| Date | Venue | Artist | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20-22 | Ridge Crest Inn | Randy Weston Trio & Cecil Payne | Intermission with Sara Amiger (p), Al Bruno (b), Don Manning (d) |
| Jan 31- Feb 05 | Ridge Crest Inn | Dizzy Gillespie Band | "Last appearance before European tour" |
| Feb 07 | Auditorium Theater | Count Basie & Birdland Stars of '56 | Count Basie Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan, Al Hibbler, Johnny Smith, Joe Williams, Lester Young, Bud Powell, East-West Jazz Septet |
| Feb 08-12 | Band Box | Marian McPartland Trio | with Joe Morello (d) |
| Feb 10-12 | Ridge Crest Inn | Wild Bill Moore | Intermission with Bill Traikoff's band featuring Russ Musseri |
| Feb 17-19 | Ridge Crest Inn | Bull Moose Jackson | Intermission with Bill Traikoff band |
| Feb 17-20 | Band Box | Terry Gibbs Quintet | Featuring Terry Pollard (p) |
| Feb 18 | Sheraton Hotel Ballroom | Claude Thornhill Orchestra | 14-pieces - Sponsored by the Friendship Club of Rochester |
| Feb 22-?? | Terrace Gardens | Tony Pastor Orchestra | |
| Feb 24-26 | Ridge Crest Inn | Art Farmer | with blues singer Joan Shaw |
| Feb 27 - Mar 04 | Band Box | Buddy DeFranco-Pete Jolly Quartet | |
| Mar 02-03 | Ridge Crest Inn | Crown Prince Charles Waterford | Intermission with Bill Traikoff band |
| Mar 05-11 | Band Box | Johnny Smith Quartet & Beverly Kenney | |
| Mar 08-11 | Ridge Crest Inn | Al Belletto Sextet | |
| Mar 09 | University of Rochester River Campus (upper Strong Auditorium) | Kai Winding-J.J. Johnson Quintet Concert (produced by U of R students - University of Rochester Jazz Society) | with Dick Katz (review says Ronnie Ball - I remember Katz) (p), Al Cotton (b), Al Harewood (d) |
| Mar 13-18 | Ridge Crest Inn | Modern Jazz Quartet | Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Connie Kay |
| Mar 16 | Auditorium Theater | Will Moyle (WVET) Presents Louis Armstrong & the All Stars and Woody Herman & the Third Herd | Featuring Trummy Young (tb), Velma Middleton (v), Victor Feldman (vib), Bill Harris (tb), Arno Marsh (ts), Dick Collins (t) |
| Mar 18-19 | Town Casino | Erroll Garner Trio, Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson | |
| Mar 20-25 | Band Box | Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers | with Donald Byrd (t), Hank Mobley (ts), Horace Silver (p), Doug Watkins (b) |
| Mar 26 - Apr 01 | Band Box | Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet | with Sonny Rollins (ts), Richie Powell (p), George Morrow (b) |
| Mar 31-Apr 01 | Ridge Crest Inn | Charlie Rouse | |
| Apr 01-15 | Cotton Club | Milt Buckner | |
| Apr 03-08 | Ridge Crest Inn | Miles Davis Quintet | with John Coltrane (ts), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones (d) |
| Apr 04-08 | Band Box | Teddy Wilson Trio | with Gene Ramey (b), Jo Jones (d) |
| Apr 08 | Golden Grill | Duke Ellington Orchestra | one night only |
| Apr 09-15 | Band Box | Hampton Hawes Trio | with Red Mitchell (b), Chuck Thompson (d) |
| Apr 11 | Squeezers (Band Box) | Stuff Smith Trio | Sunday Jazz Concert and Max McCarthy and his All Stars |
| Apr 12-15 | Town Casino | Australian Jazz Quartet | |
| Apr 20-22 | Ridge Crest Inn | Sonny Stitt | Intermission with Bill Traikoff's band and Rosalie Michaels (v) |
| Apr 23-29 | Band Box | Mel Torme | |
| Apr 24-29 | Cotton Club | Bull Moose Jackson | |
| Apr 26 | Auditorium Theater | Record Star Parade of 1956 | Ted Heath Orchestra [with Ronnie Verrell (d)], Nat King Cole, June Christy, Four Freshmen (Don Barbour, Russ Barbour, Bob Flanigan, Ken Albers) |
| May 01-06 | Ridge Crest Inn | Wild Bill Davis Trio | |
| May 01-06 | Cotton Club | Jimmy Smith Organ Combo | "Direct from Small's Paradise" |
| May 08-13 | Cotton Club | Roy Eldridge | |
| May 14-20 | Cotton Club | Eddie Cleanhead Vinson | |
| May 15 | Ridge Crest Inn | A scheduled appearance by the Oscar Peterson Trio was cancelled. | |
| May 18-20 | Ridge Crest Inn | Tony Scott Quartet | |
| May 29-Jun 03 | Ridge Crest Inn | Gene Krupa Trio | |
| May 29-? | Cotton Club | Richard Otto-Sarah McLawler | Also listed for 06-05 opening |
| Jun 13-? | Cotton Club | Eddie Cleanhead Vinson | |
| Jun 18-24 | Surf Club | George Shearing Quintet | |
| Jun 22,23 | Jerry's El Rancho | Beryl Booker | "Direct from Birdland"; also appears several other weekends in June-August |
| Jun 22-24 | Band Box | Hampton Hawes Trio | Initial ad indicates alternate sets with Billy Taylor Trio ("continuous music") but Taylor not listed in subsequent ads |
| Jun 25-30 | Surf Club | Teddi King | |
| Jun 26-Jul 01 | Ridge Crest Inn | Bobby Hackett | and 6 piece orchestra |
| Jun 30 | Golden Grill | Wild Bill Davison | |
| Jul 7-9 | Ridge Crest Inn | Modern Jazz Quartet | |
| Jul 27-29 | Ridge Crest Inn | Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop and Jimmy Rushing | Plus Sara Amiger |
| Aug 2-5, 24-26 | Ridge Crest Inn | Al Belletto Sextet | |
| Aug 14-19 | Ridge Crest Inn | Neal Hefti Quintet and Frances Wayne | "Exclusively on Epic Records"; "Former Woody Herman Vocalist" |
| Aug 31-Sep 01 | Golden Grill | Bobby Hackett | Plus the Dixieland Ramblers |
| Sep 01-02 | Ridge Crest Inn | Al Belletto Sextet | |
| Sep 04-09 | Ridge Crest Inn | Charlie Ventura All Star Quintet | with Billy Bean (g), Dave McKenna (p), Richard Davis (b), Mousie Alexander (d); "Direct from Birdland" |
| Sep 08 | Jerry's El Rancho | Beryl Booker | |
| Sep 18-23 | Ridge Crest Inn | Teddy Wilson Trio | with Al Lucas (b), either Jo Jones or Bobby Donaldson (d) |
| Oct 09-13 | Ridge Crest Inn | Kai Winding Four Trombones | |
| Oct 17-21 | Ridge Crest Inn | Gene Krupa Trio | with Eddie Shu |
| Oct 23-28 | Ridge Crest Inn | Carmen McRae & Trio | |
| Oct ?? | Cotton Club | Roland Kirk Trio | "A Great New Gimmick" |
| Oct 31 | Town Casino | Sylvia Syms | |
| Nov 02-03 | Ridge Crest Inn | Beryl Booker | Plus Sara Amiger trio |
| Nov 06-11 | Ridge Crest Inn | Erroll Garner Trio | Plus Beryl Booker & Al Bruno |
| Nov 14-17 | Ridge Crest Inn | Al Belletto Sextet | Plus Beryl Booker & Slam Stewart |
| Nov 20-25 | Ridge Crest Inn | Eddie Heywood Trio | Plus Beryl Booker & Slam Stewart |
| Nov 27-30 | Ridge Crest Inn | Beryl Booker & Slam Stewart | |
| Dec 04-09 | Ridge Crest Inn | J.J. Johnson Quintet | Featuring Bobby Jaspar; Plus Beryl Booker & Slam Stewart |
| Dec 13-14 | Ridge Crest Inn | Beryl Booker & Slam Stewart | |
| Dec 21-23 | Ridge Crest Inn | Joya Sherrill | Plus Beryl Booker, Slam Stewart, Don Manning |
| Dec 26-31 | Ridge Crest Inn | Frances Wayne & Neal Hefti | Plus Beryl Booker, Slam Stewart, Don Manning |
| Dec 28-29 | Band Box | Doug Duke |
Note: This list is not comprehensive. Many clubs did not advertise their bookings. The information is taken from microfilm of the Rochester Times-Union stored at the main library in Rochester, NY.
Rochester, NY Venue Locations:
Auditorium Theater – 875 Main St. E.
Band Box (Squeezers) – 420 State St.
Cotton Club – 222 Joseph Ave.
Golden Grill = Mardi Gras – 4775 Lake Ave.
Jerry’s El Rancho – 3015 W. Henrietta Rd.
Ridge Crest Inn – 1982 Ridge Rd. E.
Surf Club – 752 Edgemere Dr.
Terrace Gardens – 1151 Ridgeway Ave.
Town Casino – 681 Main St, Buffalo, NY