Buoyed by jazz on a rainy day

Cloudy skies and intermittent rain on Monday, Day 4 of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, left the streets pretty barren, even when the Jazz Stage had an act playing. These shows are rain or shine, but the audience does thin out for the outdoor shows. The metal chairs set up on Jazz (Gibbs) Street were empty, food truck lines were nonexistent, and umbrellas were in use. 

It was sad to see everything so empty, but it is par for the course for a music festival, and luckily, the indoor shows were as active as ever, especially with Club Pass holders opting not to miss any of the nine days they paid for. And honestly, there’s nothing better than jazz on a rainy day. 

My day started at the Inn at Broadway with the Charles Pillow Octet featuring Amy Azzara. The first thing to note is that this is actually a nonet with a nine-instrument ensemble, maybe even a dectet with the inclusion of Azzara. The other thing to note is that Pillow is an Eastman School of Music professor and a former Eastman student. Azzara is also from Rochester, so this show is a homecoming for her. 

It is always nice to see more local jazz groups included in the Club Pass shows. There is so much talent here, and it adds a community feel to the performance. I had no idea that one of the drum professors at my alma mater, Ithaca College, was also part of the octet until he walked out, which was a joy to discover. I’m certainly showing my bias here, but Aaron Staebell’s detailed drum work in this group was an easy highlight for me, especially with his natural-feeling and dense drum solo that closed out “Here Come de Honeyman.”

Speaking of Gershwin’s “Here Come de Honeyman,” the octet’s version of the oft-forgotten Porgy and Bess tune was arranged with the Miles Davis rendition in mind, turning the song into a blues and extending its runtime. It is one of many impressive Porgy ad Bess arrangements Pillow did for the ensemble and featured during the set.

Azzara was a welcome presence in the group with a pitch-perfect, youthful, slightly nasal voice that sat above each arrangement gracefully. Her contagious smile couldn’t be erased while singing. Azzara even performed an original she wrote titled “Peace in my Mind,” which translated well to a big band setup, and gave a nice break within a Gershwin-themed set.

Of course, the classic “Summertime” closed out the show, which was a pleasing song to hear on such a dreary day. It might not feel like the second day of summer today, but soon living will be easy.

The Headhunters jammed out at Kodak Hall as one of the main featured performers for Day 4, and while they had a great show, it highlighted one of the issues of using Kodak Hall for acts like this rather than Parcel 5. The Headhunters clearly wanted the audience to be moved by the grooves of their music, but the crowd was seated in rows throughout the huge concert hall. They still found enough success in their goal, even though the venue impeded them.

The Headhunters are a jazz-funk group that was formed during the creation of some of the most classic Herbie Hancock albums, including “Headhunters,” and grew from there. Since 2022, they have released two studio albums of new material. 

Their show at Kodak Hall was groovy and spiritual, as you’d expect from a band with a history tied to that era of Hancock’s music. The Afrofuturist approach was alive in their performance; everything felt free, open, and loose. The group is legendary, and it is no surprise they still have the funk.

For my last show at the Jazz Fest this year, I decided to head over to my favorite venue, Hatch Recital Hall, to see Paul Cornish again. He amazed me on Day 3 and I was hoping to be amazed again. He did not disappoint. 

This show started as a solo show, which Cornish admitted was unusual for him. He said he was a little nervous, but he started off previous shows with similarly humble remarks that turned out to be pretty unfounded. Cornish is as powerful as a solo performer as he is with his trio. 

Cornish started with a rendition of the Coltrane tune “Giant Steps,” which was unrecognizable at first, only very directly referencing the chord changes once in his version. It was slower than the original and way more abstract. It felt uplifting and challenging, reflecting his love-hate relationship with the song, which he described after playing it. His technique was incredible as always. Some of the most insane-sounding piano runs I’ve ever heard, but Cornish’s calming presence made sure none of it was too overwhelming. 

“Giant Steps” had a seamless transition into his version of “Oblivion” by Bud Powell. I’m not sure how Coltrane turned into Powell, but the two sounded perfect together. 

The classically influenced “5 AM” followed, with a sentimental sweetness. The environments painted by Cornish in this original composition took me to relaxing early-morning moments. 

After Cornish invited his trio on stage, he brought out his piece “Belmar Triangle,” which was commissioned to commemorate the Black community in Santa Monica that was displaced by highway construction. This composition was bittersweet, sporadic, and vibrant, making for one of the best originals I’ve heard at the festival.

For the Beacon’s Jazz Fest coverage, click here.

Jess Williams is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and former intern.

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