Bird & Beckett

Brown, Wilcox, Bowman Trio

Saturday, January 18, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Saxophonist Sheldon Brown, six-string bassist Michael Wilcox, and drummer Bryan Bowman continue in the tradition of Sonny Rollins, one of the earliest proponents of the tenor/bass/drums format. As a trio, they explore a wide variety of music that has interested them over the years—from Brazilian choro, Bulgarian music, and the music of Herbie Nichols to pieces adapted from the classical repertoire by composers like Brahms, Faure and Machaut.… Read More

Eric Shifrin & The In Crowd

Friday, December 13, 5:30-8 pm at Bird & Beckett

Eric Shifrin, piano & vocals — Rick Elmore , trombone — Bing Nathan, bass — Randy Lee Odell, drums

In addition to the normal “In Crowd” repertoire of upbeat and lesser performed swing, latin and blues tunes, this concert will include selections which honor the memory of Ralph Carney. … Read More

Rhodessa Jones with Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids

Saturday, December 7, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

A double bill: first up the duo of Rhodessa Jones and Idris Ackamoor, followed by a set from Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids.

Musicians in the Pyramids will be Sandy Poindexter, violin; Robert Cobb, guitar; Charles Thomas, bass; Abdul Wahid, percussion, and Bob Marshall, drums.… Read More

Lisa B and the Reverberant Band

Saturday, November 16, 7:30-10 at Bird & Beckett

Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein) celebrates the release of her seventh record, Reverberant: Poems & Music Accompanying Lisa B’s spoken and sung verse will be Ben Flint and Scott R. Looney, both on piano & keyboards; Marcus Shelby, bass; and Isaac Schwartz, drums.… Read More

Grant Levin Trio featuring Denise Perrier

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

Denise Perrier, the voice with a heart, sings with pianist Grant Levin’s fine trio, featuring veteran bassist Dean Reilly and the young drummer Genius “G-Dub” Wesley in a program that’s guaranteed to delight.… Read More

Zan Stewart Quartet

Sunday, October 6, 4:30-6:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Zan Stewart, saxophone — Keith Saunders, piano — Peter Barshay, bass — Ron Marabuto, drums

The band will be playing engaging originals and gems from the jazz and pop repertoires from the 1930s through 1960s, music that swings, that has a feel good vibe and that is listener-friendly.… Read More

B3B4

Saturday, September 28, 7:30 at Bird & Beckett

Tom Griesser, saxophone — Scott Foster, guitar — Kevin Gerzevitz, organ — Dan Foltz, drums

B3B4 is a long-awaited musical conversation between four Bay Area jazz veterans, combining the soulful growl of the Hammond B3 organ, the resonant bite of the tenor saxophone, the bluesy fluidity of the electric guitar and the propulsive groove of the drums.… Read More

Tim Lin Standards Quartet

Saturday, August 31, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Tim Lin, saxophone — Joe Gilman, piano — Shimpei Ogawa, bass — Curran Sinha, drums

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tim Lin is a Taiwanese American jazz talent whose progressive sound comes from his appreciation of the bebop jazz tradition.… Read More

Henry Hung: The Hardly Strictly Family Band

Saturday, August 24, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Henry Hung, trumpet — Kristen Strom, saxophone — Jame Mahone, saxophone —Scott Sorkin, bass — Brandon Essex, drums — with Uncle Joe “Lucky” Beckett

Featuring the renowned country blues singer Uncle Joe “Lucky” Beckett, backed by the most dangerous backing band west of the Sacramento River, The Hardly Strictly Family Band plays a mix of your favorite country blues, folk, and Americana music. … Read More

James Mahone Quartet

Saturday, July 20, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Masterful saxophonist and composer James Mahone has performed throughout the US, Japan, and Europe for over 30 years. In early 90s, he was the composer for popular jazz band, Black Note. He has performed alongside Wynton Marsalis, Eric Reed, Billy Higgins, Gil-Scott Heron, El De Barge, Josh Redman, and Roy Hargrove, Reggie Workman, Billy Harper, Arnie Lawrence, and R&B band The Chesterfields.… Read More

Ray Skjelbred Trio

Thursday, July 11, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

A sublime stroll through the history of early jazz and the stride era with Ray Skjelbred, piano; Clint Baker, trumpet; and Riley Baker, drums.

This is a Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund event where each musician will be paid $150 in advance, regardless of ticket sales.… Read More

Rova Saxophone Quartet

Saturday, June 29, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

Rova Saxophone Quartet’s musical goal has always been, since 1978, to instigate, to challenge, and to inspire. The group explores the synthesis of composition and collective improvisation, creating exciting, genre-bending music. In existence for over forty years, Rova is one of the longest-standing groups in the music movement that has its roots in post-bop, free jazz, avant-rock, and 20th century new music.… Read More

Passing Dreams Trio

Saturday, June 22, 7:30 pm at Bird & Beckett

This incarnation of Passing Dreams Trio will be bassist Frank Tusa, tabla player William Rossel, and guitarist Randy Vincent.

The trio’s ancestry is Lookout Farm, a seven-piece band from the 1970s led by saxophonist Dave Liebman notable for the merging of Indian classical instrumentation and rhythms with rock guitar and drum impulses into a jazz superstructure.… Read More

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.… Read More

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.… Read More

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.… Read More

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.… Read More

Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Nonet

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

Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Nonet is a smaller version of the Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, which Jeff Sanford organized in 2003 to play the eccentric, highly entertaining and challenging music of American composer Raymond Scott.… Read More

Kurt Ribak Quartet

Friday, November 9, 5:30-8pm at Bird and Beckett

Lincoln Adler, saxophone — Greg Sankovich, keyboards — Kurt Ribak, bass, vocals — Randy Lee Odell, drums

Bassist, bandleader, and songwriter Kurt Ribak has played everything from free jazz to reggae to opera and has shared the stage with circus performers, preachers, and fire-breathing strippers.… Read More

Matt Renzi Quartet

Saturday, October 13, 7:30-10pm at Bird & Beckett

San Francisco based saxophonist Matt Renzi will feature his long-time NYC trio members Dave Ambrosio and Russ Meissner along with pianist Leonard Thompson. The trio has five CD’s out, and the band will play all original music from some of these recordings as well as newer material from all members of the group.… Read More

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