Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival Lineup Announced for 17 th Edition June 22 – June 30
Nine Days, 300+ Shows, 20 Venues, 94 Free Events 
Rochester, NY—March 20, 2018— Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) producers John Nugent and Marc Iacona today announced the complete lineup for the festival’s 17 th Edition. The nine-day festival returns to Rochester June 22 to June 30 presenting more than 1500 artists from around the world in 300-plus shows at 20 venues.
 
The 2018 Festival is presented in three series the Club Pass series with 214 shows, the headliner series of six shows and 94 free shows and events all held in Rochester’s East End Cultural and Entertainment District. 
 
Ticketed headliner shows will feature Alison Krauss (sold out) , Béla Fleck and the Flecktones , Boz Scaggs , Jill Scott , Lake Street Dive , and Seal. Free outdoor stage show headliners include Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, St. Germain, Tower of Power 50th Anniversary Tour, and Vintage Trouble. The Club Pass series will feature the Joey Alexander Trio, Mindi Abair, Melissa Aldana, The Bad Plus, Ron Artis II & The Truth, Joe Locke Group, Mwenso & The Shakes, Jazzmeia Horn, Dustbowl Revival, Shake Stew, Robin McKelle, Deva Mahal, Johannes Linstead Guitar of Fire!, Ervic Krasno Band, Jane Bunnett & Maqueque and more than 110 others. 
Producer and Artistic Director John Nugent, who founded the festival in 2002, received more than 3,000 artist submissions over the course of a month and almost as many suggestions from loyal festival patrons.
 
“As one of America's leading music festivals, we are proud to feature a wide variety of emerging and established artists of all styles and genres under the auspices of ‘Jazz’ from around the globe. There is always something for everyone at XRIJF.”
 
Nugent, whose motto is “it’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know,” added, “Keep an eye out for these XRIJF fan favorites and my producer's picks: Joey Alexander Trio, Songs of Freedom, Robin McKelle, Moon Hooch, Dev Mahal (daughter of blues musician, Taj Mahal), Geoffrey Keezer Trio, Lakecia Benjamin, Matt Wilson’s Honey and Salt Band, VickiChristinaBarcelona Sings the Music of Tom Waits, Shake Stew, The Bad Plus, Sara Gazarek Quartet, Mwenso and The Shakes, Melissa Aldana, Gwyneth Herbert, GoGo Penguin, Ron Artis II and The Truth, All our Exes Live in Texas, Dustbowl Revival, Jazzmeia Horn, and One For All.”
 
Iacona, Festival Producer and Executive Director, said, “Jazz in June is just around the corner! John and I are privileged to be part of a musical experience that shines a light on our community. For 16 years we have been blessed to work with fantastic organizations that help make Club Pass series concerts, Jazz Workshops for youth, and free shows possible. We are also grateful to our entire team behind the scenes that helps us produce the Jazz Festival until the “last note” is played.” 
94 Free Shows and Events – no tickets required
  • City of Rochester Jazz St. Stage Presented by the Community Foundation (45+ shows)
  • City of Rochester Stage at Chestnut and East Ave. Presented by Rochester Regional Health (6 shows)
  • City of Rochester Stage at Chestnut and East Ave. Presented by Wegmans (2 shows)
  • Rochester Regional Health Big Tent 6 p.m. shows (9 shows)
  • Avangrid Foundation / RGandE / Barclay Damon Fusion Stage (10 shows)
  • Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County (5 shows)
  • City of Rochester Stage at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park (Manhattan Square) Presented by Rochester Regional Health (2 shows)
  • Jam Sessions nightly during the festival at Hyatt Regency Rochester Hotel (9 jams)
  • Jazz Workshops for Youth sponsored by Wegmans (5 workshops)
  • Bujazz Orchestra + ESM Jazz Ensemble ESM-XRIJF Gerry Niewood Jazz Scholarships Night at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre on Monday, June 25 at 8 p.m. (1 show)

Music is the Universal Language at XRIJF
As one of the world’s leading international music festivals, artists will travel to Rochester this year from 20 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Cuba, England, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The festival’s two international series include:
 
  • Made in the UK, which started at XRIJF in 2008, showcases artists from the UK. In its 10th year, it remains the largest presentation of UK jazz outside the UK and has expanded to other major festivals in Canada and major U.S. cities.
  • Nordic and Euro Jazz Now, in its 11th year at the festival, will present artists from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Faroe Islands and Iceland.

What’s New in 2018
  • The Temple Building Theater debuts as a Club Pass venue with 16 shows at 7 and 9:15 p.m. The capacity is 1100 people. No shows on Sunday, June 24. Sponsored by the Democrat and Chronicle.
  • Nightly Jam Sessions will have a new home in the spacious and newly renovated Street Craft Kitchen and Bar at the festival’s new official hotel, the Hyatt Regency Rochester, 125 E Main St, Rochester, NY 14604. Jams start at 10:30 p.m. until… You never know who will show up to play! (The Rochester Riverside Hotel, formerly the Radisson, also remains an official hotel.)
  • New Outdoor Stage, City of Rochester Stage at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park Presented by Rochester Regional Health will be a destination on the final Friday, June 29, for two shows.
  • Grove Street Jazz Project presented by Complemar, will be a corporate hospitality tent available for private events featuring live music performed by Eastman School of Music students. Located next to Rochester Regional Health Big Tent.
  • Save Time in Line wristbands will be available for the early shows at both Kilbourn Hall and Max of Eastman Place Club Pass venues.
  • 13WHAM-TV will once again present a half-hour prime time special previewing the festival. Stay tuned for date and time.
  • Harris Beach LLP free shuttle service will return offering rides to patrons to and from various venues. The route will be announced in June.
  • Young musicians can take advantage of five free jazz workshops sponsored by Wegmans to be held at the Eastman School of Music and led by world-renowned musicians performing at the festival from the US and the United Kingdom.
  • Hundreds of young music students from 20 regional schools (elementary, high school and colleges) and from programs at the Eastman School of Music, will perform at the festival.
 
Tickets
Tickets for headliner shows and Club Passes are available online exclusively at RochesterJazz.com or by calling (585) 454-2060. The Festival Ticket Shop will open in early June at the corner of East Avenue and Gibbs Street.
  • Club Pass Series Shows: cash only $30 or $35 at the door, or enter with the Club Pass. No advance sales on individual shows. First-come, first-served for all patrons.
  • The 9-Day Club Pass: provides first-come, first-served access to all Club Pass Series shows for all nine days. Not good for headliner shows. See as many shows and come and go as you like. Shareable/Transferable Pass is $244 plus service charges. Personalized/Non-transferable Pass is $204 plus service charges. 
  • The 3-Day Club Pass: offers patrons unlimited access to shows on any three days of their choice during the festival. Shareable/Transferrable Pass: $194 plus service charges. Non-transferable/Personalized Pass: $154 plus service charges.
  • Headliner Show Tickets: available online at RochesterJazz.com. Prices vary.
  • Free shows: no tickets required. Shows go on rain or shine.
2018 Club Pass Venues
  • Anthology Squeezers Stage, 336 East Ave. (18 shows)
  • Christ Church, 141 East Ave. (18 shows)
  • Harro East Ballroom, 155 N. Chestnut St. (18 shows)
  • Hatch Recital Hall, Eastman School of Music, 433 E. Main St. (18 shows)
  • Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music, 26 Gibbs St. (18 shows)
  • Max of Eastman Place, 25 Gibbs St. (18 shows)
  • Montage Music Hall, 55 Chestnut St. (18 shows)
  • Reformation Lutheran Church, 111 North Chestnut St. (18 shows)
  • Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, E. Main St. and Gibbs St. (18 shows)
  • NEW!! Temple Building Theater, 50 Liberty Pole Way (16 shows)
  • Wilder Room, 120 East Ave. (18 shows)
  • Xerox Auditorium at Xerox Plaza, 100 S. Clinton Ave. (18 shows)

Full 2018 Artist Lineup in Alphabetical Order
78 RPM Big Band, Akiko Tsuruga Trio, Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez, Alison Krauss, All Our Exes Live In Texas, Amanda Monaco Quartet, Beats 'N' Pieces, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Bill Dobbins, Bill Goodwin Trio, Bill Tiberio Band, Bob Sneider's ECMS Jazz Performance Workshops, Boz Scaggs, Brendan Lanighan, Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot!, Brockport Big Band, Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Bujazz Orchestra, Buried Treasure Featuring Bari Koral, Butcher Brown, Charlie Lindner Trio + Danielle Ponder and Friends, Charlie Pillow Trio, Christian Sands, Christian Sands Trio, CNY Jazz Band, Cold Chocolate, Community Soul Project, David Hazeltine, Davina and the Vagabonds, Davy Knowles Band, Des Sourcils, Deva Mahal, Django Bates Beloved Trio, Djangoners – Bobby Henrie, Dmitri Matheny Group Jazz Noir, Doug Stone Quartet featuring Josiah Williams, Duchess Trio, Dustbowl Revival, Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra Directed by Doug Stone, Eastman-RCSD Jazz Ensemble and Mike Kaupa Jazz Performance Workshop, Eric Krasno Band, Fat City, Gap Mangione Big Band, Gary Versace, Geoffrey Keezer, Geoffrey Keezer Trio, Georgia Mancio/Alan Broadbent Quartet, Ghost Note With Mononeon, Gogo Penguin, Greater Finger Lakes Jazz Orchestra, Greece Jazz Band, Guitar of Fire Johannes Linstead, Gwyneth Herbert, Hanna PK, Harold Danko, Hip Spanic AllStars, House of Waters, Jack Broadbent, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Jazz Goes to the Movies with Mark Watters, Jazz is Phsh, Jazzmeia Horn, Jean Michel Pilc, Jerry Granelli Band featuring Robben Ford, Jill Scott, Joe Farnsworth Quartet Featuring Eric Alexander, Joe Locke Group, Joey Alexander Trio, Johnny Goldtooth and the Chevy Casanovas, Julian Siegel Quartet, Junior Brown, Junior High Jazz Ensemble, Kate McGarry Trio, Knower, Kuara Trio, Lake Street Dive, Lakecia Benjamin, Liz Vice, Lucia Cadotsch "Speak Low, Maciej Obara Quartet, Marius Neset, Mark Lewandowski Trio, Matt Savage, Matt Wilson's Honey and Salt Band, Megumi Yonezawa, Melissa Aldana, Mike Melito, Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers, Moon Hooch, Music Educators Big Band, Mwenso and The Shakes, New Energy Jazz Orchestra, New Horizons Big Band Directed by Priscilla Todd Brown, New Horizons Vintage Jazz Band Directed by Don Sherman, Nicholas Payton Front and Center, One For All, Paradigm Shift and the PShift Horns, Partikel, Paul Jost, Penfield Rotary Big Band, Phony Ppl, Pilc Moutin Hoenig, Pokey LaFarge, Prime Time Brass, Quincy Mumford and the Reason Why, Quinn Lawrence Band, Rai Thistlethwayte, Robin Mckelle, Rochester Jazz All Stars, Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Ron Artis II and the Truth, Ryan Johnson Project, Sara Borges and the Broken Singles, Sara Gazarek Quartet, Sax-O-Matic, Scott Sharrard and the Brickyard Band, SEAL, Shake Stew, Significant Other, Sigurdur Flosason, Songs of Freedom, Sonidos Unidos, Soul Stew, St. Germain, Star People Featuring Bobby Militello, Stephane Wrembel, Strings Attached, Sultans of String, Syndicate Jazz Band, Teagan and the Tweeds, Tempest, Terell Stafford Quintet, TFunk Crew, The Bad Plus, The Klick, The Royal Bopsters, The Suffers, Thomas Stronen, Torben Waldorff, Tower of Power 50th Anniversary Tour, Trail Of Souls, VickiKristinaBarcelona Sings the Music of Tom Waits, Vincent Herring Quartet, Vintage Trouble, Will Vinson Trio, William Sperandei Quartet Featuring, Pat Labarbera and Zara Mcfarlane.
 
About the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF)
XRIJF was founded in 2002 and is produced by John Nugent and Marc Iacona. The Festival has become one of the nation's most respected music festivals, navigating all genres of creative improvised music. This year’s nine-day festival, June 22 to June 30, will feature 1500 artists from 20 countries who will perform at 20 venues in more than 300 concerts including 94 free shows and events.
 
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