We wrapped up our 55th anniversary day with  a few good sets. Jake Shimabukuro at Geva Wilson stage was phenomenal. He had been one of our favorite performers of all time when he last performed  in Rochester eight years ago. In the intervening time he has grown in stage presence and in musicality . The line to pick up wrist bands at 4 PM was already long at 3:30, for a 5:30 performance. It seemed that everyone we spoke to had heard him 8 and 9 years ago and couldn’t wait to hear him again. No one was disappointed. The only problem I see was having this very high exciting performance for the first show of the night and the first show of the Festival. 

We wandered over to the corner of East and Chestnut that has been a parking lot since they tore down the Regent Theater (probably 30 years ago). It was opened up and ringed with food trucks and vendor booths and tables in the middle. We ate to the sound of Bonerama on the Chestnut Street Stage. We were far enough away to be able to converse yet still hear the sound of too many trombones and a Sousaphone. We eventually made our way into Eastman Theater for Steve Gadd Band. We were still jumping from Jake and the cool melodious jazz coming off the stage was not sufficient to get us moving again. As the set progressed they moved up tempo and Steve’s drum rides with his son Duke backing him started to take off. He is a great drummer, but we wanted more.

We left the theater after the show and were surprised to be able to get into Max for Sasha Berliner Quartet. The vibraphone work was wonderful, but we were still under Jake’s thrall and wanted more. Thus we left at about 10:35 and headed for the Hyatt Jam Session with Karl Stabinau on Sax in the lead. We stuck around long enough to hear the Leo Richardson Quartet take the stage for a set (they were featured at Christ Church – Made in the UK). I’m not sure whether it was better hearing them in the close and noisy quarters of the Jam or in the echoing vastness of the church. Two members of Bonerama came on stage, the Sousaphone and a trombone. after that we decided that was altogether enough for night 1.

The Plan: Peter Johnstone & Tommy Smith at Hatch Recital Hall at 5:45; Patti Labelle at the main stage in Eastman Theater (I know it is Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater, but really!!) then maybe SNJO (Scottish National Jazz Orchestra) sextet at Montage, or The Empire Strikes Brass in the Big Tent. Maybe both.