Concert Spotlights
Festival Feature No. 1 Double Bill:
Dominick Farinacci & Friends
Taylor Eigsti and Christian Tamburr Celebrate the Music of Chick Corea and Gary Burton
Showcasing Cleveland’s Jazz Legacy
If you’ve seen the concerts at JazzFest curated by Dominick Farinacci in recent years, you know there is always a storyline and to expect the unexpected.
No matter where Farinacci goes, he credits the jazz veterans of Cleveland, who welcomed him on their bandstands and gave him a solid foundation for swing, ballads and taste.
On June 28, Farinacci will celebrate Cleveland's saxophone dynasty with Ernie Krivda, Howie Smith and Ken LeeGrand, whose unique voices and commitment to education have helped shape the sound of the Cleveland music community for more than 50 years. The concert will also highlight the next generation of young artists from Cleveland: bassist Jordan McBride, drummer Gabe Jones and percussionist Patrick Graney. Special guests include vocalist Shenel Johns, pianist Richard Johnson and vibraphonist Christian Tamburr, who have toured with Farinacci for several years.
Dominick Farinacci
"…a trumpeter of abundant poise," who "plays beautifully, with expressive control" and "brings true musicality." — The New York Times
Dominick Farinacci ranks among the most acclaimed trumpeters and educators of his generation, with a list of career achievements that push beyond the conventional notions of recognition for a jazz musician. Born and raised in Cleveland, he was just 17 when one of his most important mentors, Wynton Marsalis, chose him to perform in a special program for PBS. While still a student in Juilliard's inaugural class of Jazz Studies majors, he hit the ground running as a recording artist and bandleader — first in Japan, where he released eight albums in short order, and later globally.
At Marsalis' request, Farinacci spearheaded an outpost of Jazz at Lincoln Center in Doha, Qatar, from 2012-2016. His star-filled 2016 album, Short Stories, was developed with music-industry legend and producer Tommy LiPuma. Six years later, Farinacci received the Cleveland Arts Prize, arguably his hometown's most prestigious honor.
About those saxophone giants and special guests:
Ken LeeGrand is the director of J@MS (the Cleveland Music School Settlement) and the resident artist for the Grammy Signature School in the Shaker Heights School District’s band department. He has also given private lessons to thousands of students over the past 40 years. Known for his inspirational saxophone solos, LeeGrand has shared his virtuosity with an array of artists from diverse genres, including gospel, pop, R&B and jazz.
A virtuoso saxophonist, composer and jazz musician, Howie Smith does not easily fit into a single category. He has performed with musicians, organizations and composers, ranging from Elvis Presley to the Cleveland Orchestra. He has taught at major academic institutions in the United States and Australia and has served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts. No matter what the setting, Smith is always pushing the music forward and striving to make bold and imaginative statements.
Ernie Krivda is one of Cleveland's most accomplished, awarded and well-known jazz artists. In addition to performing and composing, Krivda is a committed jazz educator. He holds the distinction of having been the first teacher hired by the Tri-C Jazz Studies program and served as its former artistic director. Krivda began his official professional career in 1963 with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. During the 1960s, he played in the bands of two Cleveland legends, organist Eddie Baccus Sr. and guitarist Bill DeArango. He also played in the house band at Leo's Casino that backed a wealth of legendary Motown acts. In the '90s, he founded Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Big Band, one of Northeast Ohio's best-known swinging big bands. He continues to play and lead the critically acclaimed Ernie Krivda Jazz Quintet.
Shenel Johns (vocal)
Shenel Johns is "history in the making," as declared by The Boston Globe following her performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. A vibrant jazz vocalist known for her fearless presence and remarkable range, Johns blends her roots in gospel and reggae with refined jazz artistry.
Richard Johnson (piano)
Born in Pittsburgh, a city rich in jazz heritage, pianist and composer Richard D. Johnson was introduced to the piano at age 5 by his father, a gospel musician. He went on to study at top institutions, earning degrees from Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz at UCLA under Ron Carter.
Johnson's performance career includes tenures with Wynton Marsalis' Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (2000-2003) as well as collaborations with Russell Malone, Delfeayo Marsalis, Bobby Watson and jazz icons like Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath and Arturo Sandoval.
Jordan McBride (bass)
Jordan McBride picked up the bass at age 12 and began to develop a sound influenced by the Philadelphia jazz scene. As a teen, McBride studied with jazz greats such as bassists Andy McCloud and Mike Boone, often trailing musicians into jazz clubs around Philadelphia. McBride holds an Artist Diploma from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he worked with Peter Dominguez and Gerald Cannon. Before entering college, McBride had the opportunity to work with jazz legend Jimmy Heath.
McBride has shared the stage with Orrin Evans, Nathan-Paul, Andrew Finn Magill, Kathy Kosins and many others and is a founding member of the Theron Brown Trio.
Patrick Graney (percussion)
Patrick Duke Graney is a Cleveland-born multi-instrumentalist and percussionist known for his expansive, global approach to rhythm and sound. His foundation in music began as a dancer at age 10 before evolving into a deep passion for the drums. A formative mentorship with world-renowned percussionist Jamey Haddad greatly influenced his rhythmic and improvisational style.
Graney graduated from Tri-C's Jazz Studies program, holds a bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (2017) and a master's degree from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain (2019), where he received the Outstanding Scholar Award. Following his studies, he moved to Dubai to lead the drums and percussion department at Studio Republik, collaborating with acclaimed bassist Daniele Camarda and teaching students of all ages.
As a performer, Graney has appeared on over 30 albums (2019-2022) and toured internationally.
Gabe Jones (drums)
Gabe Jones is an extraordinarily gifted drummer based in Cleveland. He graduated from Cleveland School of the Arts and attended the Tri-C JazzFest Academy and the Recording Arts and Technology program at Tri-C. He has become one of the most frequently called drummers in Cleveland and has toured with Modern Warrior LIVE and Dominick Farinacci for the past several years.
The second half of the program is a tribute to the decades-long partnership of Chick Corea and Gary Burton, with Taylor Eigsti and Christian Tamburr.
Christian Tamburr is an internationally acclaimed vibraphonist, pianist, composer and arranger. A five-time Downbeat Magazine "Critics Choice Top Rising Star" on vibraphone, he leads the Christian Tamburr Quintet, appearing at venues like Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Newport Jazz Festival.
Tamburr has served as a musical director and arranger for numerous high-profile productions, including Modern Warrior LIVE and Clint Holmes' Rendezvous. He has toured with Julio Iglesias and performed with legends like Dave Brubeck and Michael Feinstein.
As the CEO of Sonic Leadership, he brings music-driven leadership programs to companies worldwide and curates The Acoustic Confidential, a boutique concert series. His work spans film, television, cruise lines and international festivals, and he regularly conducts workshops for students and professionals across the globe.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning, New York City-based pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti started playing the piano when he was 4 years old. Growing up in Menlo Park, California, Eigsti was quickly labeled a prodigy and has since released nine albums as a bandleader, in addition to appearing on over 80 albums as a sideman.
In February 2025, Eigsti won his second Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his ninth album, Plot Armor (2024, GroundUP Music), following a 2022 Grammy Award win for his eighth album, Tree Falls (2021, GSI Records), in the same category.
Eigsti has garnered a total of four individual Grammy nominations over the years for his work as a recording artist and composer, including Best Instrumental Composition and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, in addition to being featured on several other Grammy-nominated albums by Gretchen Parlato and Julian Lage and cowriting a featured composition with Don Cheadle for the Grammy-winning soundtrack for the motion picture Miles Ahead (2017).
Eigsti was the winner of Downbeat Magazine’s 72nd Annual "Critics Poll for Rising Star Pianist of the Year" for 2024.
For more than 30 years, Eigsti has had the good fortune of performing, touring or recording with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Joshua Redman, Sting, John Mayer, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea, Joshua Bell, Snarky Puppy, Vanessa Williams, David Benoit, Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Michael Nesmith, Marian McPartland, Stefon Harris, McCoy Tyner, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Vince Mendoza, Joey DeFrancesco, Red Holloway, James Moody, Lalah Hathaway, Ernestine Anderson, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Becca Stevens, Casey Abrams and Tarriona "Tank" Ball, to name a few.