Columbian jazz pianist, singer, and saxophonist Jesus Molina opened our free show series on the Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5 last night. Photo for RIJF by Tom Flint.

Iconic storyteller Rickie Lee Jones captivated the audience at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Photo for RIJF by Mark Druziak.

Today's Schedule Online

Today's Schedule Print Friendly

Rochester, NY – June 26, 2025 – Just three more days of the 22nd Edition Rochester International Jazz Festival in partnership with Rochester Regional Health.

Tonight, the Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5 will feature festival favorites, Los Lonely Boys, at 9 PM. Bruce Katz Band opens at 7 PM. FREE! No tickets are required. Food and drinks are available.

Thundercat, the virtuoso bassist and bona fide star who has cemented his reputation as a wholly unique voice, transcending genres, closes out this year's ticketed headliner series at 8 PM at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets are selling quickly but are still available at Rochesterjazz.com, on the App, at the door, at the box office, which opens at 7 PM, or at the Festival's Ticket Shop located at 100 East Avenue.

A full lineup will be presented in the ten Club Pass venues. Enter with a Club Pass or $30 ($35 at Kilbourn Hall) at the door. All venues are air-conditioned.

Free shows today start at noon at the Central Library, followed by today's Jazz Workshop at 1:00 at Eastman School of Music. Concerts start at 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on the City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation, at 6 p.m. in the Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Wegmans Pavilion, and wrapping up the night with Squeezers Jam Session at the Hyatt Regency Rochester, starting at 10:30 p.m.

Get brochures, tickets, Club Passes, and information at The Ticket Shop, located at 100 East Ave. at the corner of Gibbs St. The shop is open during the festival from Noon to 9 p.m. Please note that Gibbs Street is closed to traffic.

Information on how to navigate the festival, including parking, street closings, where to eat, patron policies, and more, can be found at rochesterjazz.com/plan-your-visit/.

The nine-day festival will present more than 285 concerts at 18 venues in downtown Rochester, New York, including 110-plus free shows and 1,750-plus artists. Founded in 2002, the festival has become one of the world's leading and largest jazz festivals.

Tonight at 8 PM at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

Thundercat

In recent years, Thundercat, aka Stephen Bruner, has completed his transition from virtuoso bassist to bonafide star and cemented his reputation as a wholly unique voice, transcending genre. His 2020 album “It Is What It Is” won Best Progressive R&B Album at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards and featured Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Steve Lacy, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, Steve Arrington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Louis Cole, Pedro Martins and Zack Fox. The record was produced by Thundercat and his longtime partner Flying Lotus who was GRAMMY-nominated in “Producer of the Year, Non-Classical” for his work on the album.

Buy tickets online up to show time, at the door, or at the RIJF Ticket Shop. Eastman Theatre Box Office opens at 7 p.m. Will Call is in the Eastman Lobby.

Buy Tickets

Los Lonely Boys

9 PM Tonight at Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5

Free! No Tickets Required

Bruce Katz Band Opens at 7 PM

Family has always been at the center of things for Los Lonely Boys. Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza have been playing and touring together since they were teenagers. Three years ago, they decided to take a break to focus on their own growing families. But Summer 2022 saw them back at it again, returning to life on the road alongside The Who. The Boys have been making music together for seventeen years now, and they show no signs of slowing down or losing inspiration. Today, you’ll find them in the studio, working on their newest album. Read more

Arrive early! Food and drinks are available for purchase. No outside food or drinks permitted. All bags will be searched. Individuals 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or an adult 25 years or older. See Patron Policies for what to bring and what is not permitted. See Plan Your Visit for street closings and parking info.

Producers' Picks & Yesterday's Recap

Today's Producers' Picks

Recap of Yesterday

Things to Know Before You Go!

Redeem Club Pass tickets for Club Passes and lanyards at the Ticket Shop before attending any shows
Ticket Shop is open Noon to 9 p.m. daily at 100 East Ave. at Gibbs
Street closings and parking
Food & Drink Guide
Daily photo albums
Get official festival gear and gifts in the Merch Tent on Jazz Street, open 4 to 11 p.m.
Download the RIJF Free App!
Save Time in Line for early shows at Max and Kilbourn! Line up for wristbands at 4 p.m. outside the venues.
Take our quick Audience Survey during the festival and let us know how everything is going
Donate musical instruments in playable condition, accessories, and equipment at Rochester Education Foundation's booth on Jazz St., 5-7:30 p.m.
All Aid Tent provided by Rochester Regional Health is located outside the Merch Tent on Jazz St. near E. Main.
Squeezers Jam Sessions start nightly at 10:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Rochester Lobby Level. No cover!

Jazz Starts at the Library

Mike Kaupa

Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County

12 noon, Free!

Jazz Workshop

Paul Hofmann

Piano

Eastman School of Music Room 120, Free!

1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

No registration required.

Club Pass Series Highlights

Club Pass or $30 at the door ($35 at Kilbourn Hall)

See Full Schedule Grid

Veronica Swift

6 & 9 p.m.

Kilbourn Hall

Her new album is a masterful coming-out story. On her previous albums, Confessions (2019) and This Bitter Earth (2021), she ascended to the upper echelon of early 21st century jazz singers because of her virtuosic brilliance, interpretive ingenuity, bracing songwriting, and keen arrangements. Simply put, Swift is not only one of the most dazzling singers to emerge in her generation, she’s one of the most versatile.

Sean Mason

5:45 & 7:45 p.m.

Hatch Hall

When he speaks about music, you can hear the notes falling into place. The cadence of his ideas unfolds with deliberate tempo, each exploring and resolving tension like an inspired chord progression. On his debut album he emerges as a guiding luminary, shining his introspective command as both a pianist and composer through the historic lens of jazz to create a work that distills the essence of the genre for our time even as it points the way forward. Read more

Acoustic Alchemy

6:45 & 9 p.m.

The Little Theatre

For 30+ years, the band has been at the forefront of contemporary jazz, even if its signature eclectic mix of styles has meant they have never comfortably fit into any one genre; “We’ve had a lot of labels over the years, at the start there were all these names flying around like New Adult Contemporary, New Age music, and then it became Smooth Jazz, but we’ve never thought about being in any one particular genre. We just make music we like.”

NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz

Temple Theater

7 & 9:15 p.m.

He is one of the best purveyors of what he calls “informal composition” (as opposed to improvisation) on alto saxophone since the 1960s, working with such luminaries as Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Miles Davis. He has released more than 45 solo albums and appears on more than 200 as a guest artist.

Bad Sneakers

Rochester Regional Health Big Tent

8:30 p.m. (90-minute set)

Bad Sneakers is a powerhouse 13-piece band dedicated to bringing the music of Steely Dan to life with precision and passion. It's comprised of some of the region’s most accomplished musicians—including current and former members of Hard Logic, Prime Time Funk, Goodness, The Klick, The Bill Tiberio Band, and The Earthtones. Read more

Salami Rose Joe Louis

The Duke

7:30 & 9:45 p.m.

A genre traveler, multi-instrumentalist female producer, produces and records pretty much exclusively on her beloved Roland MV8800, nicknamed “Funfunfun”. Her debut record with Brainfeeder, ‘Zdenka 2080’, is a critically acclaimed, conceptual sci-fi epic that earned a nomination for Giles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards Best Album of 2020.

More Free Shows Today!

Free shows on the City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage presented by the Community Foundation start today at 4:30 p.m. with the Webster Thomas and Pittsford Mendon High School Jazz Bands, and New Horizons Jazz Ensemble conducted by Don Sherman. Photo for RIJF by Don Ver Ploeg.

Soul Stew

7:30 & 9:30 p.m.

Jazz Street Stage

Public Water Supply

7 & 9 p.m

Wegmans Pavilion

East Ave at Chestnut

Hilton High School Jazz Band

6 p.m.

Rochester Regional Health Big Tent

The music plays on from 10:30 p.m. until...at Squeezers Jam Sessions at the Hyatt Regency Rochester, The Street Craft Kitchen & Bar. Located on the lobby level. Food and drinks are available. No cover. Sponsored by the DiMarco Group. Tonight through Thursday, jams are led by Bob Sneider. Photo for RIJF by Peter Parts.

Book Signing Today with Debi Bower

Drop by the Merch Tent on Gibbs Street (a.k.a. Jazz Street) between 6 and 8 p.m. to meet local author Debi Bower and pick up a signed copy of Day Trips Around Rochester, New York. Fuel your festival night with fresh day-trip inspiration—then head to your show just steps away.

Photos & Videos

Our team of photographers and videographers is capturing all aspects of the festival, so be sure to check out the photo gallery and videos, which are also posted on Facebook and YouTube.

Take the Survey!

Please take our quick Audience Survey, conducted by Rochester Research Group, and tell us about your festival experience. Take it all during the Festival and afterward for a limited time until the survey closes. Provide your email, and be entered into a drawing for either a Club Pass for next year’s Festival or a Jazz Festival official merchandise package. Take Survey

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