Join Classical 91.5's Mona Seghatoleslami at Granite Mills Park in High Falls for Hochstein at High Falls, a free lunchtime concert series, presented by High Falls Business Association, Hochstein School of Music & Dance, WXXI, and Monroe Community College (MCC). Mona welcomes a new band to the park each week. Please note: This is a live concert series, and will not be broadcast on WXXI radio.
Concerts begin at 12:10 pm at the Granite Mills Park near the Pont de Rennes Bridge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and lunch, or pick up a lunch at the many area restaurants. Each performance will run approximately 50 minutes. New this year: the rain location is at MCC’s downtown campus and in the event of rain, the change in venue will be announced via social media. Note that the June 14 concert is scheduled to take place at MCC as a special campus event.
June 7: The Dady Brothers
Thursday, June 7; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Western New York’s favorite troubadours, The Dady Brothers are a musical duo who have been performing and winning the hearts of crowds professionally for more than 40 years. John and Joe Dady’s music transcends genres and generations by melding American folk roots and Irish traditional influences into an amalgam of sound that is uniquely their own. Highly skilled players and singers, they have performed well over 5,000 shows at concert halls, schools, music festivals, and nightclubs from Alaska to Ireland, the Caribbean to Nova Scotia. Their instruments include guitar, four- and five-string banjo, pennywhistle, ukulele, fiddle, mandolin, bodhran, harmonica, concertina, and the uilleann pipes. www.dadybros.com
June 14: Madeleine McQueen
Thursday, June 14; 12:10 pm; special concert on campus at Monroe Community College, 321 State Street, Rochester, NY; free.
Madeleine McQueen cuts through her own tunes with a powerful voice, weaving poetic lyrics with unique melodies that envelope each song she pens. Her musical influences range from Nirvana and Florence Welch to Amy Winehouse and Joni Mitchell. City Newspaper says, “Madeleine McQueen projects spiritually and soulfully with a beguiling innocence and resolve over a bed of pop-rock splendor and sparkle.” For this concert, she will be joined by Will Smillie, guitar; Dylan Niver, drums; and Mike Wall, bass. http://madeleinemcqueen.com
June 21: Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers
Thursday, June 21; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Collectively and individually, the Bradley Brothers have performed for 30 years across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers is the brainchild of singer and guitarist Todd Bradley, who has painstakingly studied the works of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luis Bonfa, and Baden Powell, among others. Mark Bradley (sax and vocals), Julio Pabon (percussion), and Brian Williams (bass) are in demand throughout the Rochester area as sidemen and session players. Pianist and trumpeter Scott Bradley is a songwriter whose work with the Bill Tiberio Band can be heard on local and internet jazz stations. www.facebook.com/bradleybrothersmusic
June 28: The White Hots
Thursday, June 28; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Named for one of Rochester’s gastronomic specialties, The White Hots are a blues, swing, and jazz group who perform everything from mellow instrumental music to swing dances with a full band. Musicians and music critics rave about them, dancers swing to them, and people who just like interesting music love their live shows and CDs. The band includes Tina Albright, vocals; Ted Mosher, bass; Aleksandar Disljenkovic, guitar; Steve Greene, guitar; Bill Blind, percussion. www.thewhitehots.com
July 12: Watkins & the Rapiers
Thursday, July 12; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Watkins & the Rapiers play an eclectic mix of acoustic music incorporating echoes of Cajun, country, jug band music, reggae, soul, and swing. The band’s repertoire includes more than 60 quirky original songs written by band members, as well as covers of songs by artists as diverse as The Band, Travelling Wilburys, Steve Earle, and Colorblind James, among others. The band has been rocking out in the Greater Rochester area since January 1996, when the band was formed on a lark to fill an empty performance slot at the Rose & Crown Pub. The band includes Scott Regan, Kerry Regan, Tom Whitmore, Marty York, Steve Piper, and Rick McRae. www.rapiers.org
July 19: Hanna & the Blue Hearts
Thursday, July 19; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Hanna and the Blue Hearts channel a wide variety of the blues, from pre-war styles to ‘50s and ‘60s Chicago blues to boogie-woogie, as well as influences from jazz and swing. People often use the expression ‘tickling the ivories,’ but if you see the way Hanna plays, it’s anything but tickling. Her solid left hand reflects on those traditional blues masters’ rocking and shuffling bass patterns, while her right hand grooves along, dancing all over those 88s, and also adding her sultry voice. She is joined by guitarist Aleks Disljenkovic, organist Gian Carlo Cervone, and drummer Tony Hiler. http://hearhanna.com/blue_hearts.shtml
July 26: Mambo Kings
Thursday, July 26; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Together since 1995, the Mambo Kings are enjoying great success as Upstate New York’s foremost Latin jazz ensemble, and have rapidly earned a national reputation for their explosive blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisation. They have appeared in Pops concerts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as orchestras in Baltimore, Vancouver, Detroit, Dallas, Naples (FL), and Portland (OR), The band consists of Mambo Kings’ musical director and pianist Richard DeLaney, percussionist Freddy Colón, saxophonist John Viavattine, bassist Hector Diaz, and percussionist Tony Padilla. www.mambokingdom.com
August 2: Hypnotic Clambake
Thursday, August 2; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Originally from Boston, MA, Hypnotic Clambake is now based in Western NY and performs throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. This award-winning group puts on some of the most eclectic live music shows around, everything from polkas and tangos to zydeco and klezmer, mixed with a twist of lime to create their unique sound. Full of irresistible grooves and lyrics, their music explores life, robots, the daily grind, hope, refrigerators, and the integrity of humanity. The band includes Maury Rosenberg, accordion/keyboards; JoAnn Vaccaro, guitar; Chris Reynolds, bass; Tim Hull, tenor sax/clarinet; and Mark Phillips, drums. http://hypnoticclambake.com/
August 9: Crooked North Duo
Thursday, August 9; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
The Crooked North is an all-acoustic original Americana band that features some of the top bluegrass players in the area. They capture the high energy of a new generation of modern bluegrass, the gritty soul of great American songwriting, and the Rust Belt ethos of their Western New York home. Their music features virtuosic instrumental jams, tight harmony singing, and compelling original songs. The band has played clubs and festivals across New York State, including Brantling Bluegrass Festival, Rochester Fringe Festival, and the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. This concert features Ben Proctor on banjo, dobro, and vocals and Rita Proctor on vocals and mandolin. https://thecrookednorth.com/
August 16: Genesee Johnny
Thursday, August 16; 12:10 pm; Granite Mills Park, Platt/Browns Race, Rochester, NY; free.
Genesee Johnny (a.k.a. John R. Sacheli) takes Mississippi Delta blues and incorporates Chicago and modern blues, as well as folk, early country and rock ‘n’ roll, and some original songs as well for his unique brand of Genesee delta blues. Harmonica ace Tim Brinduse adds his soulful harp and vocals; Dan Lopata brings the low end on upright bass and occasional backing vocals. Their debut album, National Grid, was released in August 2014. http://geneseejohnny.wixsite.com/geneseejohnny
