Below find bios of all the artists playing the 2007 RIJF, arranged in alphabetical order by first name. You can search by artist name by pressing Control + F on your keyboard. A full schedule of the festival can be found by clicking here. To find bios of the artists playing on a specific day, click on that date from the Jazz Fest Guide home page.

4 Brothers 7

Once you see 4 Brothers 7, the name will begin to make sense. The four brothers are a saxophone quartet led by master saxophonist Frank Tiberi. Tiberi is also the director of the Woody Herman Orchestra, where the "four brothers" concept originated. The other three saxophonists --- festival promoter John Nugent, Larry McKenna, and Mike Brignola --- are Herman alumni. Add a top-notch rhythm section featuring David Berkman (piano), Lynn Seaton (bass), and Matt Wilson (drums), and you've got seven. This group is all about fantastic arrangements and passionate solos. While some of the arrangements are Herman adaptations by Brignola, others are new. Especially wonderful is Tiberi's treatment of John Coltrane's "Central Park West." Needless to say, with giants like these, the exciting solos never quit.

For more information on Tiberi and 4 Brothers 7 visit http://www.franktiberi.com/. (RN)

Andreas Pettersson Quartet

When guitarist Andreas Pettersson solos with his excellent quartet he is in absolute command of his instrument. Whether taking off with lightning-fast legato runs or strumming a powerful succession of chords, Pettersson's arsenal of musical ideas appears limitless. On his recent album, Gullin onGuitar, he pays tribute to the great Swedish baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin. If you've never heard of him, Pettersson invites you into the parallel universe of Scandinavian jazz, where Gullin appears to have had the status of Stan Getz. His compositions are wonderful and, when played by Pettersson, pianist Daniel Karlson, bassist Hans Backenroth, and drummer Joakim Ekberg, they stack up well against American jazz standards.

For more information on Pettersson, visit http://www.andreaspettersson.com. (RN)

Andy Milne's Dapp Theory

Yeah, I know, hip hop has been given a bad rap. But vocalist John Moon's contribution to Dapp Theory's sound should have you leaving with a willingness to give the Beat's bastard offspring a second chance. The band refers to Moon as a "percussive poet" drawing fire from both Salvador Dali and Ornette Coleman. Front man Andy Milne (who also tickles the ivories for Ravi Coltrane) is the type of jazzer who holds tried 'n' true elements up along with experimental ones, proving no matter how gone you get, there you are.

For more information on Dapp Theory visit http://www.andymilne.com/dapp_site/. (FD)

Avishai Cohen Trio

Over the past decade it would be difficult to find a bassist who has ascended faster than Avishai Cohen. Born in Israel, Cohen started his musical exploration on the piano. As a teenager, he became enamored of Jaco Pastorius and switched to the bass. He moved to New York in the 1990s and began to earn his reputation as an innovative bassist, playing with Ravi Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman and others. In 1997 Chick Corea released Cohen's first album on his Stretch label. The following year, Corea hired him to play bass in his new group, Origin. Since then Cohen has recorded nine critically acclaimed albums as a leader.

For more information on Cohen visit http://www.avishaimusic.com/. (RN)

Benny Golson

Saxophonist Benny Golson has played in bands with a Who's Who of jazz legends, including Art Blakey. Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Bostic, Lionel Hampton, and Benny Goodman. But his superb saxophone technique and considerable improvisational skills are by no means his only musical legacy. Perhaps his greatest contributions to the world of jazz have been his brilliant compositions. Golson is the man behind "I Remember Clifford, "Whisper Not," "Killer Joe," "Blues March," "Stablemates" and many more of the greatest standards in the history of jazz.

For more information on Golson visit http://www.bennygolson.com/. (RN)

Bettye LaVette

Bettye LaVette's relative obscurity is a cryin' shame. The lady has sung soul, jazz, and blues with an unparalleled raw intensity for more than 40 years. But unlike a lot of her peers who got their starts on Sunday morning, LaVette is pure Saturday night. She cut her first single, "My Man, He's A Loving Man," in the Motor City in 1962. The record made Top 10 on the R&B charts. She hit the charts again in 1965 with "Let Me Down Easy," a song she still performs. The delicate phrasing she uses to slither around songs --- where others might steamroll right through --- came from her late manager, Jim Lewis, who schooled her in the likes of Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra. This precision coupled with her ability to salve heartache with melody is what will blow you away --- along with the shame of not having heard her before.

For more information on LaVette visit http://www.bettyelavette.com/. (FD)

Bill Frisell Trio

Guitarist Bill Frisell's sound is as much about the unexpected sonic aftermath as it is about the player's approach. Despite holding the guitar and clearly being the one in charge, in a live setting it seems like the music plays Frisell. His sound is guitar based and he'll rattle off a list of six-string heroes you'd expect, like Hendrix, Rush, and Montgomery. But he puts himself in the middle of less conventional settings to push his limits --- and listeners' buttons.

At a Frisell show song quotes and melodies will often bubble up, like Lucinda Williams' "Ventura," which wound up being Frisell's opening selection at his Kilbourn Hall appearance last year.

Live, Frisell hovers over his rig tweaking and listening, tweaking and listening until he throws a saddle over something that catches his ear and rides.

For more information on Frisell visit http://www.billfrisell.com/. (FD)

Bob Sneider Trio

The crowd will grow larger and larger every night as festival-goers catch on to one of the RIJF's best treats. Starting at around 10:30 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza's State Street Bar and Grill, the superb Bob Sneider Trio hosts a rousing jam session. Sneider is a world-class jazz guitarist who has equally top-notch support from Mike Melito on drums and Phil Flanigan on bass. If that's not enough, you never know who will visit the bar and jam after a gig. George Benson, Chris Potter, and Eric Alexander are among the stars who have sat in with the band. So have a wide range of local musicians, from high school students to pros.

For more information on Bob Sneider, visit http://www.bobsneider.com/index.shtml. (RN)

Bonerama

Bonerama: almost as fun to say as it is to hear. This five-trombone-powered outfit makes Phil Spector's wall of sound look like a cardboard fence. This is the horn equivalent to a muscle car, with a horny teenager at the wheel. Horn players Mark Mullins and Craig Klein put this band together during some downtime from their regular gig with Harry Connick, Jr. Playing it straight wasn't the goal. Experimental guitar got thrown in along with rock drums. With an emphasis on the funky and unpredictable, this New Orleans band is part parade, part earthquake, part wrong, and all right.

For more information on Bonerama visit http://www.bonerama.net/. (FD)

The Capitals

Nick and Pete Namniak have known John and Jay Pritchard since they were toddlers. At about the age of 9, the boys took up instruments and, a decade later, The Capitals are a seasoned band. The strange thing is, the members seem to have grown up in a time warp, learning the ropes by listening The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. Having digested the best of the 1960s and 1970s, The Capitals has emerged as a band in its own right.

For more information on The Capitals visit http://www.thecapitalsonline.com/. (RN)

Catherine Russell

Chances are you've seen or heard New York City's Catherine Russell before. Russell, an associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music in Boston, has lent her formidable pipes to Steely Dan, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Madonna, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, and Rosanne Cash, to name a few. That's because the vocal utility in her arsenal is fortified with anything and everything from barrelhouse bellows to sultry ballad swoon to cool, cool torch song come-ons. And the talent runs deep; her dad was Louis Armstrong's musical director when Satchmo moved operations to NYC in 1935. (FD)

Central New York Jazz Orchestra

Founded in 1996 by Syracuse musician/educator Larry Luttinge, the Central New York Jazz Orchestra performs for more than 80,000 people annually. The education arm of the 17-piece big band trains over 4,000 students each year. Led by Music Director Bret Zvacek, the band boasts some of the region's finest musicians. The band's pianist and Associate Music Director, Rick Montalbano, has played with Jane Monheit, Chuck Mangione, Phil Woods, Randy Brecker, and many others.

For more information, visit http://www.cnyjazz.org/about/cnyjo.asp. (RN)

Christian Scott

Born in New Orleans, trumpeter Christian Scott grew up with jazz. At the age of 18 he was proficient enough to play on an album by his uncle, saxophonist Donald Harrison. After attending the Berklee College of Music, he recorded his first album with a major label (Concord) at the age of 22.  If acid jazz is your bag, Scott is the man to see. He plays the trumpet with a band that won't give up the funk. More often than not Scott can be heard wailing, with beautiful tone, over a hardcore drummer and a guitarist weaned on equal shares of jazz and James Brown.

For more information on Scott visit http://christianscott.net/. (RN)

Corey Harris

It's those that push the blues that will save it. Blues guitarist Corey Harris pushes his blues forward by reaching back --- way back to mother Africa, the birthplace of it all. A few years back Harris met up and played with African bluesman Ali Farka Toure. Martin Scorsese documented the trip in Feels Like Going Home, the director's chapter of the TV mini-series "The Blues." Harris plays acoustic with a sound typically thought to rooted in the Delta. But Harris goes even deeper to where the Delta was rooted.

For more information on Harris visit http://www.coreyharrismusic.com/. (FD)

Cornelio Tutu

He was born in Hungary and honed his skills in Budapest, but guitarist extraordinaire Cornelio Tutu is steeped in the American jazz and pop traditions. While Tutu's technique is reminiscent of the octave-based melodic style of Wes Montgomery, he's not above throwing in lightning riffs that recall surf guitar guru Dick Dale. Tutu's band mates are equally capable of stunning audiences with their knowledge of American jazz. When they tackle a show-stopper like "Summertime," the heat is not just seasonal.

For more information visit http://www.corneliotutu.com/. (RN)

Cowboy Mouth

We're nice and heavy with New Orleans artists this year. Most are a tad more traditional than, let's say, Cowboy Mouth. However, none are more full-on New Orleans than these guys. Folks, this is a rock 'n' roll band, period. It may have never quite cracked the mainstream --- and that's a good thing, if you ask me --- but for 15 years Cowboy Mouth has burned up the road and stages, baptizing those along the way in their own sweat. I once saw Cowboy Mouth drummer/singer Fred Le Blanc do a drum solo with his head.

It's loud, it's relentless, and the band also struts with the sort of pride and moxie that turned into resiliency after Hurricane Katrina, when the band lost its houses, but not its home. The latest album, Voodoo Shoppe, addresses the pain left in the storm's aftermath with the poignant "The Avenue," but then immediately gets back to the wiseass wit with "Joe Strummer," in which the protagonist dumps his girlfriend 'cause she ain't hip to who Joe Strummer is.

For more information on Cowboy Mouth visit http://www.cowboymouth.com/. (FD)

Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks

Tom Waits once said "Dan Hicks is fly, sly, wily, and dry." Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks swing with a world-weary wisdom that subverts your standard showbiz shill. The Hicks mix is Beat-poet insight with psychedelic musings and a little Django and Wills tossed in. He is a hipster in the extreme.

Hicks is a product of late '60s San Francisco's post-folk rock, pre-psychedelic scene. Within this historic musical morph Hicks stood alone with his Tin Pan Alley pre-war jump. Hicks' subversive slant is a hysterical blend of brows both low and hi, and is just so cool.

For more information on Hicks visit http://www.danhicks.net/. (FD)

Das Contras

Das Contras take a little folk, a little rock, a little Latin, and a little reggae, and then kilt it. Everyone mixes it up these days, but add Scotland to the mix and eyebrows go up. We're living in a global community where music indigenous to one region can wind up being played and mastered in another. It's when the regions maintain their identity, customs, and parlance (to a certain extent) that things get real interesting. Latin grooves dished out by Scots. This is gonna be cool.

For more information on Das Contras visit http://www.dascontras.com/. (FD)

Dave Brubeck

Having headlined the RIJF in 2003 and 2005, pianist Dave Brubeck will become a bona fide festival fixture when he takes the Eastman Theatre stage at the 2007 festival. There couldn't be a more appropriate choice. He's not only one of the most brilliant composers in the history of jazz, he remains one of the genre's greatest performers. In his two past festival performances he has re-examined the masterworks that propelled him to international fame (like Paul Desmond's "Take Five") and introduced audiences to his newer compositions (including"London Flat, London Sharp"). Many of his tunes employ the experimental time signatures that jarred and enchanted jazz audiences in the 1960s. When Brubeck launches a solo, all of jazz history comes alive, from barrel-house blues to modernist configurations that can be traced to his study with composer Darius Milhaud. His quartet, featuring Buffalo's Bobby Militello on saxophone, can be counted upon for a superb performance from the first downbeat to the final note.

For more information on Brubeck, visit http://www.dave-brubeck.com/. (RN)

Dave Glasser Quartet

Alto saxophonist Dave Glasser has performed with some of the greatest players in jazz: Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Barry Harris, and Clark Terry, to name a few. As a leader, Glasser keeps the tradition alive with a sound that recalls the melodic shaping of Paul Desmond and the tone of Sonny Stitt. His recent album, Above the Clouds, features sinewy treatments of standards like "In a Sentimental Mood" and "Every Day I Fall in Love." The CD also showcases Glasser's compositional abilities on slinky tunes like "A Little Funky," and the beautiful title track.

For more information on Glasser, visit http://www.daveglasser.com/. (RN)

Dave Rivello Ensemble

It is not easy to put together a big band dedicated to playing innovative, original music, but that's exactly what Dave Rivello has done. Many of the finest musicians in Rochester are attracted by Rivello's compositions, his arrangements and his air-tight conducting. Rivello's top-notch group can be compared to the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, or the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He also leads an excellent band at the Eastman School of Music, but his own ensemble provides a chance for him to indulge in his own vision, a musical palette full of adventurous harmonies that recall composers from Mingus to Stravinsky. The band can blow you away with dynamics, but it can also slow down for a gorgeous ballad like Rivello's "Sometime."

For more information on Rivello, visit http://www.daverivello.com/. (RN)

Don Byron's "Ivey Divey"

When it comes to contemporary clarinetists, Don Byron is in a class by himself. In Down Beat magazine's critics' polls Byron has swept his category by triple-digit margins for more than a dozen years. There's no question that he's a brilliant player, but what really separates him from the crowd is his wide range of interests. Since 1990 Byron's albums have examined the work of klezmer clarinetist Mickey Katz, the frenetic compositions of Raymond Scott, John Kirby, and Duke Ellington (Bug Music); the music of saxophone great Jr. Walker (Do the Boomerang); and of course his own eclectic compositions. Ivey Divey is the title of a 2004 album exploring the bass-less trio of sax giant Lester Young. But it also contains two Miles Davis tunes and includes wonderful originals like the funky "Leopold, Leopold..." and the inside-out "Abie the Fisherman." On Ivey Divey Byron adds bass clarinet and tenor sax to his arsenal.

For City Newspaper's Spotlight interview with Don Byron, click here. For more information on Byron, visit http://www.donbyron.com/. (RN)

Dr. John

Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) started out in New Orleans as a sideman playing guitar and keyboards on sessions with cats like Frankie Ford, Joe Tex, and Professor Longhair in the late '50s. A gun mishap forced him to hang up his guitar and trouble with the law forced him to split to L.A. in the mid '60s. John cut his first album, Gris Gris, with time left over in the studio from a Sonny & Cher session, and he stuffed it full of New Orleans R&B and a little psychedelic voodoo. Throughout his career, John has never copped safe or standard in any of his projects or collaborations. But you can always hear the boil of the Big Easy in his voice, and in the music's eclecticity and cadence.

For more information on Dr. John visit http://www.drjohn.org/. (FD)

Eldar

Eldar is so steeped in American jazz that he plays the piano with the style and fluidity of an elder statesman. In reality he is a barely 20-year-old prodigy from Kyrgyzstan. Discovered at the age of 9 at a jazz festival in Novosibirsk, Russia, Eldar has been astounding jazz fans ever since. At the age of 14 he claimed the top prize in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. At 17 he won the Peter Nero Piano Competition. He's been living in the United States, absorbing American life, for several years, but it's still mystifying when he sits down at the piano and channels Art Tatum.

For City Newspaper's Spotlight interview with Eldar, click here. For more information on Eldar, visit http://www.eldarjazz.com. (RN)

Esperanza Spalding

When Esperanza Spalding entered the music room at her Portland, Oregon, high school and saw a brand new bass, it was love at first sight. She was taught a simple blues run and found that she could produce a good sound right away. That was a mere six years ago. At 21, after studying at the Berklee College of Music, she is teaching there and sharing the stage with Michel Camilo, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, and others. Listening to her album, Junjo, it's not difficult to understand her rapid ascent. Not only is Spalding an excellent bassist, she also has a beautiful voice, which she employs to sing lilting vocalese melodies with a Brazilian tinge. A formidable composer, singer, and bassist, Spalding will be a force to reckon with for many years to come.

For more information on Spalding visit http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/. (RN)

Five Corners Quintet

Five Corners Quintet is like a time machine. This wonderful ensemble from Finland has the power to transport you back to the 1950s of your dreams, even if you weren't born yet, The group paints aural pictures that conjure up the jazz clubs, dance floors, even the hat-check girls from the bebop era. Rhythms shift from swing to samba to mambo while the vibes glide effortlessly over the swaying horn section. The solos are so perfect they make you think 52nd Street never died; it just moved to Finland. The band's CD is called Chasin' The Jazz Gone By. I've got news for them: they caught it.

For more information on Five Corners Quintet, visit http://www.thefivecornersquintet.com/. (RN)

Fred Costello

With a casual elegance and ever-present smile, Fred Costello has got to be Rochester's king of hipster swing. Costello works the B-3 as if he had four hands. His boogie has accompanied Rochester Red Wings' balls, strikes, and home runs since 1977. The Amerks skate to Costello's boogie and battle cries as well. But sports aside, Costello is a top-notch talent who has gigged everywhere, including extended stands in Vegas. (FD)

Fred Hersch Trio

Over his three-decade career pianist Fred Hersch has covered a vast swath of musical territory. He's recorded albums paying tribute to Billy Strayhorn, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. In 2005 he transformed selections from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass into an ambitious oratorio. On his soon-to-be-released CD Night and the Music, Hersch (along with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits) explores classics by Monk, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and others, along with several beautiful original compositions. With dexterity reminiscent of Oscar Peterson and exquisite taste recalling Evans, Hersch is among the most lyrical stylists in jazz today.

For more information on Hersch, visit http://www.fredhersch.com/. (RN)

Gap Mangione

Some jazz fans will remember him from his recordings with his brother Chuck Mangione, as The Jazz Brothers, in the early 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Others are more familiar with his piano solo, small group, and big band performances and recordings of recent years. One thing's for sure: Gap Mangione has been a fixture in the Rochester music scene for five decades. He's sure to delight RIJF crowds with a mixture of standard and original tunes.

For more information on Mangione, visit http://www.gapmangione.com/. (RN)

Gene Bertoncini

Guitar virtuoso Gene Bertoncini has played in a wide variety of settings, from the television orchestras of Skitch Henderson and Merv Griffin to the Metropolitan Opera House orchestra. He's accompanied singers as diverse as Bette Midler, Astrud Gilberto, Tony Bennett, and Nancy Wilson, and recorded in small groups with Paul Desmond, Wayne Shorter, Chet Baker, Stanley Turrentine, and many others. While he is unquestionably versatile in his ability to support other musicians, Bertoncini is a masterful band leader, a superb soloist, and not a bad comedian. Expect to hear some of the finest straight-ahead guitar solos of the festival when Bertoncini takes the stage.

For more information on Bertoncini, visit http://www.genebertoncini.com/. (RN)

Geri Allen Trio

The balance between traditional jazz and more forward-moving music is a precarious one, and not for the faint of heart. Few players --- of any instrument --- stand astride both worlds more confidently than pianist Geri Allen. Her compositions are complex and challenging, yet never lacking in gorgeous melodies. Her command of the piano is beyond question, with both hands equally adept at impossibly tricky maneuvers. She's played with the greats --- Betty Carter, Woody Shaw, Paul Motian --- and the greats have played with her (Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland accompanied Allen on her last trio album, The Life Of A Song). Whether playing a superb original, like "LWB's House," or a standard, like "Soul Eyes," Allen is guaranteed to bring her fresh, original, and vibrant style to the keyboard.

For City Newspaper's Spotlight interview with Allen, click here. For more information on Allen, visit http://www.geriallen.com/. (RN)

Hanna Richardson/Phil Flanigan Quartet

At the core of the Hanna Richardson/Phil Flanigan Quartet are a husband and wife united in their love of jazz. Rounding out the group are two of Rochester's finest musicians: Bob Sneider, guitar, and Mike Melito, drums. On Things Are Looking Up, Richardson chooses a wonderful collection of standards ("Hey There," "Cry Me A River") and several obscure gems ("Doncha Go 'Way Mad," "He Ain't Got Rhythm") and delivers them in a warm, rich style, with a just-right dramatic flair. Flanigan, Sneider, and Melito have been playing together for years in Sneider's trio, so it's no surprise they read each other flawlessly. Flanigan, who solos eloquently throughout, is featured on Paul Chambers' "Visitation" and Frank Loesser's "If I Were A Bell."

For more information on the quartet, visit http://www.hannaphil.com/. (RN)

Harry Allen Quartet

Harry Allen honks the horn with a swingin' ease that won't leave first-timer jazz listeners in the dust if he decides to go a little out there. Allen calls Manhattan home but the cat is global, having played with Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, John & Bucky Pizzarelli, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. On his own, Allen tends to lean toward classic swing tempered with a tone and phrasing that anyone can Getz.

For more information on Allen visit http://www.harryallenjazz.com/. (FD)

Hilario Duran Trio

From Chucho Valdés to Gonzálo Rubalcaba, Cuba has produced some of the greatest pianists of the last several decades. Hilario Duran fits firmly in that tradition. Whether leading a 20-piece band or playing in trio setting, Duran infuses his music with the rhythms of the Afro-Cuban tradition. Capable of astounding pyrotechnics or the most subtle, intimate sound, he takes the piano on a new journey every time he plays. It's no wonder that Duran has been the pianist of choice for Arturo Sandoval, José Feliciano, Silvio Rodriguez and many others.

For more information about Duran, visit http://www.hilarioduran.com/. (RN)

Ilmiliekki Quartet

Since its formation in 2002, the Ilmiliekki Quartet has garnered almost every jazz award in Finland. Named Group of the Year in 2003 and 2004 by a Finnish jazz critics poll, the group also boasts one member, Verneri Pohjola, who was named musician of the year and best trumpet player in 2004. Listening to Pohjola's hard-driving solo style, it's not difficult to see why. But he couldn't punch as hard on trumpet without the propulsive bass and drum combination of Antti Lötjönen and Olavi Louhivuori  behind him. And the entire ensemble is anchored by Tuomo Prättälä on piano. The group thrives on improvisation, but not just on jazz tunes. It's tackled songs by Radiohead, Tom Waits, Björk and others.

For more information on Ilmiliekki Quartet, visit http://www.ilmiliekki.com/. (RN)

In The Country

In The Country might be called a power trio from Norway, but in this case the power is not found in explosive solos; it's in the magnificent subtlety of the group. Morten Qvenild (keyboards) is the composer of In The Country's beautiful compositions; Roger Arntzen (bass) and Pål Hausken (drums) are key players in bringing them to fruition. The group's recent album, Losing Stones, Collecting Bones, is full of gorgeous impressionistic tunes that recall the greats from Eric Satie to Bill Evans. This concert is sure to be among the most sublime of the RIJF.

For more information on In The Country, visit http://www.inthecountry.no/. (RN)

James Moody Quartet

It would be more than enough if James Moody were only a great saxophonist and flautist, but he is also responsible for one of the most popular songs in jazz. Moody didn't write "I'm In The Mood For Love," but his improvisation, built on the song's chords, was so engaging that it spawned a new set of vocalese lyrics by Eddie Jefferson, a hit record by King Pleasure, and a new title, "Moody's Mood For Love." After a stint in the Air Force, Moody joined Dizzy Gillespie's group. Over the last seven decades he has recorded hundreds of albums and played beside just about every significant jazz player of the second half of the 20th century.

For more information on Moody, visit http://www.jamesmoody.com/. (RN)

Jason Moran & The Bandwagon

Jason Moran's prowess as a jazz pianist is unquestionable, but it seems like his skill is never enough for him. Moran is constantly experimenting, pushing the envelope while pounding the keys. On his album The Bandwagon, the tunes range from free-form improvisations and march-like anthems to an interpretation of Johannes Brahms' brilliant Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 2. On two of the tracks, Moran bases his improvisational melodies on the rhythm and meter of voices recorded from telephone conversations.

For more information on Moran, visit http://www.jasonmoran.com/. (RN)

Jean-Luc Ponty

A protégé on the violin in his native France, Jean-Luc Ponty first came to the attention of the American public playing on Frank Zappa's great Hot Rats album in 1969. After a couple of years of playing free jazz in Europe, he joined Zappa's Mothers of Invention. By the mid-1970s he had moved on to the innovative Mahavishnu Orchestra. Moving beyond the electric violin, Ponty has explored countless ways to alter the instrument's sound over the decades. He may follow in the footsteps of Stuff Smith and Stephane Grappelli, but there's no doubt that Ponty has carved his own niche in the world of jazz.

For more information on Ponty, visit http://www.ponty.com/. (RN)

Jeannette Lambert's Bebop for Babies

Jeannette Lambert has a simple philosophy when it comes to kids and jazz: there's no reason for them to miss out on it. Lambert takes the songs kids already know and love --- "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Old MacDonald," "Frère Jacques," and many others --- and plays them in simple, catchy jazz arrangements. Her band is no Mickey Mouse outfit; it consists of real jazz players. The result is music kids love, and it won't drive parents crazy.

For more information on Lambert or Bebop for Babies, visit http://www.bebopforbabies.com/. (RN)

Jens Winther European Quintet

Jens Winther European Quintet lives up to its name. Winther, a Danish trumpet player with a sensitivity and flair reminiscent of Miles Davis, has assembled an all-star European Union of swing. Swedish tenor saxophonist Tomas Franck, Italian pianist Antonio Fario, Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson, and German drummer Dejan Terzic are all top players; together they are on a par with any American unit. The group's album, Concord, showcases Winther's considerable writing skills on seven tunes that recall the best hard bop of the 1950s while simultaneously pushing jazz into the future.

For more information on Winther, visit http://www.jenswinther.net/. (RN)

Jerry Lee Lewis

Everyone's waving a guitar these days, but the piano was what gave birth to rock 'n' roll. It can be traced back to Ike Turner's digits tickling the ivories in 1951 on Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88." The thundering bass clef stroll along with the treble's tinkle and chop gave birth to a sound that was quickly met by the shake of eager hips.

But it was the Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, who gave the sound its danger. The Killer infused it with the lust, desire, and fire that burned it to the ground.

Born dirt poor in Ferriday, Louisiana in 1935, Lewis' parents couldn't afford a piano. So he took to playing the piano at church. By 1950 he was enrolled in bible college but got kicked out for misconduct. Lewis cut his first single, a rollicking version of "Crazy Arms," for Sun Records in 1956. Soon he gravitated to more salacious strains and cut "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in 1957. "Great Balls Of Fire," recorded the following year, proved to be his biggest hit.

Lewis' life has been as turbulent and chaotic as his music. He truly embodies the conflict and debate over rock 'n' roll's ownership. And if it turns out rock 'n' roll does belong to the devil, then the devil is Jerry Lee Lewis.

For more information on Lewis visit http://www.jerryleelewis.com/. (FD)

John Fedchock/Eastman Jazz Ensemble

Trombonist John Fedchock began his extensive big band career in 1980 when he joined the Woody Herman Orchestra. He not only enhanced the sound of Herman's "Thundering Herd," he was also the band's musical director and a featured soloist. Since then he's worked with Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band, Louie Bellson's Big Band, the Bob Belden Ensemble, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. Today he is the leader of his own "herd," the 16-piece New York Big Band. Fedchock will be the special guest with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble at the annual RIJF/Eastman School of Music jazz scholarships concert.

For more information on Fedchock, visit http://www.johnfedchock.com/. (RN)

Jonathan Kreisberg Trio 

Over the past 10 years Jonathan Kreisberg has emerged as one of the most innovative guitarists on the New York scene. In demand as a side-man, he's played with Greg Tardy, Jane Monheit, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and many others. But his work as a leader is currently getting the most attention. Kreisberg plays with a virtuosity achieved by few guitarists. He moves over the neck with ease, coaxing out complex solos filled with distinct voicings.

For more information on Kreisberg, visit http://www.jonathankreisberg.com/. (RN)

Josh Irving Quintet

If you prefer your jazz on the more intense, post-bop side, the Josh Irving Quintet is just the ticket. The Rochester-born saxophonist credits local trumpeter Paul Smoker for broadening his musical horizons. Once at Berklee College of Music, Irving was mentored by the great tenor, George Garzone (the featured guest on his album, A Common Thread). Irving, who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxes, is an excellent post-Coltrane player/composer, constantly walking the edge of dissonance but never falling over. His band features top New York players Alan Ferber (trombone), Mark Ferber (drums), George Dulin (keyboards), and Ike Sturm (bass, also with Rochester roots).

For more information on Irving, visit http://www.joshirvingjazz.com/. (RN)

Julie Stewart and the Motor Kings

They got a B-3 up there, and usually that's all I need to see. Throw a blonde beauty beltin' bold 'n' brassy up front and you won't be able to pry me from the front of the stage. This Santa Fe quintet will remind you of that time in the early to mid-'70s when blues, rock, country, and soul all came alive and came together with the common goal to get people to get on down.

For more information on Julie Stewart and the Motor Kings visit http://www.motorkings.com/home.html. (FD)

Kyle Eastwood Band

Kyle Eastwood was in film school, set to follow in the footsteps of his father, Clint Eastwood, when he realized that his true love was music. A jazz lover, his father had also raised Eastwood on heavy doses of bebop. Music won the day. A bass player who leans toward the funky side, Eastwood has carved a niche in the space between Euro-groove and soul-jazz. It's worked well for him; his 2004 release, Paris Blue, rose to the top of the French Jazz chart. On his latest album, Now, Eastwood rides the funk on instrumentals like "How Y'all Doin'" as well as the title track. Much of the rest of the album features vocals by members of his band.

For more information on Eastwood, visit http://www.kyleeastwood.com/. (RN)

Lalo

With dancing mallets and enchanting melodies, vibraphonist Lalo creates nothing less than dreamscapes. Her albums, like Half Moon, have included eclectic accompaniment (bass clarinet, harmonium, finger cymbals) on her gorgeous compositions. In her new group with eight-string guitarist Jack West, the sound becomes even more distinctive. This is due, in no small part, to the combination of Lalo's vibes and West's custom-made instrument with extra strings on both the high and low ends. Even the repertoire is unpredictable. Lalo and West have been known to improvise on an unusual mixture of jazz and pop, including tunes by Stevie Wonder and Aerosmith.

For more information on Lalo, visit http://www.lalovibe.com/. (RN)

Latin Side of Miles Davis

The Latin Side of Miles Davis is the latest jazz transformation project by trombonist Conrad Herwig. Long known as one of New York's most progressive trombonists, Herwig has always gravitated toward the Latin side, playing with Eddie Palmieri, Airto Moreira, Paquito D'Rivera, and many others. In the mid-1990s he recorded The Latin Side of John Coltrane, interpreting the master's tunes with a Latin tinge. In 2004 and 2006 Herwig released albums exploring the Latin side of Miles Davis. The first, Another Kind of Blue, reinvented Davis' most popular album. The most recent, Sketches of Spain y Mas, revisits that tune, "Solar," and "Seven Steps to Heaven." Any group exploring Davis' music needs a great trumpeter; that's why Brian Lynch is co-leader.

For more information on Herwig and Latin Side of Miles Davis visit http://www.conradherwig.com/. (RN)

Layah Jane

This 24-year-old Canadian songstress walks the folk side of the street. Jane is folk in that her music tends to be acoustically rooted and politically charged. The jazz aspect sneaks in with her phasing and structure. She's not a jazz musician per se, but neither was Rickie Lee Jones or Joni Mitchell. And both those grand dames pushed --- and still pushed whenever classifications and parameters loomed. Short answer: Layah Jane is beautiful music. You're gonna like her.

For more information on Jane visit http://www.layahjane.com/. (FD)

Los Lonely Boys

This is one for the guitar nuts. When Los Lonely Boys first broke about five years ago, these three brothers from West Texas stopped by and positively rocked the Lilac Festival. The group went onto the 2005 Grammy Awards with four nominations and walked away with the Best Pop Vocal Duo/Group Award. The Latino/roots rock/blues mix may make some think of Los Lobos or The Blazers, but the band stands alone in sheer intensity, if nothing else. Guitarist/singer Henry Garza simply calls it "Texican rock 'n' roll." There's blues, Latin grooves, and classic rock too, and it all gets lassoed by Garza's incendiary guitar a la SRV and an on-stage telepathy and synergy only fraternity can bring.

For more information on Los Lonely Boys visit http://www.loslonelyboys.org/. (FD)

Lotte Anker

For fans of free jazz, saxophonist Lotte Anker is a must-see performer. Along with (with Craig Taborn, piano, and Gerald Clever, drums, the trio enters the stage or studio without any arrangements, not even a chord progression. Anker's group engages in collective improvisation. Reading each other, adapting to sudden or gradual changes, the members soar without a net. On the trio's recent album, Triptych, Anker coaxes otherworldly solos out of her horns, while Taborn and Clever, by turns, follow and lead. Anker is well known in Denmark for her bold solos on soprano, alto, and tenor saxes. She leads the 12-piece Copenhagen Art Ensemble and has played extensively with Marilyn Crispell, Tim Berne, and Peter Brötzmann.

For more information on Anker, visit http://www.lotteanker.com. (RN)

Maceo Parker

As a member of James Brown's band during the godfather's heyday, Maceo Parker wrote the book on saxophone funk. His soulful improvisational honking was an irresistible ingredient in Brown's funky stew. Branching out from Brown's band, Parker continued to work his magic on dozens of albums by the Parliament/Funkadelic crew and many others, including the Dave Matthews Band, Prince, and 10,000 Maniacs.

For more information on Parker, visit http://www.maceoparker.com/. (RN)

Madagascar Slim

If you think this dude's handle is a little long, just dig the label mom and dad originally stuck on him: Randriamananjara Radofa Besata Jean Longin. Yup, let's stick with Slim. Slim's brothers played Salegy, a popular style of dance music in Madagascar. Young Randriamananjara --- or Slim --- would watch his guitar-playing brother's technique and emulate it whenever he could get his hands on the instrument. But it was when he first heard Jimi Hendrix, then B.B. King, and was able to draw a parallel between them that Slim knew what he wanted to do. His folks shipped him off to Canada in 1979 ostensibly to further his education, but Slim had but one desire: to learn English so he could sing the blues he was already playing.

For more information on Madagascar Slim visit http://www.madagarscarslim.ca/. (FD)

Madeleine Peyroux

I think we all wanna be enchanted or romanced just a little bit. Hell, maybe even a lot. And Madeleine Peyroux's music does just that: it's a picturesque, sepia-toned seduction with an underlying sting waiting in its supple shadows. Her voice soars deadly delicate above a bed of her own simple jazz guitar. And yes, she sounds a helluva lot like Lady Day with her coquettish warble and gentle, languid phrasing.

Performing for years as a busker on the streets of Paris, Peyroux released Dreamland in 1996, and it catapulted her into the global spotlight. Since then she has played jazz festivals worldwide as well as Lilith Fair. It is the way that Peyroux assumes ownership of the songs she covers --- from Bessie Smith to Elliott Smith --- that makes her so compelling.

Somewhat of an eccentric, she moves in and out of the public eye with only the haunting lust and noir of her records to keep us company 'til she returns.

For more information on Peyroux, visit http://www.madeleinepeyroux.org/. (FD)

Mamadou Diabate

West Africa's Mamadou Diabate plays a kora, a traditional West African instrument that falls somewhere between guitar, piano, and harp mounted on a gourd.

Sitting cross-legged, Diabate plays music that transcends its earthly roots with cascading notes that plink and sparkle. It's like a beautiful, bigger-than-life music box. It is breathtaking in its musical complexity but simple beauty.

Diabate played the Jazz Fest two years ago and knocked people out, not just with the memorable set but also in the fact it was, frankly, an unexpected departure for a jazz festival. But jazz's roots do actually run this deep. During his set, Diabate careened into Muddy Waters but was quick to point out that he wasn't being referential at all; the blues --- and jazz --- come from the same place as his music geographically and spiritually.

This is some of the most gorgeous music you will ever hear.

For more information on Diabate visit http://www.mamadoukora.com/. (FD)

Mambo Kings

The Mambo Kings are the hottest Afro-Cuban jazz band in upstate New York. Over the last decade the band has also been garnering national and international attention, performing orchestral arrangements of original tunes like Marinera with the Baltimore, Vancouver and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras. Marinera was written by the Mambo Kings' founder and pianist, Peruvian native Richard DeLaney. Other group members include saxophonist John Viavattine, percussionists Freddy Colón and David Antonetti and bassist Hector Diaz.

For more information on the Mambo Kings visit http://www.mambokingdom.com/. (RN)

Martin Rickert Quartet

Newfoundland guitarist Martin Rickert leads his quartet through a light-handed approach to contemporary jazz. It's slick and it's tight with every member working around the happiness with a delicate hand. Sounds like something you might hear on NPR. In thought and intention, this is a classic group; in tone and attack, it comes on like tomorrow. (FD)

Matt Wilson Arts & Crafts

Matt Wilson's well-earned reputation as an individualistic percussionist has garnered him a spot on albums by Dewey Redman, Lee Konitz, Cecil McBee, and dozens of others. But he has also gained recognition as a leader due to a series of nicely eclectic releases. His recent albums with his Arts & Crafts ensemble have been satisfying mixtures of catchy tunes (like "The Scenic Route," the title track of his new CD) to compositions verging on the avant-garde ("In Touch With Dewey"). His group can vary, but the last incarnation boasted the great trumpeter Terrell Stafford and the wonderful B-3 organist Gary Versace both of whom delighted audiences at last year's RIJF.

For more information on Wilson visit http://www.mattwilsonjazz.com. (RN)

Midaircondo

If the name Midaircondo conjures up some sort of futuristic world, the group's music and looks will not disappoint. Midaircondo consists of three young women from Sweden who employ a variety of instruments, voices, and audio and video devices to create the music of the future, and from some other planet. Malin Dahlstrom and the others sing and deploy an endless array of computer sounds; Lisa Nordstrum also plays various flutes and Lisen Rylander plays saxophones. Welcome to the 22nd century.

For more information on Midaircondo visit http://www.midaircondo.com/. (RN)

Mike Cottone Quartet

Born and raised in Rochester, Mike Cottone was invited to the Essentially Ellington Competition in New York City while still a teenager. He recently won the solo jazz chair audition with the US Air Force Band of Liberty in Boston. Over the years Cottone has studied with a variety of jazz luminaries, including Marcus Printup, Howard Rowe, Rich Thompson, Bob Sneider, and Jeff Campbell. He currently studies with Clay Jenkins at the Eastman School of Music. (RN)

Mr. Something Something

Everybody needs a little sumpin' sumpin.' And that happens to be Mr. Something Something, a Canadian Afro-beat/jam band ensemble that tweaks the beat with exploratory detours. The sax attack punches and rumbles rusty and cool, and the vocals seem to make more sense if blurred a little. So just let yourself go.

For more information on Mr. Something Something visit http://www.mrsomethingsomething.com/. (FD)

Nancy Kelly

Nancy Kelly has been singing since she was 4 and touring all over this big marble for most of her adult life --- from Singapore to Switzerland, from the United States to three tours of Japan. Voted Best Female Jazz Vocalist two years in a row in Down Beat magazine's reader's poll, Kelly interprets standards with a cocktail of dynamics and abandon, and the keen ability to put on the brakes mid-crescendo. Anyone can belt --- and Kelly can belt --- but the lady's got style, too. And a lethal sense of timing. And that's what makes it jazz, right?

For more information on Kelly visit http://www.nancykelly.com/. (FD)

Nobuki Takamen

Gene Bertoncini protégée Nobuki Takamen has been playing guitar since he was 14. The New Jersey by way of Hiroshima musician is building a reputation around the New York jazz scene for his unfettered traditional approach. This year's festival is full of a lot audio astronauts and oddballs, so it should be nice to mix it up with a cat who actually reads the dots.

For more information on Takamen visit http://www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/men-tei/Men-teiEnglish.html. (FD)

Olu Dara

Olu Dara came to New York in the 1960s and solidified his reputation as a leading avant-garde trumpet and cornet player in the 1970s and 1980s. Dara did not record as a leader until the 1990s, but by then he had lent his distinctive style to artists like David Murray, James "Blood" Ulmer, Henry Threadgill, Don Pullen, and Hamiet Bluiett. In recent decades he has recorded with singer Cassandra Wilson and recorded an album on which, in addition to his horns, he accompanied himself on guitar. (RN)

Omar Sosa

Arranger, producer, percussionist and keyboard player extraordinaire Omar Sosa studied at Cuba's Escuela Nacional de Musica and Instituto Superior de Arte while still in his teen years. He founded the group Tributo in his early 20s and worked with prominent vocalists and groups through the 1980s and 1990s. Over the past decade he has emerged as one of the most innovative leaders in Afro-Caribbean music, releasing a string of solo albums combining jazz, rumba, African, and even hip-hop music. In the fall of 2002 his album Sentir was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. If you go to hear Sosa don't plan to sit down for long; this music is infectious.

For more information, visit http://www.omarsosa.com/. (RN)

Paradigm Shift w/Marcus Printup, Wycliffe Gordon, and Gray Mayfield

The members of Paradigm Shift --- guitarist Mel Henderson, organist Gerry Youngman, and drummer Jared Schonig --- have enlivened Rochester clubs and festivals for more than a decade. They have formed the core group when stars like Dr. Lonnie Smith, David "Fathead" Newman, and Eric Alexander visit Rochester, and have accompanied jazz greats on European tours. On the group's CD, Shifting Times, band members are joined by two luminaries: trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and trumpeter Marcus Printup. If you add saxophonist Gray Mayfield to that constellation you have the trio of players who will join the group on at the RIJF.

For more information on Paradigm Shift, visit http://www.paradigmshiftjazz.com/. (RN)

Paul Tillotson Love Trio

The word "improvised" may scare off the philistines, but that just leaves more room for the fun. At the center of the Love Trio's sound is pianist Paul Tillotson's total irreverence and willingness to go anywhere the vibe says (once the audience realizes it has a say in the goings-on). When's the last time you had a seriously talented musician ask the crowd in all its multi-tonal, tin-eared glory to sing along? Tillotson is a master of melody with an infectious childlike wonder that usually gets him off the hook with righteous aficionados who expect jazz to be doled out in smoky, lonely, intimate settings. C'mon --- it's a party.

For more information on Tillotson visit paultillitson.com. (FD)

Peter Asplund Quartet

A few years ago many Swedish jazz critics selected Lochiel's Warning by the Peter Asplund Quartet as the best jazz album of the year. One critic went further, calling it "an instant classic" and "one of the best Swedish albums of all time." None of this is surprising considering the fact that Asplund is well known as one of Sweden's finest trumpet/flugelhorn players. When Jacob Karlzon (piano), Hans Andersson (bass) and Johan Löfcrantz Ramsay (drums) are added to the mix, the result is one of Sweden's finest  ensembles for both traditional and contemporary jazz.

For more information on Asplund visit http://www.peterasplund.com/. (RN)

Randy Brecker Quintet

Randy Brecker rose to prominence in the 1970s as the trumpet-playing sibling in the funk-jazz group the Brecker Brothers. (His saxophonist brother, Michael, a beloved figure in both jazz and pop, died earlier this year.) He had already established his credentials in the 1960s with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Horace Silver, Dreams, and Larry Coryell. It's a good bet that even if you never listen to jazz, you've heard a lot of Brecker. Perhaps the 20th-century's most popular jazz trumpeter among pop artists, he's played on albums by James Taylor, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, James Brown, and hundreds of others. An excellent bebop player, Brecker retains a soft spot for hard funk.

For more information on Brecker, visit http://www.randybrecker.com/. (RN)

Raul Midon

While guitarist Raul Midon was deep into his set at the 2005 RIJF, it was a riot to watch the sardines crowded around the stage crane their necks in search of the horn player they thought they heard. Well, there wasn't one. You see, within Midon's set of aggressive percussive acoustic music (think Havens or Feliciano), the man would frequently break into a jazzy trumpet improvisation through pursed lips...and no horn. Midon tip-toes through enough styles --- including reggae, flamenco, jazz, Afro-Cuban, pop, and soul --- that it doesn't matter what you plan on getting out of his performance. You'll definitely leave with more than you came in with.

Fore more information on Midon, visit http://www.raulmidon.com/. (FD)

Revision

The cats in Revision are hippies in the truest sense of the word. Yes, the Ithaca-based band churns out some groovy jam rock, but it also walks the walk. Or drives the drive, if you will: the band tours, playing 150 gigs annually, in a diesel bus converted to run on vegetable oil.

The band grooves with jams that are funky and jazzy, even occasionally plugging into hip-hop beats (sans the t-t-t-t-turntables). Consequently, Revision doesn't come off as long-winded as other bands in the genre. The band boogies, sort of picking up where Steely Dan left off. And the funk will get to you. You can't just sit and listen. Revision makes music you'll want to listen to physically; soulful and funky with a couple scoops of bop. And this will be somewhat of a homecoming as the band has some McQuaid blood flowing in its veins.

For more information on Revision visit http://www.revisionmusic.com/. (FD)

Rick Holland/Evan Dobbins

Listening to the Rick Holland/Evan Dobbins 10-piece little big band, it's hard not to think of arranger Gil Evans and the landmark Birth Of The Cool session of almost six decades ago. That is a great compliment to this upstate New York ensemble that favors the arrangements of Brent Wallarab, Kerry Strayer, and Bill Dobbins. With well-chosen tunes (Duke Ellington, Alec Wilder, Gerry Mulligan) and no shortage of fine solos by Holland and Brian Shaw (trumpets, flugelhorn), John Nyerges (piano), Strayer, Dean Keller, Matt Pivec, John Viavattine, and Glenn Cashman (saxophones), Neal Melley (trombone) and Dave Arenius (bass), the band's album, In Time's Shadow, swings from start to finish. At the RIJF Holland and Dobbins' band will be enhanced by vocalist Nancy Donnelly.

For more information on Holland, visit http://www.rickholland.net/. (RN)

Rik Emmett

Canadian Rock Hall Of Famer Rik Emmett may be better known for the big guitar sound he produced as a founding member of rock power trio Triumph, but the man digs all over to fully explore the instrument. His album Ipso Facto paid tribute to Wes Montgomery, among others, and he has recorded classical guitar pieces as well. Emmett is essentially a utility player who can enviably play anything, putting the guitar through all the paces in all aspects, be they tone, style, mood.

For more information on Emmett visit http://www.rikemmett.com/. (FD)

Robin Eubanks EB3

If you close your eyes during Robin Eubanks' RIJF performance you might think there are six musicians on the stage. That's because Eubanks' trio consist of multi-tasking multi-instrumentalists. Eubanks is well known as a versatile trombone player capable of playing with such disparate musicians as his brother, Kevin Eubanks, Jimmy McGriff, Sun Ra, and Stevie Wonder. Perhaps more than any other trombonist, he has experimented with electronic effects, putting them to effective use on tunes like "Blues For Jimi Hendrix." Drummer Kenwood Dennard has shared the stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Jaco Pastorius, and Maceo Parker. And keyboard player Orrin Evans has played with Bobby Watson and the Mingus Big Band. In the trio no one stands still for long. Bass and percussion parts shift from player to player as the three musicians maintain a six-man sound.

For more information on Eubanks visit http://www.robineubanks.com/. (RN)

Rusted Root

In the 1980s, before jam bands were everywhere, there was the Iron City's Rusted Root. What made the group stand out then --- and now --- was vocalist Michael Glabicki's multi-octave warble and the band's ability to kick out the jams without kicking a dead horse. With a well-honed subtlety the band seems to work more in textures than grooves per se. Sure, the members groove and jam to get the dance floor good and frothy, but the band successfully eludes a lot of the disjointed segues that addle so many jammers by working as a polished, single-minded affair.

For more information on Rusted Root visit http://www.rustedroot.com/. (FD)

Ryan Shaw

Ryan Shaw takes a break from touring with Brit soul babe Joss Stone to rock with us for just one evening. But that may be all it takes to rejuvenate and resuscitate your faith in R&B. Hailin' and wailin' outta Decatur, Georgia, Shaw digs deep into the genre's classic era, when R&B actually meant rhythm and blues and had plenty of both. Shaw sings creamy smooth with lofty forays into the clouds that'll make you tingle. Wilson Pickett and Jackie Wilson may be gone, but it's comforting to know that someone's still doing their work down here. (FD)

Saskia Laroo

Dutch trumpeter Saskia Laroo is an excellent bebop player, but she will never be accused of being a jazz purist. While she recorded in the company of saxophone great Teddy Edwards and vocalist Ernie Andrews on her Sunset Eyes album, she has also recorded widely in the realms of pop and rap music and makes no apologies for it. Over her three-decade-long career Laroo has been referred to as "Lady Miles of Europe." It's not hard to see (and hear) why. Aside from her brilliant technique, like Davis, she has a passion for experimentation and moving forward. And also like Davis, she cuts a dashing, flamboyant figure on stage.

For more information on Laroo visit http://www.saskialaroo.nl/. (RN)

Scott Goudie

Scott Goudie is well known to some in Canada as a visual artist, but he has another audience that might not be aware of his painting career. That's because, since the mid-1960s, when he became involved with jazz and blues, he's pursued music with an equal passion. His love of blues intensified in the early 1970s when he met Mississippi Delta bluesman Johnny Shines. Goudie joined Shines and moved to Alabama, taking up the blues slide guitar. Since then he has played with John Hammond Jr., Muddy Waters, Albert Collins and others.

For more information on Goudie, visit http://www.rowdyblues.com/scottgoudie.html. (RN)

Shooter Jennings

Shooter Jennings is more Southern rock than country. And despite his rural lineage, Shooter don't wail like Waylon. Sure, he played the part of his pop in Walk The Line,but that's about it. What he does do is cop the greasy, long-haired, middle-finger salute of Skynyrd (before gravity interfered) and Charlie Daniels (before God interfered) and lets fly with a full-blown, balls-out guitar rebellion. There's still a large dose of outlaw country in this maverick, who promises to put the "o" back in country. His music comes out in bursts of honky tonk piano and the mournful cry of the lonesome pedal steel. That all may say "country," but the guitars still holler "rock ‘n' roll, y'all."

For more information on Jennings visit http://www.shooterjennings.com/. (FD)

Shuffle Demons

You might think this one is for the kids, what with the amazing technicolor stage clothes, interpretive dance, and hijinks. The Shuffle Demons are a cross between New Year's Eve and a hockey game. The band plays with a big 'n' bombastic blast that typically boils over the stage and into the stands. Talk about surround sound. The Demons have been doing this for 20 years, after getting its start as a street band in Toronto. The talent warranted the clubs and theatres the group graduated to, but you couldn't take the street out of 'em. These guys are berserk.

For more information on the Shuffle Demons visit http://www.shuffledemons.com/. (FD)

Sisters Euclid

Though they're not sisters (hell, they're not even women), you could call Sisters Euclid a kind of a Canadian alt-jazz super group (you heard me). At the front of this quartet is guitarist Kevin Breit (another alum from RIJF 2006), who can apparently play anything with strings on it, as he does routinely in Norah Jones' band and with Supergenerous, his project with the amazing Cyro Baptista. Sisters Euclid is a whole lot more polyrhythmic and odd, with Breit and crew exorcizing demons one gets from having too many records at home and a desire to give every single influence a chance to shine. (FD)

Smugtown Stompers

Several Jazz Fests ago Rochester's Dixieland darlings, The Smugtown Stompers, added a kind of carnival joy to Gibbs Street with the band's Basin Street bop. The joyful noise served as a swingin' segue from gig to gig. Though New Orleans is getting a lot of face time this year, it's gonna be left up to the Stompers for the most part to preserve the hall and bring the brass when saints from all over the world come marching in.

For more information on the Stompers visit http://www.smugtownstompers.com/. (FD)

Solomon Burke

Remember when soul was from the soul? When the blues and R&B were too? Singer Solomon Burke is regal. Solomon Burke is larger than life. Solomon Burke is soul.

Born in Philadelphia in 1940, Burke came up through the church. He gave his first sermon at age 7. In addition to the gospel sounds of Clara Ward and the more lowdown secular wail of Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, young Burke dug on cowboy singers like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers as well. In 1960 he signed to Atlantic Records, where his soulful take on country --- or vice versa --- gave him immediate multicultural appeal. Burke had a string of hits between 1961-68 like "Cry To Me," "Just Out Of Reach," and "Got To Get You Off My Mind."

All the world's a pulpit for Burke, who frequently performs on a throne with plenty of pageantry and glitz. Yet his amazingly versatile baritone overshadows it all.

For more information on Burke visit http://www.thekingsolomonburke.com/. (FD)

Soul Rebels Brass Band

New Orleans' Soul Rebels came up traditionally, playing parades and jazz funerals. Also keeping with tradition, The Neville Brothers frequently have the band warm up and ultimately melt the stage for their home gigs. It's this parade mentality that sends audiences. Music is not a stationary force; it should move you, and move with you.

At the heart of The Soul Rebels is ballsy brass. It gets goosed with some R&B and some funk, yet it's that parade drive that'll get you movin'. Who knows, maybe the band and audience will march outta the venue and do a few laps outdoors. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

For more information on Soul Rebels visit http://www.soulrebelsbrassband.com/. (FD)

Stephane Wrembel Trio

It just simply wouldn't be a jazz festival without this stuff. Frenchman Stephane Wrembel calls his music "Gypsy jam" --- a hybrid of world music dominated by his Gypsy guitar. At the heart of this music --- and in the heart of Wrembel --- stands Django Reinhardt, the undefeated heavyweight master of Gypsy jazz guitar. Reinhardt's two-fingered tight tone and jump is unmistakable on his original recordings, and equally recognizable when they surface directly or indirectly as influences, like they do with cats like Wrembel. The teenage Wrembel was turned on to guitar via the ones you'd expect like Hendrix and Zeppelin. But when he went to the Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois at age 20, it was clear what he would be doing from then on.

For more information on Wrembel visit http://www.stephanewrembel.com/. (FD)

Steps Ahead

When Steps Ahead was formed by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri in 1979, jazz was deep into the fusion era. Despite the competition from a profusion of jazz/rock groups, Steps Ahead surged to the top of the heap, earning a reputation for consistently cutting-edge, experimental music. Over the years many of the finest instrumentalists in jazz passed through the group's ranks, including Michael Brecker, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Eliane Elias, and Mike Stern. The 2007 line-up, featuring Mainieri with saxophonist Bill Evans, bassist Anthony Jackson, and drummer Steve Smith, is no less impressive. (RN)

Ted Michaels sings Sinatra

I think that, in a lot of cases, Sinatra didn't even sing Sinatra. And it was that sort of strident talk/singing routine along with his random syncopation that made Old Blue Eyes such a big deal. Yeah sure, Harry James had him croonin' his heart out for the squealin' pre-war bobbysoxer set. And his work with Nelson Riddle is pure class. But Sinatra wasn't really a singer. So maybe this Michaels character's gonna talk some Sinatra himself. I'll be there. (FD)

Tessa Souter

One of these days Tessa Souter should sing "Out of Nowhere," because that's where she came from. Now that she's arrived, everyone has the same assessment: wow! If you are going to write your own lyrics to Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" and re-imagine Leon Thomas' "The Creator Has a Master Plan," you'd better know what you're doing. One hearing of Souter's stunning album, Listen Love, leaves no doubt that she does. A London-born journalist, Souter was living and writing in New York in the 1990s when, at the urging of a friend, she began to sing at open mic nights. The strength of her voice won her a scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music, but she quit to work with legendary vocalist Mark Murphy. It paid off. In addition to her spellbinding vocals Souter can write, as evidenced by her wonderful tune, "You Don't Have To Believe."

For more information on Souter, visit http://www.tessasouter.com/. (RN)

Tony Caramia

Eastman School of Music piano professorTony Caramia's recent CD, Tribute, pays homage to great pianists and composers of the past who have inspired him. His distinctive renditions of Dave Brubeck's "It's A Raggy Waltz" and Jimmy Van Heusen's "Here's That Rainy Day" leave no doubt about his technical and aesthetic breadth. Caramia also has a wild side, as exemplified by his wonderfully frantic playing on Harold Arlen's "Get Happy." At the RIJF he may interpret tunes by George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, or Marian McPartland. Hopefully, he'll also include a few originals. One highlight of his album is a totally improvised "Homage To Chick," nicely evoking the music of another influence, Chick Corea. (RN)

Toots & The Maytals

Sprung in 1962 from the legendary Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica, Toots & The Maytals is one of the few original reggae bands left. The band first gained island-wide praise for its blend of Jamaican rhythms with gospel singing, or "spiritual ska" as some came to call it. By 1975 the band was on Island Records and was touring the world. The band holds the record for the most No. 1 hits in Jamaica (31). Toots & The Maytals has been on-again, off-again since the early '80s, but seems to be back in earnest this time with the latest album, True Love, sporting a list of guests like Keith Richards, Ben Harper, Ryan Adams, No Doubt, and Eric Clapton.

For more information on Toots & The Maytals visit http://www.tootsandthemaytals.net/. (FD)

Trio Beyond

The three stellar players in Trio Beyond --- guitarist John Scofield, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and organist Larry Goldings --- would be welcome at the RIJF under any circumstances. In Trio Beyond, they come together to pay tribute to the 1960s/1970s fusion band Tony Williams' Lifetime. That power trio featured the explosive Williams on drums, Larry Young on organ, and John McLaughlin on guitar. All were Miles Davis alumni (as are Scofield and DeJohnette). On the live album Saudades, Trio Beyond gives new meaning to the term "high energy." In the spirit of Williams, DeJohnette's propulsive drumming pushes his colleagues to new heights at every turn. On tunes like "Seven Steps to Heaven" and "Emergency," Scofield and Goldings move into overdrive on solo after solo. (RN)

Trio Nosso

You are unlikely to find virtuoso performers more astounding than the three Brazilians who make up Trio Nosso. Guitarist Nelson Faria's fingers can take off racing down the fret board with the speed of a gazelle. He can also play complex solos composed entirely of chords. The talents of six-string bassist Ney Conceição can be placed somewhere between the otherworldly sound of Jaco Pastorius and the slapping funk of Stanley Clarke. Whether using his sticks or his hands, drummer Kiko Freitas is a veritable percussion machine. Together these three are as tight as an ensemble can get. (RN)

Urban Transit

Smooth, but not too smooth: there's still some bite left in Urban Transit's groove. At the heart of this hometown five-piece is keyboardist Jon Tucker, who churns, pumps, and swirls some fat tones outta the organ. Tucker lends his talent to the blues around town with groups like Steve Grills and the Roadmasters, and maintains that same heat when cutting loose in this outfit's bomp.

For more information on Urban Transit visit http://www.urbantransitband.com/news.html. (FD)

Vince Ercolamento Quartet

His album, Delightful Eyes, is among the finest releases to emerge from the Rochester jazz scene over the past decade, but saxophonist Vince Ercolamento has contributed far more to local music. He also plays in, and writes arrangements for, Prime Time Funk, Rochester's answer to Tower of Power. A fine composer and a formidable improviser, Ercolamento and his quartet will show visitors the best of home-grown talent at this year's RIJF.

For more information on Ercolamento, visit http://www.vinceercolamento.com/home.cfm. (RN)

Walter "Wolfman" Washington & The Roadmasters

As a teenager Walter "Wolfman" Washington backed up Lee Dorsey. He also spent time playing guitar for Irma Thomas and tore up New Orleans dives and juke joints with Johnny Adams. Whenever Washington flew solo he got tagged as a bluesman; however, his music seems to be more of a Crescent City cross-section vivisected and resurrected with Washington's howl and hellacious guitar. His guitar solos build with a sort of strip tease cruelty before the blow off, where the man picks the high notes with his teeth. Here comes the Wolfman!

For more information on Washington visit http://www.walterwolfmanwashington.com/. (FD)

Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Wynton Marsalis is the Louis Armstrong of our time, an ambassador of jazz to the world. He's a brilliant player, a first-rate composer/arranger, and the tireless artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center. He also leads arguably the world's premier jazz band, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Under Marsalis' direction the orchestra has explored the legacy of Duke Ellington and, more recently, John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. Born into the first family of jazz (Ellis, Branford, etc.) in New Orleans in 1961, Marsalis emerged as a leader among the "Young Lions" of the 1980s, bringing jazz back to its acoustic roots. In 1997 his epic Blood On The Fields became the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize. Marsalis isn't the only giant in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The trumpet section boasts Ryan Kisor, Sean Jones, and Marcus Printup. Among the reed players are Victor Goines, Sherman Irby, and Ted Nash.

The RIJF is the first stop on a tour featuring Marsalis' composition, Congo Square. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Congo Square in New Orleans was the only location where African slaves were allowed to perform their music and dances. It is viewed as the birthplace of jazz. The Orchestra will be joined by the nine-member ensemble Odadaa!, featuring Ghanaian master percussionist Yacub Addy.

For City Newspaper's Spotlight Q&A with Marsalis, click here. For more information on Marsalis or the Orchestra, visit http://www.jalc.org/. (RN)

Zanussi Five

"Alborado," the title tune of the new Zanussi Five album, moves along with a trance-inducing melody until the middle, when the players abandon the groove and the music grows more dissonant before building into a wild shriek. That structure is emblematic of this top contemporary Norwegian jazz group led by bassist Per Zanussi. The band can swing with the best, but its members are more interested in moving jazz forward into the 21st century. Zanussi, who composed all of the album's tracks, leans in a decidedly avant-garde direction. His excellent sidemen --- Kjetil Møster (tenor sax), Rolf-Erik Nystrøm (alto sax), Eirik Hegdal (baritone, alto sax) --- are capable of some of the most beautiful and ethereal voicings in jazz today. And Per Oddvar Johansen is outstanding on percussion.

For more information on Zanussi Five, visit http://www.perzanussi.com/. (RN)

Zapp String Quartet

The RIJF has been known for presenting musicians who expand the boundaries of their musical forms; the Netherlands' Zapp String Quartet certainly fits that bill. Even when these four superb musicians sound like a traditional string quartet, their music is reminiscent of envelope-pushing quartets by Bartok, or Beethoven's late quartets. And that's just the beginning; you can expect to hear rock, country, various strains of ethnic music, and jazz with a great deal of improvisation along the way. The Zapp Quartet takes the voicings, dynamics, and interplay of a traditional string quart and turns them, lovingly, upside down.

For more information on Zapp String Quartet visit http://www.zappstringquartet.com/. (RN)