Sally Howard, one of the organizers of this year’s Alternatives in Living conference, is particularly excited about a track called “renewing citizenship and community.” “I think it is an incredibly important time for us to not retreat into our caves,” she says. “With all of the adversity that came out of the last few years […]
Rochester International Jazz Festival
Posted inNews & Opinion
In cold protest
On January 20, while Bush caressed a Bible, touted the forceful spread of freedom, and then danced at a string of balls in his honor, bussed-in protestors stood on Washington, DC, streets in the cold, in mourning. We had protestors at home, too. A group of about 15 people, representing local peace and social justice […]
Posted inMusic
All that jazz: RIJF in review
With the third annual Rochester International Jazz Festival fresh in our minds, let’s state the obvious: this is not just a jazz festival; this is the best thing to happen in Rochester in decades. It took an outsider, producer John Nugent, to see the potential of a city with rich musical resources and a […]
Posted inMusic
Trumpeting new ideas
The leading trumpet players of the last several decades coaxed no shortage of distinctive sounds out of the instrument. Miles Davis was known for evoking extraordinary pathos. Wynton Marsalis can make it sing with astounding clarity. And Jon Faddis can play in an upper register so high that you might wonder if the notes are […]
Posted inMusic
Too much jazz
When Oscar Peterson walked out on the Eastman Theatre stage Saturday evening, the Rochester International Jazz Festival audience responded with a tremendous ovation. Peterson appeared frail as he walked to the piano, but as soon as he began to play, all concern disappeared. Although the stroke that befell him a decade ago has slowed […]
Posted inMusic
Blood and guts
Trying to classify guitarist James Blood Ulmer just doesn’t work. The best term I’ve seen to describe his music had to be invented: avant-gutbucket. Ulmer came into prominence in the avant-garde jazz scene of the 1970s when he was closely associated with saxophonist-composer Ornette Coleman. But Ulmer’s brand of free jazz had generous portions […]
Posted inMusic
Grander than you can imagine…
Excitement seemed to build higher during the final six days of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, with a full house for Tony Bennett at the Eastman Theatre on Wednesday evening and a sold-out Water Street Music Hall for Ray Barretto, despite the poor sound. Festival promoter John Nugent says the 2003 festival made a […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
News Briefs 6.4.03
Borrowing time Like an ex-smoker who breaks down and buys a pack of Camels in a moment of stress, Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle wants to dip into the county’s tobacco settlement money to pay for general operating expenses this year and cover last year’s deficit. In 2000, Doyle sold the rights to the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Take two
When the Rochester International Jazz Festival debuted last year with an aesthetic triumph and a financial loss, there were questions about whether the festival could be sustained. Looking at this year’s expanded program, the questions have disappeared. Top-name performers — Tony Bennett, George Benson, Spyro Gyra — may lean to the pop side, but […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Finding a groove
In a music industry that insists on categorization, Medeski Martin & Wood have successfully refused to be pigeonholed. With very little radio airplay, they have built a following across the country and around the world. Perhaps most surprisingly, they have managed to combine borderline avant-garde jazz with catchy grooves, drawing fans from all over the […]
