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(Okay, one more car, just seen on walkies yesterday morning. These two schools HATE each other, so it's a wonder this thing doesn't just explode in the driveway:)
Last Wednesday was my last of my heavy-lift court days of the previous week and a half, and now I'm free of those (except for a quick phone conference yesterday) until Friday morning. But I spent one of those free days last Friday, and will spend another this coming Thursday, on the road in Rochester for a combination of work and music. It's the annual Rochester International Jazz Festival, and several friends, who work for or with the NPR stations I listen to there, have been covering the events before, during and after each night.
Friday was the first. My office there was invited to a first night reception at one of the Big Law Sponsor tents- but a couple of us wound up with assorted aches and pains (a coworker moving furniture, me from a workout) and we bailed on that event. But I was still there to see clients, both in and out of the office:
"You can pick the papers up at the bar," he said. And look!- there were the Mets to watch. I didn't drink, but you watch this team long enough with a one-run lead and it's hard not to. (They wound up squeaking that one out, and winning more comfortably Saturday, but resorted to their usual stupidity on Sunday and, worse, their manager and one of their pitchers wound up getting into profanity-laden shouting matches with a Newsday reporter after the game.)
I had other papers to go over with a second client, who assiduously avoided me the entire day, but then asked me to meet him at his bar, right on the edge of the Jazz Festival. So I headed over there, as well-
Not an official Festival site, to be sure- lots of unofficial venues were offering music inside and/or performers or buskers on their sidewalks- and there was a beer tent, which by this hour I was ready for:) The unofficial grounds also made it easy for people to break one of the basic rules of the affair- No Pets:
Fortunately, dogs can't read.
One of my WXXI friends was introducing a trumpeter-vocalist named Jennifer Hartswick at one of the newer-to-me venues on the first night, Montage. Sadly, they'd finished by the time I made it over, and the merch table had been cleared out at their last gig, so I couldn't even buy anything. Earlier in the day, I'd heard good things about a weekend folk performer group named Over The Rhine, so I picked up their latest at Rochester's reliable House of Weird that is Record Archive (which we've now listened through and quite love).
(I did not pick any of these up, but did admire their awesome strangeness:)
And, thanks to the same site, a few minutes of Over The Rhine from Sunday night:
I'd planned to go back today, but the Jazz Gods had other plans.
----
Yes, among the many blues, folk, rock and soul performers at this thing, there are actual jazz acts. Seeing the whole schedule in a humongous grid can be a bit overwhelming, and it wasn't until late in the weekend that my eye got drawn to two of the smaller venues two nights from now. Those highlighted names are both beloved to us from listening to Toronto's full-time non-profit jazz station. Heather is an Ontario-based musician who was also a longtime host on JazzFM 91, until a nasty # metoo moment became known, the station's president was accused of harassment of various kinds, and most of the staff quit in protest. Eventually, the listener-members of the station overcame massive resistance from their board of directors, got a new slate empowered, kicked Ross Porter to the curb, and Heather and many of her fellow staff members are now back on the air. She's playing at 6 p.m. in an East Avenue club I've never visited in at least its current incarnation, we've exchanged some kind words on the JazzFM supporter site, and I'm looking forward to meeting her and giving her more kind words and some merch loonies in person:)
Following that, on the somewhat bigger stage of Geva Theater, is a performer who's also heard on JazzFM, but from his New York City apartment "high atop Lexington Avenue" (even though it really isn't anymore;). "Radio Deluxe" has been a syndicated Sunday feature stopping in Toronto on Sunday mornings for years, hosted by Thursday night performer John Pizzarelli and his wife and fellow performer Jessica Molaskey. We've seen his trio before, accompanied by the BPO, but this will be my first time in a much smaller surrounding. He's a great storyteller as well as a musician, and I'm looking much forward.
Then it's court at 8:30 the next morning. Looking forward not so much:P
Last Wednesday was my last of my heavy-lift court days of the previous week and a half, and now I'm free of those (except for a quick phone conference yesterday) until Friday morning. But I spent one of those free days last Friday, and will spend another this coming Thursday, on the road in Rochester for a combination of work and music. It's the annual Rochester International Jazz Festival, and several friends, who work for or with the NPR stations I listen to there, have been covering the events before, during and after each night.
Friday was the first. My office there was invited to a first night reception at one of the Big Law Sponsor tents- but a couple of us wound up with assorted aches and pains (a coworker moving furniture, me from a workout) and we bailed on that event. But I was still there to see clients, both in and out of the office:
"You can pick the papers up at the bar," he said. And look!- there were the Mets to watch. I didn't drink, but you watch this team long enough with a one-run lead and it's hard not to. (They wound up squeaking that one out, and winning more comfortably Saturday, but resorted to their usual stupidity on Sunday and, worse, their manager and one of their pitchers wound up getting into profanity-laden shouting matches with a Newsday reporter after the game.)
I had other papers to go over with a second client, who assiduously avoided me the entire day, but then asked me to meet him at his bar, right on the edge of the Jazz Festival. So I headed over there, as well-
Not an official Festival site, to be sure- lots of unofficial venues were offering music inside and/or performers or buskers on their sidewalks- and there was a beer tent, which by this hour I was ready for:) The unofficial grounds also made it easy for people to break one of the basic rules of the affair- No Pets:
Fortunately, dogs can't read.
One of my WXXI friends was introducing a trumpeter-vocalist named Jennifer Hartswick at one of the newer-to-me venues on the first night, Montage. Sadly, they'd finished by the time I made it over, and the merch table had been cleared out at their last gig, so I couldn't even buy anything. Earlier in the day, I'd heard good things about a weekend folk performer group named Over The Rhine, so I picked up their latest at Rochester's reliable House of Weird that is Record Archive (which we've now listened through and quite love).
(I did not pick any of these up, but did admire their awesome strangeness:)
Leaving Montage, it was well past seven and it was closing in on a twelve-hour day, so I bailed on my hope to catch a free outdoor gig by the Downchild Blues Band featuring legendary Blues Brother Dan Ackroyd. But no worries; Your NPR Station captured a good six minutes of it:
And, thanks to the same site, a few minutes of Over The Rhine from Sunday night:
I'd planned to go back today, but the Jazz Gods had other plans.
----
Yes, among the many blues, folk, rock and soul performers at this thing, there are actual jazz acts. Seeing the whole schedule in a humongous grid can be a bit overwhelming, and it wasn't until late in the weekend that my eye got drawn to two of the smaller venues two nights from now. Those highlighted names are both beloved to us from listening to Toronto's full-time non-profit jazz station. Heather is an Ontario-based musician who was also a longtime host on JazzFM 91, until a nasty # metoo moment became known, the station's president was accused of harassment of various kinds, and most of the staff quit in protest. Eventually, the listener-members of the station overcame massive resistance from their board of directors, got a new slate empowered, kicked Ross Porter to the curb, and Heather and many of her fellow staff members are now back on the air. She's playing at 6 p.m. in an East Avenue club I've never visited in at least its current incarnation, we've exchanged some kind words on the JazzFM supporter site, and I'm looking forward to meeting her and giving her more kind words and some merch loonies in person:)
Following that, on the somewhat bigger stage of Geva Theater, is a performer who's also heard on JazzFM, but from his New York City apartment "high atop Lexington Avenue" (even though it really isn't anymore;). "Radio Deluxe" has been a syndicated Sunday feature stopping in Toronto on Sunday mornings for years, hosted by Thursday night performer John Pizzarelli and his wife and fellow performer Jessica Molaskey. We've seen his trio before, accompanied by the BPO, but this will be my first time in a much smaller surrounding. He's a great storyteller as well as a musician, and I'm looking much forward.
Then it's court at 8:30 the next morning. Looking forward not so much:P