I set a trap for myself, and fell in. I made an early prediction about the best show of the festival when we were only halfway through it. And another show on Day 6 rose to the occasion, which will be added to my personal ‘best of RIJF 2026.’ That…
Posts published in “Field Notes”
10:32 PM: Jamie Baum had more than a septet with her in her show at the Theater at Innovation Square. She had 10 musicians—an decet—including herself. That’s a lot of timbres and textures to work with, in terms of compositions and arrangements. On the flute and alto flute, she was…
Hiromi was restrained on Tuesday night. Those who saw her late concert, and who were seeing her for the first time, might think that’s a preposterous thing to write. One person, after the concert, called it “caffeinated jazz.” Compared to most performers, she was dynamic and energetic, scaling the keyboard…
11:48 PM Hiromi and Sonicwonder took the audience to wild, electrified places in her 9:30 p.m. show in Kodak Hall. She opened with the tune “Sonicwonderland,” the title track from her band’s debut album, which I consider an anthem of sorts for her. And then she played her four-part suite,…
I started Monday night with a rough plan to hit three artists: the probing pianist Paul Cornish in Hatch, the grooving guitarist Dave Stryker at the Theater at Innovation Square, and then the outstanding NYC All Stars in Temple Theater. I hit all three, plus three more: the Headhunters in…