One of the things I enjoy most about jazz is hearing a familiar song become something entirely new.
Laura Dubin has a remarkable gift for doing exactly that.
At first, you notice her extraordinary technique. Spend a little more time with her music, however, and you begin to realize that technique isn’t what defines her. What sets Laura apart is her curiosity and her ability to discover something fresh within songs we thought we already knew.
That’s one of the reasons I believe audiences should experience her live.
Jazz has always been about interpretation. Every generation of musicians takes familiar melodies and finds new ways to tell their story. Laura understands that tradition beautifully, approaching every performance with equal parts imagination, respect, and joy.
One recording, in particular, convinced me that Laura is an artist audiences should hear.
Her recent release, Live at the Rochester International Jazz Festival 2025, isn’t simply a live album. It’s a portrait of a pianist completely at home within the language of jazz.
She opens with “Singin’ in the Rain,” reminding us that even one of America’s most familiar melodies can sparkle with fresh ideas. Moments later, “Ain’t Misbehavin'” swings with warmth and infectious energy before giving way to the bebop brilliance of “Donna Lee.” As the performance unfolds, Laura revisits Great American Songbook favorites including “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Thou Swell,” and “‘S Wonderful,” approaching each one with imagination while never losing sight of the melody that made these songs timeless.
That’s what caught my attention.
Laura never plays standards as though they’ve been performed a thousand times before.
She plays them as though she’s discovering them all over again.
And somehow, you begin discovering them again, too.
To me, that’s one of the greatest gifts a jazz musician can offer.
Laura reminds us that the Great American Songbook isn’t something to preserve behind glass. It’s music that continues to inspire, surprise, and reveal new possibilities every time gifted artists are willing to explore it.
There’s another quality I admire about Laura.
Her playing is joyful.
Not flashy for the sake of being flashy.
Not technically brilliant simply to impress.
There’s an unmistakable delight in making music, and before long you find yourself listening a little more closely, smiling a little more often, and remembering why jazz continues to be one of America’s greatest art forms.
On Saturday, August 29, Laura Dubin brings that artistry to the Lewiston Jazz Festival.
Whether you’ve followed her career for years or this will be your first opportunity to hear her perform, I think you’ll quickly understand why she has become one of the most admired jazz pianists in our region.
You’ll hear timeless songs.
You’ll hear remarkable creativity.
And you’ll leave reminded that great jazz never stands still. It continually invites us to hear something familiar in an entirely new way.
