Or at least it could be, the space is great, the bands are great, they just need the crowd.

That's how it seemed to me on Friday night when I met Greg, Seth, and Christine at the Clarissa Room (formerly Shep's Paradise) to hear the Mike Melito quartet. Maybe it was the Labor Day weekend, or maybe there were other things going on in town, but the attendance was a bit sparse. It was nice not to have to deal with the crush of the RIJF crowd and the noise common at the Crowne Plaza gigs, but the music certainly was worthy of a larger audience with Melito, Mike Dubaniewicz, Bob Sneider, and Phil Flanigan providing a steady stream of quality jazz.

Keep an eye on the jazz@rochester postings and get out to hear some great music in a great setting.