ILLUSTRATION BY AUBREY BERARDINI
It might be a little later than usual, but the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival will return Friday, June 22-Saturday, June 30, 2012, turning downtown Rochester into a music-lover’s paradise.
The 11th edition of the venerable festival has a slew of big-name headliners (Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, and Steve Martin are just a few), a new venue (Hatch Hall inside the Eastman School of Music), and scores of concerts ranging from big-band jazz to New Orleans swing to blues rock to experimental world music.
Inside City’s Jazz Guide you’ll find full schedules for every day of the festival; bios on all of the visiting artists; interviews with the likes of Dweezil Zappa, Daryl Hall, and festival favorite Trombone Shorty; and a map of the venues and area food and drink options. But that’s just the beginning of City’s Jazz Fest coverage. Make sure to check back every morning of the festival for our daily Jazz Blogs, with dispatches from the previous night’s concerts, photos, and a chance for you to post YOUR reviews of your favorite shows.
CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO READ EACH PORTION OF THE GUIDE:
Jazz Festival Information | Welcome to the 2012 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. From Friday, June 22, through Saturday, June 30, hundreds of artists will perform more than 285 concerts in a variety of venues in [Read more…]
Full Schedule
The Entire Week’s Schedule | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. [Read more…]
Friday, June 22
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Christian McBride | When bassist Christian McBride hit New York City at the age of 17, he hadn’t planned on starting at the top. But his talent and musical persona were so fully developed that he soon found himself working alongside greats [Read more…]
Saturday, June 23
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Sunday, June 24
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Monday, June 25
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Kim Lenz & the Jaguars | With her flame-red titan tresses, sexified on-stage hip-swivel, and throaty purr, Los Angeles’ Kim Lenz is one righteous rockabilly filly. After four albums and roughly 20 years [Read more…]
Tuesday, June 26
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Dweezil Zappa | Frank Zappa was a musician whose approach to music was unconventional, humorous, free, and consequently maligned by those who clung to the predictable safety of mainstream music’s [Read more…]
Wednesday, June 27
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Eliane Elias | When Eliane Elias moved from Brazil to New York City in 1982 she had dreams of breaking into the jazz world as a pianist. “I did not have intentions of becoming a singer,” says Elias. “My whole devotion had been [Read more…]
Thursday, June 28
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Daryl Hall | I can still remember seeing a poster in Philadelphia in the early 1970’s advertising a show by Whole Oats at a small coffeehouse. Within a year, the duo had put out an album with beautiful harmonies and a song by [Read more…]
Friday, June 29
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Saturday, June 30
Schedule & Bios | Headliner shows, Club Pass Series shows, & Free shows artists, times and locations. Plus biographies and websites for this year’s varied musicians. [Read more…]
Trombone Shorty | If you’ve been to the last two Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festivals, you may already be well acquainted with Trombone Shorty and his band, Orleans Avenue. This will be the band’s third Jazz Fest appearance in a [Read more…]
City Newspaper 
great cover design!