Manuel Valera is a native of Cuba, and English is not his first language. His first language is piano and he speaks it eloquently…
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Jazz Fest, Day 7: Nicole reviews Cyndi Cain
Cyndi Cain is a superstar. I could hear her voice booming loud and clear for blocks before I reached the venue. Serving up tunes that had a funky soul vibe, Cain’s pipes were a force to be reckoned with last night. Her body moved with her voice, and she waved her hands and bobbed her […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 5: Ron reviews Louis Hayes & The Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Forever Young, and Tessa Souter
I began Tuesday evening in Kilbourn Hall with Louis Hayes & The Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band. I found out later that Hayes had a medical issue and the 10 p.m. show was cancelled. But he seemed fine, if a bit subdued, during the 6 p.m. show. Because Hayes had actually played with the Cannonball Adderley […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 4: Ron reviews Vijay Iyer Trio, Kari Ikonen Trio, and Julian Lage and Nels Cline
Vijay Iyer was clearly relishing his homecoming during his trio’s concert Monday night. It had been a decade since his last XRIJF performance at Max of Eastman Place, and after winning just about every award there is to win in the jazz world, the former Fairport resident was elevated to Kilbourn Hall. His joy clearly […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 4: Nicole reviews Catherine Russell
Catherine Russell is a clear Jazz Fest crowd favorite. Patrons packed wall-to-wall into the Harro East Ballroom to see the daughter of the late Luis Russell. And when she appeared on stage in a glittery silver top, the audience responded with enthusiastic cheers. Russell’s strong, soulful voice was near-perfection as she plowed through one classic […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 3: Jake reviews the Jon Ballantyne Trio
It took a little time for the Jon Ballantyne Trio to grow on me. And even then, I didn’t leave Xerox Auditorium impressed. It is absolutely clear that pianist Jon Ballantyne, drummer Adam Nussbaum, and bassist Evan Gregor are talented musicians and in certain moments they worked well together. But that’s what makes the trio’s […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 3: Nicole shares her thoughts on Brubeck Brothers Quartet
Dan and Chris Brubeck, sons of legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, brought their family’s secret recipe to Harro East Ballroom on Sunday night. The Brubeck Brothers Quartet drew a large crowd, perhaps due to the family name. People sat mesmerized, taking in a healthy balance of original tunes, Dave Brubeck classics, and jazz standards. Regardless […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 2: Jake reviews Snarky Puppy
Hands down, my favorite part of seeing a band live is the spontaneous smile that creeps across a performer’s face. I don’t mean the “look nice for the crowd and pretend” smile. It’s the smile that happens after a musician pulls off a momentous build, or their bandmate wraps up a ridiculous solo. In that […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 1: Ron reviews Sun Trio, Partisans, and Holophonor
At the Lutheran Church Friday night, Finland’s Sun Trio seemed caught between the past and future of jazz. When trumpeter Jorma Kalevi Louhivuori played his instrument traditionally he had exceptional range, from melodic to abstract, and from gorgeous to guttural. Simply put, the man had incredible chops. But, about half the time, he insisted on […]
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Jazz Fest 2014, Day 1: Nicole reviews Lorraine Klaasen
From the moment Lorraine Klaasen opened her mouth, the singer brought vibrancy, in every sense of the word, to the otherwise bleak Xerox Auditorium space. Decked out in exciting colors and filling the stuffy hall with full-bodied gritty vocals, Klaasen was riffing and growling with each note. It was clear she was there to have […]
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Hard knocks and hard hits
In one swift motion, Jerremy Lorch snatches a volleyball out of the air, plops it on his lap and whizzes off down the basketball court — a strong breeze following his wheelchair as he speeds down the sideline. But Lorch doesn’t get far. Another man in a wheelchair rams into him with spectacular force, nearly […]
