Jazz Dog

Jazz in the Neighborhood

ART • EQUITY • ACCESS

art • equity • access

Guarneri Collective plays the music of Thelonius Monk

Friday, April 12, 8 pm at Key Teahouse

Mario Guarneri, trumpet — James Mahone, saxophone — Randy Vincent (subbing for John Schott), guitar — Miles Wick, bass — Deszon Claiborne, drums

In its debut performance, the Guarneri Collective will take their audience on a thrilling journey through the epic music of the legendary pianist/composer Thelonious Monk. Each member of the collective is contributing fresh arrangements of classic Monk compositions for this evening’s performance. If you’re a fan of Monk’s music or just love to hear adventurous Jazz in an intimate setting, you’ll not want to miss this special event.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance, regardless of ticket sales. Jazz in the Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Berp and Co. guarantees the rest along with assistance from the Magic Flute. For tickets and other information, please contact Berp.

Purchase tickets at the door: $10-20 sliding scale, nobody turned away for lack of funds.

Key Teahouse inside Open Secret Bookstore, 921 C Street, San Rafael

Kasey Knudsen Sextet

Wednesday, April 3, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory

Performing will be Kasey Knudsen, saxophone; Henry Hung, trumpet; Rob Ewing, trombone; Dahveed Behroozi, piano; Miles Wick, bass; and Eric Garland, drums. Knudsen is a San Francisco-based saxophonist, composer, and educator. She earned her BA in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2001. Since relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, Knudsen has been commissioned by the Jazzschool’s Emerging Artist Series to write and perform new work as well as for Intersection For The Arts and the De Young Museum. She leads her own trio and sextet and co-leads the Schimscheimer Family Trio.

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison St. Berkeley
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

Kenny Washington with Erik Jekabson’s New Orleans Sextet

Thursday, March 28, 7:30 pm at Piedmont Center for the Arts

Vocalist extraordinaire Kenny Washington and trumpeter Erik Jekabson deliver the true New Orleans sound and spirit, but with a modern twist. Washington is a New Orleans native and Jekabson has lived and performed in the Big Easy in recent years. They are backed by Jekabson’s New Orleans Sextet: Rob Barics, clarinet;  Danny Armstrong, trombone; Dan Zemelman, piano; Joshua Thurston-Milgram, bass; and Evan Hughes, drums. The evening will include traditional New Orleans tunes, both instrumental and vocal, performed in the fun, loose, freewheeling style that is so representative of the Big Easy.

Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be drummer Max Cope.

Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont
$20 advance / $25 day of show / $5 student rush

Michael Zilber Quartet

Saturday, March 23, 7:30-10 pm at Bird & Beckett

Michael Zilber, saxes — Keith Saunders, piano — Peter Barshay, bass — Akira Tana, drums

The Michael Zilber Quartet will be performing new quartet music written by Zilber over the past year. These originals and arrangements range from swing to funk to straight 8ths and other genres, which will showcase the talents of these fine musicians.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance, regardless of ticket sales. Jazz in the Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Bird & Beckett and the Jazz Philanthropists Union guarantees the rest. For tickets and other information, please contact Bird & Beckett.

Bird & Beckett — 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco

Jeff Marrs Trio

Wednesday, March 13, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory Rendon Hall

Drummer Jeff Marrs with Adam Shulman, piano, and Giulio Xavier Cetto, bass, join together to play standards and music from the debut CD Marrs Attacks. They will be joined by Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist Max Nierlich on trumpet.

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison St. Berkeley
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

Soul Sauce

Wednesday, March 6, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory

Soul Sauce draws on the rich body of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian-influenced jazz as well as performing original works and unique arrangements of contemporary, standard, and obscure jazz tunes. Co-led by drummer Curt Moore with Jon Eriksen on vibes, the quintet features Ken Cook on piano, Rich Girard on bass, and Michaelle Goerlitz on congas and percussion.

Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be saxophonist Paulos Thomas.

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

Destiny Muhammad Trio

Thursday, February 28, 7:30 pm at Piedmont Center for the Arts

Destiny Muhammad, a jazz harpist and vocalist who follows in the footsteps of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, brings her stellar trio to the Piedmont Center for the Arts for an evening of soaring yet down-to-earth jazz. Chico Lopez performs on bass with Leon Joyce, Jr. on drums. Her signature genre ranging from Celtic to Coltrane has a cool and eclectic sound with the feel of jazz and a touch of storytelling to round out the sonic experience. Whether interpreting jazz standards or playing her original tunes, Muhammad and her trio turns every piece into a soulful adventure.

Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be Sean Huang, who performs in  the SFJazz High School All-Star Big Band as the alternate alto sax player.

View video clip from SFJazz concert.

Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont
$20 advance / $25 day of show / $5 student rush

230 Jones Street

Friday, February 22, 5:30-8 pm at Bird & Beckett

Ray Loeckle, reeds — Jerry Logas, reeds — Glen Deardorff, guitar — Dean Reilly, bass — Tony Johnson, drums

The 230 Jones Street, Local 6 Literary Jazz Band — aka The Chuck Peterson Quintet —  are five musicians whose history on the local jazz scene dates back 60 years to the very early 1950s.

The band was originally formed by multi-instrumentalist Chuck Peterson (tenor sax, baritone sax, flute), who was a union activist in his prime years (the 1950s and 1960s), hence  his nod to the address of Local 6 of the American Federation of Musicians, where he and his cohorts made sure they could make a decent living at their craft by banding together and defining and defending their rights.

It was Chuck who got jazz going at Bird & Beckett on a weekly basis in October 2002. He volunteered that he’d provide musicians if we’d provide the venue and pay what we could. We both kept our word. Chuck is retired now, living up in Petaluma, and rarely makes an appearance anymore, but this band comprises musicians that were friends and colleagues of his all through the years.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance, regardless of ticket sales. Jazz in then Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Bird & Beckett and the Jazz Philanthropists Union guarantees the rest. For tickets and other information, please contact Bird & Beckett.

Bird & Beckett — 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco

Dave Rocha Quartet

Friday, February 22, 5:30 pm at Marin Country Mart

Originally announced for February 8, the event was cancelled at the last minute due to rain.

Dave Rocha,  trumpet & flugelhorn — Brad Buethe,  guitar — Chuck Bennett, bass — Otto Huber, drums

This hard-driving quartet plays straight-ahead jazz by composers like Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Kenny Wheeler, Chick Corea, Jimmy Heath, Joe Sample, and Freddie Hubbard.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance. Jazz in the Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Marin Country Mart guarantees the rest. For additional information, please contact Marin Country Mart.

Marin Country Mart — 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle
No admission charge. Cancelled if raining; call (415) 461-5700 for status.

The Alaya Project

Wednesday, February 20, 7:30 pm, Rendon Hall at California Jazz Conservatory 

The Alaya Project is the essential bridge between the intricate Carnatic style of Indian classical music and contemporary jazz and funk. Born in the cultural bastion of Oakland, Alaya explores new textures and perspectives built over two decades of friendship, dialogue, and musical immersion across genres and continents. The driving, hybrid grooves of Indian percussionist and drummer, Rohan Krishnamurthy, the soulful ragas and melodies of Prasant Radhakrishnan on saxophone, and the harmonic bedrock of Colin Hogan on piano and accordian come together to embody the permanence of a changing soundscape. Their guest artist will be Roopa Mahadevan, a Carnatic singer who is known for her powerful and emotive voice.

Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be violinist Eva Piontkowski.

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

Dahveed Behroozi Trio

Wednesday, February 6, 7:30 pm at Rendon Hall, California Jazz Conservatory

Dahveed Behroozi is a pianist and composer, whose interests encompass jazz, classical, as well as new music. His playing has been described as highly expressive, lyrical and colorful by numerous publications nationwide. Active as a leader and a sideman in the Bay Area, Behroozi also enjoys a national and international career. His first record, Games, was released in 2012.

The career of Ben Goldberg has been shaped by a relentless pursuit of musical truth across many genres and styles, leading John Zorn to call him “one of the greatest clarinetists I’ve ever heard.” Also a composer, Goldberg has been associated with many projects, including New Klezmer Trio, Unfold Ordinary Mind, Go Home, the Tin Hat Trio, Clarinet Thing, and the Ben Goldberg School.

While at Berklee College of Music, Hamir Atwal immersed himself in jazz and improvisation and quickly found ways to adapt his drumming to different genres. Critics describe his style as fresh and conscientious, and he is known for his touch and sensitivity to any music he plays. Atwal’s ensembles include Invisible Guy Trio and Tune-Yards.

Vocalist Kelsey Wu will join the trio as Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist.

Tickets

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

Ritmojito

Saturday, January 26, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Ritmojito is an all-star Latin dance band led by vocalist Sandra Aran. Visiting the sounds of New York, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad, Cuba, and Brasil; Ritmojito present superbly crafted songs with deep Latin jazz grooves. Whether it’s salsa, ska or samba, you’ll be up on your feet from the start.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance, regardless of ticket sales. Jazz in then Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Bird & Beckett and the Jazz Philanthropists Union guarantees the rest. For tickets and other information, please contact Bird & Beckett.

Bird & Beckett — 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco

tbd_a quartet – take 4

Friday, January 25, 7-9 pm at Key Tea House and Kava Lounge inside Open Secret Bookstore

For their last appearance in January,  tbd_a quartet explores another variation with Mario Guarneri on trumpet, John Wiitala on bass, Akira Tana on drums, and guest artist John Schott on guitar. Schott is one of the most exciting and eclectic musicians you will hear anywhere and is guaranteed to make something out of everything!  Please note the early start time of this performance.

Offered with no admission charge, these performances are being produced by Mario Guarneri with underwriting from the Music Performance Trust Fund, Local 6 American Federation of Musicians, Berp & Co., and the Magic Flute music store.

In a new development for Jazz in the Neighborhood, all the musicians performing in tbd_a quartet are members of the Musicians Union Local 6 and are being paid union scale along with union benefits for these shows. Union gigs are pretty rare for jazz musicians these days — for instance, not even SFJazz is a union house. Jazz in the Neighborhood hopes to raise awareness about the benefits of union gigs with this series. For more about the state of unions in SF, see An Open Letter from Mario Guarneri.

Please come out to hear these fabulous union musicians. There’s no cover charge and no tip jar, but donations to help support Jazz in the Neighborhood’s mission will be gratefully accepted.

Opening will be the Addison Street Jazz Ensemble, an adult student jazz ensemble from the California Jazz Conservatory, comprised of Kevin McAllister, trumpet; Steve Nelson, reeds; Curtis Uejo, alto sax; Jason Whiting, guitar; John Anderson, bass; and Jennifer Maxwell, drums.

No admission charge. Key Tea House and Kava Lounge inside Open Secret Bookstore, 923 C St. San Rafael

George Cotsirilos Quartet

Wednesday January 23, 7:30 pm, Rendon Hall at California Jazz Conservatory

George Cotsirilos Quartet, featuring George Cotsirilos on guitar,  Keith Saunders on piano, Robb Fisher on bass and Ron Marabuto  on drums, performs original modern jazz compositions along with some gems from the jazz cannon. This group of highly accomplished veteran musicians is performing in support of their recent release, Mostly In Blue, which Downbeat magazine listed among the best CDs of 2018.

“With his perfectly round solo and chordal tone, Cotsirilos weaves a tight, swinging fabric… bop, beautifully performed…sounds like it is straight out of Blue Note in the 60s.” — Tom McCarter, KZSU Stanford, CA.

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

 

tbd_a quartet – take 3

Friday, January 18, 7:30 pm at Key Tea House and Kava Lounge inside Open Secret Bookstore

With Mario Guarneri and Erik Jekabson on trumpets, Akira Tana on drums, John Wiitala on bass, and guest artist Randy Vincent on guitar, this is really an overlap of two quartets: the Guarneri Jazz Quartet plus tbd_a quartet. It’s always a special evening for all when Vincent joins in onstage.

The instrumentation of trumpets, bass, and drums (hence the name tbd) evolves out of the great West Coast jazz tradition begun by Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and Stan Getz in the 1950s and 60s and explores a new sound through original and standard jazz vehicles, with a fresh and original take.

Offered with no admission charge, these performances are being produced by Mario Guarneri with underwriting from the Music Performance Trust Fund, Local 6 American Federation of Musicians, Berp & Co., and the Magic Flute music store.

In a new development for Jazz in the Neighborhood, musicians playing in this series are being paid union scale along with union benefits for those who are members of Local 6 AFM. Union gigs are pretty rare for jazz musicians these days — for instance, not even SFJazz is a union house. Jazz in the Neighborhood hopes to raise awareness about the benefits of union gigs with this series. For more about the state of unions in SF, see An Open Letter from Mario Guarneri.

Please come out to hear these fabulous union musicians. There’s no cover charge and no tip jar, but donations to help support Jazz in the Neighborhood’s mission will be gratefully accepted.

No admission charge. Key Tea House and Kava Lounge inside Open Secret Bookstore, 923 C St. San Rafael

tbd_a quartet – take 2

Friday, January 11, 7:30 pm at Key Tea House and Kava Lounge inside Open Secret Bookstore

tbd_a quartet expands to include Mario Guarneri and Erik Jekabson on trumpets, Akira Tana on drums, with guest artists Tammy Hall on B3 organ and Jeff Massanari on guitar in the premiere performance of this combination. Imagine the sound of the classic B3 trio plus two trumpets! You know that Akira will be like a kid in a candy store!

The group’s name derives from its instrumentation of trumpets, bass, and drums (tbd). The ensemble evolves out of the great West Coast jazz tradition begun by Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and Stan Getz in the 1950s and 60s and explores a new sound through original and standard jazz vehicles, with a fresh and original take.

Offered with no admission charge, these performances are being produced by Mario Guarneri with underwriting from the Music Performance Trust Fund, Local 6 American Federation of Musicians, Berp & Co., and the Magic Flute music store.

In a new development for Jazz in the Neighborhood, all the musicians performing in tbd_a quartet are members of the Musicians Union Local 6 and are being paid union scale along with union benefits for these shows. Union gigs are pretty rare for jazz musicians these days — for instance, not even SFJazz is a union house. Jazz in the Neighborhood hopes to raise awareness about the benefits of union gigs with this series. For more about the state of unions in SF, see An Open Letter from Mario Guarneri.

Please come out to hear these fabulous union musicians. There’s no cover charge and no tip jar, but donations to help support Jazz in the Neighborhood’s mission will be gratefully accepted.

Opening will be Herding Cats, an adult student jazz ensemble from the California Jazz Conservatory, comprised of Howard Gillis, trumpet and flugelhorn; Tina Smelser, flute; Timothy Hampton, guitar; Todd Lorenz, piano; Brian Allen, bass; and Matt Watson, drums.

No admission charge. Key Tea House and Kava Lounge inside Open Secret Bookstore, 923 C St. San Rafael

Motoko Honda’s Simple Excesses Quartet

Wednesday January 9, 7:30 pm at Rendon Hall, California Jazz Conservatory

Pianist, composer, and improviser Motoko Honda is a musical force of nature who blends jazz with chamber music, electronic music, and the sounds of music from around the globe. Long a vital part of the improvised-music community, Honda has collaborated with many luminaries, such as Wadada Leo Smith, Elliott Sharp, William Winant, Mike Watt, and others. The “keyboard alchemist” (Los Angeles Times) leads her quartet through intricate compositions that layer taut rhythms and lush melodies. The band features some of Northern California’s most inventive, versatile sidemen, including Cory Wright on woodwinds, Miles Wick on acoustic bass, and Jordan Glenn on drums.

Motoko Honda is a concert pianist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist who has created a distinctive sound through her holistic approach to music. She has exceptional sensitivity relating to other art forms and technologies. Employing stylistic influences ranging from jazz to Indonesian music to contemporary prepared piano with electronics, Honda’s compositions and structured improvisations are intended to affect the skin, organs, and minds of the listener. Called both a “keyboard alchemist” (Chris Barton, L.A. Times), and the “embodiment of a muse” (Greg Burk, Metaljazz), Honda’s performances transport audiences on sonic adventures that transcend the boundaries and conventions of contemporary music. “Virtuoso technique paired with (an) intensely imaginative mind,” says Susan Dirende (L.A. Splash Magazine).

Reeds player Cory Wright has been involved in the jazz and creative music worlds for the past 25 years, including time spent in New York, Los Angeles, and his current home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recent projects reflect his interest in blurring the distinction between composed and improvised music along with combining the harmonious with the atonal and the grooving with the arrhythmic. He has performed with Anthony Braxton, Yusef Lateef, and Vinny Golia, and is a member of Bristle, the Nathan Clevenger Group, and Goggle (saxophone quartet). He also leads his own projects Green Mitchell and the Cory Wright Outfit. 

Miles Wick is a bassist, singer, and songwriter with ties to New York City and San Francisco. His contributions to the Bay Area scene include work with the area’s most innovative jazz musicians, poets, composers, and rock musicians. Wick’s first full length album, So Much Love, is a collection of original songs with guitar accompaniment.

Drummer Jordan Glenn has worked closely with Fred Frith, William Winant, Zeena Parkins, Todd Sickafoose, John Schott, Dominique Leone, and bands Jack O’ The Clock, Beep!, and tUnE-yArDs. Recently, he has worked with Rhys Chatham, Secret Chiefs 3, the Rova Saxophone Quartet, and composer Matthew Welch. He also leads the trio Wiener Kids.

Jazz in the Neighborhood presents its Wednesday night series at CJC with financial support from AFM Musicians Union Local 6.

Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students

tbd_a quartet

Friday, January 4, 7:30 pm at Open Secret Bookstore

tbd_a quartet evolves out of the great West Coast jazz tradition begun by Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and Stan Getz in the 1950s and 60s and explores a new sound through original and standard jazz vehicles, with a fresh and original take. The group’s name derives from its instrumentation of trumpets, bass, and drums (tbd). Performing this set are regulars Mario Guarneri and Erik Jekabson on trumpet, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa, and Akira Tana on drums. Together they masterfully weave together their four instrumental voices with intricate artistry, taking the audience along for an unpredictable ride. What happens when they play together is nothing short of magic.

This event is part of a continuing series produced by Mario Guarneri with funding from Berp & Co. and the Music Performance Trust Fund, which allows Jazz in the Neighborhood to present these concerts with no admission charge.  For more information about Open Secret Bookstore, see www.opensecretbooks.com.

Open Secret Book Music and World Art Gallery, 923 C St. San Rafael

Rob Hart Trio

Friday, January 4, 5:30-8:30 pm at Marin Country Mart

The Rob Hart Trio is an exciting blend of organic traditional jazz, fusion, funk, latin and textural experimental music, along with high-powered, on-the-edge improvisations. Established in the early 1990s the trio has gone through a series of different incarnations of instrumentation and evolutions, taking the trio through pathways of musical adventures. The group for this performance is Greg Sankovich, keyboards; Paul Eastburn, acoustic & electric bass; and Rob Hart, percussives & drums.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance. Jazz in the Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Marin Country Mart guarantees the rest. For additional information, please contact Marin Country Mart.

Marin Country Mart — 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle
At Fisher’s Cheese + Wine shop. No admission charge.


Peck Allmond Quartet

Wednesday, December 26, 7:30pm at Bird & Beckett

An evening of original jazz tunes by multi-instrumentalist (and SF ex-pat) Peck Allmond, who will be playing instruments ranging from trumpet and saxophone to alto horn and alto flute. Allmond’s jazz credits include appearances with Oliver Lake, John Hicks, Billy Harper, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, and Peter Apfelbaum; in the pop world he has accompanied James Brown, Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Newman, and Ray Lamontagne.

The quartet features Bay Area rhythm-section legends Vince Lateano, drums; John Wiitala, bass; and Keith Saunders, piano; led by Peck Allmond, who has made his home in Brooklyn, NY, since 1993. Despite living on two coasts, the group has performed extensively in the Bay Area in recent years, and Peck’s association with Wiitala and Lateano in particular goes back decades. With this long musical history, the group has an easy rapport that lets them dig into Peck’s tunes —along with lesser-known standards—with a combination of fire, elegance, and swing.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance, regardless of ticket sales. Jazz in then Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. Bird & Beckett and the Jazz Philanthropists Union guarantees the rest. For tickets and other information, please contact Bird & Beckett.

Bird & Beckett — 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco

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Address:
P.O. Box 629, Fairfax, CA 94978

Phone:
415-737-JITN (5486)

Email:
info@jazzintheneighborhood.org