ART • EQUITY • ACCESS
Wednesday, April 24, 8 pm at Iron Springs Pub, Fairfax
Mario Guarneri, trumpet, heads a trio with guitarist John Schott and bassist John Wiitala.
This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance by Berp & Co. Jazz in the Neighborhood makes this possible by subsidizing 40% of their pay. For more information, please contact Berp.
Iron Springs Pub & Brewery—765 Center Boulevard, Fairfax
Thursday, April 25, 7:30 pm at Piedmont Center for the Arts
The Rob Reich Swings Left sextet plays jazz rooted in the classic swing era of the late 1930s that’s perfect for dancing. Their repertoire includes classic arrangements of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Artie Shaw, as well as new arrangements and originals by Reich that combine a hot rhythm with a cool sensibility. The players will be Rob Reich, piano; Andrew Stephens, trumpet; Ben Goldberg, clarinet; Craig Ventresco, guitar; Ollie Dudek, bass, and Eric Garland, drums.
Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be George Rogers, sax.
Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont
$20 advance / $25 day of show / $5 student rush
Thursday, April 25, 8:30-11:30 pm at Mr. Tipple’s
Saxophonist Steven Lugerner continues his explorations of the music of jazz legend Jackie McLean with Jacknife, a hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet featuring Danny Lubin-Laden on trombone with pianist Javier Santiago playing piano, bassist Eric Markowitz, and drummer Michael Mitchell. Together they explore tunes from McLean’s seminal early- and mid-1960s Blue Note albums Jacknife, It’s Time, Let Freedom Ring, and New Soil.
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. Mr. Tipple’s guarantees the rest. For additional information, please contact Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio.
Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio— 39 Fell Street, San Francisco
No admission charge. Call (415) 384-9365 for more info.
Wednesday, May 1, 7:30 at California Jazz Conservatory
Lost American JazzBook is a new set of works composed by Albert Greenberg with Dan Zemelman. They sound like the standards we know and love but are a truly unique take on what makes the American Songbook great. As with Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “Lush Life”, no two melodies or lyric lines are the same, and each song provides a unique gateway for improvisation that is the heart and soul of jazz. Infused into the music are influences that range from Bird and Monk to Stravinsky, Wagner, and Bob Dylan. Songs from Volume II, entitled The Sacred and the Swank, will be featured in a performance by Tammi Brown, an extraordinary vocal artist who has sung with everyone from Quincy Jones to Stanley Jordan. Backing her will be Dan Zemelman, piano; Matt Renzi, reeds; Joseph Hébert, cello; Dan Robbins, bass; Alan Hall, drums.
Says Jeffrey Wood of Fantasy Studios, “The music is creative and timeless. It is elegant and eloquent in how it inhabits the musical landscape. A fresh addition to the American Songbook. Truly original and beautifully done.”
Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be Max Nierlich, trumpet.
Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students
Wednesday, May 15, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory
Dillon Vado’s Table Trio is a wildly original group led by Dillon Vado, who will be playing both vibraphone and marimba, along with Jeff Denson on bass and Hamir Atwal on drums. They are known for their thoughtful and unique interpretations of familiar songs, strong but mysterious grooves, and memorably melodic original pieces. From David Bowie to Bill Evans, the Table Trio interprets and reimagines pieces, offering a different setting for them to exist, while still striving to emphasize and strengthen the existing sense of melodic character.
Additionally, Vado has composed original music for the group, which has been carefully thought out and arranged to feature each member of the trio, highlighting their strengths musically. Vado’s music is known for being relatable and accessible, but also light on its feet, and able to change directions on a dime. With the unusual presentation of both the vibraphone and marimba, the audience will experience the deep earthy timbre of the marimba contrasting and grounding the lush and focused pitch of the vibes.
Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be Paulos Thomas, sax.
Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison St. Berkeley
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students
Wednesday, June 5, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory
Pianist Edgar Pantoja presents Afro-Cuban jazz and world music from his first album Vivencias. Pantoja’s original compositions fuse the diverse music of Cuba—its folklore, rumba, son, and timba—with the international rhythms of samba, Moroccan Gnawa, jazz and funk.
He is joined by the accomplished musicians David Lechuga-Espadas on guitar, Ernesto Mazar Kindelán on acoustic and electric bass, Colin Douglas on drums, and Carlitos Medrano on percussion. These masters of Cuban music inspire and captivate with a fresh melodic and rhythmic experience during the evening’s performance.
Born in Santiago de Cuba, Edgar Pantoja has spent over 20 years performing modern and traditional Cuban music on the world’s most important stages. He has toured and collaborated with influential musicians including Rubén Blades, John Benítez, David Murray, Angelique Kidjo, Descemer Bueno, and Pedrito Martinez. He most recently formed part of the Grammy-nominated Pedrito Martinez Group as pianist/keyboardist and arranger.
Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students
Friday, June 7, 6 pm at Marin Country Mart
Trombonist Jules Rowell is a genuine scholar of contemporary jazz composing and arranging. A Bay Area native, Rowell has composed and arranged material for Pete Escovedo, Mark Little, Louie Romero and Masacote, the Hot Club of San Francisco, the Kronos String Quartet, the Mike Vax Orchestra, and Francisco Aguabella. Meticulously copied by hand, charts for his arrangements have been made available to many local musicians at no charge. As a performer, Rowell has played with Woody Herman, Eddie Palmieri, Art Lande, and many others.
The quintet is Jules Rowell, trombone; Steve Feierbend, sax; Steve Carter, piano; Chuck Bennett, bass; and Bill Belasco, 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
No admission charge. Call (415) 461-5700 for more info.
Wednesday, June 19, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory
The Jon Jangtet ensemble celebrates the release of The Pledge of Black Allegiance, dedicated to Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X. This is their first CD and features Jang’s work “Can’t Stop Cryin’ for America: Black Lives Matter” as well as other works by Jang that are a hybrid of Chinese music and jazz.
Performers for this event are Hitomi Oba, tenor saxophone; Nick DePinna, trombone; Jon Jang, piano, Lisa Mezzacappa, double bass, Deszon X. Claiborne, multiple percussion.
Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison St. Berkeley
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students
Thursday, April 18, 8 pm at Key Teahouse
Lisa Mezzacappa, bass and compositions — Aaron Bennett, tenor sax — John Finkbeiner, guitar — Mark Clifford, vibes — Tim Perkis, electronics — Jordan Glenn, drums
Bay Area bassist and composer Lisa Mezzacappa and her sextet perform a suite of original music inspired by Italo Calvino’s funny, imaginative, gloriously nerdy Cosmicomics stories. Mezzacappa intersperses readings from Calvino’s stories with her inventive compositions, which feature rollicking grooves, layered melodies, and thrilling interaction by the virtuoso improvisers in her band. The group has recently performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Angel City Jazz Festival, and SFJAZZ Center. Come welcome these fantastic and imaginative musicians at their San Rafael debut!
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
Wednesday, April 17, 7:30 pm at California Jazz Conservatory Rendon Hall
Amendola Trio is the sound of three as one: Scott Amendola playing drums/percussion/electronics; Karl Evangelista on guitar; and Jason Hoopes, electric bass. Playing music written by all members, they explore the song to the sound. Together they have a unique connection that brings the music to interesting places. Never the same twice.
Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Emerging Artist will be Eva Piontowski, violin.
Rendon Hall at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison Street, Berkeley
$20 general admission / $10 full-time students
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
