Read on for City Newspaper’s profiles of the acts in
this year’s Rochester International Jazz Festival.
Friday, June 6
George Benson
George Benson had
firmly established his career as a jazz guitarist when he began to highlight a
unique method of scat-singing along with his solos. Before long, his voice took
center stage. In the 1970s Benson topped the charts with his jazz-inflected vocals
and voice-guitar solos on songs like “This Masquerade” and “On Broadway.”
Chris Potter Quartet
Two years ago
saxophonist Chris Potter decided to pay homage to the sax players he revered.
The resulting album, Gratitude,
contains nine original tunes, serving as tributes to greats like John Coltrane,
Sonny Rollins, and Lester Young. What stands out is Potter’s ability to write
in styles reminiscent of each without losing his own signature sound. At 32,
Potter is one of the most versatile, prolific, and imaginative musicians of his
generation.
David Liebman Group
After playing with
fusion group Ten Wheel Drive in the late 1960s, saxophonist-flautist David
Liebman landed a job with John Coltrane’s former drummer, Elvin Jones. A stint
with Miles Davis (1970 to 1974) and a world tour with Chick Corea kept him busy
until the late-1970s, when he established his own group. The latest incarnation
is a top-notch ensemble making optimum use of Tony Marino’s bass and Vic Juris’
guitar.
Dawn Thomson Quartet
She sings tunes by
Antonio Carlos Jobim with an understated beauty recalling Astrid Gilberto, and
she can swing with the best jazz singers. But Dawn Thompson has an additional
dimension; she plays the guitar in a style that combines rhythmic chord leads
with percussive legato runs. Thompson’s recent album, Imagine That, showcases her guitar chops and vocal prowess on tunes
ranging from Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want” to her own ethereal “Sleep
Impressions,” based on a Carl Sandburg poem.
The Fins
The jazz festival
already has a well-earned reputation for bringing in hot acts from around the
world, so you might show up to see The Fins expecting jazz from the fjord. It’s
cool alright, but more on the order of 1950s hipsters playing and singing
rockabilly-swing originals. Hearing this music will remind you that “fins” also
refer to the sides of a vintage Cadillac.
Saturday, June 7
Al Jarreau
The voice serves as
an instrument for many singers; for Al Jarreau, it’s a multi-instrumentalist
capable of sliding over octaves like a saxophone, bleating with the urgency of
a trumpet, and punctuating the rhythm like a drum. Some fans are still attached
to the jazz sound of his debut album, We
Got By. Others love his vocal gymnastics on tunes like Chick Corea’s
“Spain.” A large audience favors pop hits like “We’re In This Love Together.”
Lizz Wright Band
Emerging from Atlanta
and her church-choir roots, Lizz Wright combines elements of r&b, gospel,
and jazz in performances tinged with an effervescent spirit. On her debut
album, Salt, Wright covers a broad
aesthetic territory from “Walk With Me, Lord” to “Afro Blue” with engaging
originals like “Silence” hinting at a bright future.
Kurt Rosenwinkel Band
Kurt Rosenwinkel
dropped out of the Berklee College of Music after two and a half years. Why
stay in school when you can go on tour with vibraphonist Gary Burton?
Rosenwinkel has gone on to become one of the most hard-swinging guitarists of
his generation, adding his lightning runs and languid ballad style to
recordings by Burton, Mark Turner, and others. On his latest CD, The Next Step, Rosenwinkel just flies
through tunes like “Minor Blues” and “Filters.”
Sonny Fortune/Rashied
Ali Duo
Both Sonny Fortune
and Rashied Ali began their careers in r&b groups in Philadelphia. Fortune
moved to New York and worked with Elvin Jones, Mongo Santamaria, and McCoy
Tyner in the 1960s and 1970s. Ali also left Philly in the 1960s, playing with
Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, and John Coltrane. In the decades since, both
have been among the most active performers of avant-garde jazz. See the interview with Rashied Ali on
page XX.
Roberta Piket &
Alternating Current
She’s demonstrated
her acoustic piano chops with Dave Liebman, Rufus Reid, Lionel Hampton, and
others, but this time out it’s all electric for Roberta Picket. Playing
Wurlitzer electric piano, Picket has created a vocabulary of sounds that hovers
somewhere between electronica and progressive jazz. Her composing ability,
which earned her second place in the Thelonious Monk Competition, is evident on
her latest album, full of moody tunes, titled I’m back in therapy and it’s all your fault.
Ryan Kisor Quartet
After winning the
Monk Institute’s trumpet competition in 1990 at 17, Ryan Kisor paid his dues
with the Mingus Big Band and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Now touring
with his own band, Kisor has an assured technique reminiscent of early Freddy
Hubbard. If his latest album, Kisor II,
is any indication, look for fresh takes on great standards.
Sunday, June 8
Rich Perry with The
Eastman Jazz Quartet
His new CD, Rich Perry at Eastman, provides a
preview of what’s in store when Perry joins the Eastman Jazz Quartet. Recorded
in 2001 at Kilbourn Hall, the album features the same excellent line-up with
Perry playing blistering solos or dueling with trumpeter Clay Jenkins on tunes
like Thelonious Monk’s “Bemsha Swing.” Rounding out the quartet, Harold Danko
has a wonderful touch on the piano and Rich Thompson (drums) and Jeff Campbell
(bass) provide a solid, swinging rhythm.
Kevin Mahogany Trio
Kevin Mahogany
handles standards beautifully, but he wants to expand the repertoire. His
latest album, Pride and Joy, offers
popular Motown songs reinvented with jazz-based arrangements and scat-singing.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” become
street-corner doo-wop tunes, “The Tears of a Clown” a meditative ballad and
“Never Can Say Goodbye” a lively samba.
Mark Whitfield Trio
Not long after Mark
Whitfield graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1987 his reputation as a
jazz guitarist landed him gigs with Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, McCoy Tyner,
Art Blakey, and others. A more pop-oriented side of his playing emerged later
in his work with D’Angelo, Mary J. Blige, The Roots, and Chaka Khan. As the
above list suggests, Whitfield is among the most versatile guitarists working
today.
Yggdrasil featuring
Eivør Pálsdóttir
Born in Jutland,
Denmark, Yggdrasil founder Kristian Blak has spent the last two decades in the
Faroe Islands (in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Norway). That’s where
he met Eivør Pálsdóttir, a Faroese singer with a beautiful, ethereal voice.
Yggdrasil (World Tree in Norse mythology) is sure to be one of the most exotic
acts in the festival.
Monday, June 9
Maria Schneider with
ESM alumni & ESM Jazz Ensemble
See interview.
Dave Rivello Ensemble
Some composers favor
the small group, others the entire orchestra. Dave Rivello falls somewhere in
between, communicating most eloquently in the language of the big band. Rivello
knows the colors and textures of his ensemble well. In beautiful ballads and
intense up-tempo tunes, he fully exploits the possibilities of his highly
skilled and expressive band.
Mynta — Music From
India
If your knowledge of
Indian music begins and ends with Ravi Shankar, Mynta will expand your
horizons. Most of the drumming is done on tabla, but Fazal Qureshi is also
adept at mouth percussion. Along with the tanpura, members of Mynta employ
electric bass, violin, guitars, keyboards and saxophones. You’ve never heard
ragas like this.
Lalo
After studying with
Mike Mainieri, vibraphonist Lalo embarked on a career that has taken her
throughout the United States and Europe as guest soloist with orchestras and
jazz ensembles. Her shimmering mallet technique is perfectly suited to original
compositions that are highly accessible but by no means simple.
Tuesday, June 10
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Listening to The Essential Dave Brubeck, it is
difficult to overstate the brilliance of Brubeck’s compositional ability. Few
composers have combined imagination and experimentation so effectively,
producing wonderful tunes like “The Duke,” “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” and “It’s a
Raggy Waltz.” Brubeck may be over 80, but on his latest live album, Park Avenue South, he sounds as fresh as
ever on classics like “Take Five.” Added bonus: His band features Buffalo’s
Bobby Militello on sax. (An interview with Brubeck will publish in next week’s
edition of City Newspaper.)
Avishai Cohen/Jason
Lindner/Marc Gouliani
It’s hard to tell
what Avishai Cohen might be up to next. Since 1998 he’s lent his expertise on
the bass to Chick Corea’s Origin and New Trio. On his own albums he explores
more eclectic territory. His latest, Unity,
with his International Vamp Band, is an engaging exploration of modal jamming
with Cohen doubling on keyboards. Judging by his festival bandmates, especially
adventurous pianist Jason Lindner, Cohen is guaranteed to offer an inventive
set.
Matt Wilson’s “Carl
Sandburg Project”
Over the past decade
drummer Matt Wilson has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene. Known for
albums venturing into avant-garde territory, Wilson has embarked on an unusual
course. In his “Carl Sandburg Project” Wilson interprets the poems of Sandburg
in a variety of ways. Dawn Thompson guests on guitar and vocals.
U Street All Stars
— from Finland
Someone forgot to
tell the U Street All Stars that they live in Finland in the 21st century.
They’ve somehow emerged playing American bebop and fusion circa 1960s-1970s.
It’s a nicely weird mixture of Charlie Parker-style sax with John
Scofield-style guitar and propulsive drumming.
Streetnix
Somewhere between a
classical brass ensemble and New Orleans street band lies Streetnix. The
arrangements of Bill Mahar are uniformly engaging whether they feature a
snake-charming alto sax, deep melodic lines on the tuba, or funk riffs.
Wednesday, June 11
Tony Bennett
His heart may be in
San Francisco, but as long as Tony Bennett brings his voice with him to the
Eastman Theatre his fans should be satisfied. It’s all but unheard of for a
singer’s career to span six decades. Bennett has not only endured; in 1994 his Unplugged album won the Grammy Award for
Album of the Year.
Kenny Werner Trio
Kenny Werner attended
the Manhattan School of Music headed for a career as a concert pianist. Feeling
the need for a change, he transferred to the Berklee School of Music, where he
focused on jazz. Since his first recording in 1977, Werner has brought his
distinctive piano style to concerts and recordings with a host of greats,
including Jaki Byard, Joe Henderson, Tom Harrell, Chico Freeman, and Joe
Lovano.
Kevin Dean’s B3 Band
For the past two
decades Kevin Dean has served as director of Jazz Studies at McGill University
in Montreal. During that time he has also built a reputation as a fine jazz
trumpeter and B-3 organist.
Claudia Acuna Band
Quite possibly the
most sensuous singer working today. Claudia Acuna’s readings of “My Romance”
and “I Fall in Love Too Easily” on her latest album, Rhythm of Life, are gorgeous. Her take on “Nature Boy” leaves no
doubt she’d know what to do with him if she found him. But that’s just the
beginning. When Acuna, who is from Chile, sings tunes like “Ay Mariposa” in
Spanish, language barriers melt away.
Ray Barretto &
New World Spirit
Conga king Ray
Barretto surrounds himself with some of today’s best players in Latin jazz. If
that’s not enough, Barretto’s latest album, Homage
to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, is an endlessly energetic tribute
featuring Latin takes on Blakey’s signature tunes. This should be one of the
hottest shows of the festival.
Prime Time Funk
Prime Time Funk has
the tightest and funkiest horn section in Upstate New York. Fronted by vocalist
Ronnie Leigh, the band includes top Rochester musicians: drummer David Cohen,
keyboardist Andy Calabrese, and saxophonist Vince Ercolamento. One listen to Ready and Willing, produced by Jeff
Tyzik, is all it takes to know that this group can tear it up with the best of
them.
Thursday, June 12
Spyro Gyra
For a long stretch in
the 1970s and 1980s you could hardly turn on a radio without hearing catchy
melodies like “Shaker Song” or “Morning Dance” by Spyro Gyra. The group, led by
Buffalo’s Jay Beckenstein, is still going strong and still garnering radio airplay
with a seductive blend of jazz and funk on its latest CD, Original Cinema.
Curtis Steigers Band
Curtis Steigers is
somewhat reminiscent of Chet Baker. He’s not a classic vocalist, but sings with
an appealing vulnerability. And he occasionally picks up the saxophone to play
a solo. Although his own “Swingin’ Down At 10th and Main” is among the best tunes
on his latest album, he tends to favor standards, both old (“Days of Wine and
Roses,” “Body and Soul”) and new (Ron Sexsmith’s “Secret Heart”).
Mambo Kings
The Afro-Cuban sound
of Rochester’s Mambo Kings has earned them gigs with symphony orchestras across
the country. The group, formed by Peru native Richard Delaney (piano) in 1991,
features two percussionists, Freddie Colon (timbales and congas) and David
Antonetti (congas and bongos) along with John Viavattine (saxophone) and Bob
Stata (bass).
Victoria Corrigan
Quartet
Her youthful good
looks belie a voice reminiscent of a veteran blues singer. Her originals,
“Crazy Before Her Time” and “Twelve O’Clock Moon,” are reminiscent of Rickie
Lee Jones. But perhaps the most impressive thing about Victoria Corrigan is her
ability to transform unlikely pop tunes, “Hot Stuff,” “Spooky” and even
“Abracadabra,” into credible blues songs.
Jon Ballantyne
After winning the
grand prize of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal in 1986, Canadian
pianist Jon Ballantyne, moved to New York City, where he studied with Barry
Harris and Kenny Barron. In the decades since, he has played with the Woody
Herman Big Band, Buddy De Franco, and Clark Terry, and toured the world with
his own group.
Friday, June 13
Alex Skolnick
Jazz artists seeking
relevance to a new generation may sneak a few pop tunes into the mix, but they
usually stick to the tried and true: Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles.
Alex Skolnick throws that formula out the window by taking on Aerosmith, Kiss,
and Black Sabbath. His album, goodbye to
romance: standards for a new generation, is a hoot. Skolnick is such an
engaging guitar player, he makes these tunes sound good.
Leni Stern Trio
In her native Germany
Leni Stern was known for acting. Since moving to the United States in the late
1970s to study at the Berklee School of Music, Stern has earned a reputation as
a jazz guitarist. In recent years she has evolved into a formidable singer-songwriter.
The title track of her latest release, “Kindness of Strangers,” is a beautiful
tune, sung with the perfect touch of frailty.
David Leonhardt Trio
David Leonhardt is an
excellent pianist, composer, and arranger who, a few years ago, arranged and
recorded David Fathead Newman’s excellent CD, Under a Woodstock Moon. At the RIJF, Leonhardt takes on the role of
Pied Piper, leading children to jazz with swinging renditions of tunes like
“This Old Man,” and “Never Never Land.”
Medeski Martin &
Wood
See interview.
Saturday, June 14
Joe Romano
Saxophonist Joe Romano may be known for touring the world
with the bands of Buddy Rich, Les Brown, and Louie Bellson. He may have
conquered Los Angeles with Bill Holman, Stan Kenton, and Pearl. But in
Rochester he’s known as a local hero who graduated from the Eastman School of
Music, played on the first Chuck Mangione album, and provided countless great
shows in local clubs.
California Guitar Trio
They first met at
Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft Course in 1987, but the members of the California
Guitar Trio didn’t come together as a group until 1991. Since then they’ve been dazzling audiences with meticulous
arrangements and brilliant technique. The charm here is the repertoire, ranging
from the sublime (“Waters of Eden”) to the ridiculous (“Bohemian Rhapsody”).
Bob Sneider Trio
Maybe it takes a jazz
festival with acts from around the world to put things in perspective. The Bob
Sneider Trio (Sneider, guitar; Bob Stata, bass; Mike Melito, drums) is a
world-class group that we’re lucky to have in Rochester. Once again, they host
late-night jam sessions at the Crown Plaza. Watch Sneider squeeze every drop of
cool out of his guitar while guests range from students to stars.
Gap Mangione Trio
On his recent album, Ardis, pianist Gap Mangione is joined by
greats like Steve Gadd and Tony Levin on a tasteful collection of originals and
standards. Mangione, one of Rochester’s favorite musicians, is particularly
adept at coaxing the jazz elements out of pop tunes like The Beatles’
“Yesterday.”
Eileen Ivers
When Eileen Ivers
starts fiddling, scores of men and women have been known to cross their arms
and madly launch into hours of non-stop Irish dancing. At least that’s what
happened when the nine-time All-Ireland fiddle champion was the featured
musician in Riverdance. Born in the
Bronx to Irish immigrant parents, Ivers has done a lot more than traditional
fiddling over the years, including a stint with Hall & Oates. In the last
decade, her own albums and tours have made her queen of the Celtic fiddle.
Don’t forget…
Also playing at the
festival are Nancy Kelly, Rik Emmett, Bill Carrothers Trio plus One, the
Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra, Anders Osborne Band, Two Siberians, the East
Hill Classic Jazz Group, Gypsy Jazz with the Stephane Wrembel Trio ,and the
Greece High School Jazz Band.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2003.
