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Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on November 18th, 2009
Talk about tough shoes to fill. From the beginning, the great pianist Dave Brubeck's signature sound involved the equally great saxophonist Paul Desmond. Desmond died in 1977 and taking his place in Brubeck's quartet for much of the last three decades has been Buffalo saxophonist Bobby Militello. 'Nuff said. Playing
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on November 18th, 2009
Trombonist Steve Davis made such a strong impression while a student at the University of Hartford's Hartt School, that his teacher, Jackie McLean, recommended him to a friend. That friend was Art Blakey, and it wasn't long before Davis was invited to join Blakey's legendary Jazz Messengers. Since then he
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on November 11th, 2009
Dawn Thomson is that rare jazz singer who is also a formidable instrumentalist. Between verses, sung in a cool, understated style, she is likely to launch into a knock-out guitar solo. Thomson has shared the stage with Milt Jackson, Dave Liebman, Renee Rosnes, and many others. She'll be sharing the
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on November 4th, 2009
Pianist Ted Perry has a served as a sideman with Kenny Burrell, Ernie Watts, and Nick Brignola, but he'll be heading his own group Thursday evening at an unlikely venue, the Academy of Medicine. Aside from original compositions, Perry will put his own spin on some classics, with new
CD Reviews
Ron Netsky on October 28th, 2009
Bassist Stanley Clarke is best known for reinventing the electric bass with Chick Corea's "Return To Forever" in the 1970's. On his excellent new album he displays his mastery of acoustic bass in a more subtle context. His trio includes fellow RTF alumnus and long-time associate Lenny White, whose superb
CD Reviews
Ron Netsky on October 28th, 2009
On the DVD that accompanies this three-CD career retrospective, the late Nina Simone says she likes to shake people up. With her own compositions --- "Four Women," "Mississippi Goddam," and "To Be Young, Gifted And Black" --- and covers by Bob Dylan and others, she made a career of it.
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on October 28th, 2009
Historically speaking, the big band era occurred in the 1930's and 1940's. But try telling that to arrangers like Maria Schneider, Dave Rivello, and Wynton Marsalis, who have all breathed new life into the genre. Rivello may not have the name recognition of the other two, but his music is
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on October 21st, 2009
Don't look around for the band on the stage at SUNY Geneseo's Kuhl Gymnasium Saturday night. The four guys who make up The Blanks do it all with their vocal chords. Perhaps better known as "Ted's Band" on the TV comedy "Scrubs," these guys are as funny as they are
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on October 21st, 2009
The world may have discovered the keyboard prowess of Johnny O'Neal when he was tapped to play the great Art Tatum in the 2004 film "Ray." But this was no surprise to jazz fans; O'Neal had already proven himself with the bands of Milt Jackson and Ray Brown and in
Choice Concerts
Ron Netsky on October 14th, 2009
You may first have encountered Branford Marsalis as the saxophonist for Sting, immortalized in the film "Bring on the Night." Or maybe it was during his short-lived early-1990's stint as bandleader on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." But jazz fans have known for decades that the oldest son of
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Ron Netsky on October 13th, 2009
There are few musicians who can reach back into their repertoire 60 years to find the right tune. But, about two-thirds of the way through his wonderful concert with at the Eastman School of Music's filled-to-capacity Kilbourn Hall Monday night, saxophonist Lee Konitz played his quirky
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 21st, 2009
Joe Lovano works in so many different settings --- from duo to nonet --- that I wondered which band he would bring to Rochester. When his quintet, US Five, took the stage at Kilbourn Hall Saturday night, it was clear that there would be a great deal of musical dialog
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 20th, 2009
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
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 19th, 2009
Monty Alexander is a great pianist, so why did I find his performance at Kilbourn Hall Thursday night so lacking? In the opening tune he cut a wide swath through the history of jazz, touching on ragtime, stride, boogie-woogie, barrelhouse, honky-tonk and bop. But it seemed like he was more
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 18th, 2009
British singer Tessa Souter is one of my favorite vocalists, but I was a bit concerned that the heavy rain and competition from jazz titan Dave Brubeck might make for a sparse crowd at Christ Church Wednesday night. So, on my way into the late show, I asked the door
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 17th, 2009
I knew, climbing the stairs to the Xerox Auditorium, that Andrey Razin & Second Approach was likely to be the most unusual group I would hear at this year's jazz festival. All of the music on the band's website is either on the edge or way over it, but that
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 16th, 2009
When the Stephane Wrembel Trio hit the stage at the new, large Club Pass tent, I thought there might be a sound system problem - an electronic buzz that just wouldn't quit. My son suggested that it might be there on purpose and, sure enough, it was a drone that
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 14th, 2009
One of those great Jazz Festival moments occurred last night near the end of Joey DeFrancesco's late show at Kilbourn Hall. Moments earlier DeFrancesco had introduced singer Colleen McNabb, who proceeded to delight the audience with a vocal rendition of Bill Evans' "Waltz For Debbie."
Then he brought out the festival's
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 13th, 2009
It must be great to be Smokey Robinson. On stage Friday night at the nearly sold-out Eastman Theatre he seemed to be having at least as good a time as the audience. And when it came to putting on a show, he was everything that last year's soul sensation, Al
Music Blog
Ron Netsky on June 12th, 2009
How lucky are we? Last month it was announced that after 36 years, due to the rough economy, New York City would be losing its jazz festival. No summer festival in the Big Apple, but after seven great years, we've still got ours in Rochester.
And it's starting with
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