Sheila E. will headline CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival Wednesday night

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Downtown Rochester is once again filled with live music from all-star acts and crowds across multiple outdoor and indoor stages.

The 21st annual CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival continues on Wednesday. The nine-day festival features over 325 shows across 20 stages. Some of the venues include Kilbourn Hall, Montage Music Hall, the Little Theatre, and the Inn on Broadway. There will also be free jazz workshops.

Sheila E., the legendary drummer and singer known for her collaborations with Prince and other music superstars, will hold a free show with her group on Wednesday night. She’s headlining the show at 9 p.m. on Parcel 5.

The festival runs through Saturday, June 29. It typically draws over 200,000 people. You can search for shows and get tickets or club passes on the festival’s website here.

News10NBC spoke with festival co-producer Mark Iacona about what he’s most looking forward to this year. We also have a warning about forged tickets for the festival.

News10NBC has spoken with musicians and business owners about the impact of the festival. The Duke and The Inn on Broadway are both hosting intimate performances each night of the festival this year, expecting a boost in business. Hyatt Regency is also hosting free nightly jam sessions. We also spoke with unaffiliated musicians who are performing on sidewalks or inside restaurants during the festival. You can see a recap of the opening night of the festival here.

Who are the free headliners?

As always, the festival will feature plenty of free acts, including the headliners at Parcel 5 and the East Avenue and Chestnut Street Stage. Here’s the lineup for the free headliners, which all begin at 9 p.m.

• Christone “Kingfish” Ingram: Saturday, June 22 at the East Avenue and Chestnut Street Stage. A Grammy-Award winning blues vocalist and guitarist.

• Sheila E. and the E-Train: Wednesday, June 26 at Parcel 5. Sheila E., the legendary drummer and singer known for her collaborations with Prince and other music superstars, will perform with her group.

• Los Lonely Boys: Thursday, June 27 at Parcel 5. The Texas-based rock trio Los Lonely Boys has sold 2.5 million records, won a Grammy, and received five more Grammy nominations in the span of their career.  

• Cimafunk: Friday, June 28 at Parcel 5. Cimafunk is a Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban artist. His music offers an innovative mix of funk, afrobeat and hip hop.

• Rejuvenation: Saturday June 29 at Parcel 5. A performance led by a New Orleans modern funk ensemble will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Meters’ iconic album Rejuvenation. It will feature the original members of The Meters’, George Porter Jr. on bass and Leo Nocentelli on guitar.

Which headliners require tickets?

There also headlining acts from music superstars, including Taj Mahal and John Oates, that require tickets. All of these performances are at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre and begin at 8 p.m.

• Taj Mahal: Friday, June 21. The legendary blues guitarist and multi-instrumentalist has three Grammy wins and 14 nominations.

• The Lee Ritenour Band: Saturday, June 22. The Los Angeles-based guitarist has explored several genres during his five decades of performing.

• Laufey: Wednesday, June 26. The Icelandic jazz vocalist and multi-instrumentalist won a 2024 Grammy award. Tickets are sold out.

• John Oates: Thursday, June 27. The co-founder of the chart-topping duo Hall & Oates will perform. Since forming their duo in the 1970s, John Oates and Daryl Hall have recorded 21 albums together and have sold over 80 million units, making them one of the most successful duos in rock history. 

• Samara Joy: Friday, June 28. The jazz vocalist has a Grammy win, a chart-topping album, and has performed on the TODAY Show among other TV shows.

When are the free jazz workshops?

The jazz festival includes workshops that aim to give music students of all ages the ability to learn from professional jazz musicians.

All of the workshops take place at the Eastman School of Music at the Ray Wright Room from 1 to 2:30 p.m. No registration is required for the workshops and all instruments are welcome. Here is the schedule:

• Monday, June 24. Saxophonist Tommy Smith
• Tuesday, June 25. Drummer Jae Sinnett
• Wednesday, June 26. Bassist Roberto Occhipinti
• Thursday, June 27. Saxophonist Johnny Johnson
• Friday, June 28. Trumpeter Mike Kaupa