4:30 p.m.: Rochester Area High School Bands City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
5:15 p.m.: Rochester Area High School Bands City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
6 p.m.: ECMS LatinJazz City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
6 p.m.: Carolyn Wonderland Montage Music Hall ($20, or Club Pass)
The Susans - that'd be Tedeschi and Foley - are at that enviable cruising altitude afforded them by talent and years of hard work. Fans of those ladies will undoubtedly fall in love with Carolyn Wonderland, a triple threat (songwriter, singer, guitar slinger) from Austin, Texas, who - in my opinion - burns even hotter than the aforementioned ladies. Wonderland is all race-, genre-, and age-defying pipes, plus bluesy guitar. Her spurs dig deep into Americana's side. She's toured with Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter (Wonderland's cover of his take on "Still Alive and Well" was all I needed to hear to know I liked her), and has sat in with The String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos, and Robert Earl Keen. This gal's gonna blow your doors off. (FD)
6 p.m.: The Sliding Hammers Kilbourn Hall ($25, or Club Pass)
Here's some jazz that looks as good as it sounds. Sliding Hammers' trombones sound as long and luxurious as their legs. This gorgeous set of Swedish sisters (Karin Hammar and Mimi Pettersson Hammar) leads the group in a sort of pre-hard-bop bop. The Hammers swing with a sturdy affability, and they've got the chops to get lost, but opt to keep the rubber side down. Proficiency and style never threaten to overtake the music, as the two ladies fly apart, trade off, and come together with a beguiling depth that's almost conversational. Maybe it's those smiles, maybe it's those legs, but it's most definitely those boss trombones (FD)
6 p.m.: Kevin Breit/Dawn Thompson Club Pass Big Tent ($20, or Club Pass)
Bringing a hired gun like multi-instrumentalist Kevin Breit into your crew will no doubt sharpen your sound. And if you're smart you'll view those lethal chops as an invitation, or a challenge to match the heat. Guitarist Dawn Thompson plays rudimentarily slick and precise. It's pretty, and relatively close to the ground. Thompson's warm, honey tone --- on her guitar and voice --- makes her music perfect for a memorable tete-a-tete over cocktails. When Thompson played the Jazz Fest holiday party late last year, Breit (better known as the devil in Miss Norah Jones' band) tagged along. The man was scary brilliant, like an understated Sonny Landreth switching from Tele to mandolin. He created a sonic wash in waves that spoke of big skies, and trips demarked by well-worn frets. Thompson expertly chorded beneath him, and when it came for her time to shine, she jumped to the upper register with guts. Maybe Breit brought it out. Maybe it's been there all along. I suspect the latter. Anyhow, it was cool. And they're gonna do it again. (FD)
6:15 p.m.: Billy's Band Max of Eastman Place ($20, or Club Pass)
Tackling anything by Tom Waits is like wrestling an alligator: do it well and you've got a new pair of shoes; screw up and you're dead, Jack. Describing themselves as a Dixieland funeral with an infinite happy end, Billy's Band is on the fringe in its St. Petersburg home and will be on the fringe of the fringe here. Bandleader Billy Novik heard Waits' "Early Years, Vol. I," and that's all she wrote. Novik barks gruff and hip (in Russian and English) just like Waits - or perhaps Cookie Monster on a vodka bender. A great deal of the band's repertoire is Waits' stuff, and when the band ventures out on its own, the genius, the oddity, and the antiquated charm still shines, just like those alligator shoes I was talking about. (FD)
6:30 p.m.: Soul Rebels Brass Band High Fidelity ($20, or Club Pass)
If you take the spirit of Mardi Gras and add a little hip-hop and funk to spice it up, you have the Soul Rebels Brass Band. This seven-piece ensemble, straight from New Orleans, consists of a stop-on-a-dime-tight horn section, a snare drum and cymbal combo, a guitar to stir up the funk, and a bass drum and tuba for a low end that just won't quit. And did I mention the vocals to get the crowd going? This is not the band to see if you like to sit down. (RN)
6:45 p.m.: Guy Barker & Ian Shaw Christ Church ($20, or Club Pass)
British vocalist Ian Shaw's voice doesn't crack much, but my god, can the man wail melancholy. Sad never sounded so sweet; not coming from a dude, anyway. And the Brits agree: Shaw was voted Best Vocalist at the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards. Shaw was first here for the 2003 Jazz Fest ,where he wowed folks with his soulful take on American standards. And like Herbie Hancock, Shaw paid tribute to Joni Mitchell with his 2006 release "Drawn To All Things." Trumpeter Guy Barker joins Shaw this time around. The two hooked up to do "Barker and Shaw Go To The Movies." It was a sold-out tour with Shaw on piano and vocals and Barker on horn. The way this guy sings, that's all you need. (FD)
7 p.m.: Crittenden East Ave/Chestnut Street Stage (Free)
This is some of the funkiest stuff you'll ever hear coming out of the whole post-hippie jam band scene. Multi-instrumentalist Eric Crittenden lays it down deep and funky - almost hip-hop in spots - with a spine-twisting groove. When he gets on the sax, as he's done for Michael Franti and Bob Weir, he ain't afraid to mix it up odd and opaque before cruising smooth and cool. Cats from Soulive and Ratdog are in and out of his group. Overall it's a contemporary jazz journey with detours to the far reaches of the music's origins. There's something in here for just about everybody, including you jazz snobs (oh, how I love you anyway). (FD)
7 p.m.: The Skatalites East Ave/Alexander Street Stage (Free)
No woman, no cry? Try no Skatalites, no ska. This was the band at Kingston's fabled Studio One in Jamaica. Beside helping to create and develop the infectious tropical blend of boogie woogie, blues, r&b, jazz, Calypso, and African rhythms, The Skatellites served as backing band for Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Alton Ellis, and Ken Boothe on some of their earliest recordings in the mid-1950's. The 1960's had them supporting new ska sensations like Delroy Wilson, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, and Lee "Scratch" Perry, before cutting their own debut, "Ska Authentic," in 1964. Slowed by line-up changes and a hiatus here and there, the band officially reformed in 1986 and is still unparalleled when it comes to rock steady. (FD)
7:15 p.m.: Soul Stew City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
It's a jazz, funk, and r&b stew as well. This Toronto septet has been rocking it right since 1990 along Toronto's famed College Street scene. Made up of top-notch session men, Soul Stew has lent its brass to artists from Aretha Franklin to Nelly Furtado to Gorillaz. The band's prevailing sound when bathing in its own spotlight is the kind of pleasant soul that floated out of umpteen transistor radios in the 1970's. I had mine tied to my handlebars. Where was yours? (FD)
7:30 p.m.: Music Music Music Lutheran Church of the Reformation ($20, or Club Pass)
These three Swedes fit in comfortably with contemporary jazz outfits like The Bad Plus and Paul Tillotson's Love Trio --- bands that offer a more open-armed, all-inclusive intimacy. Nothing gets wrenched too tight, nor left open to outside marauders. It's adventurous, but you won't find yourself reaching for a compass or getting a nose bleed. The trio works its way nicely around standards and pianist Fabian Kallerdahl's original compositions, which earned him a Jazz In Sweden Award in 2006. More sunshine and smiles than cocktails and smoke, Music Music Music challenges jazz's setting and requisite mood more than anything else. (FD)
8 p.m.: Al Green Eastman Theatre ($45-$85)
Eight-time Grammy Award-winning Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Famer Al Green's music is one of the most beautiful examples of what happens when geographic regions, religions, and cultures collide. Green is the red clay of Dixie-fried gospel and soul relocated to Motown's asphalt. He's sexy, funky, and sly. Green is a legend; he is the quintessential male soul singer. Coming from gospel roots in his native Arkansas, Green was forbidden to sing secular music and didn't cross over until he was in high school and formed Al Greene (he dropped the "e" later) and The Soul Mates in 1967. After he was permanently scarred in a domestic battle and fell from a stage, Green took his misfortunes as warnings from God. He rechristened himself The Reverend Al Green and dedicated his life to gospel, leading his own Full Gospel Tabernacle church in Memphis. Though struggling with gospel and secular's heaven-and-hell tug-o-war, Green never left soul music entirely. Throughout his career he has cut 26 hit singles, including the classics "Let's Stay Together" and "Tired Of Being Alone," and has topped the R&B charts six times. (FD)
8:30 p.m.: Barbara Dennerlein Duo Club Pass Big Tent ($20, or Club Pass)
If you close your eyes before the Barbara Dennerlein Duo takes the stage, you might find yourself searching for a bass player when you open them. In addition to her considerable chops on the Hammond B-3 keyboard, Dennerlein plays an unusually enhanced bass component by connecting her foot-pedals to a MIDI system. A protégé on the Hammond B-3 at the age of 15, Dennerlein was well-known to club-goers on the Munich jazz scene in the early 1980s. Over the past two decades she has not only become the top jazz organist in Germany, she has become one of the most celebrated world-wide. With Dennerlein will be drummer John Neumann. (RN)
8:45 p.m.: Guy Barker & Ian Shaw Christ Church ($20, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
9 p.m.: Third World East Ave/Alexander Street Stage (Free)
Third World can lay down the pure reggae when it wants to. However, the band goes beyond augmenting the sound with American pop, funk, r&b, rap, and African rhythms. Don't worry; its still reggae, full of that wonderful one-drop and skank, played in a way only Jamaicans can. Formed in 1973 by guitarist Cat Coore, the band hit the big time opening for The Jackson 5 in front of 30,000 people in 1974. By 1975 it was touring Europe with Bob Marley and the Wailers. Over its 30-year history, Third World has released 22 albums. But truth be told, this is music that needs to be seen, heard, and felt live. (FD)
9 p.m.: Soulive East Ave/Chestnut Street Stage (Free)
They are sometimes reminiscent of Sly & the Family Stone, and they sometimes recall the Young Rascals. Lead singer Toussaint has a background in reggae, so the group may even remind you of The Wailers. And the other three members --- Alan Evans (drums), Neal Evans (Hammond B-3 organ), and Eric Krasno (guitar) --- also bring a jam-band sensibility to the group's oeuvre. But more than any of the above, Soulive is a 21st-century soul-jazz group with its own hip-hop-tinged style. (RN)
9:15 p.m.: Soul Stew City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
See bio above.
9:30 p.m.: Music Music Music Lutheran Church of the Reformation ($20, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
10 p.m.: Carolyn Wonderland Montage Music Hall ($20, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
10 p.m.: Billy's Band Max of Eastman Place ($20, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
10 p.m.: Sliding Hammers Kilbourn Hall ($25, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
10 p.m.: Barbara Dennerlein Duo Club Pass Big Tent ($20, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
10 p.m.: Soul Rebels Brass Band High Fidelity ($20, or Club Pass)
See bio above.
10:30 p.m.: Jazz Session w/Bob Sneider Rochester Plaza Hotel (Free)
You'd better arrive early if you want any chance at a seat at the Bob Sneider Trio's exceedingly popular jam session, held every night at Crowne Plaza's State Street Bar and Grill. Starting at around 10:30 p.m. and getting hotter as the night progresses, the session attracts some of the festival's finest musicians for after-hours jams. Sneider is a world-class jazz guitarist who has superb support from Mike Melito on drums and Phil Flanigan on bass. You never know who will show up. Wynton Marsalis played for an hour after his concert last year. George Benson, Chris Potter, and Eric Alexander are among the many other stars who have sat in with the band. (RN)
For more information, and to order tickets, visit the RIJF website.