Rochester, N.Y. – Let’s be honest, some of the headliners aren’t cheap.
But Mary Miskel is one of the many fans of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival who doesn’t mind shelling out some money to see premier acts in a relatively intimate setting.
“Steve Martin was worth it!” she exclaimed after the show. “He was worth it!”
Then there’s the kind of fan like Sherman Weeks. His Christmas gift was a club pass, which gets you into various smaller venues around Jazz Street.
“I’ve been doing this for nine years,” he said. “I used to go to five or six a night, now it’s more like three or four.”
The club pass requires some patience as it sometimes comes with a line.
“When it’s a great person you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do get in,” Weeks said.
Thousands of fans each year opt for the least inexpensive option: the free shows, which are by now means throwaways.
“I think it’s great that jazz is available to the general public, I mean paid shows are great but free shows are better because anybody can see them,” said Anna Gleason.
A much-anticipated free show is scheduled for this coming Saturday at East and Alexander.
There anyone and everyone can groove to Gov’t Mule and Trombone Shorty.
