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.