The RIJF literally fills the void in my life left by the adulthood erosion of the Christmas holiday, but with two primary distinctions. For starters, Jazz Fest lasts NINE days instead of one, and it really is a case of more-is-more, where the excitement remains in the air for the entire time. Next, while I did feel a twinge of sadness at the end of the final night, this year I didn't feel deflated on the following day, because I'm still buzzing from all the great music I saw. And, contrary to how it may have appeared, I thought the rain on the final night actually made the event more enjoyable for people who wanted to focus on the actual music. Massive crowds are a burden unto themselves, and although the East and Alexander stage was barren, from what I understand, the free stages at East and Chestnut and Gibbs Street both had very healthy crowds that evening.
Favorite performances: Jonas Kullhammar Quartet (first night), Sean Jefferson Quartet, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, Tower Of Power, John Boutte (outside), Maria Farinha & Jongo Trio, WXXI jazz film screenings of the Bill Evans Trio and the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio
Runners Up: Kari Ikonen & Karikko, Arve Henriksen, NYNDK, Jon Cleary, SMV, Brockport Community Big Band, Huw Warren (solo), KJ Denhert, Liane Carroll, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, High School Directors Big Band w/ Bill Tiberio
Show I thought I'd hate but ended up loving: SMV
Show I wish I would have stuck around for the most: Huw Warren (solo)
Number of shows I was DYING to see but didn't like: Two
Individual players who knocked me out: Alan Hetherington, drums (Jongo Trio/Maria Farinha); Jonas Holgersson, drums (Jonas Kullhammar Quartet); Harold O'Neil, piano (Sean Jefferson Quartet); Richie Goods, bass (Sean Jefferson Quartet); Marcus Strickland, sax (Sean Jefferson Quartet); Todd Duke, guitar (John Boutte); John Boutte, vocals; Dave Garibaldi, drums (Tower Of Power); Asif Sirkis, drums (Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio); Aaron Staebell, drums (High School Directors Big Band); Federico Gonzalez Peņa, keyboards (SMV)
Most engaging stage raps: John Boutte (See my Day 9 post)
Most entertaining non-musical moment: Harold Mabern's hilarious after-show chat with fans. (See my Day 1 post)
Most surreal moment: Seeing a sea of umbrellas going up and down as the crowd jumped to Dwayne Dopsie's final set outside on Gibbs Street.
Funniest thing anyone said to me at the festival: "There's some strange shit going on in there -- you have to check it out!" (By a person shaking his head as he exited early from a Second Approach performance at the Xerox Aud)
Favorite new venue: Xerox Auditorium
Most improved venue atmosphere: Montage (no grumpy waitresses acting like the Jazz Fest is an inconvenience.)
Most improved venue atmosphere revoked: Montage (waitstaff still accosts you to order drinks in the middle of the music; shame.)
Venue I miss the most: Little Theatre 1
Suggested venues for next year: Mahnattan Square Park (instead of East-Alexander), Rochester Contemporary (experimental series, anyone?)
Venue I hope never comes back: High Fidelity/Milestones
Most Entertaining/Hardest-Working Announcer: City Councilman Dana Miller (Miller actually did research on all the acts he introduced, and tailored each of his introductions to include something special. For the French Stephane Wrembel, for example, he addressed the crowd with a warm "Bonsoir, mes amis" and brought up some fairly obscure points from Wrembel's history.)
Non-jazz album I played the most to cleanse my palette: Deep Purple "Who Do We Think We Are"
Jazz album I couldn't stop listening to: Aaron Parks "Invisible Cinema" (Blue Note)
What I discovered about myself: That I have an alarming capacity to consume Abbott's frozen custard (same flavor, same toppings) multiple times in a row without getting sick of it -- and that I'm OK with it.
We appreciate what you've done, but you don't have to be so obvious about it: Xerox, whose elevated VIP-only tent not only squatted like a fat elephant in the middle of Gibbs Street, but also skirted the boundaries of good taste.