Just like jazz itself, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival was built on history. It began in 2002, after John Nugent and Marc Iacona dreamed up a European-style musical event for Rochester.
Aretha Franklin sang at the first-ever festival, as well as up-and-comers Norah Jones and Chris Botti - laying the foundation for the event's reputation as testing ground for new talent.
Tony Bennett touched down in Rochester the following year, and jazz royalty would start to take notice by 2004 - with saxophonist David Sanborn taking the stage.
In 2005, jazz legend Sonny Rollins and singer Madeleine Peyroux added themselves to the list of Jazz Festival performers.
In 2006, two icons came to Rochester to give memorable performances - Woody Allen and the New Orleans Jazz Band & the "Godfather of Soul," James Brown.
During those formative years, attendance at the Jazz Festival grew steadily - from 15,000 to 80,000. Then in 2007, the East Avenue stage was added. With that addition, the crowd exploded - surging past 120,000.
2008 boasted a Newport-worthy line-up that included Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jeanie Bryson, the daughter of legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
2009 served up another plate of big names and big potentials. The big names included jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and Motown legend Smokey Robinson. Under big potential, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro became a popular rising star.
Then last year, guitar legend Jeff Beck became the festival's first performer to schedule a second show after the first one sold out. That second show would also fill up to capacity. That kind of demand now swings towards 2011, into the Jazz Festival's 10th anniversary edition.
