Rochester Intl. Jazz Festival

[Chrome]

My wife is so desperate for me to take her on a vacation that she's appealing to my weak spots ... she's proposed we go to the Rochester International Jazz Festival in June with a side trip to Cooperstown!

If we can get Grandma to watch the girls, I don't think I'm going to be able to resist.

Has anyone been to the Rochester event before? Seems like a lot of nice shows this year, but I'm curious about the ticket situation ... they have a festival-long pass available that gets you into almost all the shows (not the main headliners) ... I'm a little concerned, though, that everything will be jam-packed and we'll have trouble getting into venues, since nothing's reserved in advance.

Valid concern or inflated opinion about jazz's popularity, even during a big festival like this?

[Free For All]

Rochester International Jazz Festival

[marcello]

This is my town so I'm glad to help.

The Club Pass is a good way to see two or three different sets a night, The first shows start between 6 and 7 pm so if you make a dinner reservation beforehand, you can get a good seat.

There are also concerts that are held in various auditoriums ( like Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School od Music ) that you have access to with the Club Pass. Last year at Kilbourn Hall I saw Cedar Walton and Tim Ries; the year before, Chris Potter. Those shows start at 6pm.

The only Eastman Theatre show I will see is Sonny Rollins ( who I saw there in 2003 ); the other acts don't move me too much.

Rochester is a small city, so even with the Festival, it's pretty easy to see what you really want to see, especialy during the week days. All of the clubs and theaters are within a short walking distance from eachother so it is easy to go from one to the other.

The most interesting for me ( besides Rollins ) are:

Bill Frisell Trio

John Scofield Band

Ravi Coltrane Quartet

Joe LaBarbera 5tet ( a hometown boy )

Dewey Redman Quartet

James Spaulding

Pete Laroca Sims

Wallace Roney

Lynn Arrielle Trio

Steve Turre Quartet

Don McCaslin Quartet

Arthur Blythe

Hilton Ruiz Trio

The Crown Plaza Hotel is where all of the performers stay and there are jam sessions there every night. Last year, Tommy Smith played the most amazing tenor solo at one of those sessions that I have EVER heard, live, in my life! I'm not sure he's human.

Edited April 12, 2005 by marcello