There have been a number of post-mortems of the Rochester International Jazz Festival No. 4, but I’m just getting around to mine. I counted them up and I saw a total of 19 different acts (I’m not really counting those for which I didn’t see a whole or substantial part of a set) during this year’s RIJF. Although I clearly enjoyed some artists more than others, I think my posts during the Fest include most of I would highlight.
In addition to John Nugent’s continued focus on bringing in an eclectic mix of music, I would like to see the RIJF try to integrate into the jazz scene here in Rochester, such as it is. In that vein, I’d like to suggest the following:
Include a new free stage/tent/venue in the festival area that is devoted to showcasing local jazz artists and bands.
Do a “pub crawl” during or after the festival (in my former stomping grounds in Chicago, the Jazz Institute of Chicago sponsored a crawl before each year’s Chicago Jazz Festival, taking jazz lovers, via school bus, from one downtown jazz venue to another (from Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase on the Northside to the Velvet Lounge on the South Side to hear local jazz acts where they play. I went a few times and always had a great time and it exposed a lot of people to the rich source of jazz sounds in the city. I think that there are enough rooms within a short ride (isn’t everything in Rochester only 10 minutes from anyplace else, anyway?).
Have after-hours shows during the fest at nearby (or even farther) venues in addition to the State Street Bar & Grill, such as The Clarissa Room, Starry Nites, and other local bars and restaurants that feature live jazz during the year. It could be a marketing tie in, but might also include a bus route that went from spot to spot until closing time, so that patrons could leave their cars parked where they did when they arrived for the festival.
Although clearly providing support in the form of services, the City of Rochester and Monroe County need to recognize the truly amazing thing that is happening. The RIJF is drawing more and more people into downtown Rochester at precisely the same time that the city is trying to overcome the image problems of the past few decades and move into a future where downtown is vibrant and filled with people. I heard a number of people as I walked through the festival and in the venues talking about how much downtown seemed to have changed already. The city needs to think about its relationship with the festival and look how that could fit into its own plans as the festival grows (er . . . can you say Rennaissance Square?)
Submitted for your approval . . . and comment. In another post I’ll list some of my favorite artists who haven’t yet been here, but I think would find a good audience here.
