Bill Dobbins Bill Dobbins is director of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble and Eastman Studio Orchestra, but European jazz aficionados know him as the long-time conductor of the WDR Big Band (1994-2002) and occasional conductor of the Metropole Orchestra. Dobbins is also an excellent pianist who has played with Clark Terry, Phil Woods, and Peter Erskine. (RN) esm.rochester.edu/faculty/dobbins_bill
Christian McBride & Inside Straight Listening to Christian McBride's lyrical — and impossibly dexterous — style, it's easy to understand why, soon after arriving in New York, he was the bassist of choice for Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Smith, and McCoy Tyner. McBride not only provides a solid foundation, he is perhaps the most melodic bassist on the scene today. (RN) christianmcbride.com
Cleveland Watkiss He has been the featured singer with symphony orchestras, but jazz vocalist extraordinaire Cleveland Watkiss is also capable of becoming the ultimate one-man band. With the help of digital loops he can construct a wondrous symphony starting with beat-box percussion and moving on to various instrumental and vocal sounds. (RN) clevelandwatkiss.net
Dr. John Dr. John —The Nite Tripper — originally slung guitar for cats like Professor Longhair, Joe Tex, Art Neville, and Frankie Ford before a gun-related mishap forced him to change direction toward the piano and organ. Instruments aside, it's The Dr.'s laid-back drawl that is truly the voice of New Orleans. (FD) nitetripper.com
Gap Mangione Big Band You might remember Gap Mangione from 1960's and 1970's recordings with his brother Chuck. Or you might have caught him in the 2007 recreation of Chuck's "Friends & Love" concert. Whether playing solo or with his big band, Gap has been a force on the Rochester scene for five decades. (RN) gapmangione.com
Gregoire Maret Move over, Toots Thielemans. There is finally another great jazz harmonica player. Born in Switzerland, Gregoire Maret was classically trained at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève. Since moving to New York he has played with George Benson, Cassandra Wilson, and Youssou N'Dour, and toured extensively with Pat Metheny. (RN) gregoiremaret.com
Hackensaw Boys Charlottesville, Virginia, upstarts The Hackensaw Boys represent everything about bluegrass and mountain music that revs up the genres' fans and scares off the philistines. This ragamuffin sextet doesn't so much play as it careens. This is what it sounds like when you've got yourself a hoedown. (FD) hackensawboys.com
Josh Panda & The Hot Damned Checking out a show by Vermont-based singer Josh Panda is like spinning the dial on your dashboard, with stops along the way to acoustic country, soul, and rock 'n' roll, with Van Morrison in the shotgun seat. Sweet, low down, and utterly righteous. (FD) reverbnation.com/joshuapanda
Kat Edmonson With her distinctive, wispy rasp of a voice, Kat Edmonson has emerged from the Austin, Texas, music scene to become one of the country's hottest up-and-coming jazz vocalists. She has already recorded and toured with Lyle Lovett and is poised to become the next crossover sensation. (RN) katedmonson.com
Nikki Yanofsky She made her debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival at the tender age of 12, and landed impresario Quincy Jones in her corner, so all eyes are on Nikki Yanofsky. Yanofsky's lilting voice is a beautiful and sweet contralto that divides its time between jazz phrasing and pop accessibility. Jazz doesn't need saving, but if it did, this Canadian chanteuse would be the one for the job. (FD) nikkiyanofsky.com
Noah Preminger Quartet w/Ben Monder Noah Preminger is among the most heralded of the new generation of saxophonists on the New York scene. His bold sound is perfectly complemented by the wonderfully impressionistic guitar style of Ben Monder, who has lent his talents to the bands of Paul Motian, Maria Schneider, and others. (RN) noahpreminger.com, benmonder.com
Patricia Barber Patricia Barber has a deep, richly textured, sexy voice, and when she wraps it around a song you know, the song will never be the same. She is also a formidable pianist with a distinctive style, combining a film-noir sense of forbidden romance with a hipster's cool detachment. (RN) patriciabarber.com
Pink Martini See feature on page 6. pinkmartini.com
Prime Time Brass With a drum corps and a bugle corps all in one, Prime Time Brass brings some big sound. The local group has played everything from "Sweet Caroline" to "Mack the Knife" and "Girl from Ipanema." (AC) primetimebrass.com
Robin McKelle & The Flytones Singer Robin McKelle has always enticed, enthralled, enamored, and elated audiences with her crystal pipes on stock-jazz joy. But on her new release, "Soul Flower," she has sharpened her pencil and written her own take on the idiom with splashes of gospel, soul, and blues. (FD) robinmckelle.com
Thiefs They may have flunked spelling, but Guillermo Brown is an innovative drummer and vocalist, Christophe Panzani has an entrancing sound on saxophone, Keith Witty plays a decidedly different brand of bass, and all three enhance their performances with electronics. Together they are Thiefs, the latest wild incarnation of the jazz trio. (RN) thiefs.bandcamp.com
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra This power-packed ensemble is one of the leading — and most innovative — groups to emerge from Norway's decidedly forward-looking jazz scene. Over the years the group's cutting-edge approach has attracted a steady stream of world-class guest artists like Joshua Redman, Chick Corea, and Pat Metheny. (RN) trondheimjazzorchestra.no
