American Chronicle
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival Closes after 9 days of Great Performances.
Peter H. Scrooby
June 25, 2009

The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival Closes after 9 days of Great Performances. Record attendance set with 133,000.

The last performers Saturday that pulled the curtain closed on this year´s Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival are just a handful of the massive gathering of talented worldly musicians that turned out for this year´s event.

A Jazz Festival in its 8th year located in Rochester, NY 2009 has provided a feeling that this will be a well established event for the future and many generations of jazz fans to come. This year organizers are saying a record 133,000 people were in attendance, this pushes past last years record attendance of 125,000.

An event that wrapped up Saturday night June 20th and started June 12th with 800 artists spread over 15 venues for 9 nine days, this event shall continue to only grow in size and become a must for not only Jazz fans but music fans in general. Over 225 shows were scheduled for this festival with some performers playing 2 shows a day.

Headliners of this event included all time favorites such as Smokey Robinson, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Michael McDonald, Taj Mahal and the Susan Tedeschi Band,S.M.V.-The Thunder Tour with - Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, The Marshall Tucker Band along with a host of other well knows artists, diverse worldly acts to up and comers.

There is a real emphasis on this event being more about quality than the event setting records. However you may look at it this was a marathon of a jazz festival that will have the die hard jazz fan hooked and booked next year if they are smart.

The Xerox Rochester International Jazz festival takes place at venues such as Xerox Auditorium, Eastman Theatre, Kilbourn Hall, Harro East Ball Room and Max of Eastman Place are just a few that set the stage for this beautiful orchestrated International Jazz festival.

All with walking distance of each other and set in the city´s downtown cultural and arts district lined with great shops and small business tucked neatly amongst restaurants, bars and night clubs. This event brings an eclectic mix of music to the fans that are lucky enough be in attendance.

I asked Jean Dalmath, spokesperson for the Xerox Rochester International Jazz festival a few questions about this year´s events.

How do you feel this year´s festival went? "It was an exceptional festival,with a brilliant array of music from all over the world. Feedback from attendees was extremely positive. We couldn't be happier."

What do you think of Xerox becoming a major sponsor? "We are thrilled to have Xerox as our title sponsor. Its widely respected international brand and reputation for innovation and excellence is a greet fit with our Festival. We would not be able to do what we do with all of our great sponsors."

How do you think this festival will play out in years to come? "We will continue to invest in a high quality festival that features the best emerging artists and legends from around the world and will grow in a measured way that preserves the ability to walk from one venue to another.We say it's not who you know, it's who you don't know, and providing the opportunity to discover something new, to open a new door in the musical mind, is a hallmark of our programming that we will continue to nurture."

Also was there any specific show that you may have seen that was your favorite and why? SMV the Thunder Tour hands down, a brilliant exhibition of talent, passion and true love of the music....they rocked."

I was able to attend this festival from Monday till Friday. With a variety of acts, Monday was spent with my daughter Saige and good friend Nikolas Albert. We attended the Stephane Wrembel – The Django Experiment at the "Big Tent", and the local Greater Rochester Jazz Orchestra at the Jazz Street Stage. This being my first night I was not really aware of the scale of this event, the magnitude of what was at hand and would come as the week wore on.

The weather was on and off. Days filled with sunshine and others with rain. This it seems had no affect on the festival in whole. Every where that I walked people were about. The good time feel of Jazz filling the air.

Tuesday brought out a great talent Holly Cole from Canada at the Harro East Ballroom. No shortage of talent from this bombshell performer. A great mix of lyric and melody Holly Cole is a must see for any music fan.

Wednesday was a night spent back in the "Big Tent" with Hot Club of Cowtown a band from Austin, TX. It is raining hard this night but know one seems to mind as the crowd gathers for this nights show. There rich sound has a western/ ragtime time feel to it. This trio from Texas has the audience in an uproar. The bass, guitar and fiddle with a sweet vocal have set the pace for tonight´s show.

The women next to me comments with her French accent "This music starts at your feet with a tapping and moves up through your body". I agree. They go through the set and draw on the crowds´ energy. An amazing performance this night ends on an up beat feeling.

Thursday for me brings me back to the again to the "Big Tent" were I would lay witness to KJ Denhert a great mix of jazz and a folk sound this artist with the band that backs her keep tempo with the precision and timing of a Swiss made watch the applause on this night seems it could bring the "Big Tent" down. KJ goes on to say "This is our first time here and we have been treated pretty damn special." By the time we are into the 3rd song the place is packed.

With a soothing version of "Somewhere over the rainbow" that makes you feel as you are stumbling through a poppy filled field, this is a version that just shows the talent of these musicians. Soothing jazz as it is meant to be. A cover of Stings "Message in a Bottle", Then The Beatles "Ticket to Ride" that she dedicates to her new manager.



Friday night brings this festival to an end for me, a night that I get a chance to take in the Susan Tedeschi Band and Taj Mahal at the Eastman Theatre. This would be a show that would put the most serious music fan in a headlock of riffs in a show that could never be reproduced.

I find myself down front in the media section that is two rows of fold out black chairs, ahead of the best seats in the house. A section reserved for media and photographers. The Theatre is amazing, on scale of any world class opera house. An ornate chandelier of many crystals hangs from the high atop of this beauty of a venue. The Stagehands set a furious pace to get this show on. 5 minutes to 8 the buzz grows as people file in and take there seats. The crowd seems electrified.

The lights dim 3 times before going black and I can see Susan Tedeschi back stage and ready to go her guitar is strapped were her beautiful black dress the rest of the band in tow.

The events organizers Mark Iacona and John Nugent offer thanks to all that made the event possible and those that attended. This also being a special night for both men Mark Iacona Producer/Executive Director celebrate his birthday and for Nugent his father made the trip all the way from Labrador, Canada for the first time to see such an event that his son presides over as a Producer/Artistic Director. Mayor Robert J Duffy takes the stage also thanking all involved and goes on to say "This audience and Rochester Rocks" the crowd loves it as he introduces the Susan Tedeschi and Band.

She hits the stage and the guitar riff reminds me of Jimi Hendrix but it´s not, Back to the River is what I am hearing. A great song that just has a pureness about it that it washes the soul from the inside out as a smile breaks across my face from the inner joy of the notes that are being reached "back to the river" in that great voice she sings. The talent it takes to perform with such intensity and pace and make it seem so easy. Susan introduces the next song "700 houses" and goes on to talk about the weather and hurricane Katrina. She reminds people that people are still recovering and in need and not to forget about them or other victims. This beautiful and touching ballad has lyrical depth that brought a tear to my eye that I had to choke back with all I had and remembering well the images from Katrina, A reminder indeed.

The band goes on to play other great songs. She introduces the next song "As beautiful song that she finally has the band to do it with" the song a cover of Blind Faiths "Presence of the Lord", A stunning rendition that this band took to the next level as if it were there own on this night.

Chuck Campbell from the Campbell Brothers takes the stage to play slide along with the band. This show erupts in huge applause and whistles.

The Stagehands again come to the stage to break it down and move on the show on this Historic night at the Eastman theatre. It is announced that this nights crowd will be the largest ever to attend again, renovation will claim a couple seats but the theatre will be up and running and better than ever.

Ursula M. Burns president of Xerox Corporation takes the stage to introduce the next performer Taj Mahal, she states that "Xerox wanted to do something cool so they got involved with the jazz fest and became a sponsor".

The lights dim.

Taj Mahal takes the stage and I really had not a clue what to expect. I have heard songs of his before but never had seen a live show. One, two, three, four one, two, three, four.

No lack of showmanship for this 9 time Grammy nominated 2 time winner. With a spring in his step and a shuffle of his feet this 67 year old is off and running. With his Fedora hat and priceless facial expressions he and his to band mates launch into a great instrumental.

He plays an older blues song that he comments "is the first song he learned to play". This trio is tearing it up on the stage. The song finishes with great acceptance. Taj Mahal is the kind of performer that draws the audience in with narrative descriptions and storyline of the songs.

He does an amazing version of Queen Bee, a song that he seems to dual his vocals and guitar as they harmonize as one.

They go on to perform a plethora of hits. The quality of this show is top notch. The energy that they unleash on this crowd is well received. The night goes on with Taj Mahal switching from guitar to keyboard to banjo. A ten minute solo from the Bass player, the Drummer keeping the beat along.

The band does not disappoint, they close this show and this historic night at the Eastman Theatre. The crowd is more than pleased and it shows. An encore from this trio and it is all over.

This years Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival was an amazing lineup of world musicians and was a well rounded event for all to enjoy.It is an event for any music fan that would love to spend there days with topnotch artists located in a great city.With xerox as a sponsor and others that back this event,you can see how and event of this size went of without a hitch. Till next years events I will be brushing up on my musical knowledge and waiting for this festival.

Further information for this year´s festival and photo´s and information on next years event can be found at http://www.rochesterjazz.com/

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/107679