Adam and David Moss are identical twins. But don’t talk to them about that, they’ve heard all the twin jokes and comments and they’re sick of it. Though since they commented in jest about the Rochester weather, a subject us locals have heard every angle on, they’ll have to forgive us for dabbling in some twin talk here.
The brothers Moss make up the folk duo under the clever moniker The Brother Brothers. They were in town last week at the Arbor Loft as the latest artist brought in by Honest Folk. The two played a two-set, two-hour show that turned out to be both a night of folk songs and a bit of comedy too.
The show was filled with characters, like the “Ocean’s Daughter,” the “Notary Public,” “The Gambler,” “Mary Ann,” and “Frankie,” as well as places like their hometown “Cairo, IL,” “Colorado,” and Peter Rowan’s “Angel Island.” Person, place or thing, it all came to life through Adam and David’s impossibly perfect harmonies. It was almost as if they were harmonizing as one person, no studio trickery required. Add in some exquisite playing on guitar, fiddle and cello and The Brother Brothers present a uniquely tight nugget of acoustic music mastery. The setlist drew from their debut EP (2017’s Tugboats) and LP (2018’s Some People I Know), and also included a few brand new tunes that should see a release some time next year.
The inter-song banter was almost as entertaining as their playing and song craft. Playing off each other, and at times the crowd, some seemed more rehearsed while most were clearly off the cuff. Subjects ran the gamut from global warming, flat eartherism, the dearth of good Hanukah music, and running sound at concerts.
For the encore, the pair came back for their brotherly take on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” that was the perfect capstone to a lovely evening.
Upon hearing the announcement of the next Honest Folk show, the brothers seemed outright jealous of Rochester’s opportunity to see JUNO award winner William Prince, a folk singer from Winnipeg. He’ll be taking the stage January 13 at Good Luck. Tickets are on sale now. Also just announced is the great Joe Pug who will be at Good Luck on February 17.
A Saturday night crowd, on a Monday, settled in for a wonderful night of folk songs in the cozy and warm exposed-brick confines of Restaurant Good Luck. Honest Folk Presents brought in two great artists representing both coasts. The crowd was familiar with Portland Oregon’s Jeffrey Martin, making his third stop at the venue. The Sea The Sea, from the much closer Troy, however, were making their first appearance in Rochester and would open the night.
A male/female duo, featuring Mira and Chuck Costa, The Sea The Sea moved effortlessly between electric and acoustic guitars, a small percussion setup and an even smaller keyboard, mixing different combinations of sounds. Regardless of the instrumentation, their beautiful two-part harmonies were the true highlight throughout the night. It was remarkable how perfect their voices blended together, making a signature sound. They featured them so regularly that it started to become two parts of a single voice. On the rare occasions when only one voice rang out, it was almost as if one of the channels on the stereo was faulty.
The pair has spent a good deal of the past year on the road, and also recently relocated to Troy, both of which have been providing inspiration for a bevy of fresh new tunes, some of which they shared, like “Foreign Country” and “Stumbling Home.” Most of the set was filled with their more well-worn material, like the palindromic “Love We Are We Love” and the familial “Good For Something.” They rounded those out with two choice covers, the Bob Dylan deep cut “I’ll Keep It With Mine,” and “No Love Today” from the under-appreciated songwriter Chris Smither.
Jeffrey Martin was last on the Good Luck stage almost exactly two years to the day from this night. It was in fact the Monday after the end of daylight savings, just as it was on his previous visit. Martin’s music doesn’t really evoke blue skies and sunshine, so the fact that it was middle-of-the-night dark throughout the show, which ended at the Monday-friendly hour of 9:45, was very welcome. Perhaps it was both genius and coincidence.
For an hour Martin held court on the Good Luck stage, telling stories both in song and out. Though sometimes it was hard to tell the difference, as he noodled on his guitar during his between-song bantering and there was just something lyrical about the way he spoke. Some of the stories spanned the songs that interjected, and the songs always related somehow with the stories. Some of the stories inspired the songs, sometimes real life followed the songs, and other times the story and the song were one and the same. Stories, songs, acoustic guitar and a rich singular voice made for about as pure a folk show as you can achieve. Seems so simple, and yet it’s so hard to achieve, but Jeffrey Martin pulled it off with a natural and unfettered brilliance. It’s no wonder Honest Folk has booked him again and again.
As for the next Honest Folk show, they’ve just announced twin-brother outfit, appropriately named The Brother Brothers, who will be at The Arbor Loft on Wednesday December 11. Tickets are on sale now at early bird pricing for a limited time.
Finishing up their second year with Orrin Evans at the piano (replacing founding member Ethan Iverson), and on the eve of the release of their second album with the new lineup, The Bad Plus made a stop at the Hangar Theater in Ithaca. Previously declaring themselves the band that will Never Stop, they were now ready to Activate Infinity.
And why not? The music emerging from the trio, even after the change, and after almost two decades as an entity, is as potent and timeless as ever. Their healthy mix of rock, classical, pop, and yes, of course, some jazz as well, has a bit of something for anyone willing to listen. Hearing it performed live in an intimate setting with an appreciative and attentive audience, such as the case on this evening in Ithaca, is truly the ideal environment for such an endeavor.
The stage was warmed up with an opening set from The Long Now Trio, a local Ithaca band featuring guitarist Ryan Vanderhoof (founding member of the psychedelic rock band Akron/Family), Matthew Saccuccimorano on drums and Brian Dozoretz on bass, playing only their fourth performance together. It sounded more like four years together as they went on an improvisational adventure of their own, tangling cosmic guitar sounds with flourishing drum work in a quick but exciting 30-minute set.
The main course of The Bad Plus started innocently enough, with some soft and sparse piano. Gentle bursts of bass and brushes dancing along a bevy of cymbals soon joined the fray. The three disparate sounds slowly built in intensity, eventually climaxing in a complex three-part fit of triumphant chaos. The gentle easing into the set was a ruse, indeed the audience had just found itself caught up in an indescribably beautiful ten-minute whirlwind of sound. It was uplifting and exhilarating and worth the journey out on a Thursday night and the price of admission all on its own. It was Reid Anderson’s composition “Seams” and everything else was essentially on the house.
But the band still had over an hour more of tricks up their sleeves. They followed with Evans’ “Commitment” which ditched the subtle shifts in dynamics, choosing instead sudden shifts and jerks in a very dramatic and theatrical piece that had a bit of Broadway flair, with thematic characters and narratives shining through in the music.
Next was “Anthem for the Earnest,” a highly melodic energetic rocker that was go-go-go from the start and hardly let up for a breath. These three selections showcased all three members’ songwriting and the range and skills of their musicianship. It seemed they laid all the cards on the table so soon into the show, but each next piece was an adventure all its own.
The set mostly drew from last year’s Never Stop II record but also featured a few tracks from their new release, Activate Infinity, in the second half. “The Red Door” trended on the jazzier side of things, playing like a hyped up Thelonius Monk tune. On “Undersea Reflection,” each member took the task of rhythm and melody simultaneously and separately.
In its infancy, The Bad Plus made waves with their unusual cover choices and sprinkled them generously into shows and albums alike. But more recently, and on this night as well, it took until they were coaxed out for an encore, for a presentation of their classic cover of Aphex Twin’s “Flim” that turned into a Dave King drum workout and a the perfect cap to a wonderful night of adventurous instrumental music.
The Bad Plus don’t sound like anything from the past. They don’t really sound like they’re from the future, or even a representation of the present. There is a timeless quality to the music that just is. Their melodies feel like they will Never Stop being relevant.
Setlist: Seams (Anderson), Commitment (Evans), Anthem for the Earnest (King), Salvages (Anderson), Safe Passage (Anderson), 1983 Regional All-Star (King), The Red Door (Evans), Boffadem (Evans), Undersea Reflection (Anderson), Dovetail Nicely (King) E: Flim (Aphex Twin)
Since opening, Three Heads Brewing has been a bit of a temple for Rochester local music. It could be argued that no venue in town has supported the scene better. The centerpiece has been the Rochester Residency, which is rounding the turn on its second year of giving a local musician carte blanche every Thursday for a full month. So it came as a surprise when on the second Thursday of September, John Medeski’s Mad Skillet was listed to play its stage. But it was true, and truth be told, it was awesome.
Mad Skillet was born in 2015 at a New Orleans Jazz Fest jam session, but released their debut album and toured together for the first time in 2018. Medeski is joined by Will Bernard on guitar, Kirk Joseph on sousaphone and Terrance Higgins (who was replaced on this night by the talented Joe Dyson) on drums.
Musically, they explored the American landscape of sound. Medeski’s East Coast avant-garde meets Bernard’s West Coast jazz groove meets Joseph and Dyson’s deep-South NOLA brass. It’s more of a melting pot than a skillet to be honest. Covers of Eddie Harris’ “1974 Blues” and MMW’s “Wiggly’s Way” mixed well with their originals like “Tuna in a Can,” featuring a wild drum and guitar jam and the rocking “Little Miss Piggy” which spun out into a long reggae groove. They also traveled the spaceways with their version of Sun Ra’s “Golden Lady” and dashes of alien sounds thrown in throughout the night.
Medeski’s B3 stood like a museum piece, its back encased in glass exposing its intricate innards. The music was the art, however. And like all great works, there was no wrong way to enjoy and find meaning in it. You could mindlessly lose yourself in the groove or pick it apart piece by piece, figuring how it all fits together. You could move your body to a sweaty mass or stand motionless, absorbing the mastery being laid down. As individual musicians tearing through a solo or as a singular group of four creating a swell of sound, Mad Skillet never disappointed.
As it turns out, it was a Thursday night and this was technically a part of the Rochester Residency, or a bit of a preview of what’s to come next month. October’s resident is Kyle Vock, bassist for The Mighty High and Dry, The Rita Collective and probably about half of all the great tribute shows that have gone down at Three Heads and elsewhere over the past two years. Instead of showcasing himself, he will be curating a month of shows from some great nationally touring acts. Starting October 3 with the can’t-miss talent of guitarist William Tyler, followed by Levon’s talented singer-songwriter daughter Amy Helm on the 10th, and Futurebirds, a great indie rock band out of Athens, GA on the 17th. After displaying his excellent taste in music, Vock will close out his month with a couple of shows of his own, bringing The Rita Collective on the 24th and paying tribute to The Doors’ Strange Days on Halloween. Is it October yet?!
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are no strangers to the Rochester area. They’ve both been frequent visitors since their beginnings – forming a mutual love affair with the area’s music fans. Tedeschi Trucks Band have made it a point to stop here on every one of their tours, making Wheels of Soul their fifth area visit in just as many years.
Derek and Susan (and management) have proven themselves to be curators with exceptional taste and vision. Each of their Wheels of Soul tours have come with its own distinct flavor. The lineups have been soulful one year, rocking another, and folky another. Each year their own band fits in with their openers regardless, the ultimate chameleon that can match wits no matter the genre.
This year, rambunctious duo, Shovels and Rope, from Charleston, SC and Country-rock jammers, Blackberry Smoke, out of Atlanta, GA joined the Jacksonville, FL headliners for Southern-fried flavor on stage. The combo cooked-up a succulent, meaty and juicy flare, with a nice crispy exterior.
Playing for a fanbase that knows you inside-and-out leaves little room in the way of surprises. Surprise isn’t really TTB’s game though, and they wowed the judges with pure power and finesse. The band, still twelve-members strong, did bring some fresh meat since we last saw them. Gabe Dixon has taken over on keys and Brandon Boone is now on bass. They also come supporting a new album, Signs. They introduced the crowd to three of the new tracks, “I’m Gonna Be There,” “Hard Case” and “Signs, High Times.” “I’m Gonna Be There” was a clear highlight among those, with a slick and slow building solo that ended with Trucks’ guitar exhibiting its signature growl over the backup singers’ building vocals.
One of the elements of the Wheels of Soul tours that after five years fails to surprise, but nevertheless always wow’s, is when Tedeschi Trucks Band brings out their openers for a guest spot or two. This year Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke, plus Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst from Shovels and Rope emerged for a cover of Leon Russell’s “Stranger in a Strange Land.” Despite the clear talent both openers exhibited in their sets, this performance didn’t rise to the high expectations of past guest spots.
One of the reasons for Derek and Susan’s strong connection with Rochester is the champion they’ve found in local radio personality Brother Wease. As a thank you for his consistent support, Tedeschi lead a stripped down quartet on an emotional interpretation of John Prine’s “Angels of Montgomery” that she segued into Jerry Garcia’s “Sugaree” as the backing vocalists joined in. A stunning moment to be sure.
Not to be outdone, her husband closed the set in a ball of flames, turning “The Storm” into a full-on “Whipping Post” jam, pushing the set right up to the 11pm curfew. They couldn’t possibly leave this crowd hanging so they risked “getting in big trouble” by coming back out for a quick encore.
Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst
Shovels and Rope drew a great crowd for their early opening set that focused mainly on material from their 2019 release, By Blood. Each played a bevy of instruments, drums, guitars, keys, harmonica, on songs ranging from emotive ballads to fuzzed out rockers. The variety was all held together by their wonderful two-part harmonies and incredible songwriting.
Blackberry Smoke came out guns blazing, whooping up the crowd with their Allmans-esque Southern rock jams and fist pumping country rock numbers. It was a big and dense sound that kept it fun for even the least familiar listener, with a slew of heavy teases and jams that included “Third Stone from the Sun,” “Amazing Grace,” “When the Levee Breaks” and a foreshadowing “Mountain Jam.”
Blackberry Smoke
Setlists:
Tedeschi Trucks Band: I Want More, Don’t Know What It Means, The Letter, I’m Gonna Be There, Hard Case, Border Song, Down in the Flood, Swamp Raga > Midnight in Harlem, Part of Me, Angel From Montgomery > Sugaree, I Pity the Fool, Stranger in a Strange Land (with Charlie Starr, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst), The Storm > Whipping Post.
Encore: Signs, High Times.
Blackberry Smoke: Fire in the Hole, Let It Burn, Believe You Me, Mother Mountain, One Horse Town, Ain’t Much Left of Me.
Shovels and Rope: I’m Coming Out, Hammer, The Devil is All Around, C’mon Utah, Birmingham, Forsaken Blues, Carry Me Home, Mississippi Nuthin’, I Know, The Wire, Hail Hail.
Shovels & RopeMichael Trent and Cary Ann HearstBlackberry SmokeCharlie StarrPaul JacksonRichard TurnerBrit TurnerBrandon StillTedeschi Trucks BandDerek TrucksSusan TedeschiKebbi WilliamsEphraim Owens
“It’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know;” the well-worn oft-repeated mantra of the Rochester International Jazz Festival not only rings true but pays dividends when heeded. Over 18 years the producers have followed a successful formula mixing well-known talent, historically-significant acts or tributes, returning favorites, local talent, up-and-comers, and unknown, sometimes unpronounceable names from places spanning the globe.
It’s these last two that tend to define our Jazz Fest experiences. Other than their status as unknowns, the other thread common to these artists was their ability to make sixty minutes feel like thirty. We weren’t checking the clock or getting antsy for the sets that lied ahead, our attention was commanded in full. These are the 10 artists that blew us away most in 2019 at Rochester Jazz Festival, artists you should most definitely give a listen to.
A Danish quintet featuring no girls, actually had to leave one of their members behind at the airport, as sax player Martin Stender’s visa was denied. It didn’t matter much to our ears as remaining members: Lars Greve (sax), Mathias Holm (keys), Victor Dybbroe (percussion) and Mads Forsby (drums), were still one of the highlights of the festival. The band, together ten years, moved between ethereal soundscapes, intense evil marches and organ-rich spacey grooves, mixing in infectious rhythms and melodies along the way. Their music would only be called jazz because, what else would you call it.
So much great music is played in three beautiful churches during the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Rarely does the church become the instrument. Kit Downes, a British keys player who we’ll hear from again, below, took on the task of playing the Christ Church’s Craighead-Saunders organ, the most accurate baroque organ in the Western Hemisphere. It sits above the pews in the balcony so a video feed was provided for the audience. The action of Downes playing the organ was almost as intriguing as the sounds filling the great hall. Almost but not quite.
As the sounds were some of the most unique and exciting we have ever heard at the festival. He played melodic and accessible pieces mixed with some longer, more improv-heavy works. The highest notes chimed like jingle bells and the lowest were guttural deep rumbling moans that were felt as much as heard. It was a cultural experience beyond just a set of music at a festival, and one we won’t soon forget.
Kit Downes was back the next night playing the piano in a trio, joined by Frans Petter Eldh on bass and James Maddren on drums. This was not a set where the audience would be clapping mid-song for impressive solos, because there were no solos. Or were they always soloing? It was an intense tangle of piano, bass and drums that was constantly in motion – flowing in waves of energy that always seemed to trend upwards with little in the way of ebbing. They could be melodic or dissonant, rocking or sparsely quiet, but always together.
In what became a three-day British jazz game of Six Degrees of Separation, Enemy drummer, James Maddren, was back at the Christ Church the next day as a part of saxophonist Trish Clowes’ band. Ross Stanley on organ and piano and Chris Montague (from NYS Music’s favorite of the 2015 festival, Troyka) on guitar.
Montague had proven to be a marvel on his last visit, and Trish Clowes bears the band’s namesake, but this was a band’s band with no clear leader musically. The sound varied from number to number: high speed melodic chases, punchy avant garde jams, spacey organic textures and even Weather-Report-inspired rock fusion. As if that range wasn’t enough, they also added recorded samples on “I.F.” and Clowes, singing on the beautifully meandering epic “Free to Fall.”
Give a listen/look at their brand new video for a song inspired by the great sci-fi film, Arrival.
Swedish reed player Thomas Backman, last seen at the Jazz Fest as a part of Klabbes Bank (yet another NYS Music fave) in 2017, returned with his own unit. He was backed by keys, drums and bass, with the women on keys and drums taking vocal duties on various tunes. They seemed to make their way through their 2018 debut in order, possibly in full. Each player was a creative mastermind, maximizing their possible range and output. Whether teetering into techno, bursting into bombast, or coasting quietly on a beautiful melody, the quartet had the audience rapt for the full hour.
Austrian pianist, David Helbock, brought his Random/Control group which was as interesting a trio as you’ll find. Johannes Bar played sousaphone, trumpet, an interesting wood block didgeridoo, various percussion, electronics, and at one point a long plastic tube with a red horn attached to the end. Andreas Broger played multiple reeds sometimes two at a time. Helbock was a non-traditional player, diving inside the piano almost as much as on the keys, while also banging a kick drum and wood blocks. All three played the piano together at one point, knocking on it inside and out. They played Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia,” and John Williams’ theme from the movie “Catch Me If You Can,” but as you can imagine, none of it sounded quite the same.
By now you’re sensing a pattern. Yes, the European groups dominated the festival highlights this year, but there were some wow moments from closer to home as well. This Brooklyn-based duo of Josh Dion on drums, vocals and keys and Geoff Kraly on bass and modular synthesizer, had an in-your-face garage rock energy with some beautiful R&B soulfulness. It was heavily drenched in electronic sounds yet always rooted in the organic. Original songs from their recently released debut were joined by completed deconstructed covers of “Life is a Carnival” and “Have a Talk with God.”
OK, back to England for one more amazing artist. While many others wowed us with unusual instrumentation or arrangements, saxophonist Nubya Garcia just wowed us with flat out fiery playing. The festival decided to add some additional Made in the UK sets outside of its usual spot at Christ Church. It was a wise move in the sense that allowed them to book more of the talent bursting forth across the pond, but in this case the outdoor Jazz Street Stage was an odd placement. Garcia’s quartet, including Sam Jones on drums, Taber Gable on keys and Daniel Casimir on bass, weren’t playing the most accessible music that would normally grace the free stage. The nuances of what they were laying down were difficult to parse out among the drinking partying masses. On the other hand, it was a great opportunity for the non-Club Pass crowd to see such a high level of playing and composition. Garcia didn’t impress with the amount of notes she played, rather with the power and thoughtfulness put into each one. Rochester caught her on her first ever North American jaunt and certainly caught a rising star, one to keep an eye on for sure.
The Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner has put together a new piano trio with some of his Philadelphia buddies, Jason Fratacelli on upright bass and Matt Scarano on drums. The music certainly hews more toward traditional jazz from his usual jam-tronica fare, but in their live set, one of their first-ever, it proved to be anything but traditional. It was a roller coaster ride for the ears: spaciness climbed to full-on rock which fell back back down. Funky rocking electronic turned into catchy piano melodies and back again. Magner spent almost as much time playing electronic as he did acoustic and Fratacelli ran his bass through enough filters to escape the limits of his acoustic instrument on many occasions. So much to say, that this wasn’t your average jazz piano trio and the whooping and dancing crowd made that all the more clear. They were tight, unique and exciting.
Give a listen (debut album to be released July 19):
A trio from Asheville, consisting of Jon Stickley on guitar, Lindsay Pruett on fiddle and Hunter Deacon on drums, have all the makings of a great Americana act. And while that is where they are generally categorized, they are so much more than that. Stickley is a guitar whiz and can flatpick with the best of them, but he’s just as happy to sit back on a bass line for bit or shred out a headbanging rock riff. Likewise, Pruett also has the chops to run with any bluegrass unit, but doesn’t rest there long with this trio. Deacon is a flurry of activity on the drums, jumping from jazz to techno to rock, sometimes in the same song. Even an old fiddle tune like “Jerusalem Ridge” gets dressed up and knocked down with dance-ready beats and guitar pyrotechnics. Individually they are all musicians of remarkable talent, but as showcased in their sets at the new-to-the-festival Geva Fielding Stage, the bands most brilliant moments were when they locked together as a threesome, which they exhibited more often than not.
Best of the Rest
It wasn’t entirely “who we didn’t know” for the full nine days of the festival, we caught plenty of greatness from proven talents. Bill Frisell was back again with his trio of Kenny Wolleson and Tony Scher and they played two hour-plus sets with nearly no breaks – from blues to Beatles to Bacharach to Bill, unbelievable through and through. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his quintet Blackout schooled the audience in music as art, both with their phenomenal playing and in Harris’ frequent asides. Local sacred steel legends, The Campbell Brothers, blessed the audience with their breathtaking interpretation of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” in addition to opening up a Sunday evening church service at the Squeezers Stage with their usual roof-raising fare.
Cyro Baptista premiered his new quintet which was filled with worldly and joyful sounds from his “weapons of mass percussion.” Guitarist Lionel Loueke and Raul Midon shared the Kilbourn Stage for a set that mostly saw them go their separate ways. Both showcased their incredible guitar and vocal prowess, but only combined forces on two tunes. Loueke took on the first 30 minutes of the set, while Midon played his own full hour set, taking the full festival set time over by 40 minutes. Even so it was difficult for anyone to walk away, and encores were still called out for. Alas, another edition of the Rochester International Jazz Festival is now in the books, see you all again next year!
June 21, 2019 is just around the corner, which means summer is almost here and, more importantly, the 18th edition of Rochester International Jazz Festival is about to begin.
Jazz Fest is a comforting tradition on the Rochester scene, but that embraces great change with each year. It is continually being modified to adjust to forces out of the producers control and in an effort to create a perfected festival experience.
This year sees some big changes. For one, the title sponsor is now CGI taking over for longtime sponsor Xerox. The footprint of the festival is also changing quite a bit. Harro East and Anthology are no longer venues. They are replaced by Geva: two venues in one place, Fielding Stage and Wilson Stage. Also, M&T Pavilion Squeezers Stage is housed in a new tent on Parcel 5.
What hasn’t changed is nine straight days of world-spanning A-class music. We don’t really think you can go wrong with this year’s lineup, but here are some suggestions to help guide you on your way.
Jam-adjacent
Some musicians, better known for their involvement in jam bands, will be performing at the fest. Percussion master Cyro Baptista and singer Jennifer Hartswick, both members of the Trey Anastasio Band, are bringing their equally compelling solo bands. Hartswick will be joined by Nick Cassarino on guitar. Aron Magner, of the trance fusion Disco Biscuits, has a brand new jazz trio called Spaga, who will be playing one of their first shows together.
While not exclusively held at the new Geva Theater Fielding Stage, this venue will be home to a slew of excellent Americana artists: Acoustic guitar phenom, Jon Stickley, will be with his well-travelled trio; One-man wonder, The Suitcase Junket, will wow with his bag of tricks; and Circus No. 9 brings their unique blend of progressive bluegrass sounds.
Sun, June 23 6:30 PM & 8:30 PM Geva Theatre Center â Fielding Stage
Instrumentalists
It isn’t easy for an artist to make an instrument you’ve heard countless times seem new again, but these groups are each defying that on their respective tools of the trade. Adam Ben Ezra on bass, Stefon Harris on vibes, and, newcomer from across the pond, Nubya Garcia on sax . All are can’t miss players playing at this year’s festival.
Fri, Jun 28 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage FREE
Party Time
It’s summer, it’s a festival and sometimes you’re just going to want to get up and dance. These bands will offer that opportunity. Another brilliant young product of the UK, Kansas Smitty’s House Band, sounds decidedly American covering a wide range of styles. Empire Strikes Brass appropriately strikes a balance between evil, spacey and horn-y, while Aquaducks get a bit more down and dirty with their funky output.
Mon, June 24 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage FREE
Tue, June 25 7:00 PM & 9:00 PM Fusion Stage FREE
Adventurous
The Nordic and Euro Jazz Now Series at the Lutheran Church is our go-to spot for musicians painting outside of the lines, challenging our sensibilities. When in doubt, you can go there blind and there’s a good chance you’ll catch something mystifying. Although, it isn’t the only place to seek adventure. These three artists will definitely take you there, so don’t miss ’em!
“It’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know” has been the festival’s mantra from the beginning. Though after 18 years, there will be plenty of returnees who you definitely know. This year, three guitarists are standing out on our list of must-see-agains. Bill Frisell, who has brought a number of different bands to his seven festival appearances, returns with his trio. Ron Artis II and the Truth was a “wow” discovery last year, and Scott Sharrard is always a sure bet for some hot jams.
At a festival with some of best from across the globe, there’s still plenty of space carved out for the incredible amount of talent we have right here in Rochester. Proceedings on the Jazz Street Stage get started daily by younger sets from local schools and bands. They get the Big Tent and Squeezers Stage moving with free early sets and keep the Fusion Stage grooving throughout midweek. Plenty more regional artists get sprinkled in throughout. Here are three Rochestarians you definitely don’t want to miss.
More so than ever before, we’re just scratching the surface here. There is nary a wrong turn to make, so get out there and try something new. See the full lineup and all the details at the highly informative Rochester Jazz Fest web site, and stay tuned to our twitter feed for daily updates.
New York City multi-instrumentalist and composer T@NE released his latest record, a live in concert recording at the famed Arlene’s Grocery, in April. The actual concert was recorded back in September of last year and featured Taber Gable on keys, Andrew Renfroe on guitars, Peter Manheim on drums and Dan Pappalardo on basses joining lead man T@NE on saxes, keys and vocals. The band plays as a tight unit, rarely, if ever, focused too much on one player.
Over four tracks spanning nearly an hour, the band explores jazz fusion themes that would have been at home in Return to Forever’s music from the 1970s. T@NE adds some more current twists of course, like hip-hop beats and even some rapping. A good part of the album exhibits the band floating atop progressive jazz grooves, but when they dive below, navigating a noisy chaos, a dark magic is found. In these moments of plunging into the depths is where this set shines brightest.
It took over two years for Honest Folk to get Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra to Rochester the first time, but just over a year to get them back. The band didn’t remember exactly what they played, but they remembered it and had been thinking about that show ever since. The crowd likely didn’t remember what they played either, but they, too, recalled its greatness and returned in big numbers to sell out Good Luck.
Regardless of the exactness of their memory, the band tried to mix it up a bit so as not to give Rochester the same show again. Old rarities and new songs alike got sprinkled into the set, which would have sounded different either way. This is a band that plays to the moment, each one different, and so the shows follows suit.
Each member of the Old Soul Orchestra plays a simple acoustic instrument making the amount of sound the quartet outputs all the more remarkable. They squeezed their instruments for all they’re worth.
Drummer Matt Goff hit, scraped, tapped, banged and shook with sticks, brushes, mallets, hands and various percussive toys, constantly building and breaking the music through interesting changes and movements. His solos showed off a jazzman’s touch, as melodic as they were rhythmic. Bassist Ben Berry plucked, bowed and knocked his upright in both a backing and leading capacity (particularly nicely on “Alone at the Table”), stretching out with solos fit for a psychedelic rock band. Fiddler Chris Lynch frequently handled the main melodic punches, maximizing the instrument’s capabilities by employing both the traditional bowing and also picking it mandolin-style. Lynch used pedals, adding extra flavor with the most overtly non-natural sounds of the evening: spacey echoes here, dripping psychedelia there, etcetera.
O’Reilly himself stuck with the same resonator guitar throughout the night, through thick and thin. When the reverb was acting up due to the vibrations in the stage, he turned it off and made do without. When his high E string broke near the end of the first set he played “Cinnamon Tree” solo because he didn’t need it for that song. Though, midway through, he realized actually he did. But again he made it work. Whether picking, sliding, strumming or soloing, that singular guitar was all he needed.
Mixed in with originals, like “Dempsey” and “Letters,” they also tossed in a few tunes that weren’t exactly covers, but more accurately renditions of old blues tunes. The words are the same but in their hands the music becomes something quite different. You’ve never quite heard “Samson and Delilah” or “Smokestack Lightning” quite like they play them. They played a newer blues rendition that is still in “discovery mode” as they work through it during their live shows. Appropriately, it was an interpretation of “Death Letter” by Son House, who famously was rediscovered while living in Rochester.
It could certainly be said after their second visit, that Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra have officially been discovered by Rochester too. Perhaps on their next visit they’ll outgrow the coziness of Good Luck. Make sure you’re there when they do.
The Magnetic Pull, a post-rock quintet out of Syracuse, put out their second LP in April. There are no vocals over the course of the 40 minute self-titled set, though the visuals are dense and the narratives vivid. Each track plays out like the soundtrack to a short film. Live, they have been know to pull-off an original live score to the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu, so this comes as no surprise.
They leave the stories up to the listener; titles like “Pacipede” and “Know Seas” leave a lot to the imagination. The tracks flow fairly smoothly into each other providing a singular listening experience with multiple movements, perhaps different chapters to a single story. At times each instrument: guitars, keys, drums, bass, various electronics and samples, take on the roles of separate characters. At other times the instruments mesh in a show of force, pushing and pulling the energy as one combined sound.
From heavy-shredding guitar swells and calming melodic piano breaks to reggae infused grooves, this journey has it all. Whichever way you imagine it in your head, it is sure to be a thrill ride of a listen.
For the record collectors, The Magnetic Pull is being offered in limited release on 180 gram, coke-bottle green vinyl, packaged with a download-code sticker and eight-page anaglyph 3D booklet with 3D glasses. Otherwise, you can find it for download or streaming wherever you consume digital music.
