Jason with friends Gary and Beth outside Kilbourn Hall
It’s almost too much to take. Day 1 of the 2006 World Cup coinciding with Day 1 of the 2006 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Three hours of soccer matches (Germany and Ecuador emerging victorious) followed by 8 hours of jazz (everybody in attendance emerging victorious). Here’s what I saw and heard on the opening day of what is fast becoming one of the country’s top jazz festivals.
The weather was nasty. Let’s just get that out of the way. It was a very un-June kind of day in Rochester — cold, rainy and windy enough that the folks from the local jazz station, Jazz90.1, had to hold down the four corners of their broadcast tent to keep it from sailing off into the sunset.
This is the northeast, though, and jazz fans can’t be dissuaded by foul weather. For the first time, all the Club Passes sold out by Day 1 of the festival. (The Club Passes get you in to everything but the shows in the Eastman Theatre.) A packed house watched as guitarist Charlie Hunter and his new trio remodeled the interior of staid Kilbourn hall with a mix of Levon-Helm-Slept-Here drumming from Simon Lott and the Rhodes and organ of Erik Deutsch. A breakneck version of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” was a highlight, particularly when it screeched to a halt and became a cerebral and hushed “Out of Nowhere.” Lott and Deutsch are new to the trio, replacing long-time members John Ellis and Derrek Phillips, who left amicably to pursue other projects. The one hitch in the first set was a long, introspective tune that took up the last 20 minutes of the show. When it ended, Charlie called a closing number, but the soundman was gesturing wildly that time was up, and a surprised Charlie warmly thanked the audience and split. It was obvious that the quiet number wasn’t supposed to be the show closer, and my guess is that they worked out the timing a little better by the second set.
After a quick round of sushi to restore the vital signs, it was off to the Eastman Theatre to see … Woody Allen? That’s right, the film auteur was in town with his trad jazz band to play the most expensive show of the week. Unfortunately, the music didn’t live up to the hype. If his name were Woody Jones, he and the band would have been a very enjoyable local outfit that you might see on a small stage. For $90 a head, though, you really have to like looking at Woody as he energetically keeps time and plays clarinet with what can only be described as a sadistic amount of vibrato. (As it turns out, the standout member of his band was Cynthia Sayer, who charmed the jam session later in the evening with her delightful banjo playing.) It’s important to note, though, that a portion of the proceeds from this show go to benefit folks in New Orleans, so from a nonmusical perspective, it was a good thing.
Over in the festival tent, Hungarian fusion band Djabe made their second appearance in Rochester and once again won the crowd over with the kind of feel-good electric music that was big with guys named Corea and Clarke back in the early 80s. The members of Djabe radiate a personal warmth from the stage that does a lot to win the crowd over, and they back up that vibe with solid musicianship.
Milestones Music Room was host to one of the standout shows of the night, as Gregg Bendian and his Mahavishnu Project channeled John McLaughlin and stoked the inner mounting flame. The five-piece band features Bendian on drums, Adam Holzman on keyboards, Rob Thomas on violin, Glenn Alexander on guitar, and Dave Johnsen on bass. “We believe jazz can be electric,” Bendian told the crowd, “and when it’s electric, it should be heard live.” The room was packed with admirers, from the grey goatees who listened to the original records in the 70’s, to jam band kids who’ve grown up listening to extended improvisation. Highlights included a beautiful version of “Dawn,” a hard-charging “Celestial Terrestrial Extraterrestrial Commuters,” and a mesmerizing rendition of Jan Hammer’s “Bamboo Forest.”
It’s worth mentioning that Milestones booked its own act to go on between the jazz fest sets. Singer/songwriter/pianist Juliet Lloyd played an hour of original music that could easily find its way onto stations that play Jamie Cullum and Nellie McKay. Her song “Too Little, Too Late” would be on the radio in a better world.
For the fifth year running, every night of the festival ends with the Bob Sneider Trio leading a jam session for headliners and amateurs alike at the Crowne Plaza. Guitarist Sneider was joined by bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Mike Melito. The opening night session featured members of the Woody Allen band, local boys Filthy Funk, and many, many others. A packed crowd stayed until after 2 a.m. to drink in the music (and a few liquid refreshments) and celebrate nine days when Rochester becomes the Jazz Capital of the World.
For complete information, including audio files, concert photos and more, visit rochesterjazz.com.
Comments are closed.