Aug 26, 2025 1:53 PM
Blindfold Test: Buster Williams
Buster Williams, who at the age of 83 has been on the scene for 65 years, had never done a Blindfold Test. The first…
Chick Corea will perform at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival in Rochester, New York, on June 28.
(Photo: Photo: Arne Rostad)Pianist Chick Corea, trumpeter Chris Botti, rock vocalist Grace Potter and r&b artist Erykah Badu are among the headliners for the 2016 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, which will take place June 24–July 2 in Rochester, New York.
Also in the lineup are trumpeter Nicholas Payton (June 27), vocalists Lizz Wright (June 27) and Catherine Russell (June 24), pianist Eldar (June 26), drummer/vocalist Jamison Ross (June 30), guitarist John Abercrombie with organist Gary Versace and drummer Adam Nussbaum (June 26), guitarist Russell Malone (June 29) and saxophonist Joe Lovano with guitarist John Scofield (June 24).
The 2016 edition, which celebrates festival’s 15th anniversary, will present more than 1,500 additional artists in over 300 shows shows at 19 venues, including 99 free shows and events.
Corea, Botti, Potter and Badu will all perform at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, with sets beginning at 8 p.m. Singer-songwriter Potter will perform on opening night, June 24, followed by Grammy winner and “First Lady of Neo Soul” Erykah Badu, who will perform on June 25.
On June 28, Corea will perform with his Trilogy trio (bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade) plus special guest Joey Alexander. Corea topped the Jazz Artist category in the 2015 DownBeat Readers Poll, and his three-disc set Trilogy (Stretch/Concord) was voted Jazz Album of the Year in the poll.
Alexander, the gifted 12-year-old pianist, will be joined by his trio. This will be his second appearance at the festival.
Botti—a four-time XRIJF headliner—will return to XRIJF to perform on June 30.
Also appearing at Kodak Hall will be bandleader/vocalist/pianist Bruce Hornsby, who will perform with his band, The Noisemakers, on June 29. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gregg Allman, of the Allman Brothers Band, will perform on July 1.
As one of the world’s leading international music festivals, Rochester will once again feature a stylistically and culturally diverse roster of artists. This year’s lineup includes musicians from 14 countries, including Canada (trumpeter Bria Skonberg, June 28), Japan (trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, July 2), Norway (pianist Tord Gustavsen, July 1), England (the trio Mammal Hands, June 29), Israel (bassist Avishai Cohen, June 29), France (pianist Jacky Terrasson, June 30), Cuba (pianist Elio Villafranca, June 27) and Russia (saxophonist Igor Butman, June 28).
Additionally, hundreds of young music students from 24 regional schools (elementary, high school and colleges) and from programs at the Eastman School of Music will perform at the festival.
Jazz brunches and other events will be offered at The Strathallan on East Avenue throughout the event.
“What I got from Percy was the dignity of playing the bass,” Buster Williams said of Percy Heath.
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