Time Pieces Quartet, 4 p.m., Rochester Museum & Science Center

Rochester Area High School Jazz Bands, 4:30 p.m. & 5:15 p.m., Jazz Street Stage

Matt Wilson Arts & Crafts, 6 p.m. & 10 p.m., Montage

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)

Christian Scott, 6 p.m. & 10 p.m., Kilbourn Hall

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)

Eastman School of Music Jazz Trios, 6 p.m., Jazz Street Stage

Tony Caramia, 6 p.m., Club Pass Big Tent

Eastman School of Music piano professor Tony 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)

Hilario Duran Trio, 6:15 p.m. & 10 p.m., Max of Eastman Place

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)

Rick Holland/Evan Dobbins Little Big Band, 6:30 p.m. & 10 p.m., High Fidelity

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)

Central New York Jazz Orchestra, 7:15 p.m. & 9:15 p.m., Jazz Street Stage

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)

Ilmiliekki Quartet, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Reformation Lutheran Church

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)

Dave Brubeck, 8 p.m., Eastman Theatre

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)

Bonerama, 8:30 p.m. & 10 p.m., Club Pass Big Tent

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)

Bettye LaVette, 8:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., Harro East Ballroom

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)

Jazz Jam w/Bob Sneider, 10:30 p.m., State Street Bar & Grill

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)

For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Rochester International Jazz Festival website.