by Gary Sacco

Created on: September 14, 2009

While I think that it's very healthy to engage in different activities I've never done before, accomplishing that objective is another matter. Incredulously, I waited eight years to sample one of my hometown's emerging treasures, the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Though the Flower City's sidewalks figuratively roll up from October through March, Spring/Summer is quite vibrant. Mid-May's Lilac Festival may be Rochester's attendance champion. Yet, as I discovered, the Jazz Festival, refreshingly featuring downtown venues, may be the most ascendant.

The three of us secured upper balcony tickets, at an astonishingly reasonable 20 dollars each, for Tuesday night, June 16's double bill featuring ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and the strangely named Carolyn Wonderland. The historic Eastman Theater was the venue. Two of us were familiar with the city made the bone-headed decision to drive right there. We figured that the Scio Street Parking Garage, virtually attached to the theater, would be a good call. Predictably, it had reached maximum capacity. We actually cruised down East Avenue, away from the main festival area, and parked in a lot just east of the Inner Loop overpass. I'd recommend parking on the festival's outskirts and walking the three of four blocks.

We really had to squeeze our way through packed Jazz Street usually known as Gibbs, a very short connector between East Ave and East Main St. A hip sounding band was rolling its way through one of many, many free concerts. Organizers offered a number of freebies every night. We did shuffle through the throng and finally reached the venue. The Eastman Theater, a small piece of the Kodak founder's wonderful legacy here, is a very compact, and antiquated, structure. Entranceways are very narrow, as are the aisles. Seating is extremely tight. The decor is tasteful and classically opulent, centered by a shimmering chandelier. Did I mention the heavenly acoustics?

We knew a little about Shimabukuro. Last year, reports estimated that over 1200 people were turned away from the small club he played at. In 2009, he landed at the festival's largest indoor venue. From the moment this humble, youthful genius began playing, curiosity yielded to a shocking virtuosity. The tones, sounds and expressions he pulled from that simple four string folk instrument were inspirational. Shimabukuro's talent demonstrated the ukulele's once unknown versatility. Whether he delicately presented an old Japanese folk song,

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