By Dan Gross You can enjoy a “Jazz at the Movies” concert starring the 25-piece Eastman All Stars Big Band featuring renowned flutist, Sara Andon conducted by Mark Watters, TONIGHT, Thursday, June 28, at Temple Theater at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Emmy Award-winning composer and conductor Mark Watters’ vast resume includes music for motion…
Saxophonist Charles Pillow performing at the 2017 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival By Dan Gross Charles Pillow, Eastman Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone, comes from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After graduating from Loyola University, he pursued his Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at the Eastman School of Music, where he is now an Assistant Professor of…
Karl Stabnau performing at the Rochester Public Library during Jazz Festival 2016 By Dan Gross Karl Stabnau graduated from Eastman (BM ’11); MM in Music Education with jazz emphasis in December 2013. Among many other things, he is currently the Jazz Director at SUNY Brockport and the college’s music business coordinator. Instead of playing as…
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) ran from June 23 through July 1. Along with musicians from all over the world, Eastman jazz players and composers – faculty members, students, and alumni – contributed the festival. Freelancer Dan Gross has interviewed some of them for Eastman Journal during the the festival. He continues his…
The Wee Trio: James Westfall, Dan Loomis, Jared Schonig By Dan Gross The Wee Trio is James Westfall (vibes) plus two Eastman alumni: Dan Loomis (bass), and Jared Schonig (drums), and they’re coming to the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, following their release of Wee + 3. While it’s mostly just the trio, a few…
Trombonist and composer Nick Finzer By Dan Gross An award-winning composer, arranger, and trombonist, Eastman alumnus Nick Finzer is bringing the joy and power of Jazz to both traditional fans and the most modern 21st century audiences. He’s on a mission to be a passionate voice defining the sound of Jazz in this age while…
Trumpeter Mike Cottone By Dan Gross Jazz trumpet player Mike Cottone is a native of Rochester, New York, and attended Eastman and Juilliard. He has performed and recorded with Al Jarreau, Robin Thicke, Neil Diamond, Ruben Blades, Mike Garson, Paul Anka, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and attended the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, led…
Bassist Danny Ziemann Eastman graduate (2012) Danny Ziemann is a rising star bassist, teacher at the Eastman Community School and at SUNY Oswego, and author of The Low Down: A Guide to Creating Jazz Bass Lines. Danny is playing with the Vince Ercolamento Quintet tonight, Monday, June 26, at 6 and 10 p.m. in the…
Grace Frarey is the recipient of this year’s Rochester International Jazz Festival/Eastman School of Music (RIJF/ESM) Jazz Scholarship. The 18-year-old Canandaigua resident just began a double major in jazz studies and music education at Eastman. Grace, who has appeared in the jazz festival since 2013 as lead saxophonist for the Canandaigua Academy Jazz Band, was…
Robert Bickford and the mighty Buckman Heights Elementary School Jazz Band at XRIJF 2016 The 2016 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) is running until July 2. Among the hundreds of musicians gathering for this major musical event are many Eastman faculty members, alumni, and students. Free-lance writer Dan Gross is blogging regularly during this…