NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Danielle Ponder and The Tomorrow People

  • The NYS Music Guide to the 2017 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

    Starting June 23, and up until July 1, 2017, Rochester will once again become one of the hottest destinations for live jazz, and music in general. Once a year, for a nine-day stretch, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest brings this medium-sized city wall-to-wall big city talent from across the globe. Headliners at the glorious Eastman Theatre, the Club Series making use of every viable hall in the East End neighborhood, and free shows filling the streets with sound; it’s a music lover’s paradise. With so much to see and hear, and only two eyes and two ears with which to take it all in, decisions must be made. Hit this, not that. But what? Well, that’s why we’re here. Here again we have compiled must-see acts for every type of fan. No matter what tune you’re singing as you stroll down Jazz Street, there’s something for you. Don’t forget to check out our tips for the best way to enjoy your time at the Rochester Jazz Fest.


    “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing”
    Are you more of a traditionalist? You’ll want to be at these sets:

    Miguel Zenon
    Puerto-Rican saxophonist Zenon is a Grammy winner and a Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow. He brings his longtime quartet and the music from his fantastic new release, Tipico, which blends his Latin roots and adventurous hard bop for a sound that can be reminiscent of Horace Silver, with more than a few unexpected turns.
    June 26, Kilbourn Hall    , 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; $35 or Club Pass

    Billy Childs Quartet
    Previously seen on a XRIJF stage as the pianist in Chris Botti’s band, Childs brings his own quartet this year, playing from his own impressive songbook. Perhaps he will throw in a Laura Nyro cover or two from his Reimagining Laura Nyro record, but more likely the set will lean heavily on his superb 2017 release, Rebirth.
    June 24, Kilbourn Hall, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; $35 or Club Pass

    4 By Monk By 4
    Four piano masters celebrating the works of a trailblazer and legend of jazz, Thelonious Monk. Kenny Barron, Benny Green, George Cables and Cyrus Chestnut will combine forces to do the man justice, playing together in various combinations. This has the all the makings of a special night of music.
    June 29, Lyric Theatre, 4:00 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass
    June 30, Kilbourn Hall, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; $35 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Kendrick Scott Oracle
    June 27, Xerox Auditorium, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Hot Club of Cowtown
    June 28, Big Tent, 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.;$30 or Club Pass


    “It don’t mean a thang if it ain’t got that twang”
    In the, well this ain’t jazz category, here are some acts for the lovers of the tried and true roots and Americana tradition.

    The Jerry Douglas Band
    The unquestioned best dobro player around, Douglas might best be known these days for his work in Alison Krauss’ band, but he has been kicking around in the newgrass scene since it’s inception. He’ll be with his new band previewing his new album What If, which is out in mid-August.
    June 24, City of Rochester East Ave and Chestnut Street Stage, 9 p.m.; FREE

    John Paul White
    White found great success as the male half of the much acclaimed folk duo, The Civil Wars. Moving on from that project, White returned to his solo roots, plumbing the depths of Americana for his second solo effort, Buelah, released last year.
    June 25, Squeezers Stage at Anthology, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    The Dustbowl Revival
    An eight-piece that combines bluegrass, gospel, New Orleans swing and blues, they are no mere string revival band, mixing in some brass to throw it all for a unique loop.
    June 29, Montage Music Hall, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Jack Broadbent
    June 25, Montage Music Hall, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Lera Lynn
    June 26, Squeezers Stage at Anthology, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m.; $30 or Club Pass


    “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got six strings”
    The festival has an unusually strong slate of guitar slingers this year.

    Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan
    If the Jazz Fest existed for the singular purpose of getting Frisell to Rochester every couple of years it would be well worth it. Your favorite guitar player’s favorite guitar player, he is returning for his seventh festival. Every time he brings a different band and it never disappoints. This year he is presenting a duo set with bassist Thomas Morgan.
    June 25, Kilbourn Hall, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; $35 or Club Pass

    Matthew Stevens
    A major contributor to the sound behind Esperanza Spalding’s standout 2016 hit Emily’s D+Evolution, Stevens is out with a stunning brain melter of an album of his own this year, Preverbal. Angular and adventurous, you’re in for a thrilling ride at these sets.
    July 1, Wilder Room    , 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Eric Krasno
    The guitarist for jamband and XRIJF veterans Soulive, Krasno returns for a set with his own band. He has mixed in more rock and blues to the funk and soul, and even added vocals to the repertoire, but there’ll still be plenty of improvisation to go around.
    June 30, Squeezers Stage at Anthology, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Charlie Hunter Trio
    June 27, Squeezers Stage at Anthology, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    International Orange
    July 1, The Little Theatre, 7:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

     
    “It don’t mean a thing if I ain’t moving my thing”
    If you want to move while you listen, these are the acts that will have the crowd out of their chairs and on their feet. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes.

    St. Paul and the Broken Bones
    Paul Janeway, an energetic singer with an electric and unique voice, leads this eight-piece soul band that turns heads wherever they go, wherever they’re heard. The streets will be a sea of dancers when they unleash music from their latest, Sea of Noise.
    June 23, City of Rochester East Ave and Chestnut Street Stage, 9 p.m.; FREE

    The Nth Power
    Soulful groove and dance music from a group borne from a late-night jam session at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, this is a young band quickly making a name for themselves for their electrifying live shows.
    June 23, Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Electric Kif
    Another energetic soulful quartet, this Miami band started as a side project for the members but quickly grew into something special and lasting.
    June 28, Squeezers Stage at Anthology, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Huntertones
    June 23, Montage Music Hall, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
    June 24, Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass for either venue

    New Breed Brass Band
    June 26, Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
    June 27, Montage Music Hall, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.    ; $30 or Club Pass for either venue


    “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sing”
    If you want some vocals with your jazz, check out these shows.

    Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
    Scott Bradlee invited different musicians to play today’s popular music in specific classic styles and quickly grew his concept into a YouTube sensation. Be prepared to hear familiar songs as you’ve never heard them before. It makes for a truly unique and exciting live performance like you’ve never seen before. Browse the endless string of videos at his web site and you’ll get the idea fairly quickly.
    June 27, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 8 p.m.; $45 – $85

    Mavis Staples
    One of the few true living legends featured at this year’s festival, Mavis Staples is an American treasure that is still making new and relevant music. If you’re looking for some soul and gospel, accept no substitute.
    June 28, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 8 p.m.; $25 – $65

    Eivor
    As long as you’re in a church, you may as well listen to a voice from the heavens. From Norway’s Faroe Islands, Eivor will do nothing if not mystify you.
    June 24, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People
    June 29, City of Rochester Midtown Stage, 7:00 p.m.; FREE

    Youn Sun Nah
    June 29, Harro East Ballroom, 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass


    “It don’t mean a thung if it ain’t fresh and young”
    People have been calling for the death of jazz for decades, but the youth keep reinvigorating the genre. Check out these younger acts to keep hip to what’s new. But if you want to catch the youngest talent, plan to catch some of the school bands gracing the Jazz Street stage throughout the festival.

    Phronesis
    This piano trio is making a very welcome return to the XRIJF lineup. The London Jazz News sums them up nicely: “established as one of the great trios. Three players, moving as one – head, heart and hands.”
    June 29, Christ Church, 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Neil Cowley Trio
    Like Phronesis, another brilliant British piano trio making their Jazz Fest return. These guys lean more heavily on the hook-laden melodies, adding a pop and rock sensibility to their compositions.
    June 24, Christ Church, 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Donny McCaslin Group
    The band behind David Bowie’s universally-lauded final album, Blackstar, this is jazz highly influenced and informed by that experience.
    July 1, Xerox Auditorium, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Binker and Moses
    June 30, Christ Church, 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Jacob Collier
    June 23, Squeezers Stage at Anthology, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m.; $30 or Club Pass


    “Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah”
    And now for something a little different. When you invite bands from around the world you can get into some interesting and adventurous stuff.

    Shabaka and the Ancestors
    London-ite Shabaka Hutchens put together this ensemble of South African musicians, which recorded one of the most thrilling new records of 2016, The Wisdom of Elders. Spiritual afrocentric jazz that is equal parts soul-stirring and soul-soothing, in the vein of Coltrane or Sun Ra.
    June 25, Harro East Ballroom, 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Dakha Brakha
    This Ukrainian quartet plays music from another side of the world. Unusual, both visually and aurally, but quickly familiar and enjoyable, they blend tribal rhythms, chant-like singing and an odd mix of instruments into an infectious melting-pot of sound. This set will have Jazz Street talking.
    June 29, Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Dinosaur
    Led by trumpeter Laura Jurd, this young quartet plays creative instrumental music that rests in the crux of jazz, rock, electronic and funk.
    June 26, Christ Church, 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Also make time for…
    Klabbesbank
    June 28, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    Ikonostasis
    June 26, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; $30 or Club Pass

    See the full lineup and all of the festival details at RochesterJazz.com.

  • Rochester’s Party in the Park 2017 Lineup Includes Los Lobos, Tim Reynolds

    Rochester’s Party in the Park announced the 2017 lineup for the summer concert series. The lineup includes many big names in music, including Los Lobos, Living Colour, Tim Reynolds and Blues Traveler. The series also features a number of local acts on the Genesee Brewery Bowl Stage, including Personal Blend and Ocular Panther.

    Party in the Park 2017 CGI Main Stage Lineup
    June 15 – Los Lobos, Adam Ezra Group
    June 22 – Living Colour, Aqueous
    June 29 – Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Big Mean Sound Machine
    July 6 – Tim Reynolds TR3, The Movement
    July 13 – Blues Traveler, Kat Wright
    July 20 – Los Lonely Boys
    July 27 – The Machine
    Aug. 3 – Matisyahu, Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People
    Aug. 10 – Donna the Buffalo, Zach Deputy

    The Genesee Brewery Bowl Stage Lineup
    June 15 – Neil Van Dorn
    June 22 – Matthew Corey
    June 29 – Personal Blend
    July 6 – White Woods
    July 13 – Dirty Bourbon Blues Band
    July 20 – The Dan Eaton Band
    July 27 – Into the Now
    Aug. 3 – Ocular Panther
    Aug. 10 – String Theory

    Original Post:

    Rochester’s Party in the Park summer concert series returns to celebrate 20 years. Zach Deputy, Los Lonely Boys and Pink Floyd tribute act the Machine are included in the 2017 lineup. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday to announce the full lineup.

    Party in the Park takes place weekly on Thursdays from June 15 through Aug. 10 at Rochester’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

    Tickets for the Party in the Park concerts are $5 each. Fans who plan to attend all nine shows can purchase a a Party Pack for $35 and will be able to enter via an express entry line.

    June 15 –
    June 22 –
    June 29 –
    July 6 –
    July 13 –
    July 20 – Los Lonely Boys
    July 27 – The Machine
    Aug. 3 –
    Aug. 10 – Zach Deputy

  • Rochester Congregates for the Gospel of Robert Randolph

    With an even mix of covers, instrumentals, and tracks off his new album, Got Soul, in just a little over an hour, Robert Randolph made Anthology his house of gospel worship. When you’re on stage with Randolph you’re a part of his family, whether you share blood relation or not. Other than his actual cousin Marcus sitting behind the drums, the names and faces have changed over the years. But their mission has stayed the same. Robert Randolph and the Family Band conduct a non-denominational service espousing love, hope and energy via a program of invigorating and uplifting funk and soul filtered through the unique style of pedal steel guitar originating in the Sacred Steel church. On a cool and damp April 20, the traveling ministry arrived in Rochester.

    The service began, as they often do, with the organist filling the air with thick swirls, preparing the crowd for prayer. Things took an unexpectedly dark turn with a quick cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” But in that quick two-minute flourish the darkness would stay for the remainder of the night. It quickly moved into another cover, this one of ZZ Tops “I Thank You,” which is featured on Got Soul.

    From there Randolph kicked into the first of three stunning instrumentals he would intersperse throughout the evening. Each had it’s own character, but followed the tried and true Sacred Steel format, begging the question: Can you be summoned to scream Hallelujah and Amen without a prayer being uttered? Randolph proved the answer to be a resounding ‘Yes,’ as he stretched and twisted notes, sculpting the structure of sound, building it slowly to ecstatic peaks. Randolph may have adopted a slick and polished exterior in his studio output, but from the inside looking out, he’s still the same old impassioned and energetic force of musical enlightenment.

    And the new songs came off well from the stage as well, with the band rolling through uplifting takes on “Find a Way,” “Love What You Do,” “Shake It,” and “I Want It.” On “Love Do What It Do” Robert egged on his sister Lenesha to freestyle about their childhood trips up to Rochester to see the Campbell Brothers at their church on Goodman Street.

    The encore began with Randolph on stage alone, eliciting some gorgeous Hawaiian pedal steel sounds on the instrumental “Heaven’s Calling” before the rest of the band filed on for one big final thank you and their version of the Sly and the Family Stone classic “Thank You Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin.” The band filed off again mid-jam, leaving just the original Family Band members, Marcus and Robert, to close out the evening with a breakdown jam that drifted off into midnight.

    Rochester’s own soul superhero, Danielle Ponder, got the evening off to a hot start. Public defender by day, soul-belting goddess by night, her and her band the Tomorrow People mesmerized the early crowd with powerful heartfelt grooves, highlighted by a sexy and sultry cover of “Crazy.” Luke Wade and his young trio, playing together for the first time, played a set chock full of original love songs, with “Morning View” and “On Fire” being the stand outs.

    Setlist: War Pigs > I Thank You, Instrumental, Find a Way, Instrumental, Shake It, Superstition, Instrumental, Love Do What it Do, I Want It E: Heaven’s Calling > Thank You Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin

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