A Look at the 2008 Rochester International Jazz Festival in New York

Since 2002, Rochester New York has hosted the annual Rochester International Jazz Festival. The music festival has grown each year and currently offers some incredible music performances that are held at various venues throughout the city. Having a diverse group of venues really expands the experience of every single performance that takes place during the nine-day festival.

The 2008 festival will run from June 13th through June 21st and is expected to pull in well over 100,000 people from across the world. To put into perspective how much the festival has grown in popularity, the very first run of the festival attracted only 15,000 people. Over the years there have been an incredible list of performers who have performed and made appearances at the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Tony Bennett, Woody Allen, Al Jarreau, Aretha Franklin, Chick Corea, David Sanborn, and Norah Jones are just a small few who have performed at this event.

Performers expected to perform during the 2008 festival include Al Green, Boz Scaggs, Joe Bonamassa, The Kentucky Headhunters, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Frank Sinatra Jr., and so many more. In fact, this years festival will include approximately 800 artists from across the globe. The festival offers a nice mix of both free and paid concerts. The tickets to the event are general quite reasonable considering the broad variety of performances offered.

The Rochester International Jazz Festival is widely known as one of the most fastest growing music festivals in the United States. The event caters to music lovers of all kinds, and has a unique and diverse cultural appeal which connects with the performers and the audience. If jazz music is something you are interested in, I highly recommend an event like this, simply because of the vast amount of concerts that take place during the full run of the festival.

Those attending the 2008 festival can expect to pay anywhere between $27.50 and $85.00 (plus applicable service charges) for the headliner shows. There are Club Pass Series show tickets which are offered for $20 and $25 at the door of the event. If you plan on attending a large portion of the shows during the nine day run, you may want to consider purchasing a full Club Pass which will cost $125 to $135 plus service charges, if purchased in advance.

Visit the official Web site of the Rochester International Jazz Festival if you are interested in learning more about this years events and previous festivals that have taken place. The website offers full details including event schedules, ticket price information, merchandise, event photos, and more.