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The Rochester International Jazz Festival was cozy on Thursday—defiant, even. Rain had caused a few cancellations early in the day, but for most performers, the show went on, and festivalgoers were treated to another day of remarkably talented artists.
I began my time with a trip to Kilbourn Hall to see the astonishing Camila Meza, an innovative and award-winning singer-songwriter.
Meza’s music lives on the outskirts of jazz tradition. Her style also blends bits of Latin American and classical music into something absolutely awe-inspiring. Speaking to the audience about her musical philosophy, she said, “It’s all interconnected.” Her set was a delightful demonstration of that idea.
From the first notes, Meza’s trio began transporting the room to a strange new sonic realm. Twinkling keyboards and shimmering cymbals filled Kilbourn Hall as Meza herself seemed lost in the music and she took the audience with her.
The texture of the band’s sound was striking. Their instruments engulfed the room with a fullness you wouldn’t expect from a group twice their size. Meza led it all with an otherworldly voice—swelling like a tidal wave, fading to a whisper, swirling up and down with staggering precision. And yet, restraint runs through everything the band does.
Meza is active onstage, bobbing and weaving with the music at each haunting turn. At the same time, she dazzled the audience with her guitar work. Flipping between intricate hard bop style runs and bouncy bossa nova fingerpicking, she wielded the instrument with tactful authority as she joyfully moved about.
Each of Meza’s songs carried an ethereal quality, even when played at breakneck speed. The vocals sat atop a bed of gentle Latin rhythms, percussion, and lush piano, keeping me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
But the highlight of Meza’s show was toward the end, when she asked the audience to join her in singing one of her newest pieces. She nervously confessed she’d never tried this before, but was rewarded handsomely. The audience transformed into a blissful choir as the band played itself out. Almost moving Meza to tears, she thanked us graciously for that moment and walked offstage.
The next performance on my schedule took me to The Duke on Main, for a lovely taste of jazz fusion served up by North Carolina’s Everything Yes. Walking through the door, I saw a drum kit that somewhat resembled a spaceship. It was marvelously shiny and adorned with 10 cymbals of various shapes and sizes. From right there, I knew that this was going to be a great show.
When Everything Yes makes music, there’s a joy on their faces that could melt hearts. Each time someone takes a solo, the whole group looks on eagerly for their bandmate’s entrance, like a true band of brothers. Speaking of which, siblings Zack and Nathan Graybeal, who play drums and alto sax, respectively, are joined by Reggie McNeill on keys, Sean Reeser on tenor, and Cole Sipe on bass. Together, they form the well-oiled musical machine that is Everything Yes.
Initially starting as a casual jam band among friends, the group quickly became a breeding ground for experimentation with any and all ideas that came to mind. The love of musical exploration was apparent even as they played for us. The whole band was smiling ear to ear as they launched into each one of their fusion epics and showed us their hard work.
The band’s sound features airy saxophones and cosmic synths, joined by quintessential fusion basslines and physics-defying drum fills. All of it soaring over odd time signatures galore. Bringing hip-hop grooves, prog sensibilities, gospel soul, and jazz funk oomph together under one roof, the group is an authentic display of raw musicianship.
Although each member was a musical titan in their own right, drummer Zack Graybeal, who goes by ZackGrooves on social media, was far and away the star of the show. Those 10 cymbals I mentioned? He incorporated each one seamlessly into the band to create a beat that I frankly couldn’t believe was coming from a human being. What’s more, he uses his immense skills and his monster kit to serve the band’s sound impeccably. Don’t worry, though, he still makes sure to throw down the occasional face-melting drum solo.
To close, the band decided to show the audience a little mercy after their nonstop whirlwind of metric dynamism and played their last song in standard 4/4 time. Technical details aside, the whole show was a full display of raw, uninhibited musicianship that did not disappoint.
As the sun began to set, I decided to end my day with a visit to the Wegmans stage, to see the bombastic New Orleans group Galactic, on a friend’s recommendation. I was reluctant at first to break from my schedule, but I had some time to kill before the jazz legend Willie Jones III’s performance. Fast forward to the end of their set, and I was cheering along with the rest of the crowd, begging for one more song.
While their set had a slight delay initially, it only gave more time for the crowd’s appetite to grow stronger for the last show of the night. When Galactic finally graced the stage, the crowd welcomed them warmly, and the next second they exploded into a monolith of funk energy that didn’t let up til the band put down their instruments.
It was to be expected, considering Galactic has been a staple of the New Orleans jazz scene for 30 years. They’ve developed a pocket so deep you could lose your phone in it. With pulsating bass, horns that snarl, and just the sweetest guitar tone, you can’t help but nod your head along when they play. Coming from a place where music fills the streets daily, their style is specially designed to be impossible to ignore.
For the role of singer, Galactic has hosted several vocalists during the band’s long career, with this most recent edition of the group fronted by the fabulous Angelika “Jelly” Joseph. Another veteran of the New Orleans scene, she brought the crowd to life when she took the stage. As she settled in and began to dance, she emphatically told the audience to join in, and dancing ensued.
Joseph commanded the audience with undeniable charm, calling out to encourage people to dance, and even, at one point, throwing back a “I love you too” to one impassioned festivalgoer. The reaction was also due to her incredible voice. Joseph’s singing is a force of nature. She used it to face off with every other instrument on stage and never once backed down, hooting and hollering as she let rip some of the best singing you will ever hear. With unwavering power, she led the sextet through a blazing performance. When Galactic finished their final song, adoring new fans screamed in amazement.
After the crowd dispersed and Galactic left the stage, Joseph and the band were greeted by a young boy holding a drumstick he caught during the encore. So floored by the show, his family had waited for them just so he’d have an opportunity to talk to the group. Joseph gave him a hug, the drummer a fist bump, and they all encouraged him to keep pursuing his passion for drumming.
For the Beacon’s Jazz Fest coverage, click here.
Brodie Martin is a recent graduate of Nazareth University and a member of the Oasis Project’s third cohort.
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