Wednesday, June 27
HEADLINER | Alison Krauss (Bluegrass, country, pop) Alison Krauss may have emerged as a prodigious teenage Bluegrass fiddler, but it wasn't long before she became one of the greatest vocalists in country-pop history. Krauss, who has won more Grammy Awards than any other pop artist (27), has a voice that can only be described as angelic. From the "O Brother, Where Art Thou" soundtrack to her gorgeous covers of songs like "All Alone Am I," Krauss has the most beautiful soprano this side of heaven. (RN) alisonkrauss.com
Brendan Lanighan (Straight-ahead jazz) Buffalo native and Hochstein School of Music instructor Brendan Lanighan's mantle is getting increasingly crowded with various awards, including a DownBeat Magazine award. Not only that, but the trombonist has blown his horn for 5Head and Johnny Mathis. (FD)
Davina and The Vagabonds (Boogie-woogie) This piano playing lady will un-hinge and un-glue you, un-nerve you and un-screw you. It's strictly a bawdy affair, with her band bustin' up the barrelhouse blast and romp as Davina caterwauls and coos somewhere between Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Boop. (FD) davinaandthevagabonds.com
Ghost-Note with MonoNeon (Funk) This is so whiplash and hairpin the audience is going to walk away holding their heads. The multi-lingual beat and the band's stupendous stop and start is probably next to impossible to dance to, but don't let that stop you. (FD) ghost-note-official.com
Harold Danko (Straight-ahead jazz) Before joining the jazz faculty at the Eastman School of Music, where he is now professor emeritus, pianist Harold Danko toured extensively as a sideman with greats like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz, and was a featured performer in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. A formidable composer, his tune "Tidal Breeze" has been recorded by Baker, Konitz, and others. (RN) esm.rochester.edu/faculty/danko_harold
Jazzmeia Horn (Vocal jazz) Click here for an interview with Jazzmeia Horn.
Julian Siegel Quartet (Straight-ahead jazz) Known for his adventurous solos, Julian Siegel is one of England's top saxophonists. But Siegel is equally adept at composing and arranging. Listening to his innovative playing, it's not hard to see why he won in the jazz category of the 2011 London Awards for Art and Performance. (RN) facebook.com/juliansiegelquartet
Kate McGarry Trio (Vocal jazz) Kate McGarry is that rare jazz vocalist who has equal shares of great pipes and personality. Yes, she can reach the sky with her gorgeous soprano, but she's also got an attitude built into that voice. Whether she's covering a Rodgers and Hart standard or a Joni Mitchell pop tune, she imbues it with her distinctive vocal touch. (RN) katemcgarry.com
Liz Vice (Soul) The simple beauty in Brooklyn singer Liz Vice's understated phrasing is soothing in the extreme. She doesn't tear into her material as some vocalists are tempted to do, instead she lets her soulful tunes and tone tumble out into the air. (FD) lizvice.com
Megumi Yonezawa (Straight-ahead jazz) Pianist extraordinaire Megumi Yonezawa left her native Japan to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since graduating, she has been an in-demand player, working with top artists like Greg Osby, George Garzone, Nicholas Payton, and Dave Liebman. She is a brilliant player technically, but more importantly, she's got a beautiful, lyrical style. (RN) megumiyonezawa.com
Rai Thistlethwayte (Jazz, pop) His soulful falsetto and cocksure demeanor are beautiful. And when this Sydney-based musician starts to loop that falsetto while beat-boxing layers beneath, well brother, that's when he'll knock you out. Cool and funky. (FD) raithis.com
Shake Stew (Progressive jazz) The three excellent horn players in the Austrian septet Shake Stew play some of the most wonderfully crazy lines and harmonies you'll ever hear. If that's not enough to set them apart from the crowd, just listen to the rhythms conjured up by the band's two drummers and two bassists. The final ingredients are the insane (in the best sense of the word) compositions by group leader Lukas Kranzelbinder. (RN) shakestew.bandcamp.com
Songs of Freedom (Vocal jazz) It's the brainchild of drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. What if three great singers — Alicia Olatuja, Theo Bleckmann, and Joanna Majoko — wrapped their voices around songs associated with artists of the 1960's who stood, in various ways, for freedom? Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln stood for racial and political freedom, and Joni Mitchell was all about the freedom to love. Songs of Freedom brings their songs to a new audience in a new way. (RN) unlimitedmyles.com/songsoffreedom
Tempest (Rock) Featuring the incendiary guitar work of the legendary Don Mancuso, Tempest is a no frills, all thrills rock outfit. Bad Company, Aerosmith, you name it, they play it all. Come get your ya-ya's out. (FD) facebook.com/tempestroc
Torben Waldorff (Straight-ahead jazz) Born in Denmark and raised in Sweden, the excellent guitarist Torben Waldorff crossed the ocean to attend the famed Berklee College of Music. Since then he's paid his dues playing with Ingrid Jensen, Donny McCaslin, Maria Schneider, and many others. When Waldorff takes off on a solo, he applies John Coltrane's sheets-of-sound approach to the guitar. (RN) waldorff.com
