Can I get my money back for my Club Pass if I can't get into the events I want to after waiting an hour and a half and not being told the venue was full thereby eliminating any chance I might have had to get into a different show at a different venue?
And Mr. Nugent and Mr. Iacona, is there any reason why people like Eldar couldn't play a 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00 show? They only play for an hour anyway, why not add a show? If the venues are not sufficient to hold the number of people who want to see these performers, perhaps you might need to add another show or two.
I was frustrated to the point of tears tonight after the second time I've tried to see an event at Max's and waited in line only to find out after it was too late to go anywhere else that the venue was full. When I walked up tonight to see what was going on, there were people behind me all the way to the corner. When the "staff" told me that it was full, I said, (once again) "You mean we're waiting line for nothing?" And he said, "No, people might leave and then you can get in." Someone else asked, "Do all these people waiting in line know that it's full and they likely won't get in?" And the "staff" nodded yes. I said, "No they don't; I didn't and the people behind me sure don't." That's what's making me the most angry; have the decency to let us know the venue is full so that we can make a decision to go somewhere else while we still might have a chance to get in instead of letting us stand there waiting for nothing.
yours in jazz fest frustration,
Tracy
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
"The Music Never Ends"
Ah, Benny Golson. lovely words . . .
Okay, Days 2 and 3 of the 2007 RIJF were a mix; and, of course, best laid plans . . . That's one thing about the Jazz Fest, sometimes your plans go awry and it's a bummer; sometimes your plans go awry and it's a blessing! So Saturday night was supposed to be Stephane Wrembel, Ryan Shaw, Los Lonely Boys and Randy Brecker. What it turned out to be was most of Cornelio Tutu (he was good and worth seeing, but nowhere near the level of Jonathan Kresiberg of the night before); one song of the Mambo Kings: a horrific 45 seconds of the Shuffle Demons (yes, I've heard they've got talent, but all I heard was screaming): and an hour-and-a-half wait in line to see Randy Brecker( Randy Brecker Quintet including his wife Ada Rovatti on saxophone, Steve Johns on drums, Steve La Spina on bass, David Kokoski on piano and Brecker on trumpet). That I missed Ryan Shaw was a bummer (especially after hearing a musician tell us how awesome Ryan Shaw's pipes were), BUT missing Randy Brecker would have been a huge mistake. As my friend, (a fiendishly great guitar player, himself) said, "That piano player is off the hook." Brecker was great, but entertainment-wise, Kokoski stole the show.
Would have loved to have joined Greg Bell (Rochester@Jazz) at the Crowne Plaza, but I'd been up and going (I was Maid-of-Honor in a wedding) since 6:00am and practically asleep in the car on the way home.
Day 3 didn't go exactly as planned, either. We were going to see Lalo, but got there too late, so we saw some of Revision. They were entertaining and "had a nice groove" as my friend said. Then we wandered up to Jazz street, availed ourselves of some goodies from Java's and then headed to the Harro East with some trepidation over the reports we'd heard of the sound system problems. But we wanted to see Benny Golson. And I'm so glad we did. The place was packed, and the sound system problems seemed to have been worked out. It's still a cavernous, acoustically challenging venue, but at least last night there were sound guys working the mixing tables and checking things, etc.
Benny Golson was wonderful. He had a story before every song. He opened with words about how music is the one thing that goes on forever. No musician ever stops learning. "The music never ends" is what he said. He also remarked that Hank Jones said that music was like the horizon--it just went on forever. When Golson talked about the first time he met his friend John (when Golson was 16 and John was 18), he was talking about Coltrane. How cool that was. He talked about a time they were ditched from a gig and his wise mother consoled both of them with a hug and some words about how someday, those guys (who ditched them) wouldn't be able to afford to pay Golson and Coltrane to play with them, and those guys would still be playing for $8 a gig. Mama always knows.
There was something about this man--I guess it was that his playing was as sweet and soulful as the best I've heard. Whatever it was, he brought me to tears a couple of times. I'm so glad I got the chance to see him.
Tonight, Eldar, with my son. Heard he was off the hook, too. I'll let you know.
yours in music and sleep deprivation,
Tracy
Okay, Days 2 and 3 of the 2007 RIJF were a mix; and, of course, best laid plans . . . That's one thing about the Jazz Fest, sometimes your plans go awry and it's a bummer; sometimes your plans go awry and it's a blessing! So Saturday night was supposed to be Stephane Wrembel, Ryan Shaw, Los Lonely Boys and Randy Brecker. What it turned out to be was most of Cornelio Tutu (he was good and worth seeing, but nowhere near the level of Jonathan Kresiberg of the night before); one song of the Mambo Kings: a horrific 45 seconds of the Shuffle Demons (yes, I've heard they've got talent, but all I heard was screaming): and an hour-and-a-half wait in line to see Randy Brecker( Randy Brecker Quintet including his wife Ada Rovatti on saxophone, Steve Johns on drums, Steve La Spina on bass, David Kokoski on piano and Brecker on trumpet). That I missed Ryan Shaw was a bummer (especially after hearing a musician tell us how awesome Ryan Shaw's pipes were), BUT missing Randy Brecker would have been a huge mistake. As my friend, (a fiendishly great guitar player, himself) said, "That piano player is off the hook." Brecker was great, but entertainment-wise, Kokoski stole the show.
Would have loved to have joined Greg Bell (Rochester@Jazz) at the Crowne Plaza, but I'd been up and going (I was Maid-of-Honor in a wedding) since 6:00am and practically asleep in the car on the way home.
Day 3 didn't go exactly as planned, either. We were going to see Lalo, but got there too late, so we saw some of Revision. They were entertaining and "had a nice groove" as my friend said. Then we wandered up to Jazz street, availed ourselves of some goodies from Java's and then headed to the Harro East with some trepidation over the reports we'd heard of the sound system problems. But we wanted to see Benny Golson. And I'm so glad we did. The place was packed, and the sound system problems seemed to have been worked out. It's still a cavernous, acoustically challenging venue, but at least last night there were sound guys working the mixing tables and checking things, etc.
Benny Golson was wonderful. He had a story before every song. He opened with words about how music is the one thing that goes on forever. No musician ever stops learning. "The music never ends" is what he said. He also remarked that Hank Jones said that music was like the horizon--it just went on forever. When Golson talked about the first time he met his friend John (when Golson was 16 and John was 18), he was talking about Coltrane. How cool that was. He talked about a time they were ditched from a gig and his wise mother consoled both of them with a hug and some words about how someday, those guys (who ditched them) wouldn't be able to afford to pay Golson and Coltrane to play with them, and those guys would still be playing for $8 a gig. Mama always knows.
There was something about this man--I guess it was that his playing was as sweet and soulful as the best I've heard. Whatever it was, he brought me to tears a couple of times. I'm so glad I got the chance to see him.
Tonight, Eldar, with my son. Heard he was off the hook, too. I'll let you know.
yours in music and sleep deprivation,
Tracy
Saturday, June 9, 2007
RIJF Night One
Okay, not a great start. I got down to the Fest in plenty of time to see Mike Manieri and Steps Ahead. I was able to catch a little of Stephane Wrembel as well. As we walked down the street toward the Harro East, we ran into one set of friends. They said, "Oh the sound system at the Harro East was awful and the show wasn't too good." But, everything being subjective, we kept on walking. We met up with another set of friends--a guitarist and a vocalist. They said, "Oh we left early; the sound system at the Harro East just sucked. It was muffled and crackling. We snuck out early."
Hmm. We decided to go with them over to Max at Eastman Place to see Esperanza Spalding instead. So we waited in line and waited in line and moved up slowly to the point where the table was and I could trade my ticket for a pass. Well, they were out of lanyards. What? Get some more. How ridiculous was that? It gets worse. After I signed my pass, the woman said. "Oh, by the way, it's full in there." I said, "What do you mean, the first show hasn't let out yet?" She said, "No, it was empty and now it's full." I said, "So, what you're telling me is that we've stood in this line for nothing?'' She said, "Yeah, I guess so."
So why didn't anyone come out and close the line so we could figure out where to hoof it to next instead of wasting part of our night standing in a line to nowhere?
Well, my Friend had seen Jonathan Kreisberg at the earlier show and was so blown away that he agreed to go back and see the 10:00 show. Luckily, we got in. He was awesome.
But . . . I have a problem with the way things were handled at Max's and a problem with the fact that the Harro East, if they are using it for a Jazz Fest venue, has sound system problems. I heard there was no one at the mixing table. Come on John and Mark, you should have this down to perfection by now.
I have no idea where we're going tonight, but I know that I want to see at least a little bit of Los Lonely Boys and Ryan Shaw. I'll post later.
yours in music,
Tracy
Hmm. We decided to go with them over to Max at Eastman Place to see Esperanza Spalding instead. So we waited in line and waited in line and moved up slowly to the point where the table was and I could trade my ticket for a pass. Well, they were out of lanyards. What? Get some more. How ridiculous was that? It gets worse. After I signed my pass, the woman said. "Oh, by the way, it's full in there." I said, "What do you mean, the first show hasn't let out yet?" She said, "No, it was empty and now it's full." I said, "So, what you're telling me is that we've stood in this line for nothing?'' She said, "Yeah, I guess so."
So why didn't anyone come out and close the line so we could figure out where to hoof it to next instead of wasting part of our night standing in a line to nowhere?
Well, my Friend had seen Jonathan Kreisberg at the earlier show and was so blown away that he agreed to go back and see the 10:00 show. Luckily, we got in. He was awesome.
But . . . I have a problem with the way things were handled at Max's and a problem with the fact that the Harro East, if they are using it for a Jazz Fest venue, has sound system problems. I heard there was no one at the mixing table. Come on John and Mark, you should have this down to perfection by now.
I have no idea where we're going tonight, but I know that I want to see at least a little bit of Los Lonely Boys and Ryan Shaw. I'll post later.
yours in music,
Tracy
Thursday, June 7, 2007
It seems to have worked!
Okay, so by highlighting that web address, copying it, pasting it in the address bar and hitting enter (or clicking "go"), it took me right to my Twitter page. So I guess that means that tomorrow night when I, hopefully, make it to the 10:00pm show of Jonathan Kreisberg Trio at Hi Fidelity, I can post some notes to my Twitter account and you can see them! How high-tech is that?!
So, yeah, I'm in a wedding this weekend--Maid of Honor--so will be working Jazz Fest into non-wedding event times. Tomorrow we have the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, that's why the first thing I'll be able to see is the 10:00 Kreisberg show. Then on Saturday, the bride (in her infinite wisdom) chose a 10:00am wedding and luncheon reception. Because of that wisdom, I might be able to attend two events Saturday night. I really would like to see Stephane Wrembel at the Big Tent at 6:00pm,. If you see a woman in a periwinkle blue gown with sparkly things in her frou-frou hairdo, that will be me. Then there is Randy Brecker at 10:00 at Kilbourn, and if at all possible, Los Lonely Boys at 9:00 at the East Ave./Chestnut stage. We shall see. I'm sure there'll be a line for Brecker, so that's where I might be (hopefully in jeans by then). And, perhaps, with any luck, I shall be able to post notes to my Twitter account from these shows.
I can't wait!!
Yours in music,
Tracy
So, yeah, I'm in a wedding this weekend--Maid of Honor--so will be working Jazz Fest into non-wedding event times. Tomorrow we have the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, that's why the first thing I'll be able to see is the 10:00 Kreisberg show. Then on Saturday, the bride (in her infinite wisdom) chose a 10:00am wedding and luncheon reception. Because of that wisdom, I might be able to attend two events Saturday night. I really would like to see Stephane Wrembel at the Big Tent at 6:00pm,. If you see a woman in a periwinkle blue gown with sparkly things in her frou-frou hairdo, that will be me. Then there is Randy Brecker at 10:00 at Kilbourn, and if at all possible, Los Lonely Boys at 9:00 at the East Ave./Chestnut stage. We shall see. I'm sure there'll be a line for Brecker, so that's where I might be (hopefully in jeans by then). And, perhaps, with any luck, I shall be able to post notes to my Twitter account from these shows.
I can't wait!!
Yours in music,
Tracy
Experimenting with some simple remote capabilities!
Remember, I'm Queen of Low-Tech, so everything here is new to me. I have decided to try Twitter since my phone refused to text message the email address I assigned to this blog. So, here is my Twitter link: http://twitter.com/tracykroft which I think you can go to and see my postings via my phone from the Jazz Fest. I'm going to try to access that account. I hope it's simple!
yours in music,
Tracy
yours in music,
Tracy
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Yes, I Know I Haven't Posted.
Okay, here's the quick and dirty on the Fairport Canal Days. I did not get to see the Bowties because there was a torrential downpour. So sad. I did see Gap Mangione's Big Band. Nice. I also had chicken barbecue at the same time. It was a little dry. On Saturday, my son had a car accident--he's fine, thank you--but it through off my schedule just a tad.
However, I did manage to see Footnote later in the afternoon. My daughter came with me. She said they were "melodic." She liked them a lot. She has a good ear and an incredible voice. Footnote is a "smooth-ish" jazz band with plenty of original tunes which I did enjoy. They also covered Steely Dan, David Sanborn, the Doobies and Rippingtons quite nicely. The venue was outdoors in front of a coffee shop right by the railroad tracks. Not the best venue for balance. The lead guitar (Jon Greeno) and the keyboards (Jon Tucker) and the drums (Keith Welch) were loud enough, but the bass (Herb Renke) and the rhythm guitar (Adam Bradley) were on the soft side. They really needed to turn up. Adam had a couple of cool solos, but I could hardly hear him. Once again, it was partly due to the venue. I would really like to see them inside a club with decent acoustics. They were very enjoyable, and I'd go see them again. I do believe they will be at the Jazz Fest. As a matter of fact, on June 10 at the ROBERT MONDAVI CLUB PASS BIG TENT at 6:00 pm. I'll try to get in to see them. They were cool. Websites, anyone? myspace.com/jongreeno, myspace.com/thefootnoteband, myspace.com/tucktranix
On Sunday, I saw the Fairport High School Jazz Alumni Reunion Tour. Okay, it's not really a tour, and some of the kids/guys don't pick up their instruments once between yearly concerts, but you know what? They sounded damned good! Following them was The Bill Tiberio Group. But this incarnation of BTG was a little different than usual. There was Bill, of course, on sax--always incredible, always sweet and soulful. There was Mel on guitar--the usual Mel but with a littl wah-wah going on. He kept me on my toes! Aaron Staebell killed on drums, as usual. But, instead of Gerry Youngman on organ and left-hand bass (he was out-of-town), Bill had Geoff Smith on bass (killer) and Scott Bradley on keys and trumpet (he was great). They could not have played long enough. What an enjoyable way to spend almost an hour on a summer's afternoon. (Their link is on the side.)
I love being surprised. And let me tell you, Mint Jam was a surprise. I had heard they were "good." But they were kids. Who could have known how good they would be? Gabe Condon (15) on lead guitar and vocals; Ray DeSalvo (14) on drums, and Matthew Condon (13) on bass. They covered Cream, Robben Ford, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and more really, really well. They had their own originals, too, which were also quite good. These kids are going somewhere. Gabe is the total package. He can play. Boy, can he play. He's got the voice (hope it's still good when it's done changing). And he's cute and has stage presence. I will want to see where he is five years from now, ten years from now . . . sonicbids.com/gabecondonandmintjam
So, that's a quick rundown of the music that I heard at Canal Days, 2007.
Oh, and I heard that there was mention tonight on WXXI's broadcast of All Things Considered that I will be podcasting from the Jazz Fest. Well. I don't have a pod. And even if I did, I'm not sure I'd know how to cast. So, I've contacted my "IT Support Team" to see if they can make it happen. I'll keep you informed . . .
yours in music (and in anticipation of the Jazz Fest),
Tracy
However, I did manage to see Footnote later in the afternoon. My daughter came with me. She said they were "melodic." She liked them a lot. She has a good ear and an incredible voice. Footnote is a "smooth-ish" jazz band with plenty of original tunes which I did enjoy. They also covered Steely Dan, David Sanborn, the Doobies and Rippingtons quite nicely. The venue was outdoors in front of a coffee shop right by the railroad tracks. Not the best venue for balance. The lead guitar (Jon Greeno) and the keyboards (Jon Tucker) and the drums (Keith Welch) were loud enough, but the bass (Herb Renke) and the rhythm guitar (Adam Bradley) were on the soft side. They really needed to turn up. Adam had a couple of cool solos, but I could hardly hear him. Once again, it was partly due to the venue. I would really like to see them inside a club with decent acoustics. They were very enjoyable, and I'd go see them again. I do believe they will be at the Jazz Fest. As a matter of fact, on June 10 at the ROBERT MONDAVI CLUB PASS BIG TENT at 6:00 pm. I'll try to get in to see them. They were cool. Websites, anyone? myspace.com/jongreeno, myspace.com/thefootnoteband, myspace.com/tucktranix
On Sunday, I saw the Fairport High School Jazz Alumni Reunion Tour. Okay, it's not really a tour, and some of the kids/guys don't pick up their instruments once between yearly concerts, but you know what? They sounded damned good! Following them was The Bill Tiberio Group. But this incarnation of BTG was a little different than usual. There was Bill, of course, on sax--always incredible, always sweet and soulful. There was Mel on guitar--the usual Mel but with a littl wah-wah going on. He kept me on my toes! Aaron Staebell killed on drums, as usual. But, instead of Gerry Youngman on organ and left-hand bass (he was out-of-town), Bill had Geoff Smith on bass (killer) and Scott Bradley on keys and trumpet (he was great). They could not have played long enough. What an enjoyable way to spend almost an hour on a summer's afternoon. (Their link is on the side.)
I love being surprised. And let me tell you, Mint Jam was a surprise. I had heard they were "good." But they were kids. Who could have known how good they would be? Gabe Condon (15) on lead guitar and vocals; Ray DeSalvo (14) on drums, and Matthew Condon (13) on bass. They covered Cream, Robben Ford, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and more really, really well. They had their own originals, too, which were also quite good. These kids are going somewhere. Gabe is the total package. He can play. Boy, can he play. He's got the voice (hope it's still good when it's done changing). And he's cute and has stage presence. I will want to see where he is five years from now, ten years from now . . . sonicbids.com/gabecondonandmintjam
So, that's a quick rundown of the music that I heard at Canal Days, 2007.
Oh, and I heard that there was mention tonight on WXXI's broadcast of All Things Considered that I will be podcasting from the Jazz Fest. Well. I don't have a pod. And even if I did, I'm not sure I'd know how to cast. So, I've contacted my "IT Support Team" to see if they can make it happen. I'll keep you informed . . .
yours in music (and in anticipation of the Jazz Fest),
Tracy
Friday, June 1, 2007
Feeling Kind of Fest-ive
Now that it's June 1, I can officially begin my countdown to the Jazz Fest. I'm so excited! In the meantime, however, is Fairport's Canal Days festival with its own contribution to our musical well-being.
I see that Gap Mangione and His Big Band are playing from 6:00 to 9:00 before the fireworks on Friday night. Of course, at 5:30, I will be at Minerva DeLand School in Fairport to see the two jazz ensembles of Fairport High School perform their final concert of the year. These student musicians are among the best I've ever heard, and it's due in large part to their amazing director, Bill Tiberio. Bill pushes them to achieve even more than they think they are capable of; and they enjoy it, as well. It would be worth your while to stop in on your way to the chicken barbeque and Gap.
I'm only going to highlight a few of the groups playing this weekend, but you can view the whole schedule at http://www.fairportcanaldays.com/schedule.php and make your own choices. On Saturday, the Fairport Fire Department Band, always a parade favorite, is performing on the water at 1:00. The Blue Avengers are on at 2:00 at Fairport Junction (does everyone besides me know where this is?); Fred Vine, also at 2:00, is at Packett's Landing. I want to make a special point to see Footnote at 4:30 at Higher Grounds Cafe. They have been kind enough to read my blog and have invited me to come and see them. I'm looking forward to it. On Sunday morning at 11:00, the Fairport High School Alumni Jazz Band will perform--my son's first time as an alum--and they will be followed by The Bill Tiberio Group, jazz at its smoothest and sweetest, at 12:00, both at Packett's Landing. Mint Jam, a group of kids about whom I've heard good stuff (http://www.myspace.com/mintjam) will come after them, and I hope to get the chance to hear them. And, finally, at 3:30 at Packett's Landing, the Bowties will perform. They are a men's a cappella group, formed in 1997 here in Rochester. A delight to hear, they perform a huge variety of music, from doo-wop, jazz, and pop to classical, show tunes, etc. They're pretty cool . . . even though they actually do wear bowties.
Perhaps if I focus on listening to all this great music this year, I can avoid eating all that darned festival food! In addition, I can get a little "music fix" while I await the opening day of RIJF. In my posts next week, I'll offer up the groups I'm planning on seeing and some quick reviews afterward.
I see that Gap Mangione and His Big Band are playing from 6:00 to 9:00 before the fireworks on Friday night. Of course, at 5:30, I will be at Minerva DeLand School in Fairport to see the two jazz ensembles of Fairport High School perform their final concert of the year. These student musicians are among the best I've ever heard, and it's due in large part to their amazing director, Bill Tiberio. Bill pushes them to achieve even more than they think they are capable of; and they enjoy it, as well. It would be worth your while to stop in on your way to the chicken barbeque and Gap.
I'm only going to highlight a few of the groups playing this weekend, but you can view the whole schedule at http://www.fairportcanaldays.com/schedule.php and make your own choices. On Saturday, the Fairport Fire Department Band, always a parade favorite, is performing on the water at 1:00. The Blue Avengers are on at 2:00 at Fairport Junction (does everyone besides me know where this is?); Fred Vine, also at 2:00, is at Packett's Landing. I want to make a special point to see Footnote at 4:30 at Higher Grounds Cafe. They have been kind enough to read my blog and have invited me to come and see them. I'm looking forward to it. On Sunday morning at 11:00, the Fairport High School Alumni Jazz Band will perform--my son's first time as an alum--and they will be followed by The Bill Tiberio Group, jazz at its smoothest and sweetest, at 12:00, both at Packett's Landing. Mint Jam, a group of kids about whom I've heard good stuff (http://www.myspace.com/mintjam) will come after them, and I hope to get the chance to hear them. And, finally, at 3:30 at Packett's Landing, the Bowties will perform. They are a men's a cappella group, formed in 1997 here in Rochester. A delight to hear, they perform a huge variety of music, from doo-wop, jazz, and pop to classical, show tunes, etc. They're pretty cool . . . even though they actually do wear bowties.
Perhaps if I focus on listening to all this great music this year, I can avoid eating all that darned festival food! In addition, I can get a little "music fix" while I await the opening day of RIJF. In my posts next week, I'll offer up the groups I'm planning on seeing and some quick reviews afterward.
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