Monday, June 22 - Musician Bios
Monday, June 22 - Musician Bios
Blue Highway With more than 20 years together and 11 albums to show for it, Blue Highway is at the top of the bluegrass heap. The band has been besieged with an avalanche of awards, including two Grammy nominations for its gospel and Americana-tinged music. (FD) bluehighwayband.com
Bob Albanese Not only a talented pianist versed in jazz, Latin, pop, and theatrical spheres, but Bob Albanese is also a philanthropist who, in 2003 as the U.S. Jazz Ambassador, led his band Café Simpatico in performance and cultural exchange throughout former Yugoslavia. (NP) bobalbanese.com
Eivind Opsvik Overseas When he doesn't have his arms around a big bull fiddle, a steel guitar on his lap, or his ass parked in front of a keyboard or behind the drums, he's running a record label. In other words, Oslo, Norway's Eivind Opsvik is busy, busy, busy. With his band Overseas he focuses more on bass and arranging. (FD) eivindopsvik.com
ESM-XRIJF Scholarships Concert with Charles Pillow Charles Pillow is fluent in just about every instrument in the reed family. He's applied his skills in the jazz world with greats like Joe Henderson, John Scofield, and Michael Brecker and in the pop world with Donald Fagen, Mariah Carey, and Paul Simon. You can even find him playing on the original cast albums for Broadway shows like "Gypsy" and "Kiss Me Kate." (RN) charlespillow.com
Harkness Harriott Duo After meeting in Japan while touring for a show, guitarist Sean Harkness and flugelhornist Mike Herriott started to bond as they traveled together, eventually creating a musical kinship combining their two instruments. Their record marks the beginning of that exploration. (NP) harknessherriott.com
Jack Allen Big Band Tenacious trumpeter and big-band leader Jack Allen has been blowing his horn since the age of 5, playing gigs since 12, and touring the United States with assorted combos since he was out of high school. He took over the Chick Edmond band in 1993 and continues to swing with the kind of dreamy elegance only a big band can bring. It wouldn't be Jazz Fest without him. (FD) thejackallenbigband.com
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque See feature on page XX.
Joe Locke Joe Locke's new album, "Love Is a Pendulum," is a sweet, dreamy affair that bellies the madness of the man live. When Locke plays it's like hummingbird wings; you can't see his mallets or arms for that matter. This Rochester native has played with a host of notables from Dizzy Gillespie to the Beastie Boys. (FD) joelocke.com
Jon Regen New York City singer-pianist Jon Regen plays like Randy Newman, though he sings little less ragged. His songs, like Newman's, are sardonic lyrical studies that team up well with his deceptively simple hooks. Regen's new album, "Stop Time," calls to mind classic strains and beats of the Big Easy as well as urban-esque salvos and ditties. (FD) jonregen.com
Kat Edmonson See listing for Sunday, June 21.
Raul Midon See feature on page XX.
Saxofour From sinuous lines snaking over chords to honks and beeps and percussive squeaks, Florian Bramböck, Klaus Dickbauer, Christian Maurer, and Wolfgang Puschnig — known collectively as Saxofour — do just about anything that can be done with a saxophone. And they do it with an eclectic repertoire that ranges from jazz to Mozart to Italian Western movie music. (RN) toene.at/saxo4
Significant Other This is a band of rockers, jazzers, and classicos from the Rochester scene. Heavy hitters, all Significant Other is a power house of originals and adaptations you'll love. (FD) significantotherrocks.com
Soul Rebels See listing for Sunday, June 21.
Stephane Wrembel See listing for Sunday, June 21.
Such Sweet Thunder Named after the 1957 tune by Duke Ellington, Such Sweet Thunder is a jazz quintet with strings. The ensemble is poetry set to music, tackling work from E.E. Cummings and Shakespeare as well as original prose from leader Shannon Thomson. (FD)
Trio Red Here's a piano, bass, and drums threesome that tempers its dissonance with gentle, low-gear meanderings. However the band — hailing from Norway, Scotland, and England — is willing to go off the rails with things like mashing up Joan Armatrading with Ornette Coleman. That should work. (FD) interrupto.com/Interrupto_Music/Trio_Red.html
XRIJF Nightly Jazz Session with The Bob Sneider Trio See listing for Friday, June 19.
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