Samara Joy And Lee Ritenour Are First Two Headliners Announced For Rochester International Jazz Festival In June 2024

CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival producers Marc Iacona and John Nugent today announced the first two headliners for the 21st Edition June 21 to June 29, 2024. The Festival is one of the world's leading jazz festivals, presenting 1750 artists from around the world at 20 venues over nine days.

Tickets for both shows go on sale this Friday, December 8th at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time only at rochesterjazz.com or call (585) 454-2060.

2023 GRAMMY-winning Artist of the Year, Samara Joy, who performed in sold-out shows at RIJF in 2022 and 2023 in the festival's signature Club Pass Series, returns in 2024 as a headliner Friday, June 28 at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets are $83/$73/$53/$33 plus service charge and go on sale Friday, December 8th at 10 a.m. EST.

Jazz guitar legend, Lee Ritenour makes his RIJF debut on Saturday, June 22, with his band and special guests Randy Brecker and Bill Evans. The concert is at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester. Tickets are $83/$73/$53/$33 plus service charge and go on sale Friday, December 8th at 10 a.m. EST.

Samara Joy

Friday, June 28, 2024, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 8 PM

Samara Joy returns to RIJF for her third performance! Her shows at RIJF's Club Pass Series in 2022 and 2023 sold out! With her GRAMMY-Award-winning and chart- topping album, Linger Awhile, 23-year-old Samara Joy makes her case to join the likes of Sarah, Ella, and Billie as the next mononymous jazz singing sensation recorded by the venerable Verve Records. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King and appearances on the TODAY Show, The Tonight Show with jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS Mornings, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and more, in addition to millions of likes on TikTok — cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. The New York Times praised the “silky-voiced rising star” for “helping jazz take a youthful turn” while NPR All Things Considered named her a “classic jazz singer from a new generation.” In February 2023, Samara Joy took home two GRAMMYs—Best Jazz Vocal Album and the auspicious Best New Artist award. Read more

Lee Ritenour Band + Special Guests Randy Brecker & Bill Evans

Saturday, June 22, 2024, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 8 PM

His RIJF debut! For Lee Ritenour, there aren’t many ‘firsts’ left to achieve. During his dazzling five-decade career, the fabled LA guitarist has taken his music to the outer limits, alighting on every genre and occupying every position in the rock ‘n’ roll firmament. He’s been an enfant terrible of ’70s fusion, a crossover star of the ’80s pop chart, an honorary exponent of Brazilian jazz, and the fingers behind ’90s supergroup, Fourplay. Ritenour’s accolades include 45 albums,16 Grammy nominations, Alumnus of the Year at USC, Los Angeles’ Jazz Society Honoree (2019), plus thousands of sessions with legends such as Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, B.B. King, and Tony Bennett, among others. Read more

CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival

The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival is one of the world’s leading jazz festivals. Held annually in Rochester, NY, more than 211,000 music fans attend the nine-day festival, which presents 300 shows – including more than 100 free shows – with more than 1750 artists from around the world at 20 venues, all within walking distance. The Festival was founded in 2002 and is produced by RIJF, LLC, a privately held company owned by John Nugent and Marc Iacona. 2024 marks the festival's 21st Edition.