The dampness put a damper on the vibe last night, I’m afraid. Still, those who had umbrellas soldiered on despite the inclemency. Last night, I started off at Montage to see an artist I knew little of: Liz Vice. Her story is one of triumph over adversity. She was raised by a single mother with […]
Rochester Jazz Fest
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 6: Ron reviews Jazzmeia Horn, Harold Danko, and Torben Waldorff
When Jazzmeia Horn took the Temple Building Theater stage Wednesday night, it was obvious she was a commanding presence in a long green dress and brightly colored African head wrap. As soon as she launched into her first song, Betty Carter’s “Tight,” there was no doubt that there was plenty of substance to go with […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 5: Frank grooves on Dmitri Matheny, Junior Brown, and VickiKristinaBarcelona
The man with the loudest finger snaps and the creamiest horn, Dmitri Matheny, took the Wilder Room stage while there was still plenty of threatening rays of light streaming in through the windows. For the mood of the music on the menu this early summer evening was dark. Matheny shines as a flugelhornist and a […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 5: Daniel reviews Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, House of Waters, and Partikel
You won’t hear anyone else like New York City’s House of Waters at this year’s Jazz Festival. Singularly hypnotic, the trio features the hammered dulcimer playing of Max ZT, who takes what is primarily known here in America as an Appalachian folk instrument and turns it into a multicultural mashup of East meets West. During […]
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Interview: Beal Institute Director Mark Watters
Watters will conduct the 25-piece Eastman All Stars Big Band through selections from classic and contemporary jazz film scores by artists from ranging from Lalo Schifrin and Duke Ellington to Leonard Bernstein and Randy Newman.
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 5: Ron reviews Joe Locke Group, Lucia Cadotsch ‘Speak Low,’ and Gary Versace Trio
It’s one thing to hear great music; it’s quite another to witness a super-human performance. That’s what two full houses at Kilbourn Hall experienced Tuesday night with the Joe Locke Group. Locke played selections from his new album, “Subtle Disguise,” with Jim Ridl on piano, Lorin Cohen, bass, and Samvel Sarkisyan, drums. Guest singer Paul […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 4: Frank checks out and exudes much joy for the Joe Farnsworth Quartet feat. Eric Alexander, Trail of Souls, and Johnny Goldtooth and the Chevy Casanovas
Holy shit. That was one healthy dose of pure jazz. So powerful I had to wash it down with Raisin Jack, Jack. The Joe Farnsworth Quartet featuring Eric Alexander played some hard bop with blinding heat. And even with bass and drums in the pocket so deep they were covered in lint, the show at […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 4: Daniel reviews Teagan and the Tweeds, Cold Chocolate, and Zara McFarlane (and catches Moon Hooch again)
At the festival Sunday, I had gotten a taste of magic, and the following day, I couldn’t shake it. I was having cravings, and I had to give in: I needed more Moon Hooch. So I crept into The Montage Music Hall for the infectious trio’s first set of Monday night. This time, the room […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 4: Ron reviews Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, Christian Sands, and Strings Attached
In Cuban Spanish, the word “maqueque” means “the energy of a young girl’s spirit.” In Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, the spirit of five young Cuban women came through loud and clear. The band played a lively show of Afro-Cuban jazz to a near-capacity crowd at the Temple Building Theater Monday night. Working with Cuban musicians […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 3: Daniel reviews Colin Gordon, The Dustbowl Revival, and Moon Hooch
My Sunday night started fittingly on Jazz Street with a performance by local saxophonist Colin Gordon. Gordon was joined by a well-balanced lineup of fellow Rochester musicians: guitarist Chris Potter (fresh from his performance in the Doug Stone Quartet the night before); pianist Max Greenberg; upright bassist Tyrone Allen; and drummer Andrew Tachine, of the […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 3: Frank checks out Beats & Pieces Big Band and Knower
It’s a bit perverse, I know, but I love to see and hear chaos in a church. I like to see statues tumble, stained glass broken. I like to see pews on fire while church bells ring. I came close to the chaos last night as Britain’s Beats & Pieces Big Band shook the foundation […]
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Jazz Fest 2018, Day 3: Ron reviews Bill Dobbins, Kuara Trio, and One for All
Eastman School of Music professor Bill Dobbins has had such a rich musical life that he can reach back through the decades and come up with a fascinating program. At Hatch Hall Sunday evening, Dobbins revisited some preludes for piano that he wrote between 1991 and 2001. If you think that sounds too classical for […]
