Jazz@Rochester

Saturday night at the 5th Rochester International Jazz Festival was a completely different night from Friday. The evening started with Cedar Walton on solo piano at Kilbourn Hall, playing standards with virtuousity and elegance. It was a wonderful performance, although it was a completely different vibe from the night before and after being up until 2:30 a.m., my eyes being closed was not just because I was soaking up the music.

And now for something completely different . . . after consuming a hot dog and beer, I wandered over to the East Ave. Stage with some friends and caught a bit of Roomful of Blues. Damn it was cold standing there on the corner of Chestnut and East with the wind roaring down the canyon created by the buildings! The crowd was already pretty large by the time we arrived. As the bones started to chill, we headed over the Big Tent around 8pm, found a table, and then listened to Whit Smith’s Hot Jazz Caravan channeling Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. These guys played 3 shows in the tent and were a lot of fun. One question…why do they have the tall tables situated in a line cutting off the sightlines for half of the rest of the tables in the tent? Every club I’ve ever been in puts these type of tables on the perimeter.

We left the tent and Whit Smith to head over to Montage for Eddie Henderson Quartet a bit later than we should have and, by the time we wove our way through Jazz Street, found ourselves in a long line outside the door at Montage and nearly to Chestnut. This was nearly an hour before the music started. It was deceiving as it looked like we’d be OK, but ended up as part of the SRO crowd standing it back near the soundbooth. This was a direct result of the fact that a number of people were already in there with dinner reservations so seats were already at a premium when they opened the doors to those of us who had wanted to see other music rather than eat Basta Pasta. I think the Montage could be one of the best clubs in town if it would just decide what it wants to be—now it’s a supper club, now it’s a “music hall” (which is what is printed on their wait staffs’ “uniforms”). Of course, I “should have known,” as this is how it has always worked at Montage, but there’s something wrong with this set up. I’ve had this issue before with Montage. After paying for tickets and fully intending to drink my fill, I was told despite an early arrival that I couldn’t sit at tables nearer to the stage as those were reserved for those who had reservations for dinner. On the other hand, I want them to stay in business as they still bring in some great acts. Just wish they could figure out a different business model.

Enough grousing. . . .The Eddie Henderson Quartet set at Montage was one of the highlights of the festival so far. His playing on trumpet and flugelhorn, sometimes channeling Miles, was just what I needed to hear. As a leader, Henderson was all about the music, at one point walking all the way to the sound booth to get the sound man to fix the monitors on stage. Henderson was joined by George Cables, who was a monster on the piano, Ed Howard on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. They were tight. My disappointment of standing a second night in the Montage (my 45+ year old knees don’t like it much) disappeared as my legs started moving to the hard bop. After playing more than an hour and a half, Henderson promised that he’d be back, sounding like he enjoyed the enthusiastic response of the crowd. Perhaps that will mean another opportunity to see him. I’d like that.

After leaving Montage, my friends and I headed over to the Crowne Plaza to check out the after-hours at the State Street Bar & Grill. Couldn’t even get in the door to see some high schoolers who were playing with Bob Schneider (I think…couldn’t actually see the whole stage standing outside). Apparently, Ken and Seth didn’t make it either (by the way, where the heck do you park when you go there?). On a whim, my friends and I headed over to Clarissa Room in Corn Hill and caught the end of one and the last set of blues by bluesman Joe Likely and the Midnight Blues. They were playing Carlos Santana when we walked in and it was a treat to hear. Jean, who recently commented was there, and was dancing up a storm with some of her Swing Dance Network friends (the rest of whom probably had been over at the Whit Smith show). It was a lot of fun and a great way to cap off the day. Leaving before they closed the place, we made our way home and I had another 2:30 a.m. bedtime. Hence the late posting now. Still catching up due to my host’s unexplained brownout. Time to get ready for Sunday….