Festival Goers’ Guide to the Rochester International Jazz Festival
May 17, 2006

Festival Store Opens May 22, 10 a.m.

Rochester, NY --May 17, 2006-- The Rochester International Jazz Festival (RIJF), one of the nation’s fastest growing music festivals, will soon be in full swing! For nine big days, June 9-17, music fans can enjoy more than 600 musicians perform in 170 concerts. To help music fans prepare, here is some helpful information.

Venues
The festival is presented in several series and held in 12 venues in and around the East End Cultural District in Downtown Rochester, NY. Park once and walk to most festival venues.

Senator Jim Alesi Eastman Theatre Headliner Series
60 Gibbs St., individual tickets required. Buy in advance or at the door. All concerts 8 p.m.
June 9 - Woody Allen & His New Orleans Jazz Band
June 10 - James Brown
June 12- ESM Jazz Scholarships Performance w/Byron Stripling (free)
June 13- An Evening with Phil Woods & Strings "BIRD LIVES!"
June 14- Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner
June 14 - McCoy Tyner Trio
June 15 - Wayne Shorter Quartet
June 16- Etta James & The Roots Band
June 16- Susan Tedeschi Band

Club Pass Series
100 plus concerts during nine days at Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music, Robert Mondavi Club Pass Big Tent, Max of Eastman Place, Milestones, Montage Grille, and the Little Theatre. Show times vary. Check schedule at www.rochesterjazz.com. No reserved seating. Unlimited access to all shows with the Club Pass. $15-25 single entry at the door without Club Pass. No advance sales, admission not guaranteed. Shows frequently sell out so arrive early. First come-first served!

Free Concerts - Outdoor Stages
Enjoy more than 50 free concerts. Rain or shine - all free outdoor shows will take place! See www.rochesterjazz.com for schedule.
- Strong Health Jazz Street Stage - Jazz St., 5, 6, 7:15 and 9:15 p.m. daily June 9-17
- Bank of America East Avenue Stage co-presented by Nextel - East Ave. at Chestnut St., 7 p.m. June 10 & 16, 7 & 9 p.m., June 17, 6, 7:30 & 9 p.m.
- Chrysler Performance Area - Jazz Street, variety of entertainment

Free Concerts: Rochester Area Community Foundation Museum & Gallery Series
- Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave, 4 p.m., June 9, 10, 11
- George Eastman House, 900 East Ave, 4 p.m., June 12, 13, 14
- Mary Jemison Riverboat, Corn Hill Landing on Exchange Blvd, 3 p.m., June 15, 16, 17

When Venue Doors Open
- Eastman Theatre - 45 minutes before each show
- Kilbourn Hall - 15 minutes before each show
- Big Tent - 30 minutes before each show
- Max - 30 minutes before shows
- Montage - 30 minutes before shows
- Milestones - 30 minutes before shows
- Little Theatre - 30 minutes before shows

Where to Buy Tickets
Ticketed show prices range from $15-$95 plus service charge. The Club Pass is $95 plus service charge. No advance sales on individual Club shows. Purchase Club Passes and tickets for Eastman Theatre Headliner shows at the door or in advance at:
- Ticketmaster/Ticket Express outlets & www.ticketmaster.com
- www.rochesterjazz.com
- Festival Store, open May 22, 10 Gibbs St. Rochester, NY 14607 Hours: May 22 to June 8: open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; June 9-17: daily, 10 a.m. to midnight (Service charge is $1 per Eastman ticket, $4 per Club Pass)
- Auditorium Theatre, 885 East Main Street, in Rochester, NY. 585-232-1900. (Service charge is $1 per Eastman ticket, $4 per Club Pass)

Special Discounts
Eastman theatre Show Tickets: at these locations only the service charge is $1 per ticket at the Festival store, 10 Gibbs St. and Auditorium Theatre, 885 East Main St.
Club Pass: Save 5% with an ACCESS Card (www.rochesteraccesscard.com), only at the Auditorium Theater. Save $2 off Club Pass with a 2006 GEVA ticket (www.gevatheatre.org), only at the Festival Store, 10 Gibbs St.

Make “Jazz Street” Your Destination!
- Gibbs Street will close to traffic all nine days June 9-17 from 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. and become “Jazz Street.”
- Fans are welcome to bring stadium or folding chairs to enjoy free outdoor concerts.
- A 30’ x 60’ curb-to-curb tent will cover a portion of Jazz Street to house the main Official Merchandise Store, sponsor kiosks, CD sales, and an area for autograph signings by festival artists. The tent has sides that can be rolled down if it rains, but sides will remain open on sunny days and the tent will be lit in the evenings.
- All sidewalks on both sides of the street remain useable.
- The RIJF Jazz Street Café will offer food service at tables.
- Many other food and beverages will be available from vendors and restaurants on Jazz St.

Parking
For Festival park at the East End Garage, 475 Main St. East, Rochester, NY 14604. $2 per car, starting 5:30 PM daily and weekends, (585) 325-7860

For Jam Sessions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel park in Sister Cities Garage, 8 N. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614, $4, evenings (after 5:30 p.m.), weekends free, (585) 423-9837

Festival Store & Info Center
Located at 10 Gibbs St. at the corner of Gibbs and East Avenue in the heart of the Festival. Purchase Club Passes and Eastman Theatre tickets, get information, programs, brochures, and select official festival merchandise. Open May 22 to June 8, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; June 9-17: daily, 10 a.m. to midnight. Festival office telephone: 585-234-2002.

Nightly Jam Sessions - Jazz Never Sleeps!
For late night Jam Sessions don’t miss the State St. Bar & Grill in the Crowne Plaza, official hotel of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. You never know who will stop by to play! Sessions start at 10:30 p.m. and run through 2:30 a.m.

Merchandise Tent, CD Sales & Artist Signings
Open on Jazz St. June 9-17, 5 p.m. daily. Purchase Official Festival Merchandise, and CDs of Festival artists sold courtesy of The Bop Shop. Artist autograph signings from 7:30 p.m. -10 p.m. daily according to artists’ availability. Buy official gear including t-shirts, camp shirts, caps, berets, fleece and denim jackets, performance t-shirts, MP3 player cases, coffee mugs, ties, and more.
Merchandise and select CDs also available at some venues. Merchandise also available online at www.rochesterjazz.com while supplies last starting May 22.

Food and Beverages
Food and beverages will be available at most venues during performances and at multiple locations outdoors on Jazz Street and East Avenue. There are also many restaurants within walking distance of all venues.

Checkpoints
RIJF encourages all patrons to drink responsibly. Checkpoints will be set up at all exposed entrances/exits so to remind people not to leave with alcoholic beverages. On nights of free East Avenue concerts, wristbands will be issued and will be required to purchase any alcoholic beverage from outdoor vendors. Individuals wishing to purchase alcoholic beverages must show ID with proof of age.

Street Closings
The following streets will be closed to vehicles during the festival:
- Gibbs Street, June 8 midnight to June 17 midnight
- East from Main to Chestnut June 10, 16 &17 from 8 a.m. to midnight
- East from Chestnut to Scio June 10, 16 & 17 from 4 p.m. to midnight

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Media Contact:
Jean Dalmath
Dalmath Associates Inc.
585-586-6650 (o)
585-755-6911 (c)
585-586-6513 (f)
jean@rochesterjazz.com
jdalmath@dalmath.com