SFJAZZ CENTER SEASON 1: jan 21–Jun 2, 2013
Table of COntents season 1
About Us
2 4 6 7
SFJAZZ History & Mission The SFJAZZ Center About the Murals SFJAZZ Center Recognition
Grand Opening
8 10 12 14
SFJAZZ Center Grand Opening Opening Night Grand Opening Week 1: Legacy Grand Opening Week 2: Jazz in the City
Events
16 18 20 22 24 24 25 26 27 27 28 30 32 34 35 37 37 37 38 40 42 44 46 48 49 50
Calendar Guide to Season 1 Resident Artistic Directors Dave Holland Scott Hamilton Quintet & Harry Allen SFJAZZ Hotplate Afro-Cuban All Stars Ana Moura Meklit Hadero Patricia Barber Zakir Hussain Mariza John Santos SFJAZZ Collective Hiromi: The Trio Project Ute Lemper Max Raabe and Palast Orchester Club Foot Orchestra Bill Frisell Brad Melhdau Jason Moran Regina Carter Béla Fleck Tony Bennett Dianne Reeves Miguel Zenón
Education
52 54 56 58 59 59
New Programs Master Classes & Group Instruction Koret Discover Jazz Series SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Family Matinees Pre-Concert Talks
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Maps, Parking and Transit
61 62 63 63 64 65
Sponsors & Underwriters The World is Listening Campaign Seat Naming Volunteers SFJAZZ Membership SFJAZZ Leaders Circle
Info Support
Catalog Production Peter van Agtmael: Cover photography Rusty Aceves: Copywriting and editing Andrew Gilbert: Copywriting Kathy Lemmon: Copywriting Teddy Hutcherson: Production Megan Mock: Design Jennifer Hoffecker: Design Justin Walters: Box Office Lahlouh: Printing
Welcome to the first season. After 30 years of presenting music in a variety of rented venues throughout the Bay, it is with great joy we announce our first season in our new home, the SFJAZZ Center. Opening in January, it is the first freestanding building for jazz in the country — designed, from concept to concert hall, to create an enhanced setting for experiencing what the esteemed jazz writer Whitney Balliett calls “the sound of surprise.” The SFJAZZ Center will be home for all that we do: concerts, education programs for adults and youth, our award-winning SFJAZZ High School All-Star Ensembles, the world-renowned SFJAZZ Collective, and the new SFJAZZ Community Band. Over our three decades, SFJAZZ has grown to become a vital part of the cultural fabric of San Francisco. And in the broader context of the jazz, we have been recognized as one of the top presenters in the world — helping to place San Francisco, with its rich jazz history, among the vanguard of cities where this American-born art form can be best heard. Jazz was born in New Orleans and is a mix of indigenous and imported cultures, particularly the generation of African-Americans just-removed from slavery. It’s an art form defined by freedom, individual expression, collaboration, improvisation, and recognizing the past while resolutely moving forward. The SFJAZZ Center has been built to be a home where artists and audiences can experience the vibrancy of those defining jazz values together. San Francisco, a town that also shares those values, has proven to be the natural match for SFJAZZ’s ambitious dreams. In 1983, the late San Francisco jazz writer Phil Elwood wrote an article entitled “Whither Jazz?” for the program book of the first SFJAZZ festival (then called Jazz in the City), raising the question of where jazz was headed and whether a jazz festival was truly needed. At that time jazz was changing course. Wynton Marsalis was at the center of a revival of interest in “America’s classical music,” eventually leading to his founding of the first non-profit institution in the U.S. dedicated to jazz, Jazz at Lincoln Center. Where SFJAZZ was headed then, nobody really knew. We started with a pair of concerts at the Herbst Theatre presenting the best, and the breadth, of jazz available in the Bay Area – from African drumming to avant-garde, stride piano and Afro-Cuban. Back then, we could not have imagined a $63 million home base, purpose-built for jazz. But as we grew, we began to imagine what we could accomplish in this great city that was so supportive of our offerings. January 21, 2013 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – is the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the SFJAZZ Center. We will “christen” the Center with two weeks of once-in-a-lifetime concerts, starting with the Opening Night concert on January 23, followed by four more star-filled nights and a week of performances from the Bay Area’s greatest artists. I am joined by five of the most creative voices in jazz, including three MacArthur “Genius” Fellows, to program concerts for the first season. Regina Carter, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, John Santos and Miguel Zenon, each with long histories at SFJAZZ, will be resident artistic directors and will each curate and perform in a week of original programming. They will also appear in the Grand Opening week concerts, January 23–27. An extraordinarily generous, skilled and passionate group of benefactors, trustees, staff, fans and artists have worked, sometimes against strong headwinds, to realize the promise of jazz in San Francisco. Let’s all enjoy it and continue to soak in the soul of this beautiful music, in this energetic new building! Jazz has a home in San Francisco. The first season begins. See you at the Center! Sincerely,
Randall Kline Executive Artistic Director and Founder
About us
30 years of celebration the history and mission of SFJAZZ 2 013 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04
From our humble beginnings as Jazz in the City, the organization now known as SFJAZZ has grown from a fledgling concert promoter to become the largest non-profit presenter of jazz and world music on the West Coast. Through year-round concert programming, artistic commissions, community outreach and the support of our membership, SFJAZZ is committed to developing the audience for jazz in the Bay Area and internationally. Through our innovative music education programs, we help maintain and build a strong future for America’s indigenous art form. With the opening of the SFJAZZ Center, we will be able to expand our mission by helping to preserve a century of jazz heritage, providing a permanent home for local and world-renowned musicians while nurturing the next generation of artists and fans to define the future of the music.
03 02 01
2000
2 0 00
SFJAZZ Spring Season
99
1998
98
Swing Into Spring
97
First official Spring Season begins, with saxophonist Joshua Redman as Resident Artistic Director.
A new spring program begins with Bill Frisell, Etta James and more.
96 95 94
1994
93
SFJAZZ Summerfest Free concerts in Palo Alto and downtown San Francisco featuring top Bay Area artists.
92 91 90
1990
89
Jazz history comes to life The Duke Ellington Orchestra revisits Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral, 25 years after its debut there.
88 87 86
1986
85
SFJAZZ commissions Anthony Braxton premieres “No. 132” at Grace Cathedral, leading to other commissions including Ornette Coleman’s Tone Dialing in 1994.
84 1 98 3
1983 Jazz in the City The “Jazz in the City” festival debuts in June, with an eclectic 3-day lineup.
2
2013 SFJAZZ Center
2009
A home built specifically for jazz presentation, creation and education. The SFJAZZ Center is 35,000 sq. ft. of dynamic, flexible space that assures the advancement the organization’s mission into the future.
SFJAZZ Hotplate
2007 SFJAZZ 25th Anniversary!
A monthly concert series featuring Bay Area artists re-imagining the music of jazz legends. Held in The Ensemble Room beginning in February, this is a seriously fun jazz hang.
2004 - SFJAZZ Collective The world’s best house band. An all-star ensemble comprising eight of the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today.
2001 Jazz in the Middle Free in-school residency program that brings jazz directly to San Francisco middle school classrooms to foster connections between core academic areas and the arts.
SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Our own talent incubator. Provides advanced-level training and performance opportunities for talented young musicians, selected annually by competitive auditions.
about us
About the SFJAZZ Center Designed by award-winning architect Mark Cavagnero and located in San Francisco’s vibrant cultural corridor, the SFJAZZ Center comprises 35,000 square feet in an innovative transparent structure, designed for LEEDTM Certification. In addition to housing SFJAZZ season performances and education programs, key features include a ground floor lobby, retail shop and box office, a café and bar at sidewalk level and the SFJAZZ administrative offices on the third floor. The SFJAZZ Center is more than a superb concert hall. Located at 205 Franklin Street in San Francisco’s vibrant Hayes Valley neighborhood, the SFJAZZ Center is a hub of culture, community and commerce for locals and tourists alike. Moreover, it’s within easy walking distance of Civic Center (home to MUNI and BART trains) and served by local bus routes for low-impact transit. The SFJAZZ Center will be one of the most operationally flexible and technically advanced venues in the country. Consider hosting your performance, lecture or special event with us.
4
Robert N. Miner Auditorium
The Ensemble Room
The Robert N. Miner Auditorium is the centerpiece of the SFJAZZ Center, named for the late SFJAZZ supporter and Oracle Corporation founder. Designed specifically for jazz, the auditorium is a dynamic, state-of-the-art concert space that can be adjusted from 350 to 700 seats. This scalable structure allows the hall to accommodate performances of all sizes and configurations, while maintaining a close-up, intimate feel emphasizing the connection between artist and audience. The steeply raked theater seating surrounds the stage on all sides, offering superb sightlines from all points in the auditorium, and assures that even the furthest seats in the balcony aren’t far from the action on stage. In keeping with the kinetic, transparent nature of the Center, the Miner Auditorium incorporates considerable natural light and from a certain vantage point, pedestrians on the street can clearly see the stage through a purpose-built opening in the concrete enclosure. The hall has been conceived to seamlessly present multi-media programming utilizing integrated video screens and cutting edge projection systems, and is optimized for Highdefinition video production, webcasting and audio recording.
Located on the first floor of the SFJAZZ Center, The Ensemble Room is a flexible 80-seat space designed for intimate performances, rehearsals and gatherings. This room is the nerve center of the SFJAZZ Education Department, hosting classes, clinics and workshops for the community as well as the monthly Hotplate concert series and rehearsals for the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, the SFJAZZ Community Band and the SFJAZZ Collective during their residencies. The Ensemble Room’s location directly behind the glass façade on Franklin Street offers clear views of the activity inside the space from the street, a signature feature of the SFJAZZ Center that emphasizes the vibrancy and energy of the music-making process.
Digital lab and practice rooms Adjacent to The Ensemble Room are individual practice rooms and a digital learning lab for electronic music and recording classes.
about us
Murals by Sandow Birk & Elyse Pignolet
Acclaimed artists Sandow Birk and Elyse Pignolet have been commissioned to create a series of three murals to adorn the walls of the SFJAZZ Center. The first two, “Jazz and the Nation” and “Jazz and the City,” will be installed in the Center’s second floor lobby and combine to form one overall composition — a fictionalized cityscape made up of influential and important jazz venues from San Francisco and across the United States. The murals depict references to the history of jazz, from its roots in African music and the early days of New Orleans’s “Second Line” traditions to the jazz styles of St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, New York, the West Coast, and Europe. The second mural includes great jazz venues and defining moments in the history of San Francisco jazz from the Fillmore District to the dot.com boom and beyond. The third mural, “Jazz and the Afterlife,” will be located in the Lester Young Green Room of the Center’s auditorium. It is a parody of religious “Judgment Day” paintings with club goers going up to a “heaven” of harps and bagpipes or down to a swinging party in a jazz “hell” where horns blast and jazz fans celebrate.
6
Sandow Birk said of the mural project, “Since the history and scope of jazz is enormous and couldn’t be contained in one mural, we have tried to depict places where jazz happened, to be located in the Center where jazz will be happening now.” Robert Mailer Anderson, SFJAZZ Trustee and acclaimed author, says, “Sandow and Elyse’s murals will create a vibrant, complex, and historical vision of jazz that the community can use as a baseline for their own conversations about music and life. It’s the building’s perpetual song that will keep the SFJAZZ Center humming.” “Music is the centerpiece of the new SFJAZZ Center, but the worlds of visual art, the spoken word, and culinary exploration are all included to enhance the intensity and singularity of each visit. Sandow and Elyse’s murals will add depth and texture, giving the visitor a visual reference point worthy of its own exploration, like the music and building itself,” says SFJAZZ Center architect Mark Cavagnero.
The pieces draw on the extensive global traditions and history of blue and white “azulejo” murals made popular in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. They will be painted by the artists on handmade ceramic tiles in Pignolet’s studio in San Pedro, CA, and installation in the SFAZZ Center will begin in early November. Los Angeles artist Sandow Birk is a well-traveled graduate of the Otis/Parson’s Art Institute. Frequently developed as expansive, multi-media projects, his works have dealt with contemporary life in its entirety. With an emphasis on social issues, frequent themes of his past work have included inner city violence, graffiti, politics, travel, war, and prisons, as well as surfing and skateboarding. He has been the recipient of an NEA International Travel Grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fulbright Fellowship. In 2007 he was an artist in residence at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2008. The print and film collection “Sandow Birk’s Divine Comedy” just completed its seven-month exhibition at the San Jose Museum of Art in San Jose, CA. Born in Oakland, CA, Elyse Pignolet attended CSU San Francisco, and in 2001 she lived and studied in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. Pignolet received a BFA in Ceramics from Cal State Long Beach in 2007. Her studies included an intensive ceramics tour through Mainland China and Korea in 2007. She was awarded a CSULB Travel Scholarship for Art in 2008 and, traveled to Portugal to study traditional Portuguese tile making. Pignolet works primarily in ceramics and her work has dealt with various themes including social issues, urban themes, and topics from contemporary news articles attempting to place the permanence and traditions of ceramics with the fleeting and transitory nature of the contemporary world.
Thank you SFJAZZ would like to offer a big thank you to everyone who has helped bring us this far. We are approaching the completion of this monumental project, the culmination of a 30-year journey, and it’s because of your support and commitment to our vision that we are here. The SFJAZZ Board of Trustees, including current chair Bannus Hudson and outgoing chair Srinija Srinivasan. In particular, the leadership of the Facility Committee Shona Brown, Hon. Willie Brown, Charles Charnas, Brian Hollins, Roberta Katz, James McElwee, Steve Cassidy, David Choo, Marcia Smolens, Alan Robin, Mark Conroe Donors The anonymous donor for their pivotal lead gift Donors to the World Is Listening capital campaign Giant Steps Members SFJAZZ SFJAZZ volunteers SFJAZZ staff Ishmael Reed, SFJAZZ Poet Laureate Jim Goldberg, SFJAZZ Photographer Laureate Design Mark Cavagnero Associates (MCA) — Architect Auerbach, Pollock, Friedlander (APF) — Theater Designer SIA Acoustics — Acoustician Construction Hathaway Dinwiddie and their subcontractors Project Management Ingram & Associates SRM Deborah Frieden Mack5 Financing & More First Republic US Bank Shartsis Friese, LLP Equity Community Builders and all of our Community Development Entities and many, many others
grand opening
January 21, 23 & 24–February 3
SFJAZZ CENTER GRAND OPENING
“For the first time, jazz in symphony hall, an edifice sees it on the street.”
Join us for a historic week of unforgettable events to celebrate the opening of the SFJAZZ Center! Our 30-year legacy of presenting the best in jazz will culminate in this beautiful new facility designed specifically for jazz and jazz education. Be here for the celebration! Help us usher in the next chapter for SFJAZZ starting with the official ribbon cutting ceremony and a day of festivities open to the public, followed by an Opening Night extravaganza and a series of unforgettable concerts. The dream of building a cultural institution for the 21st century-a vital, dynamic space devoted to the creation and advancement of this music-has become a reality. At last we have a home of our own, a place to nurture the future of America’s indigenous art form through music education programs for young and old, and to present the full spectrum of local and international jazz artists.
OPENING DAY CELEBRATION — Ribbon Cutting & TOURS OF THE SFJAZZ CENTER Mon, Jan 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by music and tours highlighting the diverse offerings of the SFJAZZ Center. Reservations for tours open online on Thursday, January 3, 2013.
Opening Night — A MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA & FUNDRAISER FOR SFJAZZ ARTISTIC & EDUCATION PROGRAMS Wed, Jan 23
The very first concert in the SFJAZZ Center will feature jazz legends alongside our SFJAZZ Collective, our Resident Artistic Directors, and an audience of leaders from the worlds of business, fashion, politics, and art. We invite you and your friends to join us for this momentous launch of the SFJAZZ Center. See page 10 for more info.
Grand Opening Concerts — AN UNPARALLELED SERIES OF PERFORMANCES SWING WIDE THE DOORS OF THE ROBERT N. MINER AUDITORIUM Thu–Sun, Jan 24—Feb 3
The celebrations continue into the first season in the SFJAZZ Center with four world-class, multi-artist collaborations followed by a week of some of the Bay Area’s most treasured performers. For details for the full schedule for grand opening concerts see pages 12–15. Tickets go on sale to Members on Saturday, October 13.
8 / sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
“Jazz just got a
America will have a counterpart to the that proclaims the value of jazz to anyone who —The Chicago Tribune
“When the Center opens it will only formalize what we already know. There may be New Orleans and New York, and other places, but San Francisco is a great jazz city.” —ABC 7, KGO-TV San Francisco
whole lot better!”
—HUFFINGTON POST
“Watching dreams and hopes and ideas turn into real concrete and steel is thrilling... The ultimate thrill? Seeing a place where art and culture can collide and where we can all gather to celebrate this extraordinary artistic expression called jazz.” —Felice Swapp, SFJAZZ Executive Operating Director
Grand opening
January 23
opening night concert and party
The historic Opening Night of the SFJAZZ Center — on January 23, 2013 — will be built around a star-filled concert “consecrating” the stage of the Robert N. Miner Auditorium. Hosted by Bill Cosby, the concert will include McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Bobby Hutcherson, Esperanza Spalding, Mary Stallings, John Handy, Pete Escovedo, the SFJAZZ Collective, and the newly appointed SFJAZZ Center Resident Artistic Directors Regina Carter, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, John Santos and Miguel Zenón.
Bobby Hutcherson
This one-time-only gathering of jazz stars will be at the center of the Opening Night celebration, which will include pre- and post-parties to celebrate the opening of the first stand-alone building for jazz in America. The Opening Night concert and party will benefit the education programs of SFJAZZ. More details are available at sfjazz.org/OpeningNight in early November. Past SFJAZZ fundraising events have sold out fast, so be sure to check back for details regarding ticket package opportunities and updates of special guest appearances. Appearing on Opening Night: Bill Cosby, Master of Ceremonies McCoy Tyner Chick Corea Esperanza Spalding Joshua Redman Joe Lovano Bobby Hutcherson Mary Stallings John Handy Pete Escovedo
SFJAZZ Collective: Miguel Zenón David Sánchez Robin Eubanks Avishai Cohen Stefon Harris Edward Simon Matt Penman Jeff Ballard
John Handy
SFJAZZ Center Resident Artistic Directors: Regina Carter Bill Frisell Jason Moran John Santos Miguel Zenón
Bill Cosby
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Chick Corea
McCoy Tyner
Mary Stallings
Esperanza Spalding
Joshua Redman
Joe Lovano
grand opening
January 24–27
McCoy Tyner
Grand opening week 1 legacy
Following directly on the heels of Opening Night, Grand Opening Week 1 continues the musical “consecration” of the historic opening of the SFJAZZ Center with four evenings of concerts featuring many of the Opening Night artists — with more special guests joining in as the week progresses — often in once-in-a-lifetime collaborations.
spotlight: mccoy tyner Thu, Jan 24, 7:30pm
The four nights are subtitled “Legacy” and a portion of each night will spotlight an aspect of SFJAZZ’s evolution. We focus on two masters who have been an important part of SFJAZZ history with Thursday and Sunday’s concerts honoring McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson (respectively); on Friday, the inaugural group of Resident Artistic Directors — Bill Frisell, Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Miguel Zenón and John Santos — are spotlighted; and on Saturday we feature our resident ensemble the SFJAZZ Collective.
Piano legend McCoy Tyner has appeared on SFJAZZ stages no less than a dozen times over the last 30 years, in formats ranging from solo to big band to a special collaboration with tap dancer Savion Glover. Tyner first came to prominence as a member of tenor John Coltrane’s seminal 1960’s quartet leading to an incomparable career as a virtuoso pianist, bandleader and composer.
Our all-star SFJAZZ Collective will serve as “house band” for these first public performances which also include Mary Stallings, Joshua Redman, Savion Glover and many more to be announced.
SFJAZZ Center Resident Artistic Directors: Regina Carter Bill Frisell Jason Moran John Santos Miguel Zenón
Artists appearing on this concert include: McCoy Tyner Joshua Redman Bobby Hutcherson Mary Stallings
SFJAZZ Collective: Miguel Zenón, David Sánchez, Andre Hayward, Avishai Cohen, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Matt Penman, Jeff Ballard $50/100/150
12 / sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
SFJAZZ Collective
spotlight: the sfjazz resident artistic directors Fri, Jan 25, 7:30pm
The inaugural Resident Artistic Director team — Bill Frisell, Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Miguel Zenón and John Santos — will draw on their creative “wells,” individual histories, and the many connections that exist between them and the week’s other artists to create “only at the SFJAZZ Center Grand Opening” pairings and collaborations. Artists appearing on this concert include: McCoy Tyner Joshua Redman Mary Stallings SFJAZZ Center Resident Artistic Directors: Regina Carter Bill Frisell Jason Moran John Santos Miguel Zenón SFJAZZ Collective: Miguel Zenón, David Sánchez, Andre Hayward, Avishai Cohen, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Matt Penman, Jeff Ballard $50/100/150
Bobby Hutcherson
Spotlight: the SFJAZZ Collective Sat, Jan 26, 7:30pm
This night is dedicated to celebrating nine years of music-creating by our own resident ensemble, featuring the players, past and present, the legends whose music they have explored and the rich repertoire developed over a nearly a decade. Over that time they have created 62 original compositions and 63 arrangements of seminal works by the likes of Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Stevie Wonder and Chick Corea. The Collective’s founding Artistic Director, Joshua Redman, will sit-in with the band in its current incarnation. Also included is the group’s founding vibist Bobby Hutcherson and McCoy Tyner, the focus of year four’s repertoire. Artists appearing on this concert include: McCoy Tyner Bobby Hutcherson Joshua Redman Mary Stallings SFJAZZ Center Resident Artistic Directors: Regina Carter Jason Moran John Santos Miguel Zenón SFJAZZ Collective: Miguel Zenón, David Sánchez, Andre Hayward, Avishai Cohen, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Matt Penman, Jeff Ballard $50/100/150
spotlight: bobby hutcherson birthday celebration Sun, Jan 27, 7:30pm
Week one of the Grand Opening culminates on vibraphone legend Bobby Hutcherson’s birthday. Perhaps the most influential jazz vibraphonist, Hutcherson — a Bay Area resident — has recorded 40 albums as a leader and worked with a who’swho of jazz greats. Part of the SFJAZZ family since its earliest days, Hutcherson has performed on countless SFJAZZ concerts and was a founding member of the SFJAZZ Collective in 2003. The evening will include McCoy Tyner, Joshua Redman, Mary Stallings, the Resident Artistic Directors, the SFJAZZ Collective, and the week’s only appearance of tap great Savion Glover. Please join us for this one-of-a-kind birthday celebration for Mr. Bobby Hutcherson! Artists appearing on this concert include: Bobby Hutcherson McCoy Tyner Savion Glover Joshua Redman Mary Stallings SFJAZZ Center Resident Artistic Directors: Regina Carter Jason Moran John Santos Miguel Zenón SFJAZZ Collective: Miguel Zenón, David Sánchez, Andre Hayward, Avishai Cohen, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Matt Penman, Jeff Ballard $50/100/150
Grand opening
January 31–February 3
grand opening week 2 jazz in the city
The second week in the SFJAZZ Center celebrates a diverse range of Bay Area talent, with nights devoted to large ensembles, jazz vocalists, Latin jazz and the swing era.
Ellen Seeling
Realistic Orchestra & Montclair Women’s Big Band Thu, Jan 31, 7:30pm
Thursday night is a super-powered celebration of the big band, featuring Jazz Mafia kingpin Adam Theis with his 20-piece Realistic Orchestra and the superb Montclair Women’s Big Band led by veteran trumpeter Ellen Seeling. These two groups present vastly different takes on the big band tradition, exploring the thrilling range of expression possible in a large group jazz setting. Opening the show is our own SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Orchestra. $25
Adam Theis
VNote Ensemble
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Paula West
Rebeca Mauleón
Lavay Smith
Celebrating Gershwin: Dan Hicks, Kim Nalley, Paula West
Rebeca Mauleón & Afro kuban fusion
Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
vnote ensemble
Hot Club of SF
Fri, Feb 1, 7:30pm
Sat, Feb 2, 7:30pm
Sun, Feb 3, 7:30pm
The music of the iconic George Gershwin is honored on Friday, with a who’s-who of great Bay Area vocalists on hand, including local jazz luminaries Paula West, Kim Nalley and Jamie Davis as well as Bay Area music legend Dan Hicks. Backing this impressive list of singing talent is the esteemed Marcus Shelby Quartet, featuring the bass-playing leader, saxophonist Howard Wiley, pianist Adam Shulman and drummer Akira Tana.
Saturday brings an explosive evening of Latin jazz, as pianist, composer and SFJAZZ Education Director Rebeca Mauleón presents her Afro Kuban Fusion project with a venerable cast of Latin music greats including percussionists Jesús Diaz and Carlos Caro, bassist Gary Brown, guitarist Vernon Black and Cuban drum sensation Jimmy Branley. Conjuring the eclecticism of the legendary Irakere in the spirit of neo-afro-jazz-rock, this performance will get the blood pumping like no other, and the dance floor will be open!
The week closes with a night of Swing with a capital S. Led by master guitarist Paul Mehling, the worldrenowned Hot Club of San Francisco’s Le Jazz Hot quartet kicks off the party with the thrilling gypsy jazz sound made famous by guitar pioneer Django Reinhardt. Bay Area favorites Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers celebrate the music of Kansas City with a program interpreting the bawdy and uproarious blues of vocalists like Big Joe Turner and Jimmy Rushing as well as the big band swing of Count Basie.
$25
$25
$25
Hot Club of SF
season 1 calendar
Season 1 calendar January
February
March
21
01
01
SFJAZZ Center Grand Opening
Grand Opening Week 2: Jazz in the City
Voice
(p. 15)
02
23
02
Voice
SFJAZZ Center Grand Opening
Grand Opening Week 2: Jazz in the City
opening day celebration — ribbon cutting & Tours of the sfjazz Center (p. 8)
Opening night — A musicial extravaganza & fundraiser for sfjazz artistic & education programs (p. 10)
24 Grand Opening Week 1: Legacy
Celebrating Gershwin: Dan Hicks, Kim Nalley, Paula West
Grand Opening Week 1: Legacy
spotlight: the sfjazz resident artistic directors (p. 13)
26 Grand Opening Week 1: Legacy
spotlight: the sfjazz collective (p. 13)
meklit hadero (p. 27)
Rebeca Mauleón & Afro Kuban Fusion (p. 15)
03
03
Patricia Barber (p. 27)
Grand Opening Week 2: Jazz in the City
05
Lavay Smith & Hot Club of San Francisco (p. 15)
spotlight: mccoy tyner (p. 12)
25
Ana Moura (p. 26)
07 Dave Holland
solo (p. 22)
08 Dave Holland
Voice
Zakir Hussain
Listening party (p. 28)
07 Zakir Hussain
Rhythm: Hussain, Hidalgo, Harland, Smith (p. 28)
duo with kenny barRon (p. 23)
08
09
Hussain, Churasia, Kumar, Selvaganesh (p. 29)
Dave Holland
Zakir Hussain
27
Dave Holland Quintet (p. 23)
09
Grand Opening Week 1: Legacy
10
Zakir Hussain
spotlight: bobby hutcherson birthday celebration (p. 13)
31 Grand Opening Week 2: Jazz in the City
Realistic Orchestra & Montclair Women’s Big Band (p. 14)
Dave Holland
Hussain, Fleck, Meyer (p. 29)
Prism (p. 23)
10
20
Zakir Hussain
Scott Hamilton Quintet (p. 24)
Duo with Joshua Redman (p. 29)
21–24
14–17
28
21
Afro-Cuban All Stars (p. 25)
Voice
Ana Moura (p. 26)
Mariza (p. 30)
John Santos
De Akokán (p. 32)
22 John Santos
Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours (p. 33)
23 John Santos
Filosofía Caribeña II (p. 33)
24 John Santos
Uncommon Time (p. 33)
28–31
SFJAZZ Collective (p. 34)
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Note: All events are located at the Robert N. Miner Auditorium unless stated otherwise.
April
04–07
Hiromi: The Trio Project (p. 35)
11 Weimar Germany
Ute Lemper (p. 37)
12–13 Weimar Germany
Max Raabe & Palast Orchester (p. 37)
14 Weimar Germany
Club Foot Orchestra Accompanies Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (p. 37)
18 Bill Frisell
May
02
01
Jason Moran
Miguel Zenón
03
02
Jason Moran
Miguel Zenón
solo (p. 43)
Fats Waller dance party (p. 43)
04–05 Jason Moran
Bandwagon & Skateboarders (p. 43)
09 Regina Carter
Jazz Violin Listening Party (p. 44)
10 Regina Carter
Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish (p. 39)
African Roots of Violin with John Blake (p. 44)
20–21
11
Bill Frisell
Hunter S. Thompson’s Kentucky Derby (p. 39)
25
Regina Carter
Fiddlin’ With Stories with John Blake & Charlotte Blake Alston (p. 45)
Brad Mehldau
Regina Carter
Solo (p. 40)
Southern Comfort (p. 45)
26
12
Brad Mehldau
Regina Carter
Duo with Kevin Hays (p. 41)
Carolina Chocolate Drops (p. 45)
27
16–19
Brad Mehldau
Béla Fleck (p. 46)
Duo with Mark Guiliana (p. 41)
23
28
Standards
Brad Mehldau
brad mehldau Trio (p. 41)
June
tony bennett (p. 48)
24–26 Standards
dianne reeves (p. 49)
30 Miguel Zenón
Rhythm Collective (p. 50)
31 Miguel Zenón
Alma Adentro (p. 51)
identities (p. 51)
Duos: Luis Perdomo and Paoli Mejias (p. 51)
Season 1 guide
With the opening of the SFJAZZ Center, SFJAZZ Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline talks about the philosophy behind this opening season’s programming, which is an exciting departure from past concepts.
“The new artistic model is a rubric of what the Center is designed and constructed to be — a home and a context for artistic conversations between audiences and artists. Each week, over four nights from Thursday to Sunday, a foundation will be built with a thread running through each night that connects artists, musical styles, and geography with residencies, collaborations, themes, premieres, and projects. The new model is well illustrated with Dave Holland’s residency as he performs, over four nights, solo, as a duo with Kenny Barron, with his Quintet, and finally the premiere of his new project, Prism. Other examples are the series of performances from Zakir Hussain, Brad Melhdau and Resident Artistic Directors Jason Moran, Bill Frisell, Regina Carter, Miguel Zenón and John Santos.” —Randall Kline
“SFJAZZ dropped a bunch of tasty bombshells regarding the opening season for its new Hayes Valley concert venue/headquarters. The upshot: Don’t make a lot of other plans for February and March.” —Examiner.com
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season 1 guide CHOOSING YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS
Over the length of our opening season, there are a number of ways to pick the shows you want to see. To make it fun and easy to assemble your own concert series, here is a useful breakdown of shows by genre and format.
Art of the solo
Voice
percussion
22 Dave Holland
15 Celebrating Gershwin: Paula West,
25 Afro-Cuban All-Stars
40 Brad Mehldau
Dan Hicks, Kim Nalley, and Jamie Davis 15 Lavay Smith & Hot Club of SF 26 Ana Moura 27 Meklit Hadero 27 Patricia Barber 30 Mariza 37 Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project 37 Max Raabe and Palast Orchester 49 Tony Bennett 49 Dianne Reeves
28 Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Eric Harland
42 Jason Moran 46 Béla Fleck
Art of the duo 23 Dave Holland & Kenny Barron 29 Zakir Hussain & Joshua Redman 41 Brad Mehldau & Kevin Hays 41 Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana
Rakesh Churasia & V. Selvaganesh 33 Uncommon Time feat. John Santos,
Kenny Endo, Omar Sosa & Abhijit Banerjee
cuba & puerto rico 15 Rebeca Mauleón & Afro Kuban Fusion
51 Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo 51 Miguel Zenón & Paoli Mejias
& Giovanni Hidalgo 29 Zakir Hussain, Niladri Kumar,
Piano
25 Afro-Cuban All-Stars 32 De Akokan: Pavel Urkiza & Ricardo Pons 33 John Santos’ Filosofia Caribeña
15 Rebeca Mauleón & Afro Kuban Fusion
33 Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates Troubadors
27 Patricia Barber
50 Miguel Zenón and the Rhythm Collective
35 Hiromi: The Trio Project 29 Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer
51 Miguel Zenón: Alma Adentro
40 Brad Mehldau
35 Hiromi: The Trio Project
51 Miguel Zenón: Identities
42 Jason Moran
art of the trio
41 Brad Mehldau Trio
multi–media happenings Swing 14 Realistic Orchestra
& Montclair Women’s Big Band 15 Lavay Smith & Hot Club of SF 24 Scott Hamilton Quintet with Harry Allen 43 Fats Waller Dance Party Strings 22 Dave Holland
Europa 37 Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project 26 Ana Moura
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
37 Max Raabe and Palast Orchester
39 Bill Frisell: Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish 39 Bill Frisell: Hunter S. Thompson’s
jazz 23 Dave Holland Quintet 23 Dave Holland: Prism 34 SFJAZZ Collective
44 John Blake’s African Roots of the Violin 45 Regina Carter: Southern Comfort 45 Fiddlin’ with Stories with John Blake
& Charlotte Blake Alston 45 Carolina Chocolate Drops 46 Béla Fleck
37 Club Foot Orchestra accompany
30 Mariza
jazz & poetry 37 Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project 39 Bill Frisell: Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish
The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved 43 Jason Moran: Bandwagon & Skateboarders 51 Miguel Zenón: Identities
resident artistic directors
“SFJAZZ is very adventurous and has always encouraged me to play my own music. It’s been an oasis. That kind of freedom is amazing for me. And the new building is all about the music. At the SFJAZZ Center, I can have the space and time to let the music develop.”
“SFJAZZ is way ahead of the curve and wants us to move forward in an adventurous way. I want to do a dialogue with music and the city’s skateboarding community. I remember coming to San Francisco as a kid and bringing my skateboard. There’s a lot of risk in skating and jazz. In both you’re creating and continuing to push forward.”
Resident Artistic Directors For the inaugural season of the SFJAZZ Center, five of the most forward-thinking musicians in jazz will each be curating a week of exclusive programming in the Robert N. Miner Auditorium. These shows will premiere new work, feature unprecedented collaborations between world-renowned artists and jumpstart the boundarybreaking creative mission of the SFJAZZ Center.
Bill Frisell
Jason Moran
Widely regarded as the most innovative and influential jazz guitarist to emerge in the 1980s, Grammy-winning artist Bill Frisell has long been exploring the music of America’s rural past. A composer and sought-after bandleader, he has launched dozens of unique projects. His latest Savoy Jazz release, The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, is a multi-media piece adapting the words of Hunter S. Thompson and illustrator Ralph Steadman. He has been named DownBeat critics’ poll Guitarist of the Year nine times.
MacArthur fellow Jason Moran crosses musical genres, blending jazz, blues, rock, funk, and hip-hop in his compositions and multimedia performances. In 2011 he was named Artistic Advisor for Jazz at the Kennedy Center and was a triple-crown winner of DownBeat magazine’s Critics Poll, collecting awards for Jazz Artist of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Pianist of the Year. He has been on the faculty of the New England Conservatory since 2010 and is a longtime member of the Charles Lloyd New Quartet.
See page 38 for details.
See page 42 for details.
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“As performing artists, we travel all the time and hear some amazing groups. The SFJAZZ Center is an opportunity for us to bring those experiences to San Francisco and share them with people in a beautiful home and hall. It’s an honor to be part of that.”
“I started working with SFJAZZ as part of the Collective in 2004, the year it started, and I’m part of the SFJAZZ family. Now, as a Resident Artistic Director, I want to bring the music and artistry of Puerto Rico to a public that isn’t familiar with it.”
“The new SFJAZZ Center brings a lot of official recognition to jazz, but jazz is still connected to the streets. It’s important for us to pay attention to ways we can make jazz music economically viable for musicians and keep jazz in the communities where it was born.”
Regina Carter
Miguel Zenón
John Santos
Improvisational jazz violinist and MacArthur fellow Regina Carter was trained as a classical musician and weaves Motown, bebop, swing, folk, Afro-Caribbean, and world influences into her adventurous music. She has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Max Roach, Oliver Lake, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, and Dolly Parton. Her recent project, Reverse Thread, blends the jazz tradition with African folk melodies and instruments.
Multiple Grammy nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur fellow Miguel Zenón has masterfully balanced and blended the often contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a composer and a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American folkloric music and jazz. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has worked with jazz luminaries including Charlie Haden, David Sánchez, The Mingus Big Band, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Bobby Hutcherson, Steve Coleman, and the SFJAZZ Collective. He also topped the Rising Star Alto Sax category of the DownBeat critics’ poll on four occasions.
Since the 1970s, no one has done more to maintain and advance the Bay Area’s singular synthesis of Caribbean rhythms and postbop forms than percussionist John Santos. A charismatic bandleader, captivatin improviser, and dedicated educator, Santos is a master of folkloric traditions from Cuba and Puerto Rico who’s consistently found distinctive ways to merge Latin grooves with jazz orchestration. His band Orquesta Batachanga performed at the first Jazz in the City Festival in 1983. Since then he has presented Afro-Cuban music at SFJAZZ and led many educational programs. He is a five-time Grammy Award nominee.
See page 44 for details.
See page 50 for details.
See page 32 for details.
Events
“Creative genius and effective entrepreneur, power player and diplomat…Few current leaders exemplify the role as well as bassist Dave Holland.” —DownBeat
February 7–10
solo Thu, Feb 7, 7:30pm
dave holland Far more than one of the jazz’s greatest bassists, Dave Holland has inhabited the music’s adventurous edge ever since Miles Davis hired him to anchor his band in 1968 as it rapidly morphed from an acoustic powerhouse to a pioneering fusion combo. After spending years exploring the outer reaches with Anthony Braxton and Sam Rivers, the British-born bassist started leading his own ensembles, which have served as a proving ground for a legion of celebrated improvisers. His SFJAZZ Center residency offers a chance to experience Holland in an array of settings, both alone and with a dauntingly talented cast of collaborators.
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The run begins with a very rare solo program showcasing the unparalleled heights of Holland’s bass mastery, recalling his iconic ECM release Emerald Tears. This intimate encounter offers a precious insight into the creative process of a true jazz giant, and will be an evening of superlative beauty. Public: $20/40/60 • Members: $15/30/45
Eric Harland
Craig Taborn
Mark Turner
Kevin Eubanks
Duo with Kenny Barron
Quintet
Prism
Fri, Feb 8, 7:30pm Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm
Sat, Feb 9, 7:30pm
Sun, Feb 10, 7:30pm
Holland has gained the widest exposure in recent decades as the leader of his celebrated and prolifically recorded quintet. Consistently hailed as one of the most exciting small groups in jazz, the piano-less combo includes two founding members, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and SFJAZZ Collective trombonist Robin Eubanks, along with saxophonist Mark Turner and drummer Nate Smith. The quintet brings a charged communal empathy to Holland’s abstract but cohesive themes, whether exploring Afro-Caribbean grooves, funk or straight ahead swing. Taking his open-ended melodic lines in startling directions, the quintet creates the sensation that anything can happen.
The bassist finishes his run with the Bay Area premiere of his aptly-named Prism project featuring the ingenious keyboardist Craig Taborn, former SFJAZZ Collective drummer Eric Harland and Kevin Eubanks, a brilliant guitarist who is resurfacing after a 15-year run leading the Tonight Show Band. Combining the celebrated virtuosity of Taborn on electric and acoustic pianos and the soulful scorch of Eubanks in the front line with Harland’s matchless finesse and expressiveness, this decidedly plugged-in quartet is an explosive outlet for Holland at his unbridled best.
A master of duo encounters, Holland joins forces with piano great Kenny Barron, an improviser of the highest order, for a series of expansive instrumental pas de deux. Barron is an NEA Jazz Master and nine-time Grammy nominee whose storied career has included extended associations with Stan Getz, Yusef Lateef and Freddie Hubbard in addition to his sparkling solo work. Off the bandstand, Barron has enjoyed a hugely influential tenure as a music professor at Rutgers University and the Julliard School of Music. $25/45/65
$30/50/70
$25/45/65
Events
Introducing the Ensemble Room
The second performing space at the SFJAZZ Center
February 20
Scott Hamilton quintet
Hotplate moves home! 2nd Thursday of each month in The Ensemble Room at the SFJAZZ Center beginning Thursday, February 14, 2013
Hotplate, the dynamic series that matches Bay Area artists with jazz icons, begins with a feast in its new home at the SFJAZZ Center with the: 1st Annual Hotplate Festival Thursday, February 14 through Sunday, February 17.
Each of the four nights will reprise the “best of” concerts from our 3 years of presentations at Amnesia in the Mission District.
featuring harry allen
Please note: Hotplate will continue at Amnesia, 853 Valencia Street, on second Thursdays through January 10.
Wed, Feb 20, 7:30pm
SFJAZZ Hotplate sponsored by:
Tenor saxophone luminary Scott Hamilton was at the forefront of a new generation of young artists that helped revitalize mainstream acoustic jazz in the mid-1970s, possessing a fat, buttery sound that harkens back to Ben Webster, Don Byas and Zoot Sims. Recording prolifically for Concord Records as both a leader and featured sideman on classic sessions by singers Rosemary Clooney, Maxine Sullivan and Susannah McCorkle, he was a regular Bay Area presence, playing the major jazz clubs and the Concord Jazz Festival. He released his 1977 debut, Scott Hamilton Is A Good Wind Blowing Us No Ill, at a time when jazz/rock fusion dominated the market. Hamilton and collaborators including trumpeter Warren Vaché, trombonist Dan Barrett and guitarist Howard Alden helped revive the sophisticated sound of small group swing, ushering in the “young lion” jazz renaissance. Unfortunately, since he moved to Europe in the late 1990s, Hamilton has been a scarce presence in the Bay Area. This concert is a rare and welcome return for an artist whose impact continues to reverberate through the jazz world. He’s joined by tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, one of the brilliant players who followed in Hamilton’s footsteps, honing a beautifully expressive sound informed by the tenor titans of the 1930s. Public: $25/35/55 • Members: $19/26/41
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Spoken Word to Come in June SFJAZZ Poet Laureate Ishmael Reed — noted poet, novelist, playwright and essayist — will curate and participate in the first annual festival of spoken word and jazz, as part of the inaugural Season of the SFJAZZ Center. Spoken Word Fest June 6–9 The Ensemble Room in the SFJAZZ Center
Look for announcements of Spoken Word Fest and Hotplate Festival in October at sfjazz.org.
February 21–24
Juan de Marcos & the Afro-Cuban All Stars Thu, Feb 21, 7:30pm Fri, Feb 22, 7:30pm
Sat, Feb 23, 7:30pm Sun, Feb 24, 7:30pm
A legendary Afro-Cuban band comes to the SFJAZZ Center. After gaining international fame for reviving the classic sound of Cuban son, tres master Juan de Marcos turned the Afro-Cuban All Stars into a sensational showcase for Cuba’s most prodigious young musicians. While long revered in Latin America and Europe as a founding member of Cuba’s great son revival band Sierra Maestra, de Marcos first gained notice in the US through the Buena Vista Social Club. It was de Marcos who assembled Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Ruben Gonzalez and the rest of the crew for Ry Cooder when he came to Havana looking for illustrious old timers. But de Marcos is just as interested in promoting Cuba’s brilliant young musicians as in highlighting Cuba’s senior
talent. The Afro-Cuban All Stars not only features a multi-generational cast, the group draws on both classic Cuban styles like son and danzón and contemporary dance rhythms like timba. “What I’m trying to do is create a bridge between contemporary and traditional Cuban music,” de Marcos says. “I’m trying to mix both things so people can realize that Cuban music didn’t stop in time, that it developed in this long period when Cuban music disappeared from the market.” Feb Feb Feb Feb
21: $25/45/65 22: $25/45/65 23: $30/50/70 24: $25/45/65
Events
Ana Moura
February 28—march 3
voice
ana moura meklit hadero patricia barber A lineup of spellbinding singers marks this week, which includes a masterful jazz performer, a homegrown songwriter and a Portuguese fado star, each with fresh takes on the legacy of song.
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ana moura
Meklit Hadero
patricia barber
Thu, Feb 28, 7:30pm Fri, Mar 1, 7:30pm
Sat, Mar 2, 7:30pm
Sun, Mar 3, 7:30pm
Ethiopian-born San Francisco singer and songwriter Meklit Hadero returns to SFJAZZ following her triumphant double bill with R&B singing star Lizz Wright last spring. Following her directorial stint at San Francisco’s Red Poppy Art House and being named a TED Global Fellow, Hadero became a sensation with the release of her 2010 debut On A Day Like This, an enchanting album featuring her delicately luminous original songs and traditional Amharic melodies. The album received rave reviews and featured coverage on PBS, National Geographic and NPR. The singer has been on a meteoric rise ever since, spreading her distinctive brand of magic on numerous international tours, including a pair of trips to her native Ethiopia, and criss-crossing the U.S. Whether performing with her transfixing world-trance band Nefasha Ayer, grooving with classic R&B belter Quinn DeVeaux on their new album Meklit & Quinn, or breaking down walls with her African hip-hop project CopperWire, Hadero has established herself as a modern queen of soul.
If there’s such a thing as a typical jazz vocalist, Patricia Barber doesn’t fit the profile. What distinguishes the cerebral performer from virtually all of her peers is the keen intelligence of her original material, which is often informed by her literary ambition. Quirky, insistently independent and emotionally cool, she’s attracted a dedicated following with her rigorous songwriting craft and sly, harmonically deft piano work. She won a Guggenheim Fellowship Award in 2003 to compose an ambitious song cycle based on Ovid’s epic poem “Metamorphoses,” making her the first singer-songwriter to ever receive the prestigious grant. A savvy bandleader who has honed a tight, telegraphic style with her quartet, Barber is known for transforming unlikely pop tunes into sleek jazz numbers, reinventing Cole Porter, and constantly reworking her impressive book of originals. Barber’s previous two albums were recorded at the storied Chicago jazz spot The Green Mill, where she’s held down a weekly gig for more than a decade, and this performance celebrates the release of her Concord Jazz debut, Smash. Whether she’s interpreting standards or her incisive original tunes, Patricia Barber has created a richly rewarding body of work unlike anything else on the scene.
We welcome this superstar fado vocalist back to SFJAZZ. Sparked by a remarkable generation of young singers, fado has emerged over the past decade or so as a force on the world music scene, and the brightest light bringing the soul-baring music to new audiences is Ana Moura. Draped in a lacy black gown, her raven tresses cascading down her bare shoulders, she captures the spirit of the iconic fadista, a singer devoted to the traditionbound Portuguese musical style that marries poetry about love, loss and the vicissitudes of fate to sumptuously plaintive melodies. While she hews to many of the genres conventions, performing accompanied by 12-string Portuguese guitars, Moura embodies fado’s contemporary spirit. With her gorgeous voice and riveting stage presence she’s captured fans like Caetano Veloso, the Rolling Stones and Prince, who made a surprise backstage visit during her first SFJAZZ performance. In an inspired pairing, four-time Grammy Award winner Larry Klein produced her new album, his latest collaboration with this supremely gifted female artist (his credits include Joni Mitchell, Luciana Souza, Melody Gardot, and Madeleine Peyroux). Much like the blues, fado is defined by its unabashed emotional intensity and preoccupation with heartbreak, betrayal and separation. In Moura’s hands, this ritualized form of emotional release takes flight, soaring to new emotional heights. Feb 28: $25/40/55 Mar 1: $25/45/65
$25/35/50
$25/35/50
Events 28 / Events
“It’s hard to imagine a better champion for Indian classical music in the West than Zakir Hussain” —San Jose Mercury News
Steve Smith
Listening Party
Rhythm: Hussain, Hidalgo, Harland, Smith
Tue, Mar 5, 7:30pm
Thu, Mar 7, 7:30pm
In his most recent Listening Party for SFJAZZ, Zakir Hussain proved he is also a masterful storyteller with a career that tranverses much of modern music. This is a perfect introduction to this week of diverse concerts curated by such a singular voice.
Rhythm is a genre-bending percussion showcase featuring Giovanni Hidalgo, Eric Harland, and Steve Smith, drum giants with whom he shares deep ties. Hussain and Hidalgo, the revered Puerto Rican conguero, started collaborating two decades ago in Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, and Hussain toured and recorded with Harland in Charles Lloyd’s spiritually charged trio Sangam. The tabla genius has a history with ex-Journey drummer Smith in Summit, the innovative Indo-jazz ensemble led by Berkeley saxophonist George Brooks. Together, it adds up to an incredible evening of drumming firepower.
Public: $10 • Members: $5
$25/45/65 • World Premiere
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March 5 & 7–10
zakir hussain Zakir Hussain is universally acknowledged as the world’s greatest tabla virtuoso, the scion of a legendary Hindustani percussion dynasty and a master of classical North Indian music who has collaborated with a glittering roster of international stars. Bay Area audiences have been fortunate to experience Hussain’s groundbreaking creative journey up close since he settled in the region to teach at San Anselmo’s Ali Akbar Khan College of Music in 1970. As a bandleader, a dogged promoter of Hindustani and South Indian Carnatic traditions, a Bollywood and Hollywood film composer, and a pioneer of world music and Indo-jazz fusion, he’s blazed a mind-boggling array of musical trails. His SFJAZZ Center residency showcases a cross section of his creative pursuits, building on longstanding relationships and introducing several new ones. Rakesh Churasia
Hussain, Churasia, Kumar, Selvaganesh Fri, Mar 8 , 7:30pm
Getting back to his roots, Hussain leads a classical ensemble of rising North and South Indian masters featuring flutist Rakesh Churasia, the nephew of flute legend Hariprasad Chaurasia, sitarist Niladri Kumar, who toured with Hussain’s Masters of Percussion series, and V. Selvaganesh, a master of the kanjira, or South Indian frame drum, and a member of Hussain and John McLaughlin’s Remember Shakti. This promises to be an unforgettable presentation of Indian classical music by four master musicians. $25/45/65
Joshua Redman
Hussain, Fleck, Meyer
Duo with Joshua Redman
Sat, Mar 9, 7:30pm
Sun, Mar 10, 7:30pm
On Saturday night, Hussain reconvenes his celebrated collaboration with esteemed bassist Edgar Meyer and banjo-plucking superstar Béla Fleck, the trio with whom he composed and recorded 2009’s masterful The Melody of Rhythm — Triple Concerto & Music for Trio. A unique and harmonious convergence of wide-ranging musical traditions, the trio’s last SFJAZZ performance sold out instantly, and their debut at the SFJAZZ Center will be very special indeed.
Sunday marks a first-time duo encounter between Hussain and saxophone giant Joshua Redman. A Berkeley native, Redman has established himself as the preeminent tenor player of his generation, recording 13 albums as a leader, co-founding the SFJAZZ Collective and touring the world with the recent co-op quartet project, James Farm. For this momentous meeting, the shared improvisational prowess of these two titans from the jazz and Indian classical worlds will bridge cultures in the name of fresh exploration.
$30/50/70/95
$25/45/65 • World Premiere
Events
“The Sade of fado.” —The New York Times
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march 14–17
Mariza Thu, Mar 14, 7:30pm Fri, Mar 15, 7:30pm Sat, Mar 16, 7:30pm Sun, Mar 17, 7:30pm
No one has embraced fado with more passion and charisma than Mariza, the music’s greatest star and a full-throated singer who revels in the music’s emotional power. After decades of neglect when fado was dismissed as a relic from Portugal’s past, a new generation has reinvigorated the nation’s cherished musical style and re-established its relevance with global audiences. With its blend of Portuguese folk poetry, Arabic cadences and African and Brazilian rhythms, fado was an unintended harvest from Portugal’s far-flung empire. These days, it’s Mariza who’s conquering the world as the first Portuguese musician nominated for a Grammy and three BBC Radio 3 Best European Artist awards. Her multi-platinum 2008 album Terra introduced a truly international sensibility with a scintillating mix of songs from Brazil, Cuba, Cape Verde and, of course, Portugal. But with 2010’s Fado Tradicional she returned to her roots, revisiting classic songs in an intimate setting, backed only by acoustic guitar. In performance Mariza is a captivating presence, with her close-cropped blonde hair, swan-like neck and glorious belle époque gowns. While fado singers traditionally stand motionless as they sing, Mariza stalks the stage looking like an apparition from another era, infusing the timeless melodies of her homeland with a singular style. Mar Mar Mar Mar
14: $25/45/65 15: $30/50/70 16: $35/55/80 17: $30/50/70
“… she’s been reviving and reinventing the traditional fado style, and the results are nothing short of spectacular.” —the washington post
Events
“One of the best. He knows our music and everything that puts it together.” —dizzy gillespie
Pavel Urkiza
March 21–24
john santos resident artistic director
Far more than a master percussionist, John Santos is an invaluable educator and cultural activist, a keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame steeped in Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric traditions as well as salsa and Latin jazz. Born and raised in San Francisco’s Mission District amidst an extended family of Puerto Rican musicians, he’s been at the center of the Bay Area’s Latin music scene for nearly four decades. As a visionary bandleader and noted historian, he has served on the Smithsonian Institution’s Latin Jazz Advisory Committee. Santos has played an essential role in expanding Latin jazz’s rhythmic lexicon beyond the foundational Cuban grooves. His programming as a Resident Artistic Director reflects his pan-Caribbean sensibility.
De Akokán Thu, Mar 21, 7:30pm
De Akokán, which means “from the heart” in Yoruba, is a project based on the 2011 duo album Buscando la esquina by Ukranainian-born Cuban singersongwriter Pavel Urkiza and Puerto Rican reed expert Ricardo Pons. This collaboration explores filín, an expansive Cuban song style that draws heavily on jazz, and rhythms from West Africa, Brazil, the Mediterranean, and India. $20/30/40
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Omar Sosa
Papo Vazquez
Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours Fri, Mar 22, 7:30pm Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm
The formidable trombonist, arranger and composer Papo Vazquez presents the West Coast debut of Pirates Troubadours, an eight-piece Afro Puerto Rican jazz combo that melds Caribbean percussion with a blazing jazz horn section on material inspired by traditional Puerto Rican forms. $25/35/50
Sandra Garcia Rivera
Kenny Endo
Filosofía Caribeña II
Uncommon Time
Sat, Mar 23, 7:30pm
Sun, Mar 24, 7:30pm
Santos presents the second installment of his Filosofía Caribeña, a project he premiered as part of the 2011 Spring Season featuring his Latin jazz sextet. The project embodies the triune nature of Caribbean culture, which is woven from Iberian, African and indigenous influences, and features special guests such as Cuban-born timbales legend Orestes Vilató, award-winning Nuyorican poet and vocalist Sandra Garcia Rivera, and powerhouse Puerto Rican trumpeter Jerry Media, a co-founder of the seminal Latin fusion band Batacumbele.
The week closes with Uncommon Time, an explosive multicultural percussion summit featuring Santos, taiko drummer Kenny Endo, tabla master Abhijit Banerjee, and Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, a frequent Santos collaborator who approaches his instrument like 88 tuned drums.
$25/45/65
$25/35/50
Events
March 28–31
Sfjazz collective Thu, Mar 28, 7:30pm Fri, Mar 29, 7:30pm • Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm with Stefon Harris Sat, Mar 30, 7:30pm Sun, Mar 31, 7:30pm
Launched in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is one of the most critically acclaimed groups on the scene. Hailing from Puerto Rico, New York, Venezuela, Philadelphia, Santa Cruz, New Zealand and Israel, the Collective’s multi-cultural lineup mirrors the explosion of jazz talent around the globe. Each year, this allstar ensemble has paid tribute to a legendary composer, from Thelonious Monk to Ornette Coleman, with fresh arrangements of their classic tunes. Each band member also contributes an original composition, commissioned by SFJAZZ. After the blockbuster success of the group’s take on the work of soul legend Stevie Wonder, this season the Collective turns their focus to the music of jazz keyboard giant Chick Corea. The inaugural season in the SFJAZZ Center welcomes a pair of new members to the Collective. Tenor saxophonist David Sánchez has garnered a welldeserved reputation as one of the foremost instrumentalists in jazz. As a member of the Collective, he reunites with alto saxophonist Miguel Zénon, who performed on Sánchez’s Grammy-winning album Coral, and vibraphonist Stefon Harris, who recently partnered with Sánchez on the Cuban music project Ninety Miles. Drummer and Santa Cruz native Jeff Ballard has established himself as a modern jazz luminary, co-leading the eclectic ensemble Fly and working extensively in pianist Brad Mehldau’s vaunted trio. The choice of Chick Corea’s music this season is serendipitous for Ballard, who spend a number of years with Corea powering his Origin sextet and New Trio. An NEA Jazz Master and musical chameleon acclaimed for his work in the worlds of hard bop, fusion and classical music, Chick Corea has made a vast contribution to the jazz legacy. From his iconic stint with Miles Davis in the late ‘60s to the boundary-pushing Return To Forever and his stunning solo projects, Corea is the perfect composer for exploration. His timeless pieces are tantalizing canvases for reinterpretation, and over these four nights the Collective can be expected to take them to new and unexpected places. Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone David Sánchez: tenor saxophone Avishai Cohen: trumpet Robin Eubanks: trombone Stefon Harris: vibraphone Edward Simon: piano Matt Penman: bass Jeff Ballard: drums Mar 28: Public: $20/30/40 • Members: $15/22/30 Mar 29: $25/40/60 Mar 30: $25/45/65 Mar 31: $25/40/60
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April 4–7
Hiromi
Hiromi: The Trio Project
featuring anthony jackson and simon phillips
Thu, Apr 4, 7:30pm Fri, Apr 5, 7:30pm Sat, Apr 6, 7:30pm • Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm Sun, Apr 7, 7:30pm
An utterly original improviser and composer who turns each piece into a thrilling ride, Japanese-born pianist Hiromi creates kinetic soundscapes in which through-composed passages segue seamlessly into open-ended improvisation. What’s most impressive isn’t her commanding technique. It’s her cohesive group approach in which no instrument is confined to its traditional role. She introduced her latest hi-octane ensemble The Trio Project on 2011’s Voice (Telarc), featuring electric bass master Anthony Jackson and British drummer Simon Phillips, whose gaudy resume includes stints with Brian Eno, Jeff Beck, Stanley Clarke, and The Who. For Hiromi, he was the ideal rhythmic catalyst for her sonically expansive concept. “I want to treat the three instruments as three pieces of an orchestra, and extend the sound,” says Hiromi, 34. She worked with Jackson on her first two albums and had long thought about bringing him into the studio again. After playing several shows as a trio, she knew Phillips was the right man for her latest power trio. “He’s got a very diverse, very unique sound,” Hiromi says. “He has an amazing understanding of all kinds of music, the same as Anthony, and that’s what I was looking for.” For this run of dates at the SFJAZZ Center, the trio supports their second Telarc release.
Anthony Jackson
Apr 4: Public: $20/30/40 • Members: $15/22/30 Apr 5: $25/40/55 Apr 6: $25/45/65 Apr 7: $25/35/50
Simon Phillips
Events
April 11–14
weimar germany
ute lemper max raabe & palast orchester club foot orchestra This week focuses on artists whose projects are often associated with the rich cultural renaissance of Germany’s Weimar Republic during the 1920s and early 1930s, from cabaret to futurist film.
“In the grand style of performers from Germany’s Weimar Republic, Max Raabe likes to party like it’s 1929.” —The New York Times
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ute lemper The Bukowski Project Thu, Apr 11, 7:30pm
For this inspired pairing, Ute Lemper, the searing siren of Brechtian theater, turns her gimlet-eye to poet Charles Bukowski, the late prophet of skid row. Drawing from books like The Last Night of the Earth Poems, and You Get So Alone At Times That It Just Makes Sense, Lemper has crafted an evening-length program weaving together songs derived from Bukowski poems set to appropriately noir themes composed by Lemper, drummer Todd Turkisher, and pianist Vana Gierig. One of the most dynamic theatrical singers of her generation, Lemper has built her reputation playing the most vivid female antiheroes in the musical canon, from the irrepressible Sally Bowles in “Cabaret” to the vampy Velma Kelly in “Chicago,” a role for which she won the 1998 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Featured as an actress in films by Robert Altman (Prêt-àPorter), Peter Greenway (Prospero’s Books) and Norman Jewison (Bogus), she has also collaborated with groundbreaking choreographer Pina Bausch. Lemper is probably best known as the foremost interpreter of celebrated composer Kurt Weill, whose songs often blend sensuality and romanticism with biting satire and violence, an ideal preparation for exploring the work of Charles Bukowski. $35/55/75
Max Raabe & Palast Orchester Fri, Apr 12, 7:30pm • Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm with Ian Wekwerth Sat, Apr 13, 7:30pm & 10pm
In the 1920s and early 30s, Berlin was a roiling cauldron of creative energy where avant-garde art movements intersected with popular culture, birthing theatrical and musical forms that continue to influence our world today. Walking a narrow line between madcap kitsch and sublime musicality, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester evoke the heady, dancing-on-knife-point mood of the Weimar Republic. A conservatory-trained baritone besotted with the Weimar era vocal style exemplified by the Comedian Harmonists, Raabe interprets vintage hits while also writing original songs and reinventing contemporary pop tunes in a retro style, such as “Oops!... I Did It Again” from Britney Spears and “Sex Bomb” by Tom Jones. With his slicked back hair and ingratiating stage presence, Raabe is a master entertainer whose irony-laced performances combine arresting spectacle with sophisticated, jazz-steeped arrangements. The resulting music is consistently dizzying, delightful and devilishly catchy. Backed by his polished 12-piece orchestra, Raabe possesses a supremely flexible voice, full and resonant in lower registers and pure and clear in his falsetto range. His latest album, Küssen kann man nicht alleine (One cannot kiss alone), was produced by German new wave icon Annette Humpe, who gives his music a sleek and sensuous sheen. Expect a party from a bygone era, and don’t be surprised if the audience dresses up in true Art Deco style! Apr 12: $35/55/80 Apr 13: 7:30pm $40/60/85 • 10pm: $40/60/85
club foot orchestra Accompany Fritz Lang’s Metropolis Sun, Apr 14, 4pm & 7:30pm
Founded in 1983 by San Francisco composer and multi-instrumental wind expert Richard Marriott, Club Foot Orchestra has earned international renown performing dramatic, intricately jazz-infused original scores for classic silent films. Over the years the ensemble has featured some of the most vivid and expressive musicians in the Bay Area (and New York City, where Marriott is now based). In an ideal pairing of band and material, Club Foot performs its heralded score to a carefully restored version of the 1927 expressionist masterpiece Metropolis, including many scenes cut from the original American release. Premiered on April 7, 1991 at the Castro Theatre, Metropolis marked a major leap for Club Foot as its first collaboratively composed score, with compositions by Marriott, Steve Kirk, Beth Custer, Sheldon Brown, Nik Phelps and Myles Boisen. A product of Weimar Germany’s creative ferment, visionary director Fritz Lang’s film is set in a dystopian future (the year 2026) where wealthy intellectuals rule over teeming industrial workers who toil mostly underground. An initial box office flop that was scorned by critics, Metropolis came to be recognized as a cinematic landmark for its innovative special effects, gorgeous Art Decoinspired art design and trenchant social critique. Don’t miss this return engagement of Club Foot and Metropolis, back with SFJAZZ after two decades. 4pm & 7:30pm: $20/30
Events
April 18, 20 & 21
bill frisell resident artistic director
Behind guitarist Bill Frisell’s affable demeanor there’s a steelywilled artist whose creative ambitions span the continent. Since his early days on the Downtown Manhattan scene in the mid-1970s, when he became a key collaborator with John Zorn, Frisell has steadily expanded his sonic purview, staking a claim to an ever-greater range of media, material, and musical traditions. From Charles Ives and Aaron Copland to Buster Keaton and Bob Dylan, from urban thrash and American Songbook ballads to country blues and Nashville twang, Frisell distills the essence of the American experience.
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Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish Thu, Apr 18, 7pm & 9:30pm
As a Resident Artistic Director, Frisell premieres two of his latest and most ambitious multi-media projects with a powerhouse ensemble that builds on his 858 Quartet with violinist Jenny Scheinman and cellist Hank Roberts. Rather than showcasing his protean guitar playing, both works foreground Frisell as a composer who has honed a singular language marked by vintage Americana cadences and post-modern juxtapositions. A collaboration with the prolific, Grammy Award-winning producer Hal Willner, Kaddish is a beautiful and harrowing work based on the devastating poem Allen Ginsberg wrote upon the suicide of his mother. With recitation by Willner and director Chloe Webb, the piece features Frisell’s score and visual design by artist Ralph Steadman, renowned for his twisted, pitch-perfect graphics for the gonzo journalism of Hunter S. Thompson. 7pm: $40/60/80 • 9:30pm: $35/55/75
Hunter S. Thompson’s The Kentucky Derby Sat, Apr 20, 7:30pm (Members only) Sun, Apr 21, 4pm & 7:30pm
Steadman is also central to Frisell’s other program, the world premiere of The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved, from last year’s album of the same name on 429 Records. Designed like a radio play, Kentucky Derby features a cast of well-known actors delivering Hunter S. Thompson’s notorious article about the 1970 horse race for Scanlan’s Monthly. According to JazzTimes, Frisell’s score “has the soured grandeur of faded Southern aristocracy, as if Stephen Foster had been soaked in Benzedrine and bourbon.” These events are can’t-miss evenings of hallucinatory beauty and raucous humor from an American original. Apr 20 (Members only): $35/55/75 Apr 21: 4pm: $35/55/75 • 7:30pm: $40/60/80
Events
April 25–28
brad melhdau The most celebrated young pianist in jazz returns with a multifaceted week of stunning shows. Over the past two decades, Brad Mehldau has earned a spot in the jazz piano firmament next to Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Fred Hersch as a supremely expressive improviser who turns performances into emotionally wrought journeys. He’s an ambitious composer and adventurous song sleuth, as likely to interpret an atmospheric Bjork tune as a treasured Irving Berlin ballad, at times seamlessly blending the two. An artist whose wide-ranging vision is impossible to sum up in one sentence or performance, Mehldau settles into the SFJAZZ Center for a four-day residency, stretching out in a fascinating array of intimate settings.
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solo Thu, Apr 25, 7:30pm
The week begins with the pianist in a rare solo performance that puts artist and audience as close as possible. Mehldau is at his most expansive in solo recitals where he gives free rein to his imagination, as captured on 2011’s authoritative Live in Marciac double album and DVD set. $30/50/70
“Mehldau is a modern jazz star often characterized as a cerebral explorer, a dynamic, incisive improviser…In fact, the guy is a lot of fun, too…beautiful and direct, the art of the trio at its apex.” —Mojo
Duo with Kevin Hays
Duo with Mark Guiliana
Fri, Apr 26, 7:30pm
Sat, Apr 27, 7:30pm
In 2011, Mehldau also released a gorgeous duo project with fellow piano master Kevin Hays, Modern Music (Nonesuch), a fascinating project focusing on the compositions and arrangements of jazz/classical composer Patrick Zimmerli. On Friday, Hays joins Mehldau again for a special night of keyboard wizardry.
In another and decidedly electrified duo encounter, Saturday sees Mehldau on electric piano and synthesizer, joining forces with the endlessly inventive drummer Mark Guiliana for the west coast debut of their Mehliana project. Best known for his long association with bassist Avishai Cohen, the world-funk infused Guiliana has also worked widely with saxophonist Donny McCaslin and vocalist Gretchen Parlato.
$30/50/70
$30/50/70
Trio with Larry Grenadier & Jeff Ballard Sun, Apr 28, 7:30pm
Mehldau completes his residency with a performance by his celebrated trio featuring two brilliant Northern California-raised compatriots, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard. As documented on the new Nonesuch CD Where Do You Start, the trio’s strikingly beautiful group sound is distinguished by the way the players continuously trade roles, often eschewing traditional solos while elaborating on the form of a song. Whatever the setting, whether playing his own stunning compositions, American Songbook standards, or more contemporary tunes by Nick Drake, Radiohead or the Beatles, Mehldau’s long, emotionally arching improvisations turn each performance into an epic, unforgettable journey. $30/50/70
Events
Jason Moran
may 2–5
jason moran resident artistic director
An ambitiously creative musician who frequently collaborates with artists in film and dance, pianist Jason Moran is jazz’s wild card, a probing conceptualist who transforms everything he touches into a bracingly contemporary statement. His music combines jagged, kinetic expressionism and unabashed romanticism, bristling with ideas lifted from some of the less explored corners of the jazz piano pantheon. Winner of numerous awards and honors, including a coveted MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship in 2010, the 37-year-old pianist has released a series of projects as satisfying conceptually as they are sonically, showcasing his capacious intelligence, rollicking touch, and road-less-traveled sensibility. Since he emerged in the late-90s in the quartet of alto saxophonist and ace talent scout Greg Osby, Moran has developed at an exponential rate in the company of his supremely flexible quartet the Bandwagon, honing an approach that soaks up influences and reconfigures them to suit his own exacting needs. As a Resident Artistic Director, the multi-faceted Moran is performing in a wide-ranging array of settings.
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Jason Moran
Meshell Ndegeocello
solo
Fats Waller Dance party
Thu, May 2, 7:30pm
Fri, May 3, 7:30pm
Giving free rein to his muse in a solo recital, Moran ranges widely across the jazz continuum, referencing stride, bebop, hip hop and the avant garde, while making canny use of electronics and pre-recorded segments. It will be an intimate evening of piano music like none you’ve ever experienced, from the mind of a modern master.
Moran’s historical engagement can be seen in the West Coast premiere of his Fats Waller project, a collaboration with renowned bassist and vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello. Rather than interpreting Waller’s ebulliently swinging songbook directly, Moran breaks down melodies and riffs and then “the band built on those fragments, in rhythms coming out of 1960s-and-beyond dance music: Motown, house, hip-hop,” the New York Times reported. This night will be a raucous party with an open dance floor and copious quantities of fun.
$25/40/60
$30/40/50
Bandwagon
Bandwagon & Skateboarders Sat, May 4, 7:30pm Sun, May 5, 7:30pm
He closes his programming with a two-day installation engaging the Bay Area skateboarding tradition, an unprecedented meeting of jazz improvisation and aerial artistry that will only happen at SFJAZZ. Moran’s Bandwagon combo performs along side a who’s-who of Bay Area skating luminaries who will take flight on a specially constructed skating half-pipe installed in front of the SFJAZZ Center stage. Don’t miss this thrilling blend of visual and aural magic! $20/30/40
Jason Moran as Fats Waller
Events
John Blake
African Roots of Violin with John Blake Fri, May 10, 7:30pm Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm
Determined to present the underappreciated composer, educator and improviser John Blake, Jr. (“One of my mentors when I first started playing jazz,” Carter says), she has engaged the Philadelphia violin master for two programs. The African Roots of Violin is a revelatory concert exploring the African roots of the violin and its evolution as a jazz instrument. $20/30/40
Jazz Violin Listening Party (Members only) Thu, May 9, 7:30pm
She kicks off her first season as Resident Artistic Director with an exclusive listening party devoted to the history of violin in jazz. Join Carter and Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline for this special evening of great music and enlightening conversation. Free, includes complimentary reception. Limit two tickets per household
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Charlotte Blake Alston
Fiddlin’ With Stories with John Blake & Charlotte Blake Alston Sat, May 11, 11am
Fiddlin’ With Stories is an enchanting family matinee also featuring Blake and his sister, master storyteller and African music expert Charlotte Blake Alston, which interweaves folkloric stories with jazz and traditional African music. This will be a uniquely wonderful performance tailored to audiences of all ages.
Southern Comfort Sat, May 11, 7:30pm
A transition from the exploration of her African ancestry to her family history marks the premiere of her new Reverse Thread program, Southern Comfort. Trading the West African kora for a slide guitar, she has collected songs redolent of her father’s roots in Alabama for a celebration of the joyous music that infused her early childhood. $25/40/60 • World Premiere
$15 General Admission adults $10 Adults with children $5 Children and seniors
Carolina Chocolate Drops Sun, May 12, 3pm & 7:30pm
The week closes with collaboration between Carter and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an ensemble that has proudly reclaimed the African-American string band tradition. While old-time music is often associated with white Appalachia, the Chocolate Drops reveal the celebratory, interconnected currents running through blues, country and bluegrass, bringing brash, youthful energy to music rooted in the red soil of the southern Piedmont. 3pm: $20/30/40 • 7pm: $25/35/50
may 9–12
regina carter resident artistic director
For Regina Carter, the violin isn’t merely an improvisational vehicle. It’s a passport to unexpected realms, a Rosetta stone that unlocks the door to a myriad of cultures and worlds. Since emerging from the Detroit scene in the late 1980s, Carter has recorded a series of dazzling albums, joining forces with piano giant Kenny Barron on Freefall, celebrating her hometown on Motor City Moments, and breaking new ground with a legendary violin on Paganini: After A Dream. An intrepid musical explorer, Carter has greatly expanded her violin odyssey since being awarded a coveted 2006 MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship. She began researching the African roots of the violin, which resulted in her acclaimed 2010 album Reverse Thread, an entrancing sojourn exploring compositions by artists from Kenya, Mali, and Senegal.
Events
“One of the world’s most accommodating virtuosos.” —The New York Times
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May 16–19
Béla fleck solo
Thu, May 16, 7:30pm Fri, May 17, 7:30pm Sat, May 18, 7:30pm Sun, May 19, 7:30pm
In the course of his staggering career, banjo maestro Béla Fleck has taken the instrument where it’s never gone before, and carried it back to its roots in West Africa. As a brash young explorer feeling his oats in the 1980s he added a jolt of energy to bluegrass as part of New Grass Revival. In the 1990s he attained rock star status as the leader of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, a brilliant communion of similarly self-invented instrumental masters. Since then he’s collaborated with a dazzling array of artists across the musical spectrum, garnering Grammy Award nominations in more categories than any other artist, ever. Whether he’s interpreting the classical Western canon with bassist Edgar Meyer, recording a series of revelatory sessions with a diverse array of African musicians, or joining the trio of piano great Marcus Roberts on his latest album Across the Imaginary Divide (Rounder), Fleck combines consummate musicianship with improvisational panache. His unprecedented SFJAZZ Center engagement finds him stretching out in the most unfettered setting, playing a series of solo recitals. With a vast universe of music at his fingertips, Fleck turns the banjo into a magic carpet capable of reaching just about any destination. May 16: Public: $20/40/60 • Members: $15/30/45 May 17: $25/45/65 May 18: $30/50/70 May 19: $25/45/65
“He has helped to reestablish the banjo as a cool, contemporary and cutting edge instrument.” —JazzTimes
Events 48 / Events
“Mr. Bennett has steadfastly remained the embodiment of heart in popular music.”” —The New York Times
may 23—26
standards tony bennett dianne reeves
Two world-renowned interpreters of American popular song hold court this week, each a treasured artist who has earned a place in the pantheon of greatest vocalists of all time.
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tony bennett
dianne reeves
Thu, May 23, 7:30pm • Davies Symphony Hall
Fri, May 24, 7:30pm Sat, May 25, 7:30pm Sun, May 26, 7:30pm
F. Scott Fitzgerald famously quipped that there are no second acts in American life, but he didn’t count on Tony Bennett. In a twist worthy of one of the Jazz Age writer’s masterly short stories, it’s the music from Fitzgerald’s own era that has sustained and fueled Bennett’s resurgence as a major force in American music. The consummate interpreter of standards, Bennett built his career on the bedrock of the American Songbook. Time has lent his voice a husky, burnished quality that adds a tinge of rue to his deep-seated optimism; an ebullient sense of swing that has earned him a staggering 17 Grammy Awards and the supreme honor of being named an NEA Jazz Master in 2006. At a time when most of his pop star peers had long since faded from the scene, his appearance on MTV’s “Unplugged” series (and the resulting 1994 album) brought Bennett to the attention of a new generation. A priceless treasure whose expressive power is undimmed at 85, he has recorded some of his best work in recent years, including a series of duets sessions featuring everyone from Paul McCartney and James Taylor to Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin and Norah Jones. Bennett was recently the subject of a celebrated documentary film, The Zen of Bennett, and his newest release, Viva Duets, features collaborations with Latin singing stars including Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Miguel Bosé and Maria Gadú. $75/95/130/170 Davies Symphony Hall 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco 94102
The most beloved jazz singer on the scene makes her SFJAZZ Center debut. More than two generations have passed since jazz stars took on aristocratic titles, otherwise Dianne Reeves would surely be known as The Queen. Possessing a glorious voice and majestic stage presence, she’s one of jazz’s most regal figures, an artist who embodies the music’s enduring values of elegance, class and improvisational poise. Though her jazz roots run deep — pianist/producer George Duke is her cousin — Reeves first hit the road with Brazilian pianist and bandleader Sergio Mendes in the early 1980s, and before long she attracted the attention of Harry Belafonte. Reeves started gaining attention in her own right through her collaboration with keyboardist Billy Childs in the early 80s. She won the Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy Award for three consecutive releases, an unprecedented feat. More recently, she earned another Grammy for the soundtrack of George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, which featured her prominently on screen. While her crushed velvet vocals helped establish the film’s period feel, her follow-up, 2008’s George Duke-produced When You Know was a decidedly more contemporary affair, and she makes her SFJAZZ Center debut with a brand new Blue Note recording. Making any era she explores her very own realm, Dianne Reeves reigns uncontested as jazz royalty. May 24: $30/50/70 May 25: $35/55/85 May 26: $30/50/70
Events
Rhythm Collective Thu, May 30, 7:30pm
“This young musician and composer is at once reestablishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century.” —MacArthur Foundation
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Initially assembled for a 2003 tour of West Africa, his Rhythm Collective features a brilliant cast of Puerto Rican musicians playing original pieces and Zenón’s arrangements of songs from the Caribbean lexicon. “The music is all about creating this rhythmic energy that surrounds us Puerto Ricans,” says Zenón, who is releasing the group’s first album Oye!!! Live in Puerto Rico. $20/30/40
may 30–June 2
miguel Zenón Resident artistic director
As a founding member of the SFJAZZ Collective in 2004, Miguel Zenón was a conspicuously talented, largely unknown 27-year-old saxophonist getting set to release his second album. Almost a decade later, Zenón is the most celebrated altoist of his generation, a multi Grammy nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow who has extended jazz’s conceptual reach with a series of albums exploring the music of Puerto Rico, where he was born. Deepening his relationship with SFJAZZ as a Resident Artistic Director, Zenón presents a series of projects that showcase his ever-expanding vision as a composer inspired by West Africa and an ingenious interpreter of the folkloric and popular music of Puerto Rico.
Luis Perdomo
Paoli Mejias
Alma Adentro
Identities
Fri, May 31, 7:30pm Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30pm
Sat, Jun 1, 7:30pm
Assembled to interpret Latin American standards written by Puerto Rican songwriters, his orchestral project Alma Adentro makes its West Coast debut featuring a 10-piece woodwind ensemble and Zenón’s sensational quartet. With Zenón’s arrangements and Guillermo Klein’s orchestrations, the project debuted on the altoist’s critically hailed 2011 Marsalis Music album Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook.
Zenón presents another West Coast premiere with Identities, his most ambitious project yet. A song cycle for his quartet augmented by a 12-piece big band and video installation by David Dempewolf, the evening-length work explores the experience of Puerto Ricans who have moved to the mainland, particularly New York City. Inspired by a series of interviews Zenón conducted with Nuyoricans, Identities weaves audio and video excerpts throughout the cycle.
$25/35/45
$25/35/45
Duos: Luis Perdomo and Paoli Mejias Sun, Jun 2, 7:30pm
The week closes with an evening of duos featuring Venezuelan-born pianist Luis Perdomo (a founding member of Zenón’s quartet) and Puerto Rican percussion maestro Paoli Mejias, a program that concludes with all three musicians on stage. $20/30/40
sfjazz education > new education programs
new sfjazz education programs monday night band Digital Lab
Adam Theis
With the opening of the SFJAZZ Center, we are delighted to announce a number of new educational programs designed for children and adults, aspiring musicians and experienced singers and instrumentalists. These programs include master classes with established professionals, recording and electronic production in our state-ofthe-art digital lab, and our exciting Monday Night Band.
Monday Night Band Mondays, Feb 11–May 20, 7-9:30pm
The new Monday Night Band at SFJAZZ provides aspiring jazz musicians of all ages (older teens through seasoned adults) with a structured approach to learning and interpreting diverse repertoire in a hip community band setting. Open to intermediate-advanced level instrumentalists and vocalists – from high school age hotshots to retired pros and everyone in between (by audition) – this ensemble will introduce participants to various styles and genres of jazz with the primary goal to develop a performance-ready program. The band will be directed by acclaimed Bay Area musician, composer and bandleader Adam Theis. The series will culminate in a final public performance on Monday, May 20th in Miner Auditorium. Public: $490 Members: $420
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digital lab The SFJAZZ Digital Lab offers an array of instruction in digital music production, including theory and musicianship, MIDI basics, notation skills, sequencing and audio recording as well as basic introduction to the digital workstation environment. Students will explore a variety of software-based tools and programs while gaining an understanding of essential music skills such as song form, compositional technique and the aesthetics of digital production. Introductory courses are offered in two sections, on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings (for adults) and Tuesday and Saturday afternoons (for teens ages 15 and older). Our intimate Digital Lab space is ideally suited to providing small-group instruction with top-notch faculty in a state-of-the-art environment.
Musical Concepts and the Digital Environment instructor: David White SECTION 1: Tue, Feb 12–Mar 19 (Teens) 4:30-6pm • (Adults) 6:30-8pm SECTION 2: Sat, Feb 16–Mar 23 (Teens) 1-2:30pm • (Adults) 11am-12:30pm
Designed for older teens and adults, this six-week course takes concepts of music creation into the digital age. Using iMacs, MIDI controllers, Sibelius and Logic Studio as the primary medium, we will explore MIDI and the basic DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) setup. Throughout the course, elements of musicianship and composition are examined, and applied directly to software environments. Students will create their own loops and samples as well as their own compositions and lead-sheets using various software applications, exploring the modern age of music production. This course is ideal for the casual artist or aspiring professional. Maximum 15 students per class. Public: $35 per class, $210 full course Members: $25 per class, $150 full course
Digital Music Production instructor: Phil Hawkins Saturdays, Apr 13–May 4 (Adults) 10am–1pm and (Teens) 1:30–4:30pm
For older teens and adults with moderate skills and familiarity with the digital music environment, this four-week intensive course will survey the software, hardware and procedures involved with digital audio recording, MIDI sequencing and post-production. Specific subject areas include recording techniques, non-linear editing, mixing, plug-ins, mastering, digital audio for video and song creation using a Pro Tools based DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Students will complete several hands-on projects in order to develop their technical and musicianship skills. The course will incorporate the use of jazz standards to demonstrate song form, basic notation, and musical style. Maximum 15 students per class. 4-class series Public: $60 per class, $240 full course Members: $45 per class, $180 full course
sfjazz education > master classes & group instruction
Master Classes & Group Instruction SFJAZZ master classes and group lessons delve into the nuances of jazz and world music performance techniques and composition, highlighting stylistic elements and exploring the extraordinary work of pioneering artists. From the Afro-Puerto Rican drum to Wes Montgomery solos, these classes bring musicians deeper into the music. SFJAZZ Education offers an exciting array of programs with our extraordinary faculty — from one-day intensives to multi-part series — designed for older teen and adult musicians of all abilities. For our opening Season at the SFJAZZ Center we are thrilled to offer the following programs:
The Great Guitars — Mimi Fox Thursdays, Feb 21–May 23, 7-8:30pm The Ensemble Room
An exciting interactive class for aspiring jazz guitarists and interested jazz guitar enthusiasts taught by award-winning guitarist Mimi Fox, “The Great Guitars” will cover the playing styles and music of many great guitarists in jazz including Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell and others. Note-for-note transcriptions of the artists’ actual solos will be analyzed in great detail and students will be encouraged to play the solos along with the original recordings. The class is open to all intermediate and advanced guitarists with a good foundation in jazz theory and guitar technique and also to interested aficionados wanting more insight into these great artists and their music. This 14-week class culminates with exciting performance featuring Fox along with guest artists on Thursday, May 23rd in the The Ensemble Room. 14-week series Public: $30 per class, $420 full course Members: $25 per class • $350 full course
Afro-Cuban All Stars — Rhythm Nation From Cuba With Love Sat, Feb 23, 1–2:30pm The Ensemble Room
SFJAZZ Education is pleased to host the legendary Afro-Cuban All-Stars in a rare and intimate master class setting during their four-night run at the SFJAZZ Center. Musical director and front man Juan de Marcos – long-time director of Sierra Maestra before the explosion of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon – shares his wealth of knowledge and experience alongside pianist, composer and SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón for this rare, hands-on event. Participants will be encouraged to play, sing, dance, and experience the full immersion into the joyous world of Afro-Cuban music. No previous experience necessary. Musicians are encouraged to bring claves, maracas and other small percussion. Public: $30 Members: $25
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Putting the ‘Fun’ in Fundamentals — Kitty Margolis Core Concepts for the Vocal Jazz Improviser Sat, Mar 2, 1-4pm • The Ensemble Room
Want to make the transformational leap from “jazzy” singer to “Jazz” singer? In this master class, critically acclaimed vocalist, educator and recording artist Kitty Margolis will offer her unique insight into the secrets of vocal jazz from the nuts and bolts to the heart and soul. Margolis – whose award-winning recordings have earned her top-ten airplay and an international fan-base – has been a guest lecturer in the jazz studies programs of the world’s renowned universities and high schools. A world-class accompanist will be on hand. This unique session will be limited to ten (10) intermediate and advanced-beginner level vocalists. Public: $150 Members: $120
Club Skills for Brass Players — Chuck MacKinnon
Afro Puerto Rican Drum & Song — Hector Lugo & Grupo Aguacero
Sundays, Apr 7–May 19, 1–2:30pm • The Ensemble Room
Sun, Jun 2, 1-3pm • The Ensemble Room
Taught by jazz trumpeter Chuck MacKinnon, Club Skills is a six-week group lesson that prepares trumpeters and trombonists for the club performance environment. This will be a supportive atmosphere where you will attain the repertoire and improvisational skills necessary to perform in the jazz tradition, focusing on memorization of the easiest songs that can be played at jam sessions worldwide. Individualized, level-appropriate repertoire preparation will be developed for each participant in addition to instruction in jam session etiquette. Space is limited to ten (10) aspiring brass players (older teens and adults) with knowledge of major scales and the desire to improvise.
This hands-on workshop will focus on four of the most popular Seises de Bomba (Bomba sub-genres) from the Santurce tradition: the sicá, the yubá, the cuembé and the holandés. Participants will learn the basic rhythmic patterns characteristic of each one of these styles, as well as techniques of playing the barriles and distinct songs for each of these styles, exploring the origins, evolution, and significance of Bomba in Puerto Rico’s rich musical culture. Directed by musician and educator Héctor Lugo, the session will begin a fabulous demonstration of Bomba music and dance by Grupo Aguacero! No previous experience necessary; instruments provided.
6-week series Public: $35 per class, $210 full course Members: $25 per class, 150 full course
Keith Terry
Public: $35 Members: $25
Paul Contos
The Lyrical Side of Jazz Playing — Paul Contos Wed, Jun 5, 7-9pm • The Ensemble Room
Hector Lugo
Chuck MacKinnon
In this very special master class for musicians of all levels, renowned saxophonist, educator and SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Director Paul Contos demonstrates how to express various forms of melody in the jazz language through playing techniques, including varying techniques to improve your improvisational skills, and using harmonic knowledge to enhance melodic playing. Open to all melodic instruments, this unique class will help push musicians to embrace a more creative side of melodic interpretation and highlight the many possibilities within the standard jazz repertoire. Open to musicians and vocalists of all levels, and ideal for students having a basic familiarity with chords and scales as well as proficiency on his/her instrument. Public: $40 Members: $30
Body Music — Keith Terry Wednesdays, May 15, 22 & 29, 7–8:30pm The Ensemble Room
Body Music – also known as Body Percussion and Body Drumming – is the oldest music on the planet. Join Keith Terry in a three-part hands-on exploration of this amazing music played on the instrument we all share – the human body. Each session will offer a distinct topic — from African-American hambone and Flamenco palmas to the contemporary style of Body Music has Terry been developing over the past thirty-five years, based on his training as a jazz drummer, as well as his years of intensive study and collaboration with world rhythmic systems. Session three (5/29) culminates the series with a performance featuring Keith with guest artists. No previous experience necessary. 3 sessions Public: $35 per class • $105 full course Members: $25 per class • $75 full course
scholarships
A limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available to all programs. Please contact SFJAZZ Education for information at scholarships@sfjazz.org or 415-283-0343 and visit sfjazz.org/education.
sfjazz education > Koret discover jazz series
Koret Discover Jazz series
Jazz history, live performance, classic audio and exciting video make the Koret Discover Jazz Series the most distinctive jazz appreciation course available for adults. For the first time we will offer this program in the new SFJAZZ Center while also maintaining our presence in the community through events with our partner organizations such as the Jazz Heritage Center and the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD).
Marcus Shelby
56 / sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Koret Discover Jazz course #1: THE BAss Instructor: Cory Combs Wed, Feb 13–Mar 20, 7-8:30pm The Ensemble Room
In our first spring Koret Discover Jazz series, we will go in depth on the bass, showcasing the development, sounds, influential musicians, and legacy of the bass. We will also highlight how the bass grew from a simple background instrument to a primary creative force and explore the contributions of our most admired bassists, including Charlie Haden, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Dave Holland and Charles Mingus among many others. Joining us will be several worldrenowned bassists and many surprise guest artists. Taught by bassist and educator Cory Combs, this course may be enjoyed individually or as a series.
koret Discover Jazz course #2: Ain’t I Got a Right to The Tree of Life Instructor: Linda Tillery Wed, Apr 3–May 8, 7-8:30pm The Ensemble Room
Join vocalist, educator and Bay Area treasure Linda Tillery on a six-week exploration of music and rhythms of the African Diaspora. Participants will learn African chants, African-American spirituals, field hollers, work songs, children’s play songs, ring shouts, traditional Afro-Caribbean songs and music from the Gullah traditions of Georgia and South Carolina. Class sessions will include plenty of singing along with multi-media examples to stimulate discussion, and a compilation of selected reading materials reflecting the socio-historical experiences of African-Americans and Africans.
6-class series Public: $25 per class • $125 full class
6-class series Public: $25 per class • $125 full class
SFJAZZ Members: $18 per class • $90 full course
SFJAZZ Members: $18 per class • $90 full class
Koret Discover Jazz Series is generously supported by
koret Discover Jazz course #3: Jazz and Blues Legends of the Bay Area Tue, May 7–28, 7-8:30pm Jazz Heritage Center
We are thrilled to co-present another dynamic program in the historic Fillmore District of San Francisco! This unique four-part series in partnership with the Jazz Heritage Center highlights the rich tradition of extraordinary jazz and blues musicians in the Bay Area, featuring distinct renowned guest artists each week in the visually inspired setting of the Lush Life Gallery. Combining story-telling, live performance and multi media, this program will bring audiences up close and personal with the legends in our midst. 4-class series Public: $25 per class • $100 full class SFJAZZ Members: $20 per class • $80 full class
sfjazz education > high school all-stars
SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo
sfjazz high school all-stars combo & orchestra
sfjazz high school all-stars combo Sat, Mar 30, 2pm • Miner Auditorium
The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo features the best high school jazz musicians in the Bay Area, lead by renowned musicians and educator, Dann Zinn. For their Spring Season performance the Combo will team up in a fabulous double bill with the Mondavi Center High School All-Stars — a group of accomplished Sacramento area jazz musicians established in 2011. Don’t miss this stellar line-up of award-winning young musicians and composers, featuring special guest appearances by members of the SFJAZZ Collective! $15 General Admission adults $10 Adults with children $5 Children and seniors
sfjazz high school all-stars orchestra Sat, May 18, 2pm • Miner Auditorium
To celebrate the inauguration of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars’ premiere performance at the new Center, the big band will feature sparkling contemporary works for jazz orchestra exploring new colors as well as the improvisational prowess of the best of the Bay Area’s young jazz players. Pieces highlighted will be from the pens of Kenny Werner, Maria Schneider, McCoy Tyner, and many other Modern Masters! The awardwinning SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Orchestra – under the superb direction of renowned saxophonist and educator Paul Contos – will share the stage with the Advanced High School Jazz Ensemble from our friends at the Jazzschool. $15 General Admission adults $10 Adults with children $5 Children and seniors
58 / sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Orchestra
Family Matinees
Howard Wiley at a Family Workshop
Foundations of Jazz: From Old School to the New & Now Both fun and educational, Family Matinees provide a window into the exciting world of live jazz. Each one-hour matinee features live performance, audience participation, Q&A and amazing music. New for SFJAZZ Education, we are thrilled to kick off our opening season with the one and only Lemony Snicket, who will dazzle and delight families with his wacky and wonderful take on jazz in our first two matinees. Also, we are pleased to offer an interactive experience following each matinee performance with our Family Workshops. Although designed for elementary school students, our Family Matinees and Workshops are open to music fans of all ages. In our opening season at the SFJAZZ Center we are thrilled to offer five distinct matinee programs and workshops, each lead by some of the most creative artists and educators in the Bay Area. Enjoyed individually or as a series, these Family Matinees and Workshops will change the way you hear jazz and get families playing together.
Daniel Handler
Sat, Feb 9
Matinee 1 — The Mystery of Jazz: An Unnerving Investigation with Lemony Snicket Family Workshop 1 — Swingin’ It: Hands-On Jazz with Marcus Shelby & Friends Sat, Mar 9
Matinee 2 —Dissecting a Jazz Standard: A Musical Autopsy with Lemony Snicket Family Workshop 2 — It’s All About the Blues with Marcus Shelby, Faye Carol & Friends Sat, Apr 13
Matinee 3 — The Great Band Leaders with Marcus Shelby and Friends Family Workshop 3 — Now’s the Time: The Jazz-Orff Connection with Doug Goodkin Sat, May 11
Matinee 4 — Fiddlin’ With Stories with John Blake, Jr. & Charlotte Blake Alston Family Workshop 4 — Tales In the Tradition with John Blake, Jr. & Charlotte Blake Alston Sat, Jun 8
Matinee 5 — The Next Generation with Marcus Shelby and the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo Family Workshops 5 — Kool Kids Jam with Marcus Shelby and the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Matinees take place the 2nd Saturday of the month at 11am in Miner Auditorium. Free to Matinee ticket-holders, Family Workshops begin at 12:10pm in the The Ensemble Room immediately following each Matinee.
Pre-Concert talks Every season, SFJAZZ Education hosts intimate conversations with international performing artists prior to select performances. Free to ticket holders, Pre-Concert Talks provide deep insight into the performers’ music and creative process. They begin one hour before show time in Miner Auditorium.
Spring Schedule: Fri, Feb 8 Fri, Mar 22 Fri, Mar 29 Sat, Apr 6 Fri, Apr 12 Fri, May 10 Fri, May 31
Dave Holland (p. 23) John Santos (p. 33) Stefon Harris (p. 34) Hiromi (p. 35) Ian Wekwerth (p. 37) Regina Carter (p. 44) Miguel Zenón (p. 51)
INFO > Maps, parking & transit
maps Parking & Transit Hyde St.
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SFJAZZ CENTER
Civic Center Garage McAllister between Polk & Larkin
Performing Arts Garage Grove between Franklin & Gough
205 Franklin Street (at Fell) San Francisco, CA 94102 Public: 866-920-5299 Members: 415-788-7353 sfjazz.org
Public Transit For detailed directions, visit 511.org. Muni Lines: 6, 16X, 21, 47, 49, 71, 71L, 90 Muni Metro: Van Ness Station BART: Civic Center Station
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The SFJAZZ Center opens on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 21, 2013. Visit sfjazz.org/center for more information.
LINDEN STREET
LINDEN STREET
TERRACE
THE ENSEMBLE ROOM
LOBBY
ROBERT N. MINER AUDITORIUM LOBBY
TERRACE
CAFE/BAR
FELL STREET
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LESTER YOUNG GREEN ROOM
Floor
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FELL STREET
= Performing Space
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FRANKLIN STREET
BOX OFFICE & STORE
FRANKLIN STREET
ROBERT N. MINER AUDITORIUM
Sponsors & Underwriters Major sponsors
official sponsors Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners Capital Public Radio, KXJZ The Fairmont San Francisco Foxxdance Productions Hathaway Dinwiddie Hotel Carlton Hotel Kabuki JazzTimes KPFA North Coast Brewing Co. Orchard Hotel Orchard Garden Hotel Phoenix Hotel St. Regis San Francisco Yamaha Piano
sfjazz is generously supported by
foundations, corporations & government agencies Autodesk Aaron Copland Foundation The Capital Group Co. Charitable Foundation Columbia Foundation Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Bill Graham Supporting Foundation Grants for the Arts — San Francisco Hotel Fund The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Koret Foundation Walter & Elise Haas Fund Stanley S. Langendorf Foundation National Endowment for the Arts San Francisco Foundation U.S. Bank Wells Fargo Foundation
corporate & institutional support You can support either SFJAZZ’s annual operations or target any of our diverse musical programs, which include the acclaimed San Francisco Jazz Festival and the SFJAZZ Spring Season, as well as innovative community and education initiatives. For more information on supporting jazz, please contact: Laura Hamilton Interim Director of Development 415-283-0303 lhamilton@sfjazz.org
in-kind donors Bruce De Benedictis Google, Inc. Hood & Strong Jeremiah’s Pick Coffee Roederer Estate Seyfarth Shaw Shartsis Fries LLP Vintage Berkeley
special thanks A very special thanks to SFJAZZ members and our fabulous volunteers!
Support > the world is listening campaign
the world is listening Campaign for the SFJAZZ Center
100% $60M
GOAL: $63 MILLION
90% 80%
$50M
70% $40M
$30M
RAISED
$55 MILLION
$20M
60% 50% 40% 30% 20%
$10M
10%
Data as of September 12, 2012
A premiere facility for jazz performance and education Inspired by an anonymous lead gift of $25 million, the largest ever given to a jazz organization, the SFJAZZ Center is located in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood at the corner of Franklin and Fell Streets. As the first concert hall of its type in the U.S. built for both jazz performance and education, the new SFJAZZ Center represents a milestone for this authentic American art form — and the city of San Francisco.
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Every donor and every dollar matters You can help us finish the SFJAZZ Center by donating today. Whether you give $10, $100, $1,000 or more, your contribution makes a difference to the many thousands of people who benefit from SFJAZZ programs every year. There are several ways to make your gift:
• • •
Use the QR reader app on your smartphone to scan the code Visit sfjazz.org/contribute Contact Brenda Laribee, Campaign Manager at 415-283-0306 or blaribee@sfjazz.org for more information
volunteEr and join a dynamic group of dedicated individuals As we embark on a new era at SFJAZZ, we are looking for energetic candidates to help usher in our next 30 years. Our volunteers have a unique opportunity in the Bay Area to work with some of the greatest musicians from around the globe while serving some of the most enthusiastic patrons. Our volunteers reflect the cultural diversity of our area, and embody the proud traditions and heritage of this amazing art form. They contribute valuable services on many levels to a renowned nonprofit institution. Volunteers assist with ushering at performances, support our community outreach and educational programs, as well as perform essential assistance in our office and at our events. Qualified candidates should possess a love for the music, a connection to the community, and a desire to contribute to a world-class organization. Although space is limited, we are always looking for talented people, especially in the areas of development and education. If you would like to join this team, please contact Glenn Larsen, Events Coordinator at glarsen@sfjazz.org. We will send you information on how to register and get involved.
Name a seat forever — dedicate a piece of jazz history Step up and be immortalized. Celebrate your passion for the music, honor a loved one or your favorite jazz artist, or simply commemorate the opening of the SFJAZZ Center by naming a seat in Robert N. Miner Auditorium. When you make a gift of $5,000 or more to The World is Listening campaign, a plaque bearing your dedication will be permanently affixed to a seat in our state-of-the-art home for jazz.
Here’s how Please visit sfjazz.org/seat to learn more about this unique opportunity to participate in our campaign to build the SFJAZZ Center. You can also contact Katie Neubauer, Individual Giving Director, at 415-283-0324 or kneubauer@sfjazz.org for more information.
Support > SFJAZZ Membership
SFJAZZ Membership Insider access that helps you save money, enjoy more music and supports America’s authentic art form. Membership is tax-deductible, good for a full year and there is no limit to the number of tickets you can buy. Benefits include: Best seats first
Your chance to pick up tickets at all price levels before the public. Members on-sale period for the first season in the SFJAZZ Center runs October 13 — November 2. No ticket service fees
Save up to $7.50 per ticket — this benefit alone can cover the cost of your membership. Receive up to 35% off tickets
Combine the following two discounts to maximize your savings:
25% off select shows Including Dave Holland (2/7), Scott Hamilton Quintet (2/20), SFJAZZ Collective (3/28), Hiromi (4/4), and Béla Fleck (5/16).
10% off orders of 10 or more tickets Any combination of seats or shows is eligible, within a single purchase. members only events
Listening Parties Artists share perspectives, anecdotes and a playlist of favorite recordings designed to give you further insight into the music. Each event includes a reception and chance to meet the artist. Season 1 parties include: Regina Carter (5/9) — see page 44 for more. Zakir Hussain (3/5) — see page 28 for more.
Exclusive Concerts Rare moments in music reserved just for Members, including the world premiere of Bill Frisell’s orchestration of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Kentucky Derby. See page 39 for more. All of the above benefits are available starting at the $60 Individual level. Additional benefits at other levels of support include:
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Free ticket exchanges Invitation to intermission receptions Behind-the-scenes rehearsals
To sign up or learn more: sfjazz.org/join or 415-788-7353 64
A Night in Treme
Uri Caine, Leaders Circle Member Srinija Srinivasan & Ben Perowsky
SFJAZZ Leaders Circle The Members of the Leaders Circle are the philanthropic soul of our organization. With your gift of $1,200 or more each year you receive all the benefits of SFJAZZ membership, plus you: create the future of jazz
Being a proud and important part of the music by supporting its creation, education and presentation for thousands around the Bay Area and beyond. Enjoy vip service & seating Christian McBride with Leaders Circle Member Verna Gibbs
Access to the best seats in the house and a direct line to personalized ticketing service. Brushes with greatness
Mingle with the world’s finest artists at Leaders Circle Lounges and other events throughout the year. Leaders Circle Members also enjoy all of the Member-only events on page 62.
For levels and benefits: sfjazz.org/leaders-circle or contact Katie Neubauer at 415-283-0324 or kneubauer@sfjazz.org
“SFJAZZ has opened up a whole new world for my wife and me. We have journeyed from the roots of jazz history to the [Joshua] Redman concert that will be recognized as a landmark performance of jazz music from the future.” —Sfjazz Leaders circle member jerry street
Members get the best seats to all shows
nonPROFIT org. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN FRANCISCO, CA PERMIT #1782
San Francisco Jazz Organization Three Embarcadero Center, Lobby Level San Francisco, CA 94111
SFJAZZ CENTER Season 1: jan 21–Jun 2, 2013
tickets on sale Members: Sat, Oct 13, 2012 Public: Sat, Nov 3, 2012 Web: sfjazz.org Members: 415–788–7353 Public: 866–920–5299