Maybe it was the time difference between Rochester and Los Angeles, or maybe his management made a mistake, but I knew I was calling trumpeter Arturo Sandoval a bit too early when he answered the phone in a groggy voice. He suggested calling back in 10 minutes, so I did. “I just took a Cuban […]
Kodak Hall
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Break of Reality: Ten years of breakthroughs
From Java’s to Kilbourn Hall to Kodak Hall in just 10 years. Cello-rock band Break of Reality emerged from Eastman School of Music as a student start-up and has grown into a modern instrumental ensemble with a list of accomplishments practically the length of Gibbs Street. That’s particularly impressive when you consider that this young […]
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Concert Review: RPO plays Rachmaninoff, Strauss, Hindemith
If you love Rachmaninoff even half as much as I do, you are going to love the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s delivery of his Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, led by guest conductor Junichi Hirokami. This week’s concert offering of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra packs in nearly an hour of Rachmaninoff in its second half, […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
INTERVIEW: Marc Maron
Comedian Marc Maron has sometimes had trouble fitting in over the course of his two-decade career. He’s had problems with drugs and alcohol, two failed marriages, and a radio show that got cancelled. But for a Fringe festival, Maron may be the perfect fit. A few years ago, with no prospects on traditional media and […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Frank reviews David Byrne and St. Vincent
Writing is a process I cherish, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that it brings. But I’ve tried to write this review three times and I still have no clue where to start. Philosophically? Historically? Metaphorically? Blow-by-blow account? I’ve done a lot of letting go as of late, yet find myself still holding on to […]
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INTERVIEW: Pink Martini
With equal dashes Esquivel lounge and Martin Denny exotica, chilled on retro rocks and poured into a Camelot-era America glass, Pink Martini is the ultimate in sophisticated pop cool and classic, jazzy swing. Since 1994, this ensemble from Portland, Oregon, has traveled the world plugging into orchestras along the way. It’s breathtaking. It’s an elegant […]
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Concert Review: RPO performs “Beethoven ‘Eroica'”
Before the concert started Thursday night, I heard a woman say to the man next to her, “If you don’t want to stay, we don’t have to. It’s not like you haven’t heard ‘Eroica’ before.” It’s good that they stayed, because last night guest conductor Courtney Lewis led the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra through a definitive […]
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Concert Review: Jessye Norman, Garth Fagan Dance at Kodak Hall
There was something regal about Jessye Norman during Sunday night’s concert at Kodak Hall. A certain calm, unhurried presence that gave her performance the exquisite touch that only a mature and self-confident artist can bring to her audience. You could argue that the three-hour event went on too long. There were various introductions going into […]
