Official Catalog
February 9 – June 17
February 9 to June 17
SFJAZZ EXPERIENCE 2 4 5 6 8 12
sfjazz experience
15
JAZZ continuum
Calendar SFJAZZ Collective About Us Membership SFJAZZ Center SFJAZZ Education SFJAZZ Hotplate
16 17 18 18 19 20 20
FLAMENCO SKETCHES
CARIBBEANA 24 25 25 26 27
Chucho Valdés Benny Velarde Sierra Maestra Michel Camilo Trio Gonzalo Rubalcaba
28 28 29
GLOBAL VILLAGE 32 33 33 34 34 35
43 44 45 F11 Merch Sign.indd 1
Vicente Amigo Chano Domínguez Paco de Lucía
SOULFUL SINGERS
SFJAZZ CDs and official merchandise! The Chieftains Ladysmith Black Mambazo Hermeto Pascoal Anoushka Shankar Supergenerous Israeli JazzFest
TICKETS & MORE
Enrico Rava & John Abercrombie Dave Holland Overtone Quartet Toots Thielemans SFJAZZ Collective Charles Lloyd New Quartet Tia Fuller Quartet Christian McBride Big Band
36 37 38 38 39
miguel Zenón • mark stefon turner harris • avish • edw ai coh ard simo en • robi n • matt n euba penman nks • eric harland
music of and new stevie wo compos nder itions
Tickets & venue info SFJAZZ merchandise Sponsors also&atunderwriters sfjazz.org
live in 2011 • new York Season 8
9/13/11 3:15 PM
Chrisette Michele Lizz Wright & Meklit Hadero Raul Midón Kate McGarry Jane Monheit
ART OF THE SONG 21 22 22 23
Dan Hicks 70th Birthday Bash Tin Hat Bill Frisell Rosanne Cash
PIANISM 30 31 31
Brad Mehldau Trio Uri Caine Trio Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller
HAPPENINGS 40 41 42
James “Blood” Ulmer Another Night in Treme Spectrum Road
Catalog Production
LEGAL STUFF
Mike Charlasch: Creative direction Ronnie Shapiro: Art direction & design Megan Mock: Design Mark Ulriksen: Cover illustration Rusty Aceves: Editing & copywriting Andrew Gilbert: Copywriting Teddy Hutcherson: Production Justin Walters: Box office Lahlouh: Printing
This official catalog is a publication of SFJAZZ (San Francisco Jazz Organization). No part may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of SFJAZZ. All rights reserved. SFJAZZ is located at Three Embarcadero Center, Lobby Level, San Francisco, California 94111. Phone: 415-398-5655 Online: sfjazz.org
From the ground up. Welcome to the 2012 SFJAZZ Spring Season. There’s an unprecedented sense of musical growth and evolution in the air, as we showcase the ever-increasing global impact on jazz and the exciting things that can happen when artists from one tradition fully embrace the influences of another. The European and Israeli jazz influx, R&B singers celebrating jazz queens, avant-garde masters living the blues, young jazz stars re-inventing rock and soul — they’re all here this spring. As usual, we’ve arranged the shows into eight major themes:
JAZZ CONTINUUM
PIANISM
Enrico Rava and John Abercrombie match up for a great ECM double bill. Saxophone giant Charles Lloyd collaborates with the sublime Greek vocalist Maria Farantouri, iconic bassist Dave Holland brings his powerful Overtone Quartet and Belgian harmonica master Toots Thielemans will delight the crowd. The SFJAZZ Collective plays their Stevie Wonder arrangements, and originals, in a series of intimate club dates. Rising star saxophonist Tia Fuller leads a hot quartet and bass virtuoso Christian McBride presents his hard-charging big band.
An impressive cast of keyboard talent begins with eclectic piano star Uri Caine and his new NYC-based band. The superb Brad Mehldau spends three glorious nights with his telepathic trio. Finally, the 20 fingers of Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller mesh for a jazz piano summit.
ART OF THE SONG
CARIBBEANA A power-packed lineup, each with ties to the Caribbean. Cuban virtuoso Chucho Valdés leads off, while the 2011 SFJAZZ Beacon Award goes to Bay Area Latin jazz legend Benny Velarde. The supercharged Sierra Maestra is all about the roots of Cuban music. Dominican sensation Michel Camilo continues this amazing series, while Gonzalo Rubalcaba wraps it up with an exquisite solo performance.
FLAMENCO SKETCHES This inspiring and passionate collection of flamenco artists features guitar genius Paco de Lucía, the incomparable pianist Chano Domínguez and Vicente Amigo, the heir apparent to de Lucía. Each of the three Spaniards appears in a rare U.S. performance.
This series includes Celtic superstars The Chieftains in a 50th Anniversary show, South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Indian sitar star Anoushka Shankar with her intoxicating “Gypsy Journey.” Brazil is represented by the legendary Hermeto Pascoal and percussionist Cyro Baptista’s adventurous trio Supergenerous. Finally, we present a weekend devoted to the rising tide of Israeli jazz musicians, featuring 3 Cohens, Third World Love and others.
SOULFUL SINGERS R&B diva Chrisette Michele celebrates the spirits of Ella, Sarah and Billie. Soul songstress Lizz Wright shares a bill with Meklit Hadero, the local phenom. Raul Midón returns for an amazing one-man show, heralded jazzer Kate McGarry brings her trio, and the lovely chanteuse Jane Monheit charms SFJAZZ Members only.
HAPPENINGS Avant-garde guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer makes his mark on the blues tradition in a rare solo show. Spectrum Road, a true all-star group with Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Jack Bruce and Cindy Blackman, celebrates the legacy of drumming great Tony Williams. And, the irrepressible spirit of New Orleans returns to the Bay Area with Another Night In Treme.
As you may have seen, construction is underway on the SFJAZZ Center, and more than ever, we need your help to get the building finished. On pages 8-11 you can read more about this history-making project and how to contribute to the World is Listening campaign or our Giant Steps program. We thank you for helping to make our dream a reality and I look forward to seeing you at the shows.
Randall Kline Executive Artistic Director & Founder
sfjazz experience
This season’s group of lyrical storytellers includes famed songwriting legend Dan Hicks in a 70th birthday show, celebrated chamber experimentalists Tin Hat, modern guitar hero Bill Frisell with a presentation of The Great Flood, and country favorite Rosanne Cash, who returns with a stunning career retrospective.
GLOBAL VILLAGE
MONDAY
tuesday
wednesday
february
SUNDAY
thursday
9
Listening Party p. 6 Discover Jazz Course 1 p. 14
friday
17 Enrico Rava J. Abercrombie p. 16
21
23
24
Chucho Valdés p. 24
The Chieftains p. 32
Discover Jazz Course 1 p. 14
Dave Holland Overtone Qt. p. 17
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MARCH
20
3 Ladysmith Black Mambazo p. 33
6
10
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
Toots Thielemans p. 18
11
13
17
James “Blood” Ulmer p. 40
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
Chrisette Michele p. 36
18
20
22
23
Uri Caine Trio p. 31
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
SFJAZZ HSAS Combo p. 12
Lizz Wright Meklit Hadero p. 37
25
YOSHI’S OAKLAND MARCH 30–APRIL 1
APRIL
Vicente Amigo p. 28
pgs. 4 & 18
30
31
Chano Domínguez p. 28
Benny Velarde p. 25
1
3
4
5
6
7
Raul Midón p. 38
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
Sierra Maestra p. 25
Tin Hat p. 22
Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks p. 21
Hermeto Pascoal p. 33
10
14
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
Michel Camilo Trio p. 26
17
19
20
21
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
Anoushka Shankar p. 34
Kate McGarry p. 38
Bill Frisell p. 22
22
24
27
28
Charles Lloyd New Quartet p. 19
Discover Jazz Course 2 p. 14
Paco de Lucía p. 29
Israeli JazzFest p. 35
29 Israeli JazzFest p. 35
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saturday
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
SfJazz spring season 2012
SIX-STRING SAVANTS. SONIC EXPLORERS. JAZZ ROYALTY. SIRENS OF SONG. GLOBAL GENRE-BENDERS FROM AFRICA, ENGLAND, INDIA, GREECE, CUBA, BRAZIL, ISRAEL, SPAIN, IRELAND AND NEW ORLEANS. SUNDAY
MONDAY
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
Rosanne Cash p. 23
MAY
5
12 Supergenerous p. 34
13
16
17
18
19
SFJAZZ HSAS Orchestra p. 12
Jane Monheit p. 39
Tia Fuller Quartet p. 20
Brad Mehldau Trio p. 30
Brad Mehldau Trio p. 30
26
Brad Mehldau Trio p. 30
Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller p. 31
Gonzalo Rubalcaba p. 27
15
16
Another Night in Treme p. 41
Spectrum Road p. 42
17 Christian McBride p. 20
SFJAZZ Members-only events Feb. 9: Flamenco Listening Party Apr. 1: SFJAZZ Collective Reception May 16: Jane Monheit members discount events Mar. 10: Apr. 14: May 17: Jun. 17:
Toots Thielemans Michel Camilo Tia Fuller Christian McBride Big Band
SFJAZZ beacon award Mar. 31: Benny Velarde
Education events Fascinating jazz moments for students of all ages. Inspiring, informative and interactive! pre-concert talks Mar. 18: Apr. 20: Apr. 21: Apr. 28: May 17: Jun. 17:
Uri Caine Kate McGarry Bill Frisell Anat Cohen Tia Fuller Christian McBride
family matinees Mar. 10: Apr. 14: May 12: Jun. 9
The Trumpet The Reeds The Trombone The Voice
Discover jazz courses Course 1: It’s About Time (5-class series) Jan. 26–Feb. 23 Course 2: A Celebration of Women (8-class series) Mar. 6–Apr. 24 See page 14 for details.
note The presence of an icon
on any calendar date indicates that a Member event or Education
event occurs on that date. These events may or may not be related to the main event on that same date.
JUNE
9
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“Collectives are only as strong as their weakest links, and there are none to be found in the SFJAZZ Collective.” —JazzTimes
“A reliably superb all-star confab.”
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—The New York Times
Miguel Zenón alto saxophone* Mark Turner tenor saxophone Avishai Cohen trumpet Robin Eubanks trombone Stefon Harris vibraphone Edward Simon piano Matt Penman bass Eric Harland drums
Launched in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is one of the most critically acclaimed groups on the scene — a unit demonstrating how jazz has truly become an international language. Hailing from Puerto Rico, New York, Venezuela, Philadelphia, New Zealand and Israel, the Collective’s multi-cultural lineup mirrors the explosion of jazz talent around the globe. These exceptional artists come together to celebrate jazz as a constantly evolving modern art form by honoring the work of a master composer. This spring, the Collective continues to perform their innovative new arrangements of pop icon Stevie Wonder’s timeless music.
Live in New York 2011 • Season 8 The music of Stevie Wonder and original compositions
In addition to reinterpreting classics, each band member is commissioned by SFJAZZ to write a piece specifically for the ensemble. These original compositions appear along with the Stevie Wonder material on their new multi-CD set recorded live at the Jazz Standard in New York City, available now! See page 44 for details.
spring 2012 TOUR SCHEDULE Mar. 1 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA Mar. 2 Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington, VT Mar. 3 Snell Theatre, SUNY, Potsdam, NY Mar. 4 The Egg, Albany, NY Mar. 6 The Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA Mar. 7 Weinberg Center for the Arts, Frederick, MD Mar. 8 Union County Arts Center, Rahway, NJ Mar. 9 Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill, NY Mar. 10 Allen Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, NY Mar. 13 University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE Mar. 14 University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
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sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Mar. 15 Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, AR Mar. 17-18 Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Las Vegas, NV Mar. 22 Spanos Theatre, Cal Poly Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo, CA Mar. 23-24 Sergenstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA Mar. 27 Great Hall, Valley Performing Arts Center, Northridge, CA Mar. 29 Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Davis, CA Mar. 30-31 Yoshi’s, Oakland Apr. 1 Yoshi’s, Oakland *Note: Antonio Hart replaces Miguel Zenón on this tour.
the sfjazz experience celebrating jazz as an ever-evolving art form.
STAY CONNECTED TO SFJAZZ
About Us sfjazz experience
Founded in 1983, SFJAZZ is the largest nonprofit jazz presenting and educational institution on the West Coast, serving audiences of over 100,000 annually through a variety of programs. We’re far more than just a concert promoter. Our year-round education programs help maintain and build a strong future for jazz — America’s authentic art form — in San Francisco and beyond. The generous, tax-deductible contributions of donors let us:
BRING GREAT ARTISTS TO THE BAY AREA via the San Francisco Jazz Festival and SFJAZZ Spring Season, two multi-month seasons offering a phenomenal array of jazz and world music artists.
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SUPPORT A VIBRANT LOCAL MUSIC SCENE with free Summerfest concerts and monthly Hotplate shows, showcasing top Bay Area artists.
NURTURE YOUNG MUSICIANS & FOSTER NEW FANS with our year-round education programs, including the awardwinning SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, acclaimed Jazz in the Middle school residency program and interactive Family Matinees.
CELEBRATE JAZZ AS A LIVING ART FORM by commissioning new works and premiering them with artists such as the SFJAZZ Collective, a stellar octet comprised of some of the top names in jazz.
Check out the all-new
sfjazz.org
HONOR BAY AREA JAZZ LEADERS through the SFJAZZ Beacon Award, presented in recognition of contributions to jazz and by honoring music legends at our annual Gala.
Join our e-list at sfjazz.org/contact
Get exclusive access to seats at all price levels, weeks before the general public. Tickets on sale only to Members starting Saturday, November 12!
»» No ticket service fees
A savings of up to $7.50 per ticket.
»» Deep discounts — up to 35% off
Enjoy huge savings when you combine:
sfjazz experience
• 25% OFF TICKETS TO: ›› ›› ›› ›› ››
Toots Thielemans, Saturday, March 10 (page 18) Michel Camilo Trio, Saturday, April 14 (page 26) Tia Fuller Quartet, Thursday, May 17 (page 20) Christian McBride Big Band, Sunday, June 17 (page 20) Discover Jazz courses, starting January 26 (page 14)
• 10% OFF ORDERS OF 10 or MORE TICKETS ›› Any combination of shows is eligible, within a single purchase.
»» Members-only Events
Enjoy access to “insider” events not open to the general public. Some of our offerings this fall: Caminos Flamencos Listening Party thursday, february 9, 7PM ybca forum A new territory known as jazz flamenco emerged in Spain in the 1960s. Among the royalty of the genre sit Paco de Lucía, Vicente Jason McGuire Amigo and Chano Domínguez, each of whom will appear during this glorious Spring Season. Join our Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón and guitarist Jason McGuire of Emmy Award-winning ensemble Caminos Flamencos to discuss these three pillars of the genre. Essential recordings will be shared, along with live performances by the Caminos Flamencos ensemble, demonstrating the passion and fire that is jazz flamenco. This free event includes a reception featuring fine Spanish wines and tapas!
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sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Patron $600
best seats first up to 35% off tickets no ticket service fees Members-Only events 10% discount on SFJAZZ merchandise additional members card free ticket exchanges san francisco jazz festival poster sfjazz program book listing Fall reception behind the scenes rehearsal Spring reception Premium reserved seating personalized ticket service intimate events with artists
Members at the $300 Benefactor level and above may qualify for our Giant Steps program as well. See page 11 for details.
Jane Monheit Members-only Concert wednesday, may 16, 7:30pm ybca forum At 34, Monheit continues to hone her sound and expand her repertoire. Her latest album Home is a lustrous collection of standards featuring John Pizzarelli, Mark O’Connor and Larry Goldings. Jane’s last SFJAZZ show sold out, so don’t delay on this one! See page 39 for more information.
Leaders circle $1200 and up
contributor $120
benefactor $300
»» Best seats first
individual $60
Your membership practically pays for itself.
household $75
Have fun, get more music, save money, and support an authentic American art form. Join today and enjoy:
Student $25
membership levels senior $50
SFJAZZ Membership —be the beat.
To become a Member, visit sfjazz.org or call 415-788-7353.
SFJAZZ Leaders Circle —be the soul. The members of our Leaders Circle are the philanthropic soul of SFJAZZ and with us they are building the future of this music. Join those who believe in jazz by making an annual gift of $1,200 or more. You will receive all the Member perks on page 6, plus these great benefits:
»» Creating the future of jazz
Being a proud and important part of the music by supporting its creation, education and presentation.
Jim Terrell & Booker T.
»» VIP service and seating
Prime seats and personalized ticket service.
»» Brushes with greatness
Receptions with the world’s finest artists and special intimate performances (see below).
In addition to the Member events listed on page 6, you’ll also enjoy these complimentary gatherings:
Alison Mauzé & Robert Glasper
Spring Season Celebration —Christian McBride Big Band Hang out with Christian McBride and his band, enjoying fine wine and hors d’oeuvres in the Green Room after their Herbst Theatre concert on Sunday, June 17. A benefit at $1,200.
Special event with the SFJAZZ Collective A special chance to meet the Collective members before their Sunday, April 1 performance at Yoshi’s. This annual event is a favorite for $600 Patron Members and Leaders Circle donors of $1,200+.
Annual Leaders Circle Salon
Donald Harrison & Randall Kline
Bring the music into sharp personal focus at an intimate performance in a private home. The SFJAZZ Salon Series is sponsored by Northern Trust. Leader Circle donors of $2,500+ will receive an invitation each year.
Leaders Circle Lounges Fine wine and desserts at select Palace of Fine Arts and Herbst Theatre intermissions. For all Leaders Circle members and their guests. A benefit at $1,200+.
To join the Leaders Circle, contact Katie Neubauer at 415-283-0324 or kneubauer@sfjazz.org
sfjazz experience
Leaders Circle Spring Season Exclusive Events
“Why not? Symphony and chamber orchestras have their own places. So it’s a wonderful idea and I’m very happy about it.”
“This is incredible news, hearing that a city in the U.S. is building a dedicated space like this. It’s just amazing, so I’m very excited.”
sfjazz experience
—HUGH MASEKELA, TRUMPET
“I think it’s amazing… I think this is wonderful.”
“This is a blessed cause. I think the jazz world has to have its own building, its home. This is a great celebration.”
—KENNY WERNER, PIANO
—YASMIN LEVY, vocals
—ESPERANZA SPALDING, BASS & VOCALS
“We certainly need it. It helps, especially for all the young people to get involved in the music. It builds character and integrity.” —ROY HARGROVE, TRUMPET
tHe WORlD is listening
“We have a similar thing in New York…so I think it’s a great idea to have the same thing happen out here. I look forward to performing —Kenny Barron, piano there.”
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—LEE RITENOUR, GUITAR
“Having a space where local artists, visiting artists can share their music with audiences, is much appreciated. So that’s exciting.”
“The SFJAZZ Center, wow, that’s going to be the most incredible thing for all of us and for the city. It’s really nothing short of a miracle.” —JOHN SANTOS, PERCUSSION
“It’s unbelievable. It’s an incredible move for jazz education in California. I’m just amazed that something so powerful is happening so quickly.”
“To have a festival like this be represented in its own home base, a theater… that’s an incredible idea and a wonderful idea.”
—FAREED HAQUE, GUITAR
—JIMMY HASLIP, BASS
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
“I think the concert hall is a beautiful idea for the jazz and the education of the new generations.” —Chucho Valdés, piano
“I think it’s fantastic that San Francisco has it together enough to get people to support music like this. It’s kind of hard to imagine.” —JOHN MEDESKI, KEYBOARDS
“The SFJAZZ Center is a great project for jazz in general. We need more of this type of action everywhere in the U.S., so it’s good it’s happening here.” —LIONEL LOUEKE, GUITAR
—YOUSSOU N’DOUR, vocals
—ANA MOURA, VOCALS
“I think it’s fantastic and San Francisco is the perfect place for it. I applaud you for what you’re doing.” —STEVE TYRELL, VOCALS
“For musicians, our job is to create community. A place dedicated to the music… elevates the quality of life. It’s very significant.” —WYNTON MARSALIS, TRUMPET
“Wow… I think everybody who participates in this idea should be very proud, because jazz is the most beautiful art form created in this country.” —PAQUITO D’RIVERA, SAXOPHONE
And here’s what some of the musicians are saying about the new SFJAZZ Center. Visit sfjazz.org/videos to see these and many other interviews.
“I’ve been watching SFJAZZ for some years now and it’s a pretty unique organization. It’s great that you’re going to have a home.” —JOHN SCOFIELD, GUITAR
“The SFJAZZ Center represents the beginning of a community in the Bay Area.” —AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, TRUMPET
“It’s going to be a new step in the jazz world, where we’re going to have a new space that is artistfriendly and public-friendly.” —ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO, VOCALS
“Sounds like a fantastic idea. Way overdue. It’s great.” —Chris Potter, saxophone
“I’m very happy to hear about it and I think any community could benefit from the cultural value of a center of this nature.” —CEDAR WALTON, PIANO
“The world needs nice venues, where people can go hear jazz, respect jazz. We don’t have enough stages. I think it’s very, very important.” —ANAT COHEN, CLARINET
sfjazz experience
“It’s really a good idea. It’s good to have an initiative to tell people we are ready, we are still here, and we want to move forward.”
“This is an awesome initiative… for jazz, for fado, for world music. It’s really great.”
The WOrld is listening: Campaign for the SFJAZZ Center Campaign for the SFJAZZ Center 100% $60M
$50M
GOAL: $63 MILLION
RAISED: $52 MILLION
90%
80%
70% $40M 60%
sfjazz experience
$30M
50%
40% $20M
30%
20% $10M 10%
Help us build the SFJAZZ Center. Data as of October 18, 2011
Inspired by an anonymous lead gift of $20 million, the largest ever given to a jazz organization, the SFJAZZ Center has broken ground 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 western 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. Designed by award-winning, SF-based architect Mark Cavagnero, the SFJAZZ Center comprises 35,000 square feet in a transparent, freestanding structure. Here are some of the facility’s key features:
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, construction has started. But we’re not finished yet! We still have a long way until doors open to our first performances. Support the World is Listening campaign with a gift and help us build the SFJAZZ Center.
»» 700-seat concert hall, with 500 and 350 seat configurations »» 80-person, multi-purpose ensemble room for education and intimate performances »» Digital music lab for rehearsals, recording and production »» Practice rooms for musicians and the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars »» Café and SFJAZZ administrative offices »» Convenient location within walking distance of Civic Center and Van Ness public transit stations and along bus routes
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sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Contact Kevin Causey, Director of Development at kcausey@sfjazz.org or call 415-283-0306
A 3-year membership program to bolster the SFJAZZ Annual Fund
Your name here
sfjazz experience
Help us become the SFJAZZ Center. Join our Giant Steps program and be a part of history with the SFJAZZ Center — the first concert hall of its type in the western United States. Giant Steps provides essential support for our Annual Fund through the inception of the SFJAZZ Center and beyond. Whether or not you’re currently a Member of SFJAZZ, make a three-year membership commitment (at any level from $300 Benefactor up through our Leaders Circle) and you’ll be a part of Giant Steps. You’ll enjoy all the core benefits of SFJAZZ membership — plus participating in oncein-a-lifetime moments, including:
There’s still time to join Giant Steps and have your name inscribed on the new building! The names of Giant Steps Members will appear within the large “SFJAZZ” sign on the Center’s Franklin street glass wall (see artist rendering above).
»» Your name inscribed on the SFJAZZ Center (see above) »» An invitation to a Giant Steps-only event during our Grand Opening Celebration in early 2013 »» The satisfaction that you’re playing a part in jazz history Your Giant Steps membership helps guarantee the solid financial footing we will need to operate the SFJAZZ Center. And it will bring a tremendous cultural gift to our community.
To join Giant Steps, please visit us at sfjazz.org/giantsteps or call 415-283-0325
sfjazz education » March 22
SFJAZZ High School All Stars Combo
FAsciNATiNG JAZZ mOmeNTs FOr sTUdeNTs OF ALL AGes. inspiring, iNFOrmATive ANd interactive!
Many Styles—Many Streams
sfjazz education
The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo features eight of the best high school musicians in the Bay Area, led by renowned musician and educator, Dann Zinn. For the group’s Spring Season performance this top-notch ensemble will present a pastiche of their original compositions as well as unique arrangements of standard jazz repertoire written specifically for their rich instrumentation of woodwinds, voice and a hard-hitting rhythm section. Come experience this stellar group of the Bay Area’s best and brightest young jazz musicians and composers! THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 7:30PM • S.F. CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC $15 GENERAL ADMISSION ADULTS; $10 ADULTS WITH CHILDREN; $5 CHILDREN AND SENIORS
“Testimony to the continuing persistence of the creative spirit.” —Los Angeles Times
» May 13
SFJAZZ High School All Stars Jazz Orchestra The Unsung Jazz Composers
For their Spring Season performance, the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Jazz Orchestra will feature unique works of jazz greats such as Benny Golson (“Killer Joe”) and Tadd Dameron (“If You Could See Me Now,” “Lady Bird”). While these names may not be household American Idols, jazz musicians and fans alike are profoundly intimate with and highly respectful of their works. Exceptional arrangements for big band of these and other jazz composers — whose contributions are essential to the jazz lexicon — will be featured, as well as original penned manuscripts from Dizzy Gillespie. The interpretations of these works by this year’s powerful All-Stars Jazz Orchestra will be a highly significant artistic event featuring the brilliant musicianship of the Bay Area’s most talented young performers, directed by accomplished musician and educator Paul Contos. “These kids are amazing… jazz has a future!” —San Jose Mercury News
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SUNDAY, MAY 13, 7PM • JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF S.F. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION ADULTS; $10 ADULTS WITH CHILDREN; $5 CHILDREN AND SENIORS
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Family Matinees 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. Although designed for elementary school students, our Family Matinees are open to music fans of all ages. The Marcus Shelby Trio hosts our spring Matinee series, highlighting the primary solo or “lead” instruments of jazz as well as the role of the vocalist. Each matinee will focus on a particular instrument used in jazz and explore the techniques and innovations developed by some of the most celebrated artists. Enjoyed individually or as a series, these Family Matinees will change the way you hear jazz.
»» Matinee 1: The Trumpet
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 11AM
From Buddy Bolden and Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong to Dizzy, Miles, Hubbard and Marsalis, the role of the trumpet has often been a catalyst for evolutionary change in jazz. Learn how the many “trumpet kings” explored new texture, evolved solo techniques and experimented with mutes to create new sounds.
Jeff Marrs at a Family Matinee
SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 11AM
The reeds have contributed to stylistic development perhaps more than any other instrument in jazz. The great saxophonists — playing alto, tenor or baritone — have brought about revolutionary ways of playing that inspired future generations, and the role of the clarinet continues to be redefined. From Sidney Bechet to Charlie Parker and beyond, the great reed players have shaped the sound of jazz since the beginning.
»» Matinee 3: The Trombone SATURDAY, MAY 12, 11AM
From Kid Ory to J.J. Johnson and Melba Liston, jazz trombonists have paved the way for one of the most powerful lead “voices” in jazz, many of them also contributing as extraordinary arrangers. Slide trombones in particular represent the powerful, lush and low register that compliments the brash, explosive sound of the trumpets, and when played in a solo role, can be one of the most emotive instruments around.
»» Matinee 4: The Voice
SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 11AM
The human voice is our most precious instrument, and the history of jazz music has been told — and of course, sung — by an extraordinary collection of vocalists, from Blues icon Bessie Smith to Ella Fitzgerald, and crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. There is nothing more compelling than a story in song to convey rich emotion, and the jazz singers we celebrate have paved the way for the young pioneers of tomorrow. This matinee will feature members of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo.
saturdays, march 10–june 9, 11am • herbst theatre $15 General Admission adults; $10 adults with children; $5 children and seniors
Robert Glasper & Rebeca Mauleón
Pre-Concert Talks During 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 performer’s music and creative process. They begin one hour before show time. spring schedule: March 18: Uri Caine (p. 31) April 20:
Kate McGarry (p. 38)
April 21:
Bill Frisell (p. 22)
April 28:
Anat Cohen (p. 35)
May 17:
Tia Fuller (p. 20)
June 17:
Christian McBride (p. 20)
sfjazz education
»» Matinee 2: The Reeds (Clarinet & Saxophones)
Tony Williams
Peter Erskine
Elvin Jones
Discover Jazz
Jack DeJohnette
Brian Blade
Made possible through the generosity of Charles & Margaret Charnas
Jazz history, live performance, classic audio and exciting video make Discover Jazz the most engaging jazz appreciation course available for adults. Our spring lineup features two distinctive programs: DISCOVER JAZZ COURSE #1 IT’S ABOUT TIME: INFLUENTIAL DRUMMERS OF THE MODERN JAZZ ERA (5-class series)
sfjazz education
THURSDAYS, JANUARY 26–FEBRUARY 23, 7–9PM JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO • CORY COMBS, INSTRUCTOR NON-MEMBERS: $25 PER CLASS; $100 FULL COURSE SFJAZZ & JCCSF MEMBERS: $18 PER CLASS; $75 FULL COURSE The driving force behind every jazz ensemble, the drummer represents the quintessential role as conductor, literally driving the band and creating explosive solos while providing the nuances of dynamics and accompaniment. This spring Discover Jazz takes a close look at the contributions of six extraordinary artists — Tony Williams, Peter Erskine, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Brian Blade and Eric Harland — tracing their signature sounds, distinctive presence and influential mark on jazz drumming today and beyond. Series taught by SFJAZZ lecturer, composer and bassist Cory Combs.
»» January 26: Tony Williams
Joining the Miles Davis quintet at just 17, Tony Williams literally re-invented the vocabulary of jazz drumming and helped usher in the “fusion” movement with his Lifetime group.
»» February 2: Peter Erskine
From his work with Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and Bob Mintzer to his years with Weather Report, Peter Erskine has remained as one of the signature drummers of the modern era.
»» February 9: Elvin Jones
Touted as the “world’s greatest rhythmic drummer,” Jones’ close-knit work alongside McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison provided the volcanic foundation of the John Coltrane Quartet.
»» February 16: Jack DeJohnette
Known for his incorporation of free jazz and world music textures, Jack DeJohnette has graced the rhythm sections of Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett, also leading his own groups since the mid-60s.
»» February 23: Brian Blade & Eric Harland
Among the “young lions” today, Brian Blade and Eric Harland have attained an extraordinary level of recognition for their work with Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, the SFJAZZ Collective and many more.
DISCOVER JAZZ COURSE #2 A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN & CROSS-CULTURAL CONNECTIONS IN JAZZ (8-class series) TUESDAYS, MARCH 6–April 24, 7–9PM JAZZ HERITAGE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO VISIT SFJAZZ.ORG FOR INFO & tickets SFJAZZ Education is proud to partner with the Jazz Heritage Center of San Francisco in creating an exciting two-month long program in celebration of Women’s History Month and Jazz Appreciation Month. Taught by a who’s who of Bay Area artists and educators — including Marcus Shelby, Pamela Rose, Nina Ott, Amanda King and Rebeca Mauleón — this innovative series will highlight the contributions of women instrumentalists, songwriters and bandleaders as well as the cross-cultural connections in jazz.
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sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Peggy Lee
Alberta Hunter
Where Locals Meet Legends
SFJAZZ Hotplate is a monthly concert series featuring up-and-coming local artists re-imagining the music of jazz icons.
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2nd Thursday of every month Amnesia • 853 Valencia Street DJ at 8pm • Bands at 9pm • $5
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Stay tuned to
sfjazzhotplate.org for our 2012 lineup!
sfjazz experience
Marcus Stephens play
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jazz continuum FROM RISING STARS TO LIVING LEGENDS, THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF MODERN JAZZ ARTISTRY.
“The patriarch... Italy’s greatest jazz musician.”
jazz continuum
—jazztimes on Enrico Rava
» February 17: An ECM Evening
Enrico Rava Tribe John Abercrombie Trio A European jazz patriarch universally esteemed by his New York peers, Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava has collaborated with some of the music’s most creative figures, from Steve Lacy and Roswell Rudd to Carla Bley and Lee Konitz. Deeply influenced by Miles Davis, he favors a spare, harmonically transparent sound informed by bebop, operatic arias, free jazz and beyond. Well known as an ECM recording artist, in recent years he’s released a series of albums with fellow trumpeter Paulo Fresu exploring the legacies of Miles, Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, and Chet Baker. His latest project is Tribe, a European aggregation showcasing some of the most inventive young improvisers on the continent. Rising to prominence during the fusion revolution of the early ‘70s, guitar master John Abercrombie has contributed his spacious, liquid-toned musicality to the work of the Brecker Brothers and Jack DeJohnette, among many others. With a particular affinity for the trio setting, he has defined the open-ended experimentation of the ECM sound over a string of stunning albums, including the classic Timeless with keyboard iconoclast Jan Hammer. Abercrombie returns to SFJAZZ with his current trio that includes fiery Hammond B-3 star Gary Versace and drumming dynamo Adam Nussbaum, a band that extends the organ combo tradition into adventurous new harmonic territory. Friday, February 17, 8PM Herbst Theatre 25 / 35 / 50 premium
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sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
John Abercrombie
“John Abercrombie is the most important living jazz guitarist.” —All About Jazz
“The Overtone Quartet is a new force on the scene... and the results are eminently satisfying.” —all about jazz
“Holland is a master bassist and bandleader, one of the most sophisticated composers and arrangers in the jazz world.” —The Boston Globe
» February 24: Tones for Dave’s Bones
Dave Holland Overtone Quartet with
Chris Potter, Jason Moran & Eric Harland Ever since Miles Davis brought Dave Holland to America to propel the historic ensemble captured on 1970’s Bitches Brew album, the bassist has been at the center of the action as a game-changing collaborator and consistently inspired bandleader. His latest project, the all-star Overtone Quartet, features three of the most prodigious and celebrated jazz improvisers. Chris Potter, easily the most influential saxophonist of his generation, has recorded a series of revelatory albums both as a leader and as a member of various Holland ensembles. Well known for his work with Charles Lloyd, the SFJAZZ Collective, James Farm and many others, Eric Harland is a drummer of exceptional taste and energy. And pianist Jason Moran, one of the youngest jazz musicians ever awarded a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship, is a conceptual powerhouse who borrows from blues, hip hop, free jazz and rock. The band debuted at New York City’s Blue Note in 2009 with every player contributing tunes, which only deepens their breathtaking communion. Consider this performance one of the major jazz events of 2012. Friday, February 24, 8PM Palace of Fine Arts Theatre 25 / 45 / 65 premium
jazz continuum
Jason Moran, Dave Holland, Chris Potter & Eric Harland
» March 10: Chromatic Genius
Toots Thielemans with
jazz continuum
Kenny Werner & Oscar Castro-Neves
“The most influential and best-known harmonica player in jazz history.” —JazzTimes “I can say without hesitation that Toots is one of the greatest musicians of our time.” —Quincy Jones
The unmistakable chromatic harmonica of Toots Thielemans is on hundreds of soundtracks, including the Sesame Street theme. But for decades Thielemans performed as an electric guitarist, often whistling in unison with his own solos. His hauntingly beautiful improvisations are typified by “Bluesette,” a song that became a worldwide hit in 1962 and a certified jazz standard since. The NEA Jazz Master has collaborated with a range of jazz legends from Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones and Jaco Pastorius to pop icons like Paul Simon and Billy Joel. In recent years he has laid down the guitar, fully focused on taking the harmonica to a place it can only go in his hands. Now on the verge of his 90th birthday, emotional openness, sensitivity, and an impish sense of humor continue to shape every note he plays. “That’s what you call maturity, when all of your experiences, all your joys and pains blend together in the way you blow an instrument,” says Thielemans. No musician has been more closely associated with him over the past decade than Kenny Werner, one of the elite pianists in jazz since the 1970s. Rio-born guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves is one of the founding fathers of the early ‘60s bossa nova movement and also produced Thielemans’ star-studded Brasil Project albums. This is a historic meeting of three bona fide jazz giants, and a highlight of the season. Saturday, March 10, 8PM • Herbst Theatre non-members: 25 / 45 / 65 premium members: 19 / 34 / 49 premium
» March 30–April 1: Absolute Wonder
SFJAZZ Collective
Music of Stevie Wonder and New Compositions The Collective’s new 3-CD set, Live in New York 2011, Season 8, was recorded in the intimate setting of the Jazz Standard in NYC. Now the band returns for six exciting shows at Yoshi’s Oakland, the Bay Area’s favorite jazz club. This three-night stand gives local audiences another opportunity to hear the band’s mind-blowing arrangements of Stevie Wonder classics, as well as stunning new original compositions. The all-star octet’s visibility and acclaim has exploded this year, with a string of blockbuster performances across the U.S. and Canada, and a set of wildly popular in-studio videos that have gone viral on YouTube. Their digital track sales have even hit the Billboard jazz chart! For those who missed the Collective’s sold-out 2011 show, this is your chance to experience the buzz of the jazz world, up-close and personal. Friday & Saturday, March 30–31, 8PM & 10PM Sunday, April 1, 6PM & 9PM • Yoshi’s, Oakland Note: Tickets available only through yoshis.com and 510-238-9200. Regular SFJAZZ membership benefits do not apply. Antonio Hart replaces Miguel Zenón on these dates.
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antonio hart alto saxophone Mark Turner tenor saxophone Avishai Cohen trumpet Robin Eubanks trombone Stefon Harris vibraphone Edward Simon piano Matt Penman bass Eric Harland drums “The Collective demonstrates the ability to look beyond jazz for inspiration while still remaining true —All About Jazz to its core concept.”
“Mr. Lloyd is famous for having good bands… but his New Quartet is a different order of good… All in their mid-30s, they have their own language, articulate and intimate, itchy and soulful and often thrilling...” —The New York Times
“Athens Concert is truly inspirational and quite a watermark, in a career full of them.” —AllMusic
» April 22: Dream Weavers
Charles Lloyd New Quartet featuring Maria Farantouri
Tenor saxophone titan Charles Lloyd attained rock star status in the mid-60s with one of the all-time great quartets, featuring Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette. Since the release of that group’s Dream Weaver and Forest Flower, Lloyd has charted a remarkable trajectory as one of the most restlessly inventive musicians in jazz history. Over the past 20 years his extraordinary ECM albums have featured collaborations with Brad Mehldau, John Abercrombie, Zakir Hussain, Billy Higgins and many other luminaries. Lloyd’s current group is a perfect setting for the heralded young pianist and recent MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Jason Moran, who was named DownBeat’s 2011 Jazz Artist of the Year and has been selected as a Guest Artistic Director for the new SFJAZZ Center in 2013. Bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland round out the rhythm section, joined by special guest Maria Farantouri, whose incandescent vocals are featured throughout Athens Concert, Lloyd’s new double album. An artist widely embraced in her native Greece, Farantouri was the legendary voice of resistance during the Greek military junta of the late ‘60s, giving hope to millions through the banned protest songs of Mikis Theodorakis and earning widespread praise as the “soul of Greece.” Her presence makes this another unique Charles Lloyd moment, one of many in his huge legacy.
Maria Farantouri & Charles Lloyd
Sunday, April 22, 7PM Herbst Theatre • 30 / 50 / 70 premium
jazz continuum
Jason Moran, Eric Harland, Charles Lloyd & Reuben Rogers
“Tia Fuller stakes her claim to being one of the finest new musicians on the scene.” —All About Jazz
» May 17: New & Noteworthy
jazz continuum
Tia Fuller Quartet Touring and recording with superstar Beyoncé has put saxophonist Tia Fuller at the center of the pop music universe, reaching millions of listeners with her concise, beautifully crafted solos. On her own time, the 36-year-old is a rising force on saxophones (both alto and soprano) as well as flute — a savvy bandleader, composer, and arranger who follows in the scorching footsteps of masters like Cannonball Adderley, Jackie McLean and Kenny Garrett. She’s racked up an imposing range of credits, including T.S. Monk, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, Gerald Wilson and Nancy Wilson. The prodigious young trumpeter Sean Jones is a frequent collaborator, appearing on Fuller’s impressive 2005 debut Pillar of Strength and 2007’s Healing Space. As if her performing career wasn’t enough, Fuller is also a devoted educator, lecturing and presenting master classes at music institutions around the world. Featuring an all-female rhythm section, her latest album is Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue), a masterly statement by an artist with a reputation as one of the most important new instrumentalists in jazz. Thursday, May 17, 7:30PM • ybca forum non-members: 20 general admission / 35 premium ga members: 15 general admission / 26 premium ga
“Fuller wields a silvery tone and is prone to serpentine improvisations that zig, zag, jab and soar with —JazzTimes brisk fluidity.”
» June 17: The Good Feeling
Christian McBride Big Band
“McBride is a proven artist… equally virtuosic on acoustic —JazzTimes and electric bass.” “One of the premier musicians —DownBeat of his generation...”
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At just 40, bassist Christian McBride already has more notches than can fit on any belt. Among the more than 300 albums he’s appeared on are sessions by many of the most illustrious figures in jazz, including Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson and Pat Metheny, while also collaborating with artists as diverse as Kathleen Battle, Sting and Questlove of The Roots. McBride has been the linchpin of various all-star projects, such as the Five Peace Band with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett and Vinnie Colaiuta (and Brian Blade). And he’s led his own groups in the studio and on tour since the mid-90s. Somehow he has also found time to oversee jazz programming at Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, along with many other projects. But until last year’s The Good Feeling, McBride had never recorded an album with his own big band. As the title implies, it’s a swaggering, hard-swinging session, featuring a cast of New York’s best sidemen. To hear a well-rehearsed, top-shelf big band these days is a rarity — much less with with a major jazz star at its helm. Prepare to be blown away! Sunday, June 17, 7PM • herbst Theatre non-members: 25 / 40 / 60 premium members: 19 / 30 / 45 premium
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
art of the song THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD, ESPECIALLY IN THE HANDS OF THESE amazing songWRITERS.
» April 6: From Jug Band to Big Band
Dan Hicks
70th Birthday Bash A reunion of the Hot Licks featuring special guests
“Dan Hicks is fly, sly, wily and dry!” —Tom Waits
A guitar-wielding trickster with a sly grin and encyclopedic command of a dozen intersecting pre-World War II musical styles, Dan Hicks has been a Bay Area institution since the mid-1960s when he took over the drum chair in the seminal psychedelic band The Charlatans. By the time he stepped out on his own as the vocalist, guitarist and leader of the Hot Licks, he had expanded his stylistic palette, blending strains of jazz, country blues, Gypsy swing and bluegrass into a highly personal “Hicksian” sound. Ambivalent about bandleading, he broke up and reassembled the Hot Licks several times, while becoming a commercial and critical favorite with early ‘70s classics like Striking It Rich, Where’s the Money? and Last Train to Hicksville. Hicks later toured with a new band, the Acoustic Warriors, culminating in the release of Shootin’ Straight in 1996. But it was his star-studded Hot Licks reunion, Beatin’ the Heat, featuring guest appearances by Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, Bette Midler, Tom Waits and Brian Setzer, that gained Hicks a whole new set of fans. With a long list of friends like that, there’s no telling who’ll be performing at his 70th birthday celebration! Friday, April 6, 8PM davies symphony hall • 25 / 35 / 50 / 65 premium
art of the song
“Dan Hicks is still delivering the goods, wrapped in his own unique saddle blanket of gypsy jazz woven with western swing and threads of blues, bacon grease and bebop tying it all together.” —Jambase
» April 5: Cinematic Soundscapes
Tin Hat with Carla Kihlstedt,
Mark Orton, Ben Goldberg & Rob Reich
art of the song
With music that mocks categories and defies stylistic conventions, Tin Hat is a collective quartet dedicated to the idea that beautiful sounds reside at the crossroads of improvisation and composition. Founded in the mid-90s by a triumvirate of conservatory-trained East Coast transplants, the group has morphed and expanded over the years while retaining its avant-chamber sensibility. Tin Hat is anchored by founders Mark Orton, the guitarist and noted film composer, and violinist Carla Kihlstedt, who honed her rock-star charisma in Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and in work with Madeleine Peyroux and Tracy Chapman. Berkeley clarinet master Ben Goldberg and San Francisco accordion ace Rob Reich, who perform widely with the Nice Guy Trio and Gaucho, bring Tin Hat a jolt of improvisational energy. Utilizing a dizzying array of aged, esoteric instruments, the band creates a cinematic soundscape, rife with emotion and drama. After a series of diverse albums featuring guests including Tom Waits and Willie Nelson, their latest project sets music to the poetry of e.e. cummings and is the group’s first album in four years.
“Compelling entertainment, rich with whimsy, imagination and intelligence.” —Los Angeles Times
Thursday, April 5, 7:30PM • ybca forum 20 general admission • 35 premium GA
» April 21: Music & Film
Bill Frisell
The Great Flood
“Frisell has become one of the most influential jazz guitarists of his generation while for the most part abandoning music that sounds… —JazzTimes anything like jazz.”
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“Warm, welcoming and entirely —Rolling Stone unique…”
“It’s hard to find a more fruitful meditation on American music than in the compositions of guitarist —The New York Times Bill Frisell.”
Jazz and country music have long been seen as antithetical cultural forces, but don’t try telling that to guitar wizard Bill Frisell. Even before his pilgrimage to Music City to record the classic 1997 album Nashville, he’s long explored American roots music. Widely regarded as the most innovative and influential jazz guitarist to emerge in the 1980s, the restlessly creative Frisell has launched dozens of unique projects since, from his renowned 858 String Quartet to All We are Saying, his recent Savoy Jazz album exploring the music of John Lennon. But, Frisell always returns to the mysterious realm of the rural past. His latest project, The Great Flood, is a multimedia investigation into the 1927 Mississippi River flood, an epic disaster that killed over 200 people across seven states. With big-screen film and staging by Bill Morrison, a celebrated filmmaker whose works incorporate found images and forgotten archival sources, The Great Flood draws on rarely seen historical footage. Featuring Frisell regulars Ron Miles (cornet), Tony Scherr (bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums), the piece examines how the flood transformed American society and culture, jump-starting the Great Migration that eventually led millions of African-Americans to depart from the South. Saturday, April 21, 8PM herbst Theatre • 25 / 45 / 65 premium
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
—The New York Times
» May 5: The Essentials
Rosanne Cash
“She’s a strong songwriter with a knack for investing familiar formats with blood, sweat and tears.” —Los Angeles Times
More than a country music icon, Rosanne Cash is America’s foremost musical woman of letters, a singularly literate artist whose poignant vocals turn every song into a revelatory tale. At the peak of her interpretive powers, she’s still riding high from the 2009 release of The List, an album distilled from a list of 100 essential country songs given to her at 18 by her father, the legendary Johnny Cash. Since her 1980 album debut with Right or Wrong, Rosanne has blazed a brilliant trail, landing nearly a dozen #1 country hit singles, while earning 10 Grammy nominations and a Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy Award in 1985 for “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me.” Sony Legacy has just released The Essential Rosanne Cash, a 2-CD collection of her hand-picked hits. Cash’s creativity isn’t confined to the bandstand. Leading publications such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Oxford-American and New York Magazine have published her essays, columns and fiction. She’s also generated an acclaimed volume of short stories, Bodies of Water, and a fascinating memoir, Composed. Whether she’s writing prose or lyrics, Cash is a natural born storyteller who cuts to the bone. For this date expect an overview of her essential hits, with husband and guitarist John Leventhal to accompany. Saturday, May 5, 8PM herbst Theatre • 30 / 50 / 70 premium
art of the song
“The songs she has written over the past three decades… have been defined by their focus and integrity.”
caribbeana A SIZZLING CAULDRON OF AFRO-CUBAN RHYTHMS, FOCUSED ON THE EPICENTER OF LATIN JAZZ.
“One of the world’s great virtuosic pianists.”
caribbeana
—The New York Times
» February 20: Keyboard Colossus
Chucho Valdés
“He can tickle the ivories with the soft grace of Bill Evans and dazzle with the thunderous dexterity of Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson.” —All About Jazz
Like a gunslinger in an old Western, Jesus “Chucho” Valdés inspires awe and dread among his fellow pianists when he ambles into town. A tall man with huge hands, he is quite simply one of the most formidable pianists in the world, combining the sheer power of McCoy Tyner with the dexterity of Oscar Peterson and a rhythmic sensibility steeped in the intricacies of Afro-Cuban culture. With seven Grammy Awards and a four-decade track record as a Cuban jazz visionary unwilling to bend to the government’s aesthetic strictures, he continues to blaze new trails as pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, he joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. Undaunted, Valdés eventually co-founded the legendary Irakere in 1972 with reed master Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Drawing on sacred Afro-Cuban rituals, jazz and rock, Irakere became a Latin American musical force. His latest album, Chucho’s Steps, features the Afro-Cuban Jazz Messengers, a combo designed as an Art Blakey-esque proving ground for the best young players on the Cuban scene. Chucho’s last SFJAZZ appearance sold out, so get your tickets early! Monday, February 20, 7:30PM herbst theatre • 35 / 55 / 75 premium
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sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
“Sixty years of performance is a massive —All About Jazz contribution.”
» March 31: Latin Jazz Ambassador
Benny Velarde with special guests
“Nobody has done as much for our local scene as Benny.” —John Santos
caribbeana
Timbalero and composer Benny Velarde is utterly synonymous with Latin jazz in the Bay Area. Velarde came of age as San Francisco was developing an influential synthesis of modern jazz and Cuban percussion, and he played an instrumental role in the new sound’s birth. Born in Panama City, Velarde fell in love with Cuban music as a child. When his family relocated to San Francisco in 1945, he discovered Tito Puente and concentrated on learning congas, bongos and timbales. First recruited by Salvadoran pianist Alonzo Palio, Benny soon established himself during a long stint with legendary vibraphonist Cal Tjader from 1952-57. He later worked with the likes of Mongo Santamaria, Joe Henderson, Errol Garner, Stan Getz, Luis Gasca, Vince Guaraldi, Lalo Schifrin, Walter Wanderley and other giants. As a leader of his own bands since 1960, Velarde, now 81, has nurtured generations of local musicians and is a beloved Latin jazz ambassador. With John Santos in the group as percussionist and musical coordinator, Velarde will be honored on this date with the SFJAZZ Beacon Award for lifetime achievement. Saturday, March 31, 8PM ybca forum • 20 general admission / 35 premium ga sfjazz beacon award
» April 4: The Soul of Cuba
Sierra Maestra
“If son is indeed the soul of Cuba, then Sierra Maestra are the heartbeat at the center of that soul.” —World Music Central
“Artful custodians of a tradition and brilliant innovators as well.” —AllMusic
Decades before Juan de Marcos Gonzalez served as music director and guiding spirit behind the Buena Vista Social Club, he founded Sierra Maestra, a Cuban roots band dedicated to the Afro-Cuban son style that influenced musicians around the world. Launched in 1976 by a group of University of Havana students, Sierra Maestra took its name from the mountain range in eastern Cuba where the genre was born. Along with trumpeter Jesús Alemañy, a Cuban child prodigy, De Marcos went on to form the popular band Cubanismo!, modernizing instrumentation by using more percussion and electric bass. With brisker tempos, Sierra Maestra added a jolt of new energy to the sensuous guaracha rhythms, a sound that seized the imaginations of a new Cuban generation. Hugely popular at home, the band gradually built up an international following with a series of celebrated albums, culminating in 2010’s World Village release, Sonando Ya. The delicate nature of U.S. and Cuban relations has presented few opportunities for stateside performances, and this is the band’s first American tour in several years. Wednesday, April 4, 7:30PM ybca forum • 25 general admission / 40 premium ga
caribbeana
“It has been the unique rhythmic and melodic chemistry of his trios that has placed Camilo in the vanguard of contemporary pianists.” —All About Jazz
» April 14: Man on Fire
Michel Camilo Trio
with Charles Flores & Giovanni Hildalgo
“One of the most complete jazz pianists around, and also one of the most engaging.” —Boston Globe
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In recent years a tidal surge of extraordinary Caribbean musicians has transformed the American jazz scene. And near the beginning of that wave, from the Dominican Republic, was pianist Michel Camilo. A virtuoso whose lightning two-handed runs and bravura rhythmic attack turn his performances into joyous celebrations, Camilo came to prominence shortly after settling in New York City in 1979. He has been widely recognized for his astounding technique, with a doctorate from Berklee, a Latin Grammy Award for the 2000 Verve album Spain and a 2004 Grammy in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for Live at the Blue Note. Camilo’s high-profile collaborators over the years include Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Burton, Tomatito, Anthony Jackson, Dave Weckl and dozens more. The Cuban bassist Charles Flores, along with prodigious Puerto Rican percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, were featured on last year’s breathtaking EmArcy album Mano a Mano and will appear on this SFJAZZ date. Join us for an action-packed evening with one of the most fiery of all keyboardists. Saturday, April 14, 8PM herbst theatre non-members: 25 / 45 / 65 premium members: 19 / 34 / 49 premium
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
“Just Rubalcaba and his piano, and of course there is no need for anything else.” —JazzTimes
caribbeana
» June 9: Solitary Savant
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, solo
“One of the greatest musicians in jazz... a pianist of almost supernatural abilities.” —The New York Times
Few jazz pianists are better equipped to deliver a solo recital than Havana-born Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The conservatory-trained master has integrated huge swaths of the European classical and jazz traditions, while maintaining bone-deep ties to the rhythmic currents of Cuba. Rubalcaba quickly gained fame on the American scene in the early ‘90s through the efforts of famed bassist Charlie Haden, who was blown away by the young virtuoso. At first Rubalcaba distinguished himself with his bravura technique and hair-raising rhythmic prowess, but over the past decade he’s rigorously honed his approach, delivering dazzling passages that seem to careen through the entire history of Cuban music. Creatively, everything the pianist touches turns to gold. He’s earned 15 Grammy nominations and won two Grammy Awards for his ravishing collaborations with Haden on Verve, Nocturne and Land of the Sun, and two Latin Grammy Awards for Solo and Supernova (both on Blue Note). Solo piano is the ideal setting for the maestro’s exquisite touch, which you can hear on his sublime new album, Fé (Faith), as well as this much-anticipated SFJAZZ date. Saturday, June 9, 8PM herbst theatre • 25 / 45 / 65 premium
» March 25: The Future of Flamenco
Vicente Amigo
flamenco sketches
Championed by maestro Paco de Lucía as the next great flamenco star, Spanish guitarist Vicente Amigo has more than lived up to his promise. Following in de Lucía’s footsteps, he’s forged musical ties with artists around the world, from Sting to Brazilian masters Milton Nascimento and Eliane Elias to jazz guitar innovators including John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola. Born outside of Seville and raised in Córdoba, Amigo began working professionally as a teen, accompanying noted flamenco singer El Pele and guitarist Manolo Sánlucar, with whom he toured for six years. By the time Amigo made his Bay Area debut in 2002, the guitarist’s career was in rapid ascent. His fourth album, City of Ideas, had won a Latin Grammy as Best Flamenco Album, while fans of Spanish-language pop could hum the guitar solo on crooner Alejandro Sanz’s hit “Corazon Partío.” Amigo’s performances feature pyrotechnic virtuosity, charisma and an intangible quality called duende, which Amigo explains simply: “If you hurt when you hear it, then it’s duende.” This promises to be an unforgettable evening of flamenco fire. “The greatest guitarist alive.” —Pat Metheny “Somewhere between poetry and commercial stardom, he represents a new generation of flamenco artists.”
Sunday, March 25, 7PM herbst theatre 25 / 45 / 65 premium
—All About Jazz
» March 30: Piano Ibérico
Chano Domínguez
“Chano Domínguez is creating what may be the first organic combination of jazz and flamenco.” —JazzTimes
While already a star in his homeland, Spanish flamenco jazz pianist Chano Domínguez won an international following with his appearance in Calle 54, the award-winning 2000 documentary about Latin jazz. Born and raised in Cadiz, a hotbed of traditional flamenco, Domínguez started his career as a progressive rocker in the popular Andalusian band Cai. Attracted to jazz by fusion pioneers like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, he was also inspired by the earlier works of Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. But Domínguez has found a singular niche as a pianist in the language of flamenco, with its constituent forms of tangos, tanguillos, alegras, compass de buleras, fandangos and soleas — tackled through the lens of the post-bop tradition. The incendiary keyboardist quickly became a dominant force in European jazz, leading an acclaimed trio and collaborating with artists including Paquito D’Rivera and Wynton Marsalis, with whom he recorded the stunning Vitoria Suite alongside guitar genius Paco de Lucía. Chano’s upcoming Blue Note album, Flamenco Sketches, will be a fresh take on Kind of Blue, the immortal Miles Davis masterpiece. Friday, March 30, 8PM ybca forum 30 general admission / 50 premium ga
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“Nobody marries flamenco and jazz as smoothly as —npr Chano Domínguez.”
flamenco sketches SOUL. PASSION. FIRE. WORDS THAT CAN’T BEGIN TO CONVEY THE TRUE THRILL OF FLAMENCO.
“The world’s greatest living flamenco guitarist.” —Los Angeles Times
» April 27: El Maestro Magnífico
After decades on the road as one of the world’s most revered guitarists, 64-year old flamenco legend Paco de Lucía has become a quietly elusive figure who drops from public view for years at a time. De Lucía was largely unknown in the U.S. until the recording Friday Night In San Francisco, a sensational 1981 acoustic showdown with jazz stars John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola, that cemented his status as a guitar hero. He made acclaimed appearances on records by Chick Corea and others in the ‘80s, and a thrilling reunion of The Guitar Trio led to a Verve album and world tour in 1996. But the Andalusian master maintained a steadfast commitment to flamenco as his primary art form. Landmark recordings including Siroco, Zyryab, Luzia and 2004’s masterful Cositas Buenas further reinforced de Lucía’s reputation as a peerless virtuoso who has single-handedly reinvented the flamenco vocabulary. His latest project is an unprecedented collaboration with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vitoria Suite, an extended work that uses jazz and blues to investigate the indigenous music of the Basque region. The guitarist returns to the Bay Area for his first performance in four years — and those who attend will never forget it. Friday, April 27, 8PM Paramount Theatre, Oakland 25 / 45 / 60 / 75 premium
“The most revered Spanish flamenco musician over the last 40 years.” —The New York Times
flamenco sketches
Paco de Lucía
pianism iNTeNse. rOmANTic. iNTerAcTive ANd iNsPiriNG. beHOLd THe PiANO’s rANGe OF eXPressiON among these TrUe virTUOsOs.
“The elliptical lines, volatile rhythmic figures and unexpected bursts of color and dissonance prove that Mehldau writes as cleverly as he plays.”
pianism
—Chicago Tribune
» May 18–20: The Mehldau Weekend
Brad Mehldau Trio
with Larry Grenadier & Jeff Ballard Jeff Ballard, Brad Mehldau & Larry Grenadier
“One of the most consistently fascinating voices in current jazz.” —JazzTimes
Over the past two decades, no artist has done more to extend and refine the piano trio’s possibilities than Brad Mehldau. With brilliant Northern California-raised compatriots, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, he’s forged a strikingly beautiful group sound distinguished by a flexible approach in which the players continuously trade roles, often eschewing traditional bass and drum solos while elaborating on the form of a song. Whether playing his own stunning compositions, Thelonious Monk classics, American Songbook standards, or more contemporary tunes by Nick Drake, Radiohead or the Beatles, Mehldau has a gift for long, emotionally arching improvisations. The Nonesuch studio release, 2010’s Highway Rider, is his most ambitious project yet; a ravishing double album designed with producer Jon Brion features the trio along with saxophonist Joshua Redman and a chamber orchestra. Also last year, Carnegie Hall made Mehldau the first jazz musician ever appointed to the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair. Wherever his musical travels take him, Brad Mehldau always returns to the creative cauldron of the acoustic trio format. Known for selecting different tunes on each night of an engagement, this SFJAZZ run provides a rare chance to hear a wide cross-section of their recent material. friday–Saturday, May 18–19, 8pm • sunday, may 20, 7pm YBCA Forum • 40 general admission / 65 premium ga Note: Each performance will feature different repertoire.
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“Simply put, pianist-composer Uri Caine is one of today’s premier and authentic jazz stylists. A true Renaissance Man.” —All About Jazz
» March 18: Jazz Modernistas
Uri Caine Trio
with John Hébert & Ben Perowsky
“Surprise is at the core of Mr. Caine’s aesthetic… A man of ideas, he may be best described as an interpretive musicologist.” —The New York Times
pianism
Keyboard wizard Uri Caine first made a name for himself as sideman to edgy improvisers like John Zorn and Dave Douglas. Across 22 albums as a leader, he’s since carved out a niche as a true sonic adventurer with projects that place him at the forefront of today’s jazz world. Caine’s basic unit is the piano trio, either acoustic or electric. On the Rhodes, he’s delivered high-intensity albums with his Bedrock trio, featuring Tim Lefebvre and Zach Danziger, as well as the Philadelphia Experiment, a jazz-funk project with Christian McBride and Questlove of The Roots. Eclectic and omnivorous, Caine also delves deeply into the classical canon re-imagined through a jazz lens, with records that explore the works of Bach, Beethoven, Mahler, Schumann and Mozart. A commission from the Venice Biennale sparked The Othello Syndrome, a staged opera inspired by Verdi’s Otello that earned a 2009 Grammy Award nomination for Best Classical Crossover Album. To SFJAZZ Caine brings his latest project, Siren, a New York-based acoustic trio with upright bassist John Hébert (John Abercrombie, Fred Hersch) and the kinetically charged drummer Ben Perowsky (Pat Martino, Mike Stern). Sunday, March 18, 7PM San Francisco Conservatory of Music • 20 / 35 premium
» May 26: Solos & Duos
“Miller makes the case that he belongs in the upper echelon of mainstream jazz —All About Jazz pianists. “
Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller Kenny Barron
“With his winning combination of wit and grit, elegance and probing intelligence, Kenny Barron sets the standard for post-bop pianism.” —Boston Globe
Mulgrew Miller
The piano duo is one of the great pleasures in jazz, a format that allows colleagues to collaborate with 20 fingers flying. Keyboard savants Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller have enjoyed several prior encounters, inspiring each other’s dazzling improvisations. The Philadelphia-born Barron, 68, and Memphis-raised Miller, 56, share the same aesthetic outlook, putting a premium on elegance, beauty and crisp articulation, and each is a brilliant composer. Barron, an NEA Jazz Master, has helped define and extend the jazz tradition since his work with Dizzy Gillespie in the early ‘60s catapulted him into the spotlight. A series of longrunning gigs with Freddie Hubbard, Yusef Lateef and Ron Carter kept him there. As a bandleader, Barron has recorded nearly 50 acclaimed albums. Miller, meanwhile, honed his impeccable touch during extended alliances with Art Blakey and Betty Carter. Since then he’s carved out a career as a consummate accompanist with masters such as Joe Lovano, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, while also excelling as a leader on more than a dozen albums including Live at Yoshi’s, Volumes 1 & 2. Saturday, May 26, 8PM • herbst theatre • 25 / 40 / 60 premium
global village feel the heartbeat of diverse cultures, ancient to modern, through the shared language of music.
global village
“The Chieftains bring history alive with their characteristic exuberance and grace.” —Associated Press
» February 21: 50th Anniversary Tour
The Chieftains
“Over the years, the band has transcended its role as musical ambassadors, becoming an institution in its own right.” —NPR
The Chieftains didn’t single-handedly catapult traditional Irish music onto the international scene, but the iconic band has certainly been the most visible and influential force spreading Celtic culture around the world. Still led by uilleann pipe master Paddy Moloney, the quartet is celebrating 50 years of the soaring melodies and stomping rhythms that define this global phenomenon. With six Grammy Awards, 18 nominations and more than three-dozen albums to the band’s credit, the Chieftains have performed and recorded with a confounding array of artists including Luciano Pavarotti, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Willie Nelson, Sting, Rosanne Cash, Ziggy Marley, Lyle Lovett and Madonna. The group’s latest release, San Patricio, is a fascinating concept album that reclaims the story of Irish immigrant volunteer soldiers who deserted the U.S. Army in 1846 to fight on the Mexican side in the Mexican-American War. Produced by Ry Cooder, the cross-cultural project features artists such as Lila Downs, Chavela Vargas, Los Tigres Del Norte, Carlos Núñez and the Bay Area’s Los Cenzontles. Join The Chieftans for their golden anniversary — it will surely be one to remember. Tuesday, February 21, 7:30PM Davies Symphony Hall • 25 / 40 / 55 / 75 premium
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“Ladysmith makes music so insidiously penetrating that you seem to absorb it with your whole being rather than just the ears.” —The New York Times
» March 3: Heavenly Harmony
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
“It isn’t merely the grace and power of their dancing or the beauty of their singing that rivets the attention, but the sheer joy and love that emanates from their being.” —Paul Simon
Saturday, March 3, 8PM Palace of Fine Arts Theatre • 25 / 45 / 65 premium
» April 7: The Sorcerer
Hermeto Pascoal
“Pascoal’s music sails over its own intricacies, on the way to elation.” —The New York Times
“The most complete musician —Miles Davis I’ve ever met.”
Even in the creative hothouse of Brazilian music, Hermeto Pascoal stands out as a particularly distinctive character. Affectionately known as “O Bruxo” (The Sorcerer), the ingenius composer and instrumentalist has cultivated a dazzlingly rich musical universe that draws on folkloric styles like frevo, xaxado and forro, with elements of jazz, rock and other musics. Pascoal cuts a fantastical figure on stage, with his translucent albino skin and flowing white hair, rushing from instrument to instrument. A prodigy on flute and accordion, Pascoal formed a series of influential groups in the mid ‘60s with percussionist Airto Moreira, including Sambrasa Trio and Quarteto Novo, which sought to reinterpret the styles of northeastern Brazil through a jazz sensibility. By the end of the decade he was performing and recording with Miles Davis and winning a cult following among luminaries like Gil Evans and Lyle Mays. Meanwhile, Airto became a legend as part of Chick Corea’s original Return to Forever band in 1972. Pascoal appears in the Bay Area on rare occasion, and this performance is an opportunity to hear one of the major figures at the crossroads of Brazilian music and jazz history. Saturday, April 7, 8PM Palace of Fine Arts Theatre • 25 / 45 / 65 premium
global village
A South African institution, Lady Black Mambazo sparks a gentle fire to stir passions and lift sunken spirits. The all-male a cappella group began back in the early ‘60s, when Joseph Shabalala infused sacred vocal harmonies with the secular song and dance styles of South African folk traditions. But it wasn’t until 1986 that they broke through to a mass audience, as part of Paul Simon’s era-defining Graceland project. Since then, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has become known as a global ambassador for post-apartheid South Africa. Ladysmith is dedicated to making sure that young South Africans don’t lose sight of isicathamiya, the traditional Zulu style featuring gorgeous voices, mouth percussion and cascading melodies accompanied by graceful choreography. The group has been nominated for a stunning 13 Grammy Awards and won three, as recently as 2009. Ladysmith is a true phenomenon that has come to be synonymous with “world” music.
» April 19: Gypsy Journey
global village
Anoushka Shankar
“Shankar displays not only an impressive technical command, but a flair for makng the sitar speak a number of musical tongues.” —Philadelphia Enquirer
The urge to build bridges flows through sitar star Anoushka Shankar’s veins. The daughter of legendary sitar master Ravi Shankar, she was raised straddling east and west, moving between London, Delhi and California. A dedicated acolyte of her father who has immersed herself in classical Hindustani music, Anoushka has forged an independent identity by collaborating with a vast array of artists from jazz icon Herbie Hancock and violinist Joshua Bell to the DJ duo Thievery Corporation, rock band Jethro Tull and Asian Underground pioneer Karsh Kale. Her latest project is her most creatively ambitious, tracing the Roma people’s diaspora from their forgotten homeland in Rajasthan to Spain, where Gypsy culture mixed with Judaic and North African currents to form the passionate sound of flamenco. Based on her recent Deutsche Grammophon album Traveller, the Gypsy Journey program features an all-star cast of Indian classical and flamenco musicians, reconnecting the shared, centuries-old roots of Spanish and Indian sounds. Combining the syncopated drama of flamenco with the melodic sophistication of northern India, Anoushka Shankar takes the latest bold step in a world music legacy. Thursday, April 19, 7:30PM herbst theatre 25 / 40 / 60 premium
» May 12: Brazilian Beatbox
“Anoushka looks set to be as important —BBC Music Magazine as her father.”
“A hell of a lot of great music that defies easy categorization.”
Supergenerous
—All About Jazz
featuring Cyro Baptista After Cyro Baptista launched the volatile rhythm and dance ensemble Beat the Donkey, the mad scientist of Brazilian percussion decided he wanted to unleash his imagination in a stripped-down musical setting. Thus was born Supergenerous, then a duo with Kevin Breit, a Canadian guitar star whose many credits include Cassandra Wilson, Bill Frisell and Lou Reed. Blue Note released the duo’s self-titled debut in 2000, and their playful repertoire combining jazz, country and samba earned critical raves. The group’s 2008 follow-up, São Paulo Slim, elaborated on their vision, and now they’ve expanded to become a trio with Ugandan bassist Ian de Souza (Jesse Cook). Born and raised in São Paulo, Baptista has been a major force in world music for three decades, touring and recording with luminaries such as Yo-Yo Ma (the Brazil Project), Herbie Hancock (Gershwin’s World), Paul Simon (Rhythm of the Saints) and Wynton Marsalis (Brazilian Carnaval) to name a few. With hypnotic percussion and multi-layered string wizardry, Supergenerous is guaranteed to tear the house down — and raise your pulse! Saturday, May 12, 8PM Swedish American Hall 25 general admission
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“An undeniable aura of fun and humor.” —The New York Times
“When it comes to jazz, Israel is the source of an almost miraculous outpouring of talent.” —JazzTimes
Eli Degibri
3 Cohens: Anat Cohen, Yuval Cohen & Avishai Cohen
» April 28–29: Extraordinary Imports
Israeli JazzFest
schedule at this time Saturday, April 28, 8PM • Pre-concert Talk with Anat Cohen • Third World Love Sunday, April 29, 3PM • Eli Degibri & Kevin Hays Sunday, April 29, 7PM • 3 Cohens • Gilad Hekselman Quartet Additional shows to be announced — check sfjazz.org for updates!
Saturday, April 28, 8PM • Sunday, April 29, 3pm & 7PM Jewish Community Center of San Francisco 25 / 35 premium FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF ISRAEL
“For a country of some 7.5 million, Israel has a surprisingly large jazz footprint.” —NPR
Third World Love
global village
Gilad Hekselman
Israel’s profile on the international jazz circuit has exploded in recent years. Following the rise of burgeoning Israeli scenes at New York’s Small’s Jazz Club and Boston’s Berklee College of Music, musicians including bassists Omer Avital and Haggai Cohen Milo, drummer Ziv Ravitz, pianist Omer Klein, saxophonist Eli Degibri and guitarist Gilad Hekselman have worked to redefine the cultural composition of modern jazz. Of this prodigiously talented group of transplants, the Tel Aviv-born Cohen siblings — Anat (tenor & clarinet), Yuval (soprano) and Avishai (trumpet), have made an especially profound impact. Working together as the 3 Cohens, they have released three CDs for the Anzic label, including their 2011 offering, Family. In addition to his recent work with the SFJAZZ Collective, Avishai is also a founding member of Third World Love, a genre-expanding quartet mixing African and Middle Eastern influences with jazz and rock. The acclaimed group features Omer Avital, pianist Yonatan Avishai and drummer Daniel Freedman. Join us for a remarkable weekend of music, celebrating many of the world-class artists at the heart of the Israeli jazz revolution.
soulful singers
soulful singers
sPeLLbiNdiNG sTOryTeLLers use nature’s instrument for a fresh take on THe LeGAcy OF sONG.
“Blessed with a curvy, Billie Holidaylike vocal timbre and an exquisite sense of melody.” —Los Angeles Times
» March 17: Ella, Billie & Sarah
Chrisette Michele
“Of the new wave of modern American R&B singers, Michele is the most compelling and commanding.” —Boston Globe
As a teenager in the late 1990s, Chrisette Michele led a gospel choir in her father’s church. Before long her voice became a muse for some of hip hop’s biggest stars, and she appeared on albums by The Game, Nas, Jay-Z and more. By 2007 Michele had come into her own as a recording artist, releasing her star-making debut album I Am and several hit singles including “Be OK,” which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. She followed up with an appearance on The Roots album Rising Down and her chart-topping second CD, Epiphany, which confirmed her status as one of R&B’s most creative singer/songwriters. Since releasing an acclaimed hip hop-inflected album last year, Let Freedom Reign, Michele has taken her music in an entirely new direction with an ambitious homage to a triumvirate of jazz legends: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Tapping into her early love of jazz and American Songbook standards, Michele displays the improvisational skills and scat chops that she’s largely kept under wraps during her rise as an R&B diva. She premieres her latest project in the spectacular Paramount Theatre, a perfect setting in which to revisit the glories of jazz history. Saturday, March 17, 8PM Paramount Theatre, Oakland 25 / 35 / 50 / 65 premium
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“Lizz Wright is celebrated for one thing in particular: her sumptuously earthy voice, which commands strict and often spine-tingling attention.” —The New York Times
Lizz Wright
» March 23: State of the Art
This soulful double-bill features two singers who have created astonishing new music by embracing the traditions on which they were raised. With a luxuriant voice redolent of the red soil that sustained her growing up in Georgia, Lizz Wright sanctifies every song she sings. While the 32-year-old Brooklyn resident first gained attention delivering swing era standards associated with Billie Holiday, she’s continued in recent years as a singer/songwriter whose music eludes definition. Her latest Verve album Fellowship is a gospel-drenched collaboration with another vocal powerhouse, Toshi Reagan, and Wright spent much of the last year touring with Dianne Reeves and Angelique Kidjo in a tribute to Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta. Ethiopian-born San Francisco singer/songwriter Meklit Hadero returns to SFJAZZ following her triumphant sold-out show last fall. 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. But she’s also right at home belting out a version of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat.” Whether performing with her transfixing world-trance band Nefasha Ayer or grooving with classic R&B belter Quinn Deveaux, Hadero cuts a regal figure, an emerging queen of soul. Friday, March 23, 8PM herbst theatre • 25 / 35 / 50 premium
Meklit Hadero
“Hadero’s sound is a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry; it paints pictures in your head as you listen.” —NPR
soulful singers
Lizz Wright Meklit Hadero
» April 1: Force of Nature
soulful singers
Raul Midón
“Raul Midón takes pride in extracting an entire orchestra of sounds from his guitar. At times it seems only his earnest lyrics anchor this gifted musician to —Rolling Stone terra ferma.”
“With eyes closed I am in the presence of a five person band. When I open them all I see is genius… Beyond —Huffington Post category.”
Raul Midón has been busy blowing minds ever since the release of his 2005 debut album State of Mind, a soul-infused session showcasing his gorgeous tenor vocals and percussive guitar style. After giving up his lucrative career as a background singer for Latin pop stars like Shakira, Alejandro Sanz and Jose Feliciano, he dedicated himself to honing a highly personal repertoire that draws on jazz, soul, flamenco, Latin and West African influences. His latest album is 2010’s aptly titled Synthesis (Decca), an all-acoustic session featuring original songs that seduce with brisk syncopation and insinuating melodies. Midón has been soaking up invaluable experience, performing with bass giant Marcus Miller, recording with Herbie Hancock and honing Douala Malambo, a collaboration with another great singer, Richard Bona. Born prematurely to an Argentinean father and African-American mother, Midón and his twin brother lost their eyesight as babies due to an incubator mishap. But Raul has more than just overcome his disability — at his last SFJAZZ appearance the audience was utterly dazed by one of the most phenomenal musicians on the planet. Midón is an experience, not to be missed. Sunday, April 1, 7PM YBCA Forum 30 general admission / 50 premium ga
» April 20: Girl Talk
Kate McGarry with Keith Ganz,
Gary Versace and Clarence Penn
Kate McGarry’s show was one of the highlights of our 2010 Spring Season, and she returns in the midst of a creative streak that puts her firmly in the first rank of jazz singers. The new album Girl Talk is the latest collaboration with her husband, guitarist Keith Ganz, keyboard ace Gary Versace, and the remarkable drummer Clarence Penn. McGarry’s been winning avid fans locally for the past decade, a campaign boosted when pianist Fred Hersch brought his ambitious project Leaves of Grass to the Bay Area in 2005. The little-known McGarry more than held her own along with vocal dynamo Kurt Elling, delivering Walt Whitman’s stanzas with a startlingly vivid presence. Her 2009 Palmetto release, If Less Is More… Nothing Is Everything, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Vocal Jazz Album and she’s won Rising Star Vocalist honors in the DownBeat Critics Poll three times. Kate McGarry is an artist with a captivating vision, steeped in jazz technique, who creates sparse settings for songs by everyone from Joni Mitchell to Bjork, The Cars, Jobim and the Gershwins. Friday, April 20, 8PM Swedish American Hall 25 general admission
“Astute and sensitive.” —The New York Times
“McGarry’s sense of musical authenticity is beautifully blended with her always-original musical vision.” —Los Angeles Times
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“Jane Monheit is a name you’re going to hear again... and again... in the future.” —All About Jazz
Jane Monheit
—Los Angeles Times
When Jane Monheit first performed for SFJAZZ a decade ago, she was a wide-eyed ingénue at the start of a meteoric rise launched by her debut at the Monk Institute’s 1998 vocal competition. There was no doubt about her exquisite voice and supple sense of swing, which became the foundation of a brilliant recording and touring career. Still fresh-faced at 34, Monheit continues to grow as an artist, honing her sound and expanding her repertoire. A self-described obsessive when it comes to her listening habits, Monheit has spent the past several years immersing herself in Brazilian music. Just about every performance now includes songs by Jobim and Ivan Lins, who accompanied her on 2002’s In the Sun. Monheit still listens closely to Ella, Billie and Sarah, but she’s just as likely to draw inspiration from Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell. Her latest EmArcy album Home is a lustrous collection of standards that finds Monheit keeping company with top-flight guests including John Pizzarelli, Mark O’Connor and Larry Goldings. Jane’s 2011 Spring Season show sold out handily, so we suggest early ticket purchase for this Members-only treat. Wednesday, May 16, 7:30PM ybca forum 30 general admission / 50 premium ga sfjazz members only (see page 6)
soulful singers
» May 16: Where the Heart Is
“Blessed with an extraordinarily warm and supple voice, perfect pitch, inventive musicality and an insightful approach to storytelling...”
happenings RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. UNIQUE EVENTS IN MUSIC, BROUGHT TO YOU BY SFJAZZ.
“The missing link between Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery...”
happenings
—The Village Voice
» March 11: Blood & the Blues
James “Blood” Ulmer, solo Even in an art form that requires all of its practitioners to attain an individual voice, guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer stands out as a revolutionary figure. He possesses a gutsy, soulful, and ferociously gritty sound redolent of the pungent red clay of his childhood in South Carolina. Like many other guitarists, the 70-year-old Ulmer got his start in organ combos, recording his first sessions with Hank Marr and Big John Patton. After his 1971 arrival in New York, he quickly earned a reputation working with heavyweights like Art Blakey, Joe Henderson and Larry Young. But it was his breakthrough gig with Ornette Coleman that moved Ulmer to the forefront of the scene, with a gutbucket blues-drenched attack perfectly suited for Coleman’s ensemble. Ulmer’s Grammy-nominated 2001 album, Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions, was called “some of the greasiest, knottiest, most surreal blues ever” by Allmusic. More recently, Ulmer has fully embraced the blues tradition with a string of sessions produced by fellow guitar iconoclast Vernon Reid, of Living Colour fame. Ulmer’s latest release is the uncompromising Rock In Blues. Playing solo, as he will on this SFJAZZ date, James “Blood” Ulmer reveals the indomitable heart of a master, unadorned. Sunday, March 11, 7PM ybca forum 30 general admission / 50 premium ga
“There is no more distinctive and startling sound in jazz guitar.” —JazzTimes
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“Music is so important in Treme because… every episode presents some aspect of the underlying spirit of New Orleans that would not die. Last night’s performance was all about that spirit...” —Examiner
—Los Angeles Times
» June 15: Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler
Another Night in Treme New Orleans music legends and stars of the blockbuster HBO series Treme bring to SFJAZZ another rollicking night of Crescent City sounds! Created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer, who gained fame with The Wire, the acclaimed program paints a true-to-life portrait of the Tremé neighborhood in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, focusing specifically on the musicians who are fundamental to the area’s identity. The destruction wrought by Katrina has been the city’s gravest challenge and its musicians have answered the call by joining forces to preserve New Orleans culture, while reminding the nation what’s at stake. Within weeks of the floodwaters receding, an all-star collection of artists gathered to form the ad hoc New Orleans Social Club, releasing Sing Me Back Home, the lavishly praised 2006 album. Another Night In Treme will feature a cast of legendary New Orleans artists distilled from the NOSC, and others, from the vibrant musical patchwork that defines the Big Easy. Stay tuned to sfjazz.org for an upcoming announcement about the artist roster, but remember, our first A Night in Treme show in 2011 sold out and tickets will move quickly. Friday, June 15, 8PM paramount theatre, oakland 25 / 40 / 55 / 75 premium
happenings
“Music is woven into the narrative like gold thread through a medieval tapestry.”
“This improbable band of virtuosos is a fusion geek’s Cream Dream.” —Jambase
John Medeski, Cindy Blackman, Vernon Reid & Jack Bruce
» June 16: Sangria for Four
happenings
Spectrum Road
with Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Jack Bruce & Cindy Blackman Tony Williams
Cindy Blackman
“In many ways Tony Williams was Cindy Blackman’s spiritual father… A powerful, even volcanic, drummer.”
From his stunning debut with Miles Davis at 17, through his pioneering work with John McLaughlin, Larry Young, Allan Holdsworth and others, Tony Williams is often hailed as the greatest drummer who ever lived. Undoubtedly, the Tony Williams Lifetime, across a half-dozen albums from 1969-1976, helped chart the course of the fusion era. His subsequent emergence as a major composer, with a series of releases for Blue Note in the mid ‘80s, cemented Tony’s unique place in the jazz pantheon. With devoted Williams protégé Cindy Blackman at the drum chair, Spectrum Road is named for one of the incendiary tracks on the original Lifetime album — but this isn’t just a tribute band! After making rock history with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in Cream, legendary British bassist Jack Bruce joined the Lifetime for two records and now anchors Spectrum Road. The group is artfully rounded out with famed funk-metal guitarist Vernon Reid, of Living Colour, and multi-keyboardist John Medeski, one-third of the jam band juggernaut Medeski, Martin & Wood. Made famous by her 10+ years backing Lenny Kravitz, Blackman has distinguished herself as an impressively versatile player who’s as comfortable on post-bop sessions with Joe Henderson and Wallace Roney as she is touring with pop stars like Kravitz and husband Carlos Santana. The formidable lineup of Spectrum Road assures the legacy of Tony Williams lives on, and clearly qualifies as a major 2012 music event. Saturday, June 16, 8PM Palace of Fine Arts Theatre 25 / 45 / 65 premium
—JazzTimes
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tickets & More
Ticket Info
everyTHiNG yOU Need TO KNOW FOr A fabulous sfjazz spring season.
[Members: Please log in on home page to receive Member ticket benefits.]
Web: sfjazz.org
Phone [Members: please use the Member hotline!]
Member Hotline:
415-788-7353
On-sale Dates Members: Saturday, November 12 General Public: Sunday, December 4
General Public:
866-920-5299
Box Office
3 Embarcadero Center, Lobby Level, San Francisco, CA 94111
General hours:
Monday–Friday, 11AM–5:30PM
Member on-sale: Public on-sale:
Sunday, December 4, 10AM–5PM
Service fees:
HERBST THEATRE 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco 94102 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO 3200 California Street, San Francisco 94118
All purchases at our Box Office are exempt from ticket service fees.
LOUISE M. DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco 94102
Catalog Notes
PALACE OF FINE ARTS THEATRE 3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco 94123
All programs and artist lineups are subject to change.
PARAMOUNT THEATRE 2025 Broadway, Oakland 94612 SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC 50 Oak Street, San Francisco 94102 SWEDISH AMERICAN HALL 2174 Market Street, San Francisco 94114 YBCA FORUM 701 Mission Street, San Francisco 94103 For more venue information please visit sfjazz.org.
General Admission: open seating. Premium GA: open seating within a reserved section.
Pre-Concert Talks
30-minute talks take place on stage one hour before show time. Free to ticketholders for the event to follow.
Family Matinees
Each one-hour matinee features live performance, audience participation, Q&A and amazing music. Although designed for elementary school students, our Family Matinees are open to music fans of all ages.
tickets & more
Venue Locations
Saturday, November 12, 10AM–5PM
SFJAZZ Merchandise Apparel
SFJAZZ Collective 3-CD Set:
Classic threads from SFJAZZ look great and fit right. And commemorative Festival t-shirts make a great collectible!
NEW!
Music of stevie wonder and new compositions Live in New York 2011, Season 8 The definitive record of the SFJAZZ Collective’s 2011 U.S. tour features the music of Stevie Wonder plus the band’s new original compositions. This incredible hand-numbered 3-CD set is just $35 at sfjazz.org and festival venues. Digital downloads are available on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and more.
SFJAZZ premium zip-hoodie
SFJAZZ zip-hoodies
Orange on black or white on black • $50
Available in: orange on olive, red on charcoal and blue on brown. • $40
NEW!
NEW!
SFJAZZ logo hats
SFJAZZ note cube
Yellow or blue lettering on black cap. Black logo on tan cap. Black logo on black beenie. One-size-fits-all. • $20
$
$
GIFT CARD
GIFT CARD
Gift Cards
Features four illustrations by the great Mark Ulriksen. 3” x 3” and 225 sheets. • $12
Code: Redeemable for concert tickets, merchandise or membership, To: an SFJAZZ Gift Card is a fast and From: flexible way to share the world Valid for SFJAZZ tickets & merchandise. of jazz with those you love. Ideal for your last-minute gift list!
Code: To: From:
Valid for tickets to San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ Spring Season and SFJAZZ merchandise. Gift card can be redeemed online or in person. Not redeemable for cash. Redemption value not to exceed amount on front of card. If you are calling the SFJAZZ Box Office for tickets, please inform us at the start of the call that you are using a gift card for your purchase. Box Office: 415-788-7353 boxoffice@sfjazz.org tickets M–F 11AM–5:30PM r SFJAZZ
Valid fo
San Francisco, CA 94111
Discount applies at sfjazz.org or at our Embarcadero Center store.
sfjazz.org • Public 866-920-5299 • Members 415-788-7353
Miguel Zenón alto saxophone Mark Turner tenor saxophone Avishai Cohen trumpet Robin Eubanks trombone Stefon Harris vibraphone Edward Simon piano Matt Penman bass Eric Harland drums
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Featuring
Get all eight of the SFJAZZ Collective CD sets from 2004-2011 at sfjazz.org
Sponsors & Underwriters Major sponsors
foundations, corporations & government agencies
in-kind donors
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners Capital Public Radio, KXJZ The Fairmont San Francisco Foxxdance Productions Greystone Hotels Hilton SF Union Square Hotel Adagio Hotel Carlton Hotel Kabuki Hotel Rex JazzTimes KBLX KPFA Le Meridien San Francisco North Coast Brewing Co. Personality Hotels SF Station St. Regis San Francisco Smartwater Stanford Shopping Center Yamaha Piano
Autodesk Aaron Copland Foundation Bill Graham Supporting Foundation The Capital Group Co. Charitable Foundation Columbia Foundation Consulate General of Israel Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Goldman Sachs Grants for the Arts - San Francisco Hotel Fund The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Koret Foundation National Endowment for the Arts U.S. Bank
Beringer Vineyards Bruce De Benedictis Bruckert Family with De Novo Wines Google, Inc. Hood & Strong Jeremiah’s Pick Coffee La Boulange Bakery R&B Cellars Roederer Estate Seyfarth Shaw Shartsis Fries LLP Viansa Winery & Marketplace Vintage Berkeley
sfjazz is generously supported by
corporate & institutional support
volunteer at sfjazz
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:
SFJAZZ volunteers are a big-hearted group of people who are central to our efforts to bring world-class jazz to the San Francisco Bay Area. Over 400 volunteers annually share their time and expertise with us in a variety of capacities during the San Francisco Jazz Festival and SFJAZZ Spring Season
Laura Hamilton Institutional Giving Director 415-283-0303 lhamilton@sfjazz.org
To learn more, call the SFJAZZ Volunteer Hotline at 415-283-0314 or email rwarren@sfjazz.org.
official sponsors
And a very special thanks to SFJAZZ Members and volunteers!
nonPROFIT org. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
San Francisco Jazz Organization Three Embarcadero Center, Lobby Level San Francisco, CA 94111
SAN FRANCISCO, CA PERMIT #1782
premier ’s a c i r e m “One of A ents.” v cultural e times geles —los an
tickets on sale Members: Saturday, Nov. 12 General Public: Sunday, Dec. 4 Web: sfjazz.org Members: 415-788-7353 Public: 866-920-5299
CARIBBEANA Chucho Valdés Benny Velarde Sierra Maestra Michel Camilo Trio Gonzalo Rubalcaba
GLOBAL VILLAGE The Chieftains Ladysmith Black Mambazo Hermeto Pascoal Anoushka Shankar Supergenerous Israeli JazzFest
JAZZ continuum Enrico Rava & John Abercrombie Dave Holland Overtone Quartet Toots Thielemans SFJAZZ Collective Charles Lloyd New Quartet Tia Fuller Quartet Christian McBride Big Band
FLAMENCO SKETCHES Vicente Amigo Chano Domínguez Paco de Lucía
SOULFUL SINGERS Chrisette Michele Lizz Wright & Meklit Hadero Raul Midón Kate McGarry Jane Monheit
ART OF THE SONG Dan Hicks 70th Birthday Bash Tin Hat Bill Frisell Rosanne Cash
PIANISM Brad Mehldau Trio Uri Caine Trio Kenny Barron & Mulgrew Miller
HAPPENINGS James “Blood” Ulmer Another Night in Treme Spectrum Road