by Ben Giesen
DownBeat music magazine describes the Tri-C JazzFest as a performance series that provides “the type of top-tier talent typically found at a much larger festival.”
Wandering through this year’s JazzFest, I encountered no shortage of groups that fit the description of “top-tier talent.” Yet, the most captivating entertainers were the ones that understood their audience on a truly personal level. From the performances I saw, no other group fostered this connection quite like the duo of trumpeter Dominick Farinacci and pianist Jon Thomas.
Both Cleveland natives and both globally acclaimed, these artists can enchant a room with their wit just as much as they can with their music. In fact, when they took the stage at The Hanna Theatre on day two of the 2026 Tri-C JazzFest, there was hardly a break in the music when they weren’t bantering with an audience member.
The 41st Tri-C JazzFest set a high bar for any virtual concerts to come, with excellent performances by local artists and a slick presentation. I heard the Friday and Sunday showings of the three-night festival, which ran from August 21-23.
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz orchestra brought a lively set to the Ohio Theatre on Friday, June 28 as part of Tri-C JazzFest. Joined by the incomparable talent of Dianne Reeves and trumpetist Dominick Farinacci, the evening was a joyous celebration of Cleveland-born jazz legend Tadd Dameron. 
The Saturday, June 30 performances at the Tri-C Jazz Fest began with a captivating set by Vinicius Cantuaria. During the 1:00 pm, seventy-minute concert at the intimate Hanna Theater, the Brazilian took the audience on a sonic journey of the enthralling world of bossa novas. There were no long introductions and no gimmicky jokes, he and his band came onstage and let their music do the talking.
Eight core musicians from three continents gather around the music of Billy Drewes in the latest release on the Oberlin Music label,