Hit all my itinerary on the first night of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.  It was a great night of Music and I went home last night feeling sated.  Started off with the solo piano of Gwilym Simcock at Made in the UK series at the Christ Church. He's a beautiful player, full of inventive interpretation. Walked around for awhile, taking in the crowds and the sounds of the first night and seeing all my "jazz fest friends" as I walked around the festival footprint. Headed over to the Xerox Auditorium for the Moscow Jazz Orchestra.  I wish I could have stayed for what ended up as an hour and half (I hear that they just kept playing). This large ensemble was fantastic, full of energy and tight arrangements of the music of Director Igor Butman (whose quartet I'm hoping to hear tonight) and others.  Headed over to Montage Music Hall for the 10pm show of The Huntertones.  Their set was killing with hard driving originals and interpretations of some interesting choices, like the theme of Jurassic Park and a beatbox by their trombone player that made me think it was the bass causing my chest to pound before I realized that the bass player wasn't hitting the same notes ... it was the beatboxing.  Montage now has music hall seating rather than tables.  Although it makes hanging with friends before the set difficult, it was a great way to see the music (and I was alone last night, so got to talk with some of the people around me). 

Now on to the second night.  You know where I intend to be...