Below find brief descriptions of the dozens of artists participating in the 2010 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. The artists are listed alphabetically by first name; if you're looking for a specific act you can do a Control + F search to locate it more quickly. A full line-up for the festival can be found here.
Saxophonist extraordinaire Adam Niewood is the son of Gerry Niewood, who emerged from Rochester in the early 1970's as the versatile reed player in Chuck Mangione's quartet. But don't expect him to be a chip off the old block. There's no question that Niewood shares his dad's mastery of the sax, but his playing takes a different direction. His own tunes are dynamic pieces ranging from beautiful ballads to compositions verging on the avant-garde. Even when he tackles a jazz classic like Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning," Niewood can be counted on to re-imagine it. - RN
As a teenager Alison Brown won first place in the Canadian National Banjo Competition, leading to an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. After graduating from Harvard University and earning an MBA at UCLA, she had a brief flirtation with a business career at Smith Barney. Luckily Brown came to her senses, hung up her suits, and picked up her banjo. After spending three years touring with Alison Krauss she formed her own group. Over the last decade she has become one of the leading proponents of contemporary banjo. - RN
Memphis mama Amy Lavere's second album was produced by Jim Dickinson, and she's gorgeous. What else do you need to know? OK, she slaps a mean doghouse bass, has recorded at Sun Studios, and recently recorded with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Lavere sings with a coquettish innocence that, frankly, doesn't fool me for one minute. She knows just what she's doing, and it sounds fantastic. She moves musically from cocktail shuffle to galloping rockabilly, and will undoubtedly move you as well. - FD
Born in Germany and raised in Italy, pianist Antonio Ciacca sounds like he grew up next to a Chicago jazz club. He might have graduated from the Bologna Conservatory, but somewhere along the line he also attended the school of hard-bop. In Europe and the United States, Ciacca has shared the stage with James Carter, Lee Konitz, Art Farmer, and Johnny Griffin, and has toured the world with jazz great Benny Golson. Aside from his keyboard work, Ciacca is director of programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. - RN
Malian musician and griot (storyteller) Bassekou Kouyate is a master of the ngoni, the African equivalent to a banjo or mandolin. Within his traditional strains and the trademark pizzicato flurry of notes associated with his instrument, Kouyate incorporates the blues. Not the blues as we know it in its refined gentry, but the storied heartbeat of the culture that invented it long ago. Kouyate first tapped into this vein when he was invited to work with Taj Mahal in 1990. Considered a bit of a genre buster, he straps the ngoni on and wields it like a guitar. His band, Ngoni Ba, features a four-ngoni attack, all played by members of his family. - FD
Batter up: Bernie Williams isn't nearly as aggressive when he swings his guitar as he was when he swung a bat for the New York Yankees from 1991 to 2006. He is rated sixth on the team's all-time RBIs list. As a guitarist, Williams leans toward the smooth and funky with a penchant for finding an opening, jamming it out, and then stealing home. - FD
Bill Dobbins is best known in Rochester for his role as director of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble and the Eastman Studio Orchestra. In Europe he's recognized as the long-time conductor of the WDR Big Band (1994-2002) and occasional conductor of the famed Metropole Orchestra. But when his hands are not dancing in the air leading large ensembles, they are most at home gliding over a piano keyboard. Dobbins, who has played with Clark Terry, Red Mitchell, Phil Woods, and Peter Erskine, has an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz that comes through in his eloquent style. - RN
Bill Tiberio is a superb local educator, leading jazz bands and other ensembles at Fairport High School for the past two decades. But when he's not teaching, he's honking away on his saxophone with a large, funky sound reminiscent of Maceo Parker. Tiberio specializes in nicely shaped, melodic solos catchy enough to appeal to a wide audience. A Rochester favorite, Tiberio has shared the stage with a variety of performers including Fred Wesley, Lou Gramm, Nestor Torres, and The Four Tops. - RN
Tackling anything by Tom Waits is like wrestling an alligator: do it well and you've got a new pair of shoes; screw up and you're dead. Describing themselves as a Dixieland funeral with an infinite happy end, the members of Billy's Band are on the fringe in their St. Petersburg home, and will be on the fringe of the fringe here. Bandleader Billy Novik heard Waits' "Early Years, Vol. I," and that's all she wrote. Novik barks gruff and hip (in Russian and English), just like Waits - or perhaps like Cookie Monster on a vodka bender. A great deal of the band's repertoire is Waits' stuff, and when the band ventures out on its own, the genius, the oddity, and the antiquated charm still shines, just like those alligator shoes I was talking about. (FD)
Born in Houston, Texas, in 2004 and fathered by Irish ex-pat Patrick Devlin, Blaggards are Texas' answer to The Pogues (a little more sober) and Flogging Molly (a little less atomic). There's a lack of convention and an abundance of irreverence - just dig the reggae breakdown on the band's high-speed stab at Elvis's "Suspicious Minds." It's a Texas-sized, revved-up, rocked-up Irish dervish, like a leprechaun in a blender. This show will undoubtedly top alcohol sales for the week. - FD
The XRIJF line-up changes every year, but there's one thing you can always count on. Every night, after the concerts wind up at downtown venues, the Bob Sneider Trio (with Mike Melito on drums and Phil Flanigan on bass) takes the stage at the Rochester Plaza Hotel's State Street Bar and Grill. Starting at 10:30 p.m. and heating up as the night progresses, the after-hours jam session has attracted Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, Jake Shimabukuro, and many more festival stars. Get there early if you want any chance of a seat. - RN
The stacks of wax that came out of Stax would be rather slack if it weren't for its house band, Booker T and the MGs. Arguably these cats single-handedly forged what we call the Memphis sound. Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson, Jr. (drums) played on countless recordings from artists like Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor. The band is probably best known for its 1962 instrumental hit single, "Green Onions." - FD
I don't suppose The Bottlerockets would object to some of rock 'n' roll's fringe treats, like a big fat tour bus, groupies, and free beer for life. But it seems rock 'n' roll often overlooks its best soldiers, and showers accolades on its philistines. For 15 years this Festus, Missouri, band has spun its odometer around like a slot machine. It has kicked up dust along the American road and around the world, playing twang-tastic, country-tinged Southern rock, or what has come to be called roots rock in order to better separate it from the sounds and songs of those who crowd the upper tier. The Bottlerockets are a pure blue-collar American bar band with Woody Guthrie-like lyricism mashed up with Crazy Horse's kerrang. - FD
"Human Activity" is guitarist Brad Shepik's 10-part suite constructed around the theme of global climate change. And whereas a lot of thematic projects vary in relevance, timeliness, or just in general empathy, this topic is tangible and very now. The New York-based artist has played jazz from be-bop to world bop, a varied background that fortifies him with the tools to tackle epic music on an epic - or rather, global - scale. - FD
Who needs a rhythm section? Certainly not Brass Jaw, the fabulous horn quartet from Scotland. Three saxes and a trumpet create a beautiful blend. While the saxophonists - Paul Towndrow, Konrad Wiszniewski, and Allon Beauvoisin - create bass lines, harmonies, and even percussive effects, trumpeter Ryan Quigley might suddenly burst in, soaring over their textures and rhythms. Or Quigley might join with two saxes as the other sax player steps into the spotlight. Together they play wonderful originals and put a unique spin on classics like "Señor Blues." - RN
Bryan Lee and the Blues Power Band
When blues guitarist Bryan Lee migrated to Chicago, he was shut down by promoters for being white. But Lee didn't see color. In fact, he hadn't seen anything since he lost his eyesight when he was 8 years old. But he could hear - and feel - the blues. Muddy Waters saw this and told the young man to stick with it. C'mon, that's like being knighted by the queen. Lee moved to New Orleans in 1982, where arms were perhaps more open to all flavors, shapes, and colors. He has since played 25 New Orleans Jazz Festivals. Lee's music is a slick electric boogie 'n' shake, with a guitar tone as warm and corpulent as the man himself - big and easy too, darlin.' -- FD
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 songs and concerts by 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 everything from barrelhouse bellows to sultry ballad swoon to 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
If you think bass players are forever stuck playing second fiddle, make sure you catch Charnett Moffett; I guarantee he will knock your socks off. On acoustic or electric bass there is no one like him. Moffett grew up in a musical family. His father, drummer Charlie Moffett, played with Ornette Coleman in the mid-1960's. (Hence the name Charnett.) By the mid-1990's Charnett himself was playing with Coleman. He has also greatly enhanced the recordings and performances of Stanley Jordan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herbie Hancock. Anyone who saw him with McCoy Tyner at the 2006 festival will not soon forget his incredible technique. - RN
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez
The higher the hair, the closer to god. Known as the "Beehive Queen," Christine Ohlman is as sultry, salty, brassy, and bold as her prodigious platinum bouffant. Ohlman positively wails the blues through dusky pipes with more balls than that pit at Chuck E. Cheese. This is the type of sex-and-danger cocktail gals like Etta James kicked off; pretty and pretty dangerous, like a bouquet of switchblades. You can catch the lady in her standing gig on "Saturday Night Live," dig anyone of her six platters of pleasure, or stand in awe of that mighty beehive and that mighty voice live. - FD
Born into one of the greatest musical families to emerge from Cuba, pianist Chuchito Valdés is continuing a proud tradition. The son of the great pianist Chucho Valdés, and the grandson of the legendary bandleader Bebo Valdés, he is bringing the infectious music of his homeland to a new generation. Valdés began his musical career at the age of 16, accompanying popular Cuban singers. In the late 1990's he followed in his father's footsteps, touring with and leading the seminal Cuban band Irakere for two years. - RN
Das Contras take a little folk, a little rock, a little Latin, and a little reggae and kilt it. Everyone mixes it up these days, but add Scotland to the mix and eyebrows go up. These days it's 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 going to be cool. - FD
Bob Brookmeyer, one of the greatest arrangers in jazz history, has said Dave Rivello is "someone I believe belongs in the next generation of large jazz ensemble composers." Grammy-winning composer/arranger Maria Schneider has declared Rivello's writing "compelling and beautiful." With adventurous harmonies recalling composers from Charles Mingus to Igor Stravinsky, Rivello's arrangements are challenging to play. But that's no problem; Rivello's reputation is so strong that he attracts only the finest musicians capable of riding the tides of his dynamic music. - RN
It's funky with a swirling groove that seems to soak into everything. Winner of the Ronnie Scott Award for UK Trombonist in 2007, Dennis Rollins brings a flexibility and dexterity that is usually found in smaller, less bombastic instruments. He does it as a member of Maceo Parker's band as well. Rollins is an amazing artist and sure, he can blend. But in Velocity Trio his trombone is clearly in the starring role. He doesn't just play the thing; he brandishes it while bringing out Velocity Trio's funk and chill. - FD
It's not hard to figure out why Djabe is the leading jazz-fusion band of Hungary. The group's music is filled with lush textures and appealing melodies, combining elements of world music, jazz, and Hungarian folk music. Group member Ferenc Kovács is an excellent soloist on trumpet, flugelhorn, and violin. Bassist Tamás Barabás's style recalls the tone of Jaco Pastorius. And guitarist Attila Égerházi is a master of ethereal sounds. The name Djabe means freedom in the African Ashanti language. By refusing to be stuck in any particular genre, the group lives up to its name. - RN
He grew up in Russia and attended the Mussorgsky College of Music in St. Petersburg, not exactly the recipe to create a be-bop saxophonist. But Baevsky studied with the great Russian saxophonist Gennady Goldstein. And, when he came to New York to study at the New School in 1996, Baevsky absorbed more of the American art form he loved. He emerged ready to prove himself in the jam sessions of the new world. Baevsky can play gently, with the tonal beauty of Stan Getz, but he can also unleash furious blasts of notes in the tradition of Sonny Rollins. - RN
At last year's XRIJF, the Sicilian Jazz Project played a long, wonderful set that was one of the highlights of the festival. No small part of the charm was singer Dominic Mancuso. Mancuso takes hold of the material - part old folk songs, part contemporary jazz - and delivers it with timeless, haunting vocals. With a voice perfectly textured to fit this music, Mancuso's singing and his attitude are reminiscent of (a Sicilian) Elvis Costello. - RN
Just like U2 has sometimes served as a gateway into rootsy styles for the frightened and the uninitiated, the band's music does the same in the capable hands of Earl Pickens and Family. This bluegrass band from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, takes U2's 1987 classic "The Joshua Tree" and country fries it. Some may take this as a lampoon, but the truth is, Pickens' take exhibits the power of the lyrics and of the rural twang, both out of its element and yet so comfortable that you wonder why this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. Pickens' non-U2 stuff has a contemporary freshness and to-the-point songwriting style a la Ryan Adams and Jeff Tweedy. - FD
Now living in New York, this Norwegian bassist's jazz is rooted in a kind of latent bop, though it goes beyond bop's guidelines and suggestions. What do you expect from a musician who also cites Pink Floyd and Deep Purple as influences, and at the same time studied classical music? It's not free jazz, but Opsvik's music has its own pleasant lope and freedom. - FD
It might begin with a quietly rumbling bass riff. Then a funky guitar picks up the rhythm. The drums enter and reinforce the beat and before you know it, sax and keyboard are locked into the groove. Once all of this is cooking on high, Erik Telford will make his entrance on trumpet, creating ethereal sounds that pierce the rhythms and textures of his band. Aside from the collective, Telford leads the Hellfire Horns, a horn section that records and performs with artists like Bob Schneider, The Argyles, Paolo Negri, and many others. - RN
ESM-XRIJF Scholarship Concert w/Dave Glasser
With alumni like Ron Carter, Maria Schneider, and many other jazz luminaries, the Eastman School of Music produces a constant stream of professional jazz musicians. This evening at the Kodak Theatre provides an opportunity to hear them before they become famous. Dave Glasser, who will lead the festivities, is an Eastman graduate who plays the saxophone with beautiful tone reminiscent of greats like Stan Getz and Paul Desmond. Since 1995 he has performed with Illinois Jacquet, Barry Harris, Clark Terry, and many others. - RN
I was just going to say how much instrumental bands draw you in because the lyrics, storyline, mood, etc., are all set by the listener. But Black August's Danielle Potter, who wails on Filthy Funk's version of "Summertime" off its last album, has planted the word seed in the Rochester band's collective head. Will this change Filthy Funk? Absolutely. However, the interplay between guitarist John Viviani and words as a story or as a literal instrument should be pretty interesting. Viviani's playing is dense, effects-laden, way-cool, and often reminds me of flight. - FD
Francois Bourassa is an electrifying pianist in the tradition of McCoy Tyner. Born in Montreal, Bourassa studied music at McGill University before earning a master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he worked with the legendary composer George Russell and pianist Fred Hersch. Bourassa's quartet took off in 1985 when his group won the Montreal International Jazz Festival's new talent competition. For the past 25 years the quartet has played jazz festivals all over the world. - RN
With a casual elegance and ever-present cheshire grin, Fred Costello has got to be Rochester's king of hipster swing. Costello works the B-3 as if he had four hands. His organ has accompanied Rochester Red Wings' balls, strikes, and home runs since 1977. Up until last year The Amerks skated 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. And it's all in his new autobiography, "Fred Costello: A Lifetime Of Nightclubs & Ballparks." - FD
Growing up in Rochester, Gap Mangione and his brother Chuck were introduced to some of the greatest musicians in jazz by their father. After collaborating as The Jazz Brothers in the 1960's, they worked together on several of Chuck's landmark albums in the early 1970's. And, after Chuck's phenomenal crossover success, they reunited in 2007 for Chuck's Friends & Love reunion concerts. Gap Mangione has pursued a three-pronged career, playing solo piano, and leading small groups and a big band. - RN
Jazz does not stand still, at least not when Get The Blessing is on stage. These guys like to shake things up. That might mean wearing bags over their heads for publicity shots, or making wonderfully surreal videos. But what would you expect from a group that came together over the members' mutual love of Ornette Coleman? How about jazz-rock fusion with horns that create a sound that borders on anarchy, but which is actually very much structured and under control. You have to be great musicians to pull this off; these guys are. - RN
I've checked: pianist Giorgio Ferrera only has two hands. But the dense chording beneath his fluid runs that weave alongside and throughout the melody sound as if more than 20 digits are doing the walking. Ferrera incorporates his quartet in such a way that helps distinguish composition from intuition; sometimes everyone's on the same note, other times they assume a supporting role. The music's complexity is simplified by its beauty. Based in Frosinone, Italy, Ferrera has played festivals worldwide. - FD
Gladys Knight is no stranger to anyone who has listened to pop or r'n'b music over the past five decades. In the car, with a radio blaring, who among us has not joined Knight in belting out "Midnight Train To Georgia"? (OK, some of us settle for being Pips.) That song is emblematic of Knight's greatness; every line is sung at the height of drama. "When I'm singing a song, I live in the lyrics," Knight wrote in her 1997 autobiography. "Before I go into the studio to cut a record, I study the words and music to create a character in my mind based on the person in the song. I try to imagine how they got to the point emotionally of singing the words." Telling stories became Knight's trademark in songs like "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," "I've Got To Use My Imagination," and "Neither One Of Us." - RN
In the middle of her solo during a 2007 appearance, guitarist Russell Malone took out a handkerchief and used it to fan saxophonist Grace Kelly. She was 15 at the time, and the solo she was unwinding was most definitely smokin'. Having just turned 18 this year, she's got a lot more experience, not to mention four albums under her belt. In addition to multiple woodwinds, Kelly is adept at the piano and drums, and she occasionally sings. She loves to play jazz standards, but she's just as likely to throw in an original or a tune by The Beatles or Stevie Wonder. - RN
Sure, there's a quartet behind singer Gwyneth Herbert, but the band is used sparingly, rationing out tones and beats beneath Herbert's plaintive style. Herbert's song choices and compositions both confirm and deny her jazz classification. The lady is jazz, but it doesn't stop there. Once you heat her sing, you'll be glad it doesn't. - FD
At first, you may peg Charlottesville, Virginia's Hackensaw Boys as a band lost in time. You'll soon learn that the music ain't old, it ain't new, it just is - especially when taken out of its geographical context. Since 2000 the band has rolled the mountain music wagon wheel and its assorted folk and bluegrass spokes with the abandon and reckless joy of a prison break. On stage it's an old-timey acoustic rave-up, including a percussionist who plays pots and pans and assorted cutlery (among other things). Despite the band's rural traditions and accuracy, The Hackensaw Boys breathe a fresh intensity and current relevance into this timeless American strain by sharing the stage with contemporary and diametrically different acts like The Reverend Horton Heat, The Flaming Lips, and The Detroit Cobras. - FD
This horn section includes a tuba, and the front end sports dueling harmonica players. There's also Hawaiian steel guitar, a sheng (an ancient Chinese mouth organ), a claviola, and a Romanian hammered dulcimer. The band comes off Tin Pan Alley and carnival cool with its sly humor, and produces a musical cross-section that cuts though blues, jazz, r&b, klezmer, and swing. - FD
From the great mid-1960's quintet of Miles Davis to a monster dance hit in the 1980's, keyboard wizard Herbie Hancock has enjoyed one of the most varied musical careers of the past half-century. In the early 196'0s he scored his first hit, writing "Watermelon Man." He would go on to pen other classics like "Cantaloupe Island" and "Maiden Voyage." Introduced to the electric piano by Davis, Hancock went on to embrace all manner of electric keyboards, evolving at every musical turn. He formed the Headhunters in the early 1970's and his aptly named song, "Chameleon," became a huge seller. In the early 1980's he scored the biggest hit of his career, the break-dance favorite "Rockit." In recent decades Hancock has continued to branch out. In 2007, he won his 11th Grammy Award - Album Of The Year, for an exploration of Joni Mitchell's music, "River, The Joni Letters." - RN
From Chucho Valdés to Gonzálo Rubalcaba, Cuba has produced some of the greatest pianists of the last half-century. Hilario Duran fits firmly in that tradition. In a trio setting Duran is capable of astounding pyrotechnics or the most subtle, intimate sound. Always infusing his music with the rhythms of the Afro-Cuban tradition, he takes the audience 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. - RN
The power trio Ibrahim Electric is Denmark's answer to The Bad Plus. Niclas Knudsen plays guitar with brilliant technique matched by a wonderful sense of adventure. A playful organist, Jeppe Tuxen milks the Hammond B-3 for all it's worth. And Stefan Pasborg is an endlessly inventive drummer. Make no mistake, all three are superb jazz musicians, but there is a punk spirit that pervades their music with a driving energy that is absolutely contagious. - RN
Legendary band leader Jack Allen shuns the standard-issue podium, opting to sit in the trench with the other players, often playing his horn with one hand so as to conduct with the other. The man's an expert, operating with confidence and ease. That's because he's been playing for most of his 80 years. By the time Allen was 17 he was gigging regularly in Rochester hotspots like The Swing Club on Buffalo Road, The Riviera Club on Mt. Read Boulevard, The Bartlett Club on Bartlett Street, and The Chateau on Monroe Avenue. In 1943 Allen hit the road with The Tommy Reynolds Big Band touring the East Coast and Midwest, including stands at The St. Charles Theatre and The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. In the late 70's he joined The Chick Edmond Big Band. Fifteen years later he would take over the group with Edmond's blessing. - FD
The best kind of humor is contextual. Same goes for music. Like a jazz quartet embraced by hippies, Tulsa, Oklahoma's Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is dead serious as it delves into its craft, but you sense an underlying smirk in the mix. For instance, the group has recently tackled Beethoven's third and sixth symphonies. Though exploratory in the extreme, the music is fresh and uncluttered, with the overall sound spacious and contemplative - and perhaps even a bit wily. - FD
Hunter's music has soul's mood, tone, and swagger; its tight, deliberate beat; and its punchy horns. That's what will fill dance floors. His smoky voice is casually charming and elegant, a Romeo growl with remnants of a purr still in it. That's what'll break hearts. But it's his knack for clever songwriting that makes Hunter an unforgettable, 21st century soul man. Hunter - who got his start backing up Van Morrison - sings that sweet soul music. His guitar playing is wickedly classic with its sharp, unaffected bump, twang, and vibrato. - FD
Call me crazy, but I think Jane Monheit sounds even prettier than she looks. She's ultra-easy on the eyes and ears. Her music strolls the classic side of the street with a wink and a hint of swing. There is plenty of contemporary accessibility without compromise in her sound as she explores various composers from the great American Songbook and beyond. On her latest, "The Lovers, The Dreamers, and Me," she puts her twist on tunes by Corinne Bailey Rae, Fiona Apple, and of course, Kermit the Frog. - FD
Jazz singing sensation Janet Planet comes down to earth on her new - and 24th - album, "Of Thee I Sing," on which she tackles various standards of, about, and around American cities and stops along the road, like "Old Cape Cod," "Moonlight In Vermont," and "Love On A Greyhound Bus." As a singer, Planet seems to have as much fun with the words and their syllables as she does tweaking and polishing the melodies they ride. - FD
Rochester's Jazz Contingent's repertoire leans heavy on the heavyweights, including Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington, Joe Henderson, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, and Thelonious Monk. Since 2009 the quartet - Bryan Bricco (sax), Seth Sealfon (guitar), Dave Kluge (bass), and Jim Grillo (drums) - has brought its classic bop to venues throughout the city. - FD
Four-time Grammy winner and Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Famer Jeff Beck is the guitar player's guitar player. Known for his soaring fusion, Beck tackles virtually all styles and eras of the instrument. Starting out as a sideman in his native England with Screaming Lord Sutch, Beck went on to replace Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds in 1965. He split in 1967 to form The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood before they went on to form Faces. Beck's stratospheric sound came to the fore with the release of "Blow By Blow" (1975) and "Wired" (1976), two of the top-selling guitar instrumental albums of all time. Beck continues to explore the guitar's roots and its possibilities. Just dig his recording of "I Put A Spell On You" with singer Joss Stone on his latest, "Emotion and Commotion." - FD
When jazz aficionados debate the heir-apparent to the hard-bop trumpet throne once occupied by Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Lee Morgan, there is one name sure to come up: Jeremy Pelt. After paying his dues in the Mingus Big Band, the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, and the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Pelt has emerged as one of the most fiery trumpet players on the scene. His excellent band from his superb new CD "Men Of Honor" includes J.D. Allen on saxophone, Danny Grissett on piano, Dwayne Burno on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. - RN
A homegrown product of the Hochstein School of Music and the School of the Arts, saxophonist Jimmie Highsmith has done Rochester proud. Joining the United States Air Force after high school, Highsmith formed a jazz band and played internationally in USO events. He returned to Rochester in the early 1990's, and since then has led a smooth jazz band. Aside from his own band, Highsmith has lent his musical talents to the bands of Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Reed, Johnny O'Neal, and many others. - RN
The Joe Krown Trio has been sharpening its teeth at its weekly gig at The Maple Leaf in New Orleans since 2007. This has already rendered a live CD and a powerhouse band ripe for the road. Krown commandeers the B-3, Walter "Wolfman" Washington (who backed up Lee Dorsey as a teenager and who has rocked RIJF before) plays the guitar, and Russell Batiste, Jr. (Funky Meters) beats the drums. All three bring their take on New Orleans music to the workbench and clobber it with a funk hammer. - FD
Joe Locke emerged from the Rochester jazz scene to become one of the greatest vibraphone players in the world. Since moving to New York City in 1981, Locke has played with Kenny Barron, Grover Washington Jr., Dianne Reeves, and many others. He's a whirling dervish at the vibes, somehow landing his blur of mallets on the right notes. Locke's latest incarnation finds him in a superb band featuring singer Kenny Washington. A New Orleans native, Washington has put his four-octave range to use in a variety of settings, from classical to straight-ahead jazz. When he sings tunes like The Isley Brothers' "For The Love Of You" with Locke's ensemble, his r&b prowess comes through. - RN
John Pizzarelli w/Woody Herman Orchestra
John Pizzarelli waves the flag from an era when Nat was King and Les was Paul. Pizzarelli learned to strum and croon all creamy and smooth at the feet of his father, Bucky Pizzarelli. Though steeped in a retro-classic strain, Pizzarelli treats it as a style and not simply an era. In contrast to his ultra-suave voice, the man's guitar gives off a flurry of percussive chops, comps, and fills that frequently take flight in tandem with his masterful scat. With the power of Woody Herman's thundering herd (lead by clarinetist, Woody Herman alum, and Coltrane disciple Frank Tiberi) mixed with Pizzarelli's thundering cool, the Eastman's going to feel like one big hipster Frigidaire. - FD
Over the last four decades, pianist extraordinaire John Taylor has played in groups with Miroslav Vitous, Cleo Laine, Gil Evans, Lee Konitz, and many others. But Taylor also has a growing reputation for his solo work. In fact, he has been compared to another great who has at times favored solo performances: Keith Jarrett. A versatile musician, Taylor has written commissions for the English choir Cantamus and for the Hannover Radio Orchestra. - RN
Brazilian singer Joyce Silveira Moreno (born Joycé Silveira Palhano de Jesus), or just Joyce for those of us who don't have enough breath to get her full name out, has been recording albums since 1968. Joyce got her start learning the guitar as a young girl from Ipanema (not sure if she's the girl) and was introduced to the musicians that were brought to the family home by her musician brother. Her music is a pleasant twilight between simple melodies and the undercurrent of rhythm bristling beneath. Joyce is the creator and host of "Cantos do Rio," a music television show in Rio de Janeiro. - FD
Los Angeles-born bass-playing sensation Katie Thiroux molests her double bass like an international date, with Russian hands and Roman fingers. The gal scats pretty too, intertwining her acrobatic patter with her soft voice. It's classic, and yet so much more than nonsensical meanderings; it's as if she's singing in a new language still in the womb. She currently teaches at Universidad San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador. - FD
Best known as an innovative bluesman, three-time Grammy winner Keb' Mo' (born Kevin Moore) got his start playing the steel drum before moving on to play guitar with Papa John Creach (Jefferson Airplane). He's played in Bobby "Blue" Bland's Whodunit Band, and has worked with the likes of Albert Collins and Big Joe Turner. Moore tends to like his blues on the mellow side. This summer will mark his third appearance at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. - FD
Little Red Suitcase is mirth and madness in a music box. It's as lush and delicate as it is atmospheric and odd. Though the band hails from Copenhagen, it came together in 2005 in Zarautz, a small village by the Cantabrian Sea in Spain. It was at an improv jam session during siesta that Johanna Borchert and Elena Setien met. Their music is sparse and gentle, but features layers upon layers that add up to an impish dreamy chaos. Little Red Suitcase has twice been nominated for Best Vocal Jazz Release at the Danish Music Awards. - FD
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 on to 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." - FD
A favorite at the 2005 Rochester International Jazz Festival, Lynne Arriale is among the finest pianists playing today. Her trio, with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Steve Davis, performs with the kind of telepathic cohesion that can only come from kindred musical spirits with years of experience working together. Arriale is an excellent interpreter of jazz standards and contemporary pop tunes. She is also a superb composer of ballads, but her tour-de-force is an evocative, up-tempo original composition, "Braziliana." - RN
You can dig Marc Broussard on CMT, but let me tell you, he's a whole hell of a lot more than just country (duets with LeAnn Rimes not withstanding). His music is full of r&b and all kinds of down-and-dirty southern boogie. Besides, Broussard sings a lot like The Reverend Al Green. In fact, if any genre can claim him, it ought to be soul. Things really got rolling for this young singer from Louisiana after the late legendary record guru Ahmet Ertegun heard Broussard perform with King Solomon Burke during a Wilson Pickett tribute at a Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame dinner, and immediately offered him a slot at the Montreux Jazz Festival. - FD
Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons
Remember when cats like Dwight Yoakam and the Mavericks first broke out with their countrypolitan hillbilly revival? Bands like Austin, Texas' Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons bring that twang and boogie with a nod to tradition, as well as its fringes. There are definitely some rocks in this dirt road. Stuart's brand of alt-country may have been overshadowed initially when the band was known as The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash and was doing a lot of the Man in Black's stuff. On his latest, "Bend In The Road," Stuart explores what I like to call trucker country, bluegrass, and other influences other than Cash, though I'm sure he'll break one of those out for you, if you ask nicely. - FD
When soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone - all members of the saxophone family - get together, the harmonies are simply sublime. When it's the Miami Sax Quartet, the dynamics are also riveting. Founder Gary Keller has toured with greats as disparate as Frank Sinatra and Jaco Pastorius. Gary Lindsay has performed with Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett, in addition to arranging for Jose Feliciano and Pat Metheny. Ed Calle, who's been nominated for two Grammy Awards, has played with Sinatra and Ricky Martin. And Mike Brignola has occupied one of the "four brothers" chairs in the Woody Herman Band. - RN
Canadian-by-way-of-Germany pianist Michael Kaeshammer plays both kinds of music: boogie and woogie. However, his stride style is a little more pop than barrelhouse, and it isn't just all about that left-hand stroll. As a pianist, it's apparent that Fats Waller made an impression on Kaeshammer. And as a vocalist, Kaeshammer works excellently within his range with a casual, organic believability. - FD
Buffalo bluesman Mick Hayes plays the big, bad, beautiful blues with a healthy fistful of Southern boogie and classic rock. Though he has the chops to dig all the way back to Chicago and even the Delta, Hayes leans more toward electric monsters like Robin Trower. He's just as funky and rockin' as he is blue. - FD
Besides his work with Innkvisitio, you night know Finnish saxophonist Mikko Innanen's work with the Danish quartet Delirium, an improvisational group that intertwines its brass in a half-ballet, half-wrestling-match display. Innanen has been honking his horn since he was 12 years old, fueled by the influence of artists from Coltrane to Coleman. Initially an alto player, he has since gone on to include all saxophones to flesh out his music. Innanen proves that improvisational music, though unpredictable and at times risky, doesn't have to always descend into bedlam. - FD
Parked in front of the piano, Mose Allison's music is a blend of his bluesy Mississippi roots with the sophistication of Monk and Haig - some of his early influences, along with vocalists Charles Brown and Percy Mayfield. Now in his late 70s, Allison's influence has permeated the rock world with artists like Van Morrison, John Mayall, The Who, The Clash, Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds, Elvis Costello, The Chesterfield Kings, and Bonnie Raitt all putting down some tape with Mose. Though probably referred to more as a jazz musician, Allison's keen tempering of the genre with the earthier, more visceral sounds of the South has him perched on a bluesy fence. And it's all tied together with a lyrical bow of wit, wisdom, and keen insight. - FD
New Energy Jazz Orchestra with Carl Atkins
Listen to New Energy Jazz Orchestra's CD "The Sands Of Time," and you will hear some of the most impressive composing and arranging for big band anywhere. The orchestra was founded by saxophonist Carl Atkins and trumpeter Jonathan Kruger, both faculty members at Rochester Institute of Technology. The compositions and arrangements are by Atkins, Kruger, and trombonist David Gibson. Over the last several decades Atkins has shared the stage with George Russell, Jaki Byard, and Wayne Shorter. - RN
His trombone is red and his music is red hot. Nils Landgren was born and raised in Sweden, the land of the midnight funk. OK, maybe not, but his Funk Unit captures the music of black urban America with incredible flair. Landgren studied classical trombone in college but, through some key mentors, developed an affinity for improvisation. He's played on more than 500 albums, including recordings by jazz artists like The Crusaders, Eddie Harris, and Herbie Hancock, and pop artists including ABBA and Wyclef Jean. - RN
There will be a lot of jaws dropping when the phenomenal pianist Marian Petrescu unleashes his first solo. Then, when guitarist Andreas Oberg launches into one of his impossibly fast solos, they will drop again. As a teenager, Oberg was a tennis protégé, who had to decide whether to pursue sports or music. After an extraordinary career playing everything from gypsy guitar to fusion, it's clear he made the right choice. Petrescu started playing piano at the age of 4, and debuted at the Pori Jazz Festival at 15. His classical and jazz training have garnered him prizes in several European festivals. - RN
An American who moved to Cuba as a kid, guitarist Pablo Menedez got his start at age 14 backing up his mother, blues singer Barbara Dane. Growing up in Oakland, California, musicians like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Jesse Fuller, and Pete Seeger darkened his door and undoubtedly colored his sound. Though submerged in Cuban music and culture, Menendez still manages to go beyond the Afro-Cuban vernacular. And Mezcla (Spanish for mixture) brings a rhythmic intensity and electric curiosity that threatens to blow the genre even more wide open. No point in trying to sit still at this one, kids. - FD
Trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg has been at the forefront of the Danish jazz scene for the last five decades. His sound is expansive and ethereal, as if his trumpet has a built-in echo chamber. Mikkelborg, a self-taught musician, began with the Danish Radiojazzgruppen in 1963, and led the group from 1967 to 1972. Over his distinguished career he's worked with Gil Evans, Abdullah Ibrahim, George Russell, Bill Evans, and many others. His suite, "Aura," was one of the last major works recorded by Miles Davis. - RN
Pat La Barbera Group
Tenor saxophonist Pat La Barbera was born in Mt. Morris, NY, to a family that would produce three notable jazz players. (The others are drummer Joe La Barbera and trumpeter/arranger John La Barbera.) He joined the Buddy Rich Band when he was fresh out of Berklee College of Music. Influenced by the style of John Coltrane, La Barbera went on to tour and record extensively with Coltrane's drummer, Elvin Jones. More recently La Barbera has been an influential figure, as an educator and player, on the Toronto jazz scene. - RN
Trombone: it's not just for jazzers, symphony cats, or band geeks anymore. It's often bigger, badder, bolder, beautifuler, and more unavoidable than the electric guitar. And the way Rochester's Po' Boys Brass Band uses, abuses, and infuses the instrument, it's straight up rock ‘n' roll. The band got its start in New Orleans, where one of its members caught a concert by trombone group Bonerama. The Po' Boys play with an element of electric wrong, with the lead trombone getting run through stomp boxes that bend and twist and distort the sound into an intense stratospheric tapestry. It's like Dumbo on an acid trip. The band busts up joints nightly with stuff off its debut, "Bonebreak," as well as unlikely trombone tributes to tunes like "Thriller" and "Frankenstein." - FD
Rick Holland/Evan Dobbins Big Band
Having worked with Louie Bellson and Jimmy Dorsey, among others, Rick Holland throws some seasoned swagger into this big band's creamy brass display. Though he works in assorted configurations, this layout gets big and ominous with Holland's trumpet and Dobbins' trombone leading the assault. - FD
You can hear a little Ella ringing from this red-headed belle. And it isn't just because vocalist Robin McKelle drinks from the same well; it's in her tone and phrasing as well. It's warm and sweet, but it's got stones. McKelle's big-band sound - produced by Brian Setzer's trumpeter/arranger Willie Murillo - is full of classic wartime exuberance. Currently living in Boston, McKelle grew up in Rochester. She attended Berklee College of Music and has shared the stage with heavyweights like Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Terrence Blanchard. She entered the Thelonious Monk Vocal Jazz competition in 2004, where she took third place. The list goes on and on, but you've really just got to hear this young lady sing. - FD
Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys
Hailing from Iota, Louisiana, Ledet bops bilingual (in Creole and English, that is) with a bluesy underpinning to her zydeco jump. Yeah, zydeco is predominantly a man's world, but none of the dudes can unhinge or unglue an audience quite like Ledet. You've heard of the dirty blues. Well, here's some dirty zydeco for you. This lady is lyrically salacious, musically bodacious, lusty, and sly, with a dash of Louisiana tease 'n' please. - FD
Guitarist Russell Malone began his professional career at the age of 25, when he was asked to tour with the great organist Jimmy Smith. He also played extensively with Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall before stepping into the spotlight in the 1990's with a string of irresistible albums. Since then Malone has showcased his ability to let his fingers fly over the fret board with equal shares of precision and abandon. When he slows down for a ballad, his beautiful legato runs are imbued with a sad, bluesy tinge. - RN
I'm almost certain Glasgow-born trumpeter Ryan Quigley's sextet is one of Goldilocks' favorites, because it's juuuuuuuust right. The right amount of bop (almost retro at times), the right amount of brass, and the right amount of running with a riff, a groove, an idea without getting too tangential. Quigley also blows his horn in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, but it's with his sextet that he truly finds his legs and runs. - FD
Swedish guitarist Samuel Hallkvist says he's more interested in rhythms than harmonies. Who isn't? I mean, the man grew up on Slayer. Hallkvist shies away from conventional 12-bar and 32-bar structures. You won't hear the blues, you won't hear a walking bass. You will, however, catch patterns and figures that revolve as they pick up steam, resulting in a trance-inducing wash. - FD
Florida bluesman Bill "Sauce Boss" Wharton (immortalized in Jimmy Buffet's "I Will Play For Gumbo") slithers on the slide while slathering on the hot sauce. Wharton cooks on stage - no, he cooks on stage, literally. His stage plot is more like a kitchen; bass, drums, guitar, and a steaming cauldron of gumbo he attends to, adding spices and stirring between numbers, and ultimately serving it up to the crowd - 165,000 served to date. Even without the spicy grub, Wharton is an incredible guitar player and showman. Dig his new platter, "Hot 'n' Heavy." Delicious. - FD
Scott Hamilton/Harry Allen Quintet
In the late-1970s when much of the jazz world was exploring fusion or the avant-garde, saxophonist Scott Hamilton came out swinging. A traditional counterweight to prevailing trends, Hamilton emulated greats like Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins and Don Byas. As his career took off, he collaborated with Gerry Mulligan, Ruby Braff, Al Cohn, Ken Peplowski and many others. Hamilton will be dueling with another saxophone giant, Harry Allen, a kindred spirit in his respect for the great be-bop tradition. - RN
When you are the lead trumpeter in a band led by trumpet great Wynton Marsalis, it speaks volumes about your talent. But just listen to Sean Jones in a quartet setting and he will leave no doubt about why he was chosen for the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. Jones is a first-rate hard-bop master whose forceful style is matched by his exquisite taste. In addition to his busy concert schedule, Jones is a professor of jazz studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburg and artistic director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. - RN
His point of departure is ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax's 1954 investigation of Sicilian roots music, but guitarist Michael Occhipinti's Sicilian Jazz Project moves well beyond the original Italian folk songs. Occhipinti creates contemporary works based on traditional pieces, incorporating new voicings, rhythms, and harmonies along the way. A typical song may begin in the old country with a folk melody, only to cross the ocean into contemporary post-bop territory. - RN
When everyone was going for the big, big rock in the post-grunge 90's, Smash Mouth kept the fun alive mixing humorous lyrics into its pop/punk mix on a string of hits including two that hit No. 1 - "Walkin' On The Sun" and "All-Star." Steeped in classic 60's soul, and even a little surf, Smash Mouth has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. The band likens its shows to non-stop parties. Good thing this one's outdoors. - FD
Listening to the gorgeous voice of the ethereal singer Somi, singing in the languages of East Africa and in English, you may be surprised to find that she was born in Illinois. It makes more sense when you consider that her parents were immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda and she spent part of her childhood in Zambia. Singing in a style that she calls "new African soul," Somi embodies the spirit of African culture in a manner that falls somewhere between Miriam Makeba and Sade, but it is her own musical vision that will enchant you. - RN
It's a jazz, funk, and r&b stew as well. This Toronto septet has been rocking it right since 1990, along Toronto's famed College Street scene. Made up of top-notch session men, Soul Stew has lent its brass to artists from Aretha Franklin to Nelly Furtado to Gorillaz. The band's prevailing sound when bathing in its own spotlight is the kind of pleasant soul that floated out of umpteen transistor radios in the 1970's. I had mine tied to my handlebars. Where was yours? - FD
The parallel universe that is the European jazz scene has many greats who are all but unknown in the United States; pianist Stan Tracey is one of them. A phenomenal player, somewhere between Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk, Tracey is known as the godfather of British jazz. As house pianist at Ronnie Scott's London jazz club from 1959 to 1966, he accompanied all of the greats passing through, including Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, and Freddie Hubbard. Since then he has recorded and played with an international Who's Who of musicians. - RN
It has not yet been determined what planet Stanley Jordan is from, but one thing is certain: no one else on earth can do what he does on guitar. Jordan was a street guitarist when he was signed to the Blue Note label in the mid-1980's. He rose to fame by reinventing guitar playing. By tapping the strings of his electric guitar, Jordan's right hand can race over the fret board faster than anyone else's, while his left hand is free to play rhythm and bass. His repertoire ranges from jazz to rock to classical, but all of it falls under the category of "wow." - RN
Stefan Karlsson Trio
After graduating from high school, Swedish pianist Stefan Karlsson came to the United States to study piano at the University of North Texas. After several years performing with the school's acclaimed One O'Clock Lab Band, he was ready to return to Sweden and begin his recording career on a Red Mitchell album. Five years later he was creating his own debut CD. Since then he has recorded music for movies ("Sugar Hill") and television ("Melrose Place"), and worked with Eddie Gomez, Chris Potter, Herb Ellis, and many others. - RN
If Steve Turre was simply one of the finest trombonists playing today, that would be more than enough for a successful career. He's played with Ray Charles, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nations Orchestra, and the Saturday Night Live Band. But Turre does something else that's way off the beaten musical path. He plays conch shells in an array of shapes and sizes, using his hand inside the shell to shape notes. Sometimes he'll hold two up to his mouth at once and play in harmony. Turre is a consistent winner of the DownBeat Critics Poll's "Miscellaneous Instrument" category. - RN
Susanna & the Magical Orchestra
All you have to do is hear this young lady's take on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." With the exception of Jeff Buckley, I didn't think the song could possibly get any sadder. Norwegian singer Susanna Karolina Wallumrød and the Magical Orchestra (keyboard player Morten Qvenild) play dreamy narcotic pop full of atmosphere and longing. The band takes pop staples from acts like Prince, Bob Dylan, Joy Division, AC/DC, and KISS and pumps them full of morphine and tears. - FD
Ted Michaels
I think in a lot of cases, Sinatra didn't even sing Sinatra. And it was this 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 going to talk some Sinatra himself as he covers the legend's hits. - FD
Toronto-based drummer Terry Clarke first sharpened his chops in San Francisco while playing with saxophonist John Handy III. He even appeared on Handy's Grammy-nominated "Live at The Monterey Jazz Festival" in 1966. From there he went on to drum for The Fifth Dimension until 1970, when he moved to Toronto. During this period he also toured with Jim Hall and Oscar Peterson. Since moving to New York in 1985, Clarke has played and recorded more 300 albums, with The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, Helen Merrill, Toots Theilemans, Ann Hampton Callaway, Red Mitchell, Marvin Stamm, Jim Hall, Bill Mays, Roger Kellaway, and Joe Roccisano. - FD
Growing up in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tommy Smith was a precocious saxophone player. By the age of 16 he had recorded his first album and been accepted to Boston's Berklee College of Music. At 18 he was touring with Berklee professor Gary Burton. Since then he has worked with a variety of musicians, including Joe Locke, John Scofield, and Joe Lovano. Brian Kellock emerged from the University of Edinburgh as one of the finest pianists in the United Kingdom. He has lent his keyboard talents to Stanley Turrentine, Scott Hamilton, Art Farmer, and may others. - RN
Torben Waldorff Group w/Seamus Blake
Born in Denmark and raised in Sweden, the excellent guitarist Torben Waldorff crossed the ocean to attend the famed Berklee College of Music. That's where he met saxophonist Donny McCaslin, who was making a name for himself on the Boston scene. McCaslin toured with Berklee professor Gary Burton and went on to join Steps Ahead. In recent years he has been a member of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for his work on her "Concert In The Garden" album. - RN
Three musicians met at the Eastman School of Music and decided to form a trio in the tradition of Ahmad Jamal, Chick Corea, and other greats. Pianist Christopher Ziemba is a past winner of the RIJF scholarship. Bassist Dave Baron has won two prestigious DownBeat Magazine Student Awards and has toured Russia with vocalist Carla Cook. Drummer Kevin McDonald, a recipient of Eastman's Howard Hanson Scholarship, has performed with Don Menza, Robin Eubanks, and many others. The trio ventures beyond straight-ahead to world music and group improvisation. - RN
New Orleans' Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews calls his music "supafunkrock." Andrews got pegged with his nickname as a 4-year-old marching down the street with a trombone longer than he was tall. As much as this young man is of the New Orleans jazz tradition, he's also quick to step outside to get funky with his band, Orleans Avenue, and as a guest artist with acts like U2, Lenny Kravitz, and Green Day. Andrews is also a double threat on trumpet. He stands with one foot in New Orleans tradition, one foot in the 21st Century, and one foot in beautiful brass oblivion. Yes, I know that's three feet. - FD
Viktoria Tolstoy lives in Sweden, but her Russian roots run deep. Her great, great grandfather was author Leo Tolstoy. And whereas he was prolific, his great, great granddaughter has piled up quite a discography too: eight albums since 1994. On her latest, "My Russian Soul," the toe-headed Tolstoy gets a little more fluid and smooth than on previous releases. Though there is clearly all kinds of horsepower in her pipes, the lady sings sweet and gentle with a breathy reserve. It's like she's singing in your ear. We should all be so lucky. - FD
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