Every jazz fan knows the story of Pat Martino, the great guitarist who suffered a brain aneurysm in the late 1970's and had to re-learn the guitar from scratch. But until you see and hear him play you don't quite realize how amazing his recovery has been. The audience at Kilbourn Hall Friday night was treated to a display of breath-taking speed and, more importantly, superb musical taste.

Every tune was a distinct journey, a perfect combination of rhythmic leads and legato runs. There were several songs played at break-neck paces, but my favorite was slower, Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight," one of the most gorgeous ballads in jazz made even more beautiful by Martino's sensitivity.

Martino also told a great story about playing seven sets a night at a New York club at the age of 15. But the story got better, culminating with a breakfast at 4 a.m., when all the sets were over, with Les Paul, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, George Benson and 15-year-old Martino. Talk about inspiration.

Another treat was the B-3 organist accompanying him, Tony Monaco. Monaco had a way of mouthing the parts he was playing, as if he were singing through the B-3. And he was singing in that way that only an organ player can. His solos were so rich and dynamic, ebbing and flowing; they just washed over the audience.

I caught some of the Joe Romano Tribute at Xerox Auditorium, where an excellent septet led by Gap Mangione told stories about Romano and performed tunes from albums he'd played on. Romano was not only a great saxophonist, he was a very funny man, a warm and wonderful character.

The great saxophonist Pat LaBarbera soloed beautifully on tunes like "The Little Prince" (recorded decades ago on an album featuring Romano and Chuck Mangione). He also told a great story about a fight between Romano and the tyrannical bandleader (and amazing drummer) Buddy Rich. Suffice to say, it began with screaming and ended with marijuana smoke wafting from the room and a very peaceful band.

I've seen the Susan Tedeschi Band several times before, but the group's performance Friday night was the best I've witnessed. Seeing the slight young woman on the stage would not prepare you for the powerful, gutsy vocals, and kick-ass guitar riffs that kept on coming. As Cab Calloway said about Minnie the Moocher, she was the roughest, toughest frail.

At the end of her set, Tedeschi brought out a special guest, Rochester's own Chuck Campbell of the Campbell Brothers. His steel guitar sang back at Tedeschi in a wonderful bit of call and response.

Taj Mahal took a while to warm up with some luke-warm electric blues. But when he picked up his acoustic guitar and started playing great tunes like "Corinna," "Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes," and "Queen Bee," the audience came alive. Mahal is a musician who never stops exploring; he also played and sang a beautiful tune combining African music with American blues.

Tomorrow's the last night of the festival. I'm going to hear as much as I can, but I know it will include a great veteran Joe Lovano and an intriguing newcomer, Aaron Parks.