Hilton
Ruiz Trio
Among
the most elegant Afro-Cuban pianists of the last several decades, Hilton Ruiz
has played and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Chico
Freeman, and many more. His latest album, A
New York Story, featuring saxophonist George Coleman, is a delight from
start to finish. Another festival highlight, highly recommended. (RN)
Bill
Frisell Trio
See
interview.
Denis
Parker
They
resuscitated rock ‘n’ roll, and the Brits’ affinity for another American art
form — the blues — also saved it in its early-’60s death throes. One of the
saving English was bluesman Denis Parker. Parker now resides in Newfoundland,
but his blues standards and originals are pure, low-down Americana. (FD)
Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
founder Kristian Blak was born in Denmark, but he has spent most of the last
two decades in the Faroe Islands (in the North Atlantic between Iceland and
Norway). That’s where he assembled a band with a name based on the idea of the
world tree from Norse mythology. When the group appeared at a previous RIJF,
audiences loved its ethereal sound. (RN)
Paula
West Quartet
On
her recent album, Come What May,
Paula West is accompanied by an all-star array of sidemen, including Don Byron,
Bobby Hutcherson, and Bill Charlap. West more than holds her own in this
company, delivering subtly hued renditions of classics like “Lush Life” and
“Blues in the Night.” (RN)
Sex
Mob
The
somewhat misleadingly-named Sex Mob jumbles together Dixieland, dub, free jazz,
and waltz. The striking thing about the band is its commitment to creating what
can only be described as a party atmosphere. Sometimes, the party just goes
right off the deep end — or starts there and somehow finds its way back to
shore. At a recent recording session, for example, for the band’s latest album Dime Store Grind Palace (the first set
of original material after four albums dedicated to other composers’
songbooks), bandleader-trumpet player Steven Bernstein purposely didn’t show
anyone else the material he wrote. (SRK)
autorickshaw
RIJF
has always offered a healthy dose of world music, and one of this year’s more
unusual ensembles is autorickshaw. The group hails from Canada, but its roots
are in southern India. Along with Indian tunes, autorickshaw includes jazz
classics like “Caravan” and “A Night in Tunisia” in its repertoire. (RN)
Sonny
Rollins
If
Sonny Rollins were merely one of the greatest tenor saxophonists in the history
of music, his place would be secure in the pantheon of jazz greats. But from
the beginning of his career Rollins has been far more than a top-notch player.
He has written some of the most enduring tunes of the 20th century. Hardly a
jam session goes by without someone calling “St. Thomas,” “Oleo,” or “Airegin.”
At his last RIJF appearance, Rollins proved that slowing down is not on his
agenda. He took one of the longest and most endlessly fascinating solos I have
ever heard, venturing out farther and farther but never losing track of the
rhythm or structure of the composition. He is a living legend, and this is one
of the festival’s must-see concerts. (RN)
Gap
Mangione Quartet
From
his early recordings with his brother Chuck to his latest piano solo and big
band CDs, pianist Gap Mangione has been one of Rochester’s favorite musicians.
His quartet should please the crowd with a mix of standards and originals. (RN)
Harold
Danko Trio
Eastman
School of Music professor Harold Danko honed his piano skills with Chet Baker,
Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, and many others. His own trio and
quartet albums rival the work of any pianist recording today. His latest CD, Hinesight, is a tribute to Earl Hines.
(RN)
Bob
Sneider Trio
RIJF
acts may change from year to year but late each night, at the Crowne Plaza’s
State Street Bar and Grill, you can count on the excellent Bob Sneider Trio to
host a rousing jam session. You never know who will show up to play after a
gig. George Benson, Chris Potter, and Eric Alexander have sat in, as have a
wide range of local musicians, from students to pros. Don’t miss it. (RN)
Saturday,
June 11
Night
of the Cookers
Night
of the Cookers’ 1965 Blue Note recording, Live
At Club La Marchal, is considered the quintessential hard-bop album. Hard
bop epitomized the late ’50s and early ’60s jazz era with its swinging groove,
extended harmonies, and the incorporation of soul, blues, and gospel. Veterans
from that record — flautist James Spaulding and drummer Pete La Roca Sims —
head up this new inception of the group. (FD)
Al
Copley
Piano-pumpin’
cat Al Copley will goose this year’s occasionally abstract lineup with sweet
shuffle and swing. Before transplanting his piano stool to France, Copley spent
16 years with the legendary Roomful of Blues — which he co-founded with Duke
Robillard. Copley plays classic boogie-woogie and jump blues with pimp swagger
a la Bullmoose and Wynonie; it’s ribald, accessible, and undeniable. Copley
proves that the blues ain’t nothin’ more than jazz without the coat and tie.
(FD)
Juana
Molina
See
interview.
Steve
Turre Quartet
Steve
Turre earned his wings on the trombone with Rahsaan Roland Kirk as early as
1968. In the early 1970s he played with Santana and Ray Charles. Since then
he’s worked with many jazz greats, including McCoy Tyner and Dizzy Gillespie.
In recent years he has not only earned a reputation as one of the top
trombonists in jazz, he has also distinguished himself from virtually all other
musicians by playing conch shells with alarming clarity. (RN)
Chaka
Khan
It
was 1973 when the voice of Chaka Khan first hit the airwaves with Rufus, one of
the finest funk groups of all time. With soaring vocals and a chant-like
chorus, “Tell Me Something Good” was a huge hit. After racking up the gold and
platinum albums Khan left the group, but she had no trouble continuing her hit
streak with tunes like “I’m Every Woman” and Prince’s “I Feel For You.” Prince
went on to produce her recent CD, Come 2
My House. Her latest album, Classikhan, finds Khan singing jazz and pop standards accompanied by the
London Philharmonic Orchestra. Khan is a powerful performer with no shortage of
great tunes like “Papillion” and “Ain’t Nobody” to deliver. (RN)
Will
Downing
Just
reading Will Downing’s album titles over the last several years tells you all
you need to know. Pleasures of the Night,
All the Man You Need, Sensual Journey: Downing is attempting
to claim some of the territory once occupied by Marvin Gaye. Over the years he
had some flirtations with jazz, including a cover of John Coltrane’s “A Love
Supreme,” but his latest album, Emotions,
is squarely in the soul tradition. (RN)
Josh
Irving Quartet
Josh
Irving, a 28-year-old Rochester native, originally studied classical music. But
he was profoundly inspired as a young player by the jazz improvisation of
Rochester’s Paul Smoker (whose Notet also makes an RIJF appearance) and Berklee
professor-Fringe saxophonist George Garzone. Irving and his quartet strike a
balance between progressive and traditional. Adventurous but eminently
listenable, their work swings hard, with Irving’s solos subtly subverting the
music while still appearing to stay within its bounds. (SRK)
Sunday,
June 12
David
Weiss Sextet
This
year’s RIJF has no shortage of top-notch musicians and arrangers, but pound for
musical pound, it will be hard to beat David Weiss’s group. Weiss is an
extraordinary young trumpet player with an equally extraordinary band. On his
latest album, The Mirror, cut after
cut of mostly original tunes is beautifully composed and arranged with
outstanding solos coming from every direction. (RN)
Ravi
Coltrane Quartet
See
interview.
Dave
Mancini Quartet
Since
graduating from the Eastman School of Music, Dave Mancini has worked with a
Who’s Who of jazz greats including Rosemary Clooney, Doc Severinsen, Maynard
Ferguson, and Tony Bennett. Well-known for his clinics and workshops, Mancini
has also found time to perform with his own group and release the spirited
album Salt Peanuts. (RN)
Charles
Ellison Quartet
Concordia
University jazz professor Charles Ellison circles the globe preaching jazz —
either by blowing it out his trumpet or through his work as jazz historian for
the Smithsonian. He has been a member of the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz
Orchestra since 1991. (FD)
Willem
Breuker Kollektief
It’s
based in Amsterdam, but the Kollektief has become a Rochester staple over the
last decade or so. And we probably owe that to the insistence of Bop Shop owner
Tom Kohn, who has booked several of the Kollektief’s local shows and
contributed to the planning for this year’s RIJF. It’s remarkable to think the
Kollektief has been doing its thing for 30 years now. Mainly because what it
does is so utterly spontaneous and joyous, it can’t possibly be sustained.
While many of Holland’s best free players (percussionist Han Bennink, pianist
Cor Fuhler) are also some of that country’s most hilarious musicians, humor and
the avant-garde don’t exactly come attached here in the States. The 10-member
Kollektief is one of the funniest acts around. Add to that their astonishing
interplay and their ability to traverse whole genres at breakneck speed, and
you’ve got an evening of accessible and downright silly outward jazz. (CO)
Dov
Hammer
In
the blues, all roads lead to the Delta (or Chicago), even if you’re Israel’s
premier bluesman. Dov Hammer hangs his hat (and blows his harp) in Tel Aviv,
but he was born in Chicago, and so were his blues. Starting out on bass, Hammer
switched to the harmonica during his stint in the Israeli army. (FD)
Paradigm
Shift w/Wycliffe Gordon
On
their new CD, Shifting Times, band
members Mel Henderson, Gerry Youngman, and Jared Schonig are joined by stars
like Wycliffe Gordon, Marcus Printup, and Joe Locke. One tune from the album,
Stevie Wonder’s “Big Brother,” has become a local radio staple, and deservedly
so. With the addition of Gordon at RIJF, the band should be at its best. (RN)
Ted
Poor & Third Wheel
Rochester
jazz fans will remember him as the drummer in the Respect Sextet. Or maybe
they’ll recall Maria Schneider declaring, “I want to take him with me,” from
the stage of the Eastman Theatre at the 2003 RIJF. Any way you look at it, Ted
Poor is a great drummer. Third Wheel finds him in a trio with Ralph Allesi on
trumpet and Ben Monder on guitar. Not to be missed. (RN)
Monday,
June 13
Joe
LaBarbera 5tet
Joe
LaBarbera has been a well-known drummer on the Rochester scene since his mid-1960s
work with Joe Romano and his ’70s stint with Chuck Mangione. Although he has
played with countless greats, including Tony Bennett, Art Farmer, and Jim Hall,
he may be best known for the two years he spent touring with Bill Evans until
the pianist’s death in 1980. LaBarbera’s own quintet, featuring Eastman School
trumpet faculty member Clay Jenkins, is a wonderful group. On recordings like Mark Time and Live, propelled by LaBarbera’s drumming, the group sustains a vital
edge. (RN)
The
Bad Plus
There’s
been a lot of controversy over whether the Bad Plus is really a jazz group. Who
cares? It’s a hoot. Listen to “Layin’ a Strip for the Higher-Self State Line”
on Bad Plus’s Give album and ask
yourself whether it’s not the most joyous thing you’ve heard all year. The
power trio consists of Reid Anderson on bass, Ethan Iverson on piano, and David
King on the most explosive set of drums outside of a heavy metal band. They are
having a blast and so will you. Line up early for this one. (RN)
Toby
Koenigsberg Trio
All
the keen keyboard chops and insight Toby Koenigsberg shares with his University
of Oregon jazz students are culled from his Eastman School of Music education
and his time on stage. Koenigsberg has studied piano under Bill Dobbins, Harold
Danko, Gary Verace, and Fred Sturm. He has performed with Marian McPartland,
Bill Holman, Ben Monder, and Rich Perry (who will be featured saxophonist on
Koenigsberg’s next release). This trio format will showcase Koenigsberg’s
thoughtful, straightforward playing style with a combo of melody and
improvisation. (FD)
Chiara
Civello
She
may have been born and raised in Rome, but Chiara Civello has fully assimilated
the American singer-songwriter tradition. After attending the Berklee College
of Music and playing the Boston club scene, Civello has also emerged as a
wonderful interpreter of Brazilian music. Her compositions, notably “Last
Quarter Moon,” the title tune of her debut album, contain an exuberant youthful
charm. (RN)
Orange
Alert
Pete
Carney’s Orange Alert has been dubbed acid jazz but don’t let that fool you.
Sure, there’s sampling and scratching and the occasional trippy instrumental
departure, but Orange Alert is more direct than you might think. The group even
veers into straight-up funk now and then amidst the pleasant experimentation
and casual, chilled-out grooves. (FD)
Alex
Torres y Su Orquestra
There
will be a lot of smoking bands at RIJF, but none will be hotter than Alex
Torres y Su Orquestra. Torres’ band is based in Amsterdam, New York, but his
soul is firmly rooted in the islands of the Caribbean. His recent album, Punta de Vista, is full of great horn
charts and smoky, Cuban-style vocals. This year’s festival challenge: Go hear
Torres and try to keep still. (RN)
Tuesday,
June 14
Karl-Martin
Almqvist
Every
once in a while a musician you’ve never heard of knocks your socks off.
Sweden-based saxophonist Karl-Martin Almqvist has studied in the US and he’s
played with top musicians like Pat Metheny and Jon Faddis. But it’s his CD, Full Circle, that’s won me over. Every
straight-ahead cut is a fresh blast of Scandinavian air. (RN)
Mamadou
Diabate & Balla Kouyate
Some
of the more exciting acts of any jazz festival are those that don’t necessarily
fall within anyone’s definition of jazz but whose spirit somehow still fits.
Both from Mali, Mamadou Diabate and Balla Kouyate play in the jeli or griot tradition, an oral storytelling form performed throughout West
Africa by an artist caste responsible for preserving and relaying cultural
identity. The Diabate family is highly regarded in this tradition; like his
father and many of his ancestors, Mamadou plays the harp-like kora. And, like many of the other
artists appearing at RIJF, Diabate works to infuse tradition with new
approaches. He has collaborated with jazz, blues, and Celtic musicians. Kouyate
accompanies him on balafon, which is
similar to the Western vibraphone. (SRK)
Manuel
Valera Quartet
Considering
the maturity of his piano technique, it’s difficult to believe that Manuel
Valera is a mere 24 years old. Then again, the fact that he was born in Cuba,
the son of saxophonist Manuel Valera Sr., and has played with Paquito D’Rivera,
Claudio Roditi, the Machito Orchestra, and many others may explain some of his
precocious talent. His debut album, Forma
Nueva, is a superb, straight-ahead start to a most promising career. (RN)
Ernie
Krivda
Early
in his career Ernie Krivda played in the bands of Jimmy Dorsey and Quincy
Jones; in recent decades he has led his own groups. The fact that Krivda was
chosen as the featured saxophonist for a concert in tribute to Stan Getz —
and that he pulled it off beautifully — speaks volumes about the talent of
this Cleveland musician. (RN)
Steve
Swell — Slammin’ The Infinite
Trombonist
Steve Swell has played it straight with jazzers like Lionel Hampton and Buddy
Rich and gone weird with outsiders like Anthony Braxton. As a member of the
so-called “traditional avant-garde” school, the Jersey-born Swell constructs
music that starts out smoothly walking before dissonantly sprinting and
ultimately galloping out of control. Not for the novice or faint of heart. (FD)
Strunz
& Farah
If
you are looking to be dazzled by the blinding speed and harmonic beauty of the
Flamenco guitar, Strunz & Farah will not disappoint. Jorge Strunz hails
from Costa Rica, Ardeshir Farah from Iran, but they sound like they grew up on
the streets of Barcelona, surrounded by rhythmic clapping and romantic dancing.
(RN)
Chick
Corea
In
the late 1960s, when he was a young pianist in Miles Davis’ band, Chick Corea
was among the first to introduce the electric keyboard into jazz. But that was
just the beginning of a career that would blossom through each subsequent
decade. Leading groups like Circle and Return to Forever in the ’70s, Corea was
at the forefront of the fusion movement that broadened the jazz audience in the
age of rock. While Corea has lead several more groups since the ’70s,
maintaining his prowess in both the electronic and acoustic realms, he has also
established himself as one of the most distinctive composers in jazz. His
best-known tune, “Spain,” not only broke new ground in jazz composition, it
also came as close as any recent jazz tune to becoming a pop hit. Corea, whose
performances range from concertos with orchestras to solo concerts, will visit
RIJF with his latest group, Touchstone. (RN)
Tiempo
Libre
Mixing
traditional Cuban music with Afro-Cuban jazz and straight-up jazz, Miami-based
Tiempo Libre is a Latin-rhythm-driven frenzy. This seven-piece band’s almost
over-the-top groove will surely cause more than a few to pop out of joint.
Early in this young (4-year-old) band’s career they received blessings from the
late Celia Cruz and have gone on to bring their fiery polyrhythmic joy to the
world. (FD)
Wednesday,
June 15
Lew
Tabackin Trio
Philly
town’s Lew Tabackin pulls double duty on flute and tenor sax. After a stint in
the army, he moved to New Jersey in 1965 where he got to work with Tal Farlow
and Don Friedman before moving into big band territory playing in bands led by
Cab Calloway, Les and Larry Elgart, Maynard Ferguson, and Joe Henderson.
Tabackin is widely known and admired for exploring his instruments melodically,
rhythmically, and dynamically. (FD)
Ethnic
Heritage Ensemble
See
interview.
Don
McCaslin Quartet
Saxophonist
Donny McCaslin is not yet 30, but he has already earned a reputation as one of
the finest sax players of his generation. While a student at Boston’s Berklee
College of Music he toured with Gary Burton, and he’s been in demand as a
sideman ever since. McCaslin is a member of another RIJF group, Circle Wide,
but his own quartet should showcase more of his distinctive vision. (RN)
Shuffle
Demons
From
the sound of its raucous Greatest Hits album, Shuffle Demons is the best party band in Canada. The odd instrumentation
— bass, drums, and three saxophones — is somehow the perfect combination on
tunes that careen between Zappaesque absurdity, Tower of Power precision, and
an earthy wit reminiscent of the Fugs. (RN)
Thursday,
June 16
Moutin
Reunion
Identical
twin brothers Francois and Louis Moutin grew up in Paris absorbing their
parents’ collection of American jazz and blues. Louis (drums) and Francois
(bass) recruited Bapriste Trotignon on piano and Rick Margitza on tenor and
soprano saxophones to form the Moutin Reunion Quartet. Judging by their
recently released Red Moon, this is a
formidable ensemble. (RN)
Harry
Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet
The
rich and raspy notes Harry Allen blows out of his tenor sax are all smoky noir
and late night. The sound of his NYC-based quartet is perfect for closing the
deal with a date that’s on the fence or for lamenting over coffee after you
strike out. (FD)
Trio
East
Clay
Jenkins’ trumpet, Rich Thompson’s drums, and Jeff Campbell’s bass are the
ingredients in Trio East. Their recent album, Stop-Start, features a haunting arrangement of Mal Waldron’s “Soul
Eyes,” a progressive treatment of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma,” and a rousing
rendition of Lee Morgan’s excellent title tune. (RN)
Lynn
Arriale Trio
On
its latest album the Lynn Arriale Trio covers “Come Together” and “Iko, Iko,”
but the compositions that prove most exciting are those written by Arriale
herself. With the excellent support of Jay Anderson on bass and Steve Davis on
drums, Arriale plays with a winning sense of abandon on hard-driving originals
like “Braziliana.” She also plays beautifully on more sensitive cuts like “Red
is the Rose.” (RN)
Mad
Science
George
Colligan played trumpet before he gained serious attention behind the piano.
Now he plays Hammond B3 organ and synthesizer with a little piano and drums as
well. Colligan’s band, Mad Science, incorporates all of his multi-instrumental
talents in a surprisingly tame setting. Colligan’s reputation as a reliable
session musician tends to precede him, and the music of Mad Science
occasionally has an all-too-familiar feel as instruments repeatedly double
their light, bouncy lines. Colligan’s still quite young (born in 1969), so his
style continues to evolve. He has a reputation for inventiveness, which we’re
sure will come through in his live set if it doesn’t exactly shine in our audio
samples. (CO)
Dave
Brubeck
Anyone
who had the good fortune to hear him at the 2003 RIJF knows that Dave Brubeck,
now in his eighth decade, is as active and brilliant as ever. On two recent CDs
he showcases his unerring ability to make any piece his own. Private Brubeck Remembers is an album of
contemporary solo performances of 14 WWII-era songs, including a gorgeous
interpretation of “For All We Know” and “Where or When.” “You’d Be So Nice To
Come Home To,” which closes the album, begins as a wistful ballad, but Brubeck
transforms it into a bold declaration before ending the song as a plea. On his
latest disc, London Flat, London Sharp,
Brubeck demonstrates that he has lost none of his quirky compositional prowess.
The title tune’s ascending and descending melodies could only come from the man
who brought classics like “The Duke,” “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” and “It’s a Raggy
Waltz” into the world. (RN)
Circle
Wide
Using
Miles Davis’ pre-fusion experimental period as a reference point,
drummer-composer and Circle Wide leader George Schuller allows his pieces to
serve as a frame that gives the ensemble’s other players ample room. The result
is an overall sound that breathes. Circle Wide also favors a quirky,
lighthearted approach to fusing different jazz styles. Like other acts in New
York’s avant-garde downtown scene, Circle Wide pushes post-bop into its
uncertain future (will they start calling it post-post-bop any time soon?) but
also tends to dance on the margins of the styles it touches on. (SRK)
Friday,
June 17
Jacob
Anderskov Trio
On
his recent albums Even Worse and On the Loose, pianist Jacob Anderskov
demonstrates his dexterity in a world of varied and unorthodox time signatures,
odd syncopation, and a bass (Michael Formanek’s) that sometimes sounds like
it’s signaling something more ominous than the arrival of the shark in Jaws. Anderskov and his trio are
adventurers and their sets should be some of the most progressive of the
festival. (RN)
Wallace
Roney
Wallace
Roney has collaborated with veterans like Chick Corea and Kenny Barron, but he
is best known for his solo work recalling Miles Davis. This is not, however, a
case of imitation. It is more the result of a mentor-student relationship. When
Davis put together a band for the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1991 to re-create
his early-1960s collaborations with Gil Evans, he selected a young trumpeter,
Wallace Roney, to fill the trumpet chair. And Roney has obviously absorbed many
stylistic lessons from the master. His latest album, Prototype, contains wonderful echoes of Davis on ballads like the
title tune and “Let’s Stay Together,” on funk tunes like “Cyberspace,” and on
straight-ahead songs like “Then and Now.” Because of a car accident, Roney’s
group had to cancel an appearance at last year’s festival. His show is bound to
be one of the most highly anticipated this year. (RN)
Eivind
Opsvik
Eivind
Opsvik is one driven Norwegian jazz bassist. He moved to New York City in 1998
and has since been a manic member of that city’s jazz scene, collaborating and
pitching in on a number of projects and groups. 2003’s Overseas was his first release as bandleader — he gathered some
of his favorite NYC musicians to play his compositions. For a free jazzer,
Opsvik doesn’t write overly cerebral songs. These are slices of life, snatches
at mood, and the loose, air-filled pieces seem to be vehicles for Opsvik’s
fascination with instruments and what each musician is capable of bringing to
the party. This young one sounds willing to try anything. So if at times the
sound is too jangled, too obscure, or just doesn’t seem to gel: wait. Another
one’s right around the corner. (Erica Curtis)
Gianluca
Mosole
When
Gianluca Mosole breaks away from some of the too-smooth arrangements (as he
does on “Nardis” from his Delirio album) he proves to be an excellent guitarist. His band, called Fusion Project,
has made a name for itself in Mosole’s native Italy. Join them for a trip back
to the 1970s. (RN)
Paul
Smoker Notet
Rochester’s
Paul Smoker applies avant-garde classical influences to the trumpet. Smoker is
a longtime teacher who now focuses mainly on composing and playing in a number
of projects. His trumpet-playing has a thick, brooding quality which makes it
all the more dramatic when he veers between archetypal scale runs and more
static, minimal lines. (SRK)
Anders
Bergcrantz
In
Sweden he’s been named Jazz Musician of the Year and has won Album of the Year
honors, but you’ve probably never heard of Anders Bergcrantz. When you hear how
he punctuates the air with his trumpet, you will not soon forget him. He can
cry through his horn on ballads like “Stella by Starlight” or jump through
hoops on a fast-paced rendition of “Footprints.” And he’s a fine composer to
boot. (RN)
Raul
Midon
Guitarist-composer
Raul Midon hybridizes Latin, r&b, and jazz with an unabashed emphasis on
pop. Unlike, say, Quincy Jones or the likeminded Italian artist Jovanotti, who
brilliantly filter soulful musical forms through pop via sophisticated, heavily
layered arrangements, Midon’s work centers around his acoustic guitar and
vocals. He prefers to suggest other styles with his fingertips. While he is not
shy of radio-friendly convention, he avoids the cluttered, overpowering bombast
that plagues modern pop music. Ironically, his lyrical emphasis on optimism
ends up bringing a dour, weight-of-the-world sense to his music — a
much-needed breath of fresh air in the navel-gazing world of pop. (SRK)
Chris
Botti
Chris
Botti may be a pretty-boy trumpet stud in the tradition of early Chet Baker,
but he is not without talent. It’s just that his beautiful tone is usually
wrapped in hokey arrangements and smothered by schmaltzy strings. In the past
he earned his stripes as the horn man of choice for Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Sting,
Natalie Merchant, and many others. (RN)
Madeleine
Peyroux
If
you’ve heard her on the radio, you might wonder how Madeleine Peyroux came into
her gorgeous, unique sound. First, she honed her singing skill on the streets
of Paris with musicians passing the hat for francs. That might explain the
comparisons of her voice with that of Billie Holiday, a jazz legend — and
influence — perhaps more appreciated in Europe. Second, her album, Careless Love, brilliantly produced by
Larry Klein, contains an eclectic mix of songs, every one of which Peyroux
makes her own. Eliot Smith’s “Between the Bars,” will make you think of Billie
Holiday’s “Don’t Explain”; Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love” has
just the right continental touch; and Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me
Lonesome When You Go” is delivered with an irresistible Ahmad Jamal-like lope.
But Peyroux can also bring new life to some very old songs (like “Lonesome
Road”), just like you’d expect from a street singer in Paris. (RN)
Matt
Catingub w/The Greece Jazz Band
Man,
can that Matt Catingub swing. He has performed (vocals and alto sax) and
arranged with everyone from Louie Bellson to Lou Rawls and even (gollee!) Jim
Nabors. He currently conducts the Honolulu Symphony Pops and fronts his own
outfit, The Big Kahuna And The Copa Cat Pack. His band for RIJF will be The
Greece Jazz Band. Formed in 1997, The Greece Jazz Band is a 25-plus
all-volunteer big band. The joint is gonna jump, kind of like a Royal Crown Revue
show without the pachuco sneer. (FD)
Jon
Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentleman
Jon
Cleary was born in England, and like a lot of his countrymen, he fell under the
spell of American blues, funk, and soul. He was drawn across the ocean to New
Orleans and, after absorbing the scene for a few years, he emerged a fully
formed funkster. After apprenticing with Walter “Wolfman” Washington, he formed
his own band, grooving in the tradition of Bonnie Raitt (who he has also toured
with). (RN)
Saturday,
June 18
John
Scofield Band
Since
his days with Miles Davis in the 1980s, John Scofield has carved out a niche in
the realm of jazz guitar. It’s fast, fluid, gritty, and in your face. In the
recent past Scofield has recorded with Medeski, Martin & Wood and toured
with his own jam-band outfit, bringing him a slew of new young fans. His latest
album, En Route, features his trio
live at New York’s Blue Note. It’s a more straight-ahead effort with Steve
Swallow on bass and Bill Stewart on drums, but Scofield loses none of the
raunchiness of his guitar sound, until he settles down for a beautiful
rendition of Burt Bachrach’s “Alfie.” (RN)
Soul
Stew
Toronto
sextet Soul Stew has its heart — and feet — in all the right places:
Motown, Stax Volt, and the classic soul traditions of Philadelphia all serve as
the group’s primary feeding ground for inspiration. Where some jazz suffers
from an overly polite presentation that causes distance between performer and
the audience, Soul Stew doesn’t intend for you to just sit there tapping your
feet. If you start to jones for a healthy shot in the arm of Marvin Gay and Sly
and the Family Stone, look no further. (SRK)
David
Eyges/Arthur Blythe/Abe Speller
You
may think cello, sax, and drums form an unlikely combination of instruments for
a jazz trio. That is, until you hear David Eyges, Arthur Blythe, and Abe
Speller. Blythe is the best known of the three and a forceful presence on the
group’s album, Ace. He’s been doing
great work on the alto saxophone since the 1960s. But Eyges shines too,
expanding the cello from bowed beauty to percussive bass-like accompaniment.
(RN)
New
Birth Brass Band
New
Birth Brass Band trumpeter James Andrews is known as “Satchmo Of The Ghetto”
around his neighborhood in New Orleans. The very soul of American jazz is
rooted in New Orleans. It is the fatherland. And these seven players are its
disciples. (FD)
Craig
Roberts & The Jumpin’ Jive Band
This
year’s RIJF has upped the accessibility factor with the introduction of a
little more swing and, in the case of Craig Roberts & The Jumpin’ Jive
Band, its uppity cousin, jive. The aptly fedora’d Roberts sings and plays
guitar to classics by Basie, Jordan, Waller, and Calloway.
Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-ho, if you ask me. (FD)
Danielia
Let’s
call this the new soul. It’s pretty hard nowadays to put soul in your music
without sounding at best referential or at worst derivative. But somehow, NYC’s
Danielia Cotton pulls it off. The woman sings big and plays big with a nod to
what would be called classic rock if it weren’t so damn fresh. Danielia Cotton
is just what we need: a little rock ‘n’ roll to augment the festival’s reigning
jazz. (FD)
Dave
Pietro and Banda Brazil
Alto-saxer
Dave Pietro blows the type of mellow cool that rivals romance. A player’s
player, Pietro has played with everybody: The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra,
Lionel Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, Harry Connick Jr., and John Pizzarelli. He
was also lead alto sax with The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra from 1994 to
2003. (FD)
Derek
Trucks Band
A
prodigy on the blues guitar, Derek Trucks was on the road playing gigs all
though his teenage years. By the time he was in his 20s his reputation was so
strong he was asked to tour with the Allman Brothers Band, playing slide
guitar. But it’s his first-rate, free-form improvising group that should bring
a large crowd to the outdoor festival stage. (RN)
This article appears in Jun 1-7, 2005.
