I started Friday evening with a wonderful show by pianist Geri Allen at Kilbourn Hall. Adding to the pleasure was the fact that the drummer in her trio was, as Allen put it, an icon --- bold" class="Apple-style-span">Jimmy Cobb.

No matter what Allen played, from Mal Waldron’s beautiful ballad “Soul Eyes” to more up-tempo originals, her technique was never less than extraordinary. I don’t know if I have ever seen a faster and more tasteful right hand in all of jazz.

With Cobb on hand, Allen played Charlie Parker’s “Al-Leu-Cha,” a tune Cobb played with Miles Davis. Cobb’s solo was understated and excellent. Allen took a new approach to every chorus; they flowed like a string of Paganini variations.

Bassist Kenny Davis also did some fine solo work, and Cobb played an even more spectacular solo on the trio’s encore. But it was Allen who consistently amazed with her luxuriant cascades and swirls around every melody.

The Eastman Theatre was less than half full for Raul Midon and Solomon Burke, but those in attendance got nothing less than a great show. Midon is a true original, rarely doing anything normal on the guitar. He slaps the strings and taps the guitar’s body, while occasionally letting loose lightning-fast flamenco strums and startling harmonic chords. He’s got his own style of singing too. It’s reminiscent of Stevie Wonder, but like his guitar playing, it seems unleashed, barely tamed.

He scats and sings his stream-of-conscious lyrics, the only somewhat weak link. Occasionally, like Wonder’s, they could use a bit more refinement. Just because something rhymes, that doesn’t make it a good line. But all is forgiven because his talent is overwhelming. Talk about a one-man band; Midon plays percussion, bass and rhythm all at once on guitar, and then there’s the trumpet.

Midon has a way of closing his mouth and emitting uncanny trumpet-like solos. The last one he did even went a bit flat, in a manner that recalled Miles. I know he did it on purpose. The tour-de-force performance of the evening was his take on Chick Corea’s “Spain.” Corea can play it and Al Jarreau can sing it, but Midon can do both at the same time.

Because he is super-sized and fairly stationary, Burke ruled his band --- and the audience, and a lighting technician --- from his throne in the middle of the stage. It was old-school soul all the way and Burke still has the soaring voice to pull it off. Many of his tunes were tributes to other singers, from Otis Redding to Little Richard.

Burke got increasingly upset about the intensity of the spotlight shining on him. He said it kept him from seeing the audience. After several complaints, it was turned off. There was no question about his involvement with the audience.

Throughout his set Burke called on those in the balcony to come down to the front and many did. At one point he instructed his grandson (along with his daughter, a background singer) to give flowers from the pots on the sides of the throne to the ladies in the audience. Dozens came to get them. And later, he coaxed 30 or so fans (including a cool looking Frank De Blase) to get up on the stage and dance.

Harro East is an attractive new venue for the RIJF. Unfortunately the late Steps Ahead show had sound so distorted that not even the excellent musicians in the band could overcome it.

Saturday night I’m looking forward to hearing singer Tessa Souter. I had never heard of her before the festival, but her album knocked me out. I’ve never seen Jerry Lee Lewis, so I will definitely be there. Then I’ll have to choose between trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Cornelio Tuto and Norway’s avant-garde Zanussi 5.