Sunday, Sunday, Sunday . . . June 10th at the Rochester International Jazz Festival

So, what should I listen to on Sunday, June 10th of the Rochester International Jazz Festival?  Here’s what I decided:

Fred Hersch Trio

Pianist and composer Fred Hersch seems to be all about taking jazz in interesting directions, like in 2005 when he collaborated with singer Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry to set Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass as a jazz oratorio. The RIJF site has a extended bio.  A review of his new album Night and the Music can be found on Allaboutjazz.com.  I’m hoping to talk with Fred Hersch during or after the festival, so check back.

Benny Golson with the Antonio Ciacca Trio

It’s pretty hard in this year’s line up to find artists who are truly worthy of the term y".  Benny Golson is one of those artists.  This guy wrote Killer Joe, for chrissakes, along with 7 other major jazz standards.  Read the notes on the RIJF site and find out just how much of Mr. Golson’s output you’ve heard over the years.  Benny’s backed by the Antonio Ciacca Trio. I heard Antonio Ciacca the RIJF a few years back—we’re in for a treat.

Nordic Jazz Now Presents Lotte Anker

I’m going to try to fit in another Nordic Jazz Now performance if possible.  Sunday night’s fare is Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker.  The music is challenging, much freer than the other artists I’m hearing this night, but that’s one of the wonderful things about the Rochester festival.  If I’m in the right frame of mind, such freer styles of jazz (like contemporary classical music) allow me to concentrate on just the elements of the music and playing. To get a flavor, check out the videos (there are links at the bottom of the RIJF site page for Ms. Anker. Ken Waxman’s 2006 review in the webzine One Final Note also has some insights into her and her music.

If There Were More Hours between 6 and 10…

I’ll probably have to miss locals Footnote (formerly Urban Transit) and Toronto-based Afrobeat group Mr. Something Something (see their MySpace page for some cuts to listen to) or Lalo (or her RIJF page here).

On to June 11th . . . . See you tomorrow (it’s getting late).