In the year 2000, trombonist, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer Adam Theis co-founded Jazz Mafia – an eclectic artist collective of forward-thinking and accomplished players in Electro, Hip-Hop, World, Classical, and Jazz. Twenty years in the making, Jazz Mafia is a prolific staple of the quintessential San Francisco sound, uniting creative and accomplished Bay Area instrumentalists, vocalists, MCs, composers, and arrangers.

The collective quickly garnered a reputation for its collaborative and risk-taking spirit, and over the years has worked with Roy Ayers, Lyrics Born, Zion-I, Rebelution, Latyrx, Galactic, Ledesi, Blackalicious, and Jackie Greene, to name a few. Recently, the collective performed sold out residencies at the SFJAZZ Center and served as the house band in The Soiled Dove – its large-scale cirque-inspired collaboration with The Vau de Vire Society. Jazz Mafia has also recently collaborated with the Oakland Symphony at Paramount Theatre of the Arts, as well as with GRAMMY-winning composer Mason Bates and his Mercury Soul project at the Kennedy Center in DC. Jazz Mafia also curates musical experiences for Stanford University, Oakland Art & Soul Festival, and many other presenters.

For this event, the Jazz Mafia will play music celebrating Charles Mingus!

One of the most important figures in twentieth century American music, Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader and composer. Born on a military base in Nogales, Arizona in 1922 and raised in Watts, California, his earliest musical influences came from the church-- choir and group singing-- and from "hearing Duke Ellington over the radio when [he] was eight years old." He studied double bass and composition in a formal way (five years with H. Rheinshagen, principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, and compositional techniques with the legendary Lloyd Reese) while absorbing vernacular music from the great jazz masters, first-hand. His early professional experience, in the 40's, found him touring with bands like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton. From the 1960's until his death in 1979 at age 56, Mingus remained in the forefront of American music.

Mingus Ah Um is a studio album which was released in October 1959 by Columbia Reords. I The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD calls this album "an extended tribute to ancestors" and awards it one of their rare crowns.

Tickets at Mingus with the Jazz Mafia

Winning trumpeter of the Herbie Hancock Institute fellowship program, Julien Knowles was mentored by legendary jazz artists including Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Julien toured internationally with mentor Hancock; he studied composition with Billy Childs, Vince Mendoza, and John Hollenbeck, and trumpet with Ralph Alessi and Dan Rosenboom.

Julien toured the U.S. with Louis Cole, and is now celebrating the release of his debut album As Many, As One. Julien is regularly commissioned for compositions; in 2023, his piece “Tempest Quake” was a winner of the Ravinia Bridges Composition Competition. A rising star in the world jazz scene, Julien Knowles is already making his mark on the global stage in multiple musical arenas.

Julien's debut album As Many, As One features original compositions.

Julien Knowles - trumpet

Javier Santiago - piano

Jermaine Paul - bass

Mark Ferber - drums

Tickets at Julien Knowles Quartet

Join us for our monthly Blues Blowout. You won't want to miss these!

Jules Leyhe might look like your everyday, average, unassuming guy, but he’s one of the world’s foremost blues slide-guitar players—so much so that even Premier Guitar magazine called his music “the best blues slide licks since Derek Trucks, maybe even Duane Allman.” Those might sound like some big boots, but this Oakland native not only fills them, he wears them out and has to order new ones. This year, he is showcasing a new blues series at the Sound Room, where Leyhe and his Family Jules Blues Blowout will be joined by local blues players from around the Bay each month. This month, they’re joined by Aki Kumar.

Aki Kumar's harmonica playing is rooted in the classical style invented by Little Walter and others, but his blues style is eclectic.He developed his skills by studying with David Barrett, who operates the School of the Blues in San Jose. He played regularly in the band Tip of the Top for several years before forming his own band and launching a solo career.

Kumar expresses his pride in his Indian heritage by blending melodies from Hindi movies and Indian classical music with American blues, creating a fusion of East and West that he calls "Bollywood blues".

Tickets at April Blues Showcase

StorySlam Oakland is Oakland's longest-running true storytelling show, where people tell short and true stories from their lives. Or just listen and laugh. The theme changes every month. You can tell any story about yourself that touches on the theme in some way.

HOW THE SHOW WORKS:

Anybody can put their name in the hat for a chance to tell their true, personal story on the theme.

Storytellers will be mostly picked at random from the names in the hat. We may have one or two special picked guests. We usually have time for 8 to 10 open-mic storytellers. We also present one or two Featured Storytellers from our wonderful storytelling community. These are people who have won awards at various shows, or just are known to us for their great storytelling style and charisma. The Featured Storytellers tell true, personal stories, but a little longer than the open-mic'ers.

David Rodriguez is the features story teller this month! David got into storytelling when a Tinder date dared him to tell a story at the Moth in Berkeley. He won. Then he went on to win the SF Moth Grand Slam. He has now won at least 5 Moth storyslams, told at four Moth Grand Slams, and also has been an audience favorite at StorySlam Oakland. He lives in Oakland with his wife (who had been that Tinder date who started it all) and his two-year-old son. He also told a story on the podcast, That's Probably How It Happened. David is one of the best storytellers in the entire Bay Area. Don't miss him!

StorySlam Oakland rules for storytelling:

Put your name in the hat for a chance to tell

Stories must be about YOU

Stories must be TRUE

Length should be about 5 to 6 minutes, but no longer

Stories must be told aloud, not read and NO notes! Tell it just like you're telling friends around a dinner table.

No pressure! Just have fun. There is no voting and no judging.

There is excellent food and drink available from the Sound Room cafe.

The venue is wheelchair accessible. There will be one intermission.

Tickets at StorySlam

A whole lot of interpretive brilliance” is how JazzTimes describes Clairdee’s soulfully alluring style and rich timbre. She swings, has an intimate, vulnerable way with a ballad, and can shout at will, revealing roots in the gospel church. Her masterly interpretation of lyrics is a gift aptly described by the inimitable Nancy Wilson who said, “In the tradition of all great vocalists, Clairdee infuses each song with her own unique style while always remaining true to the song itself.”

Clairdee sings in night clubs, concert halls, and festivals in Edinburgh, Tokyo, Bangkok, Toronto, Moscow and St Petersburg Russia, New York, San Francisco, Monterey, and points in between. She leads her world-class band and performs with pops orchestras, big bands, and some of America’s most notable jazz instrumentalists. Her discography as leader includes four highly regarded albums on her Declare Music label. “A Love Letter to Lena,” garnered international press and acknowledged in three categories in the 2020 Grammy® first round nominations.

2018 recipient of the Bay Area Jazz & Blues Artist Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020 1st round Grammy® nomination (3 categories), "A Love Letter to Lena"

“In the tradition of all great vocalists, Clairdee infuses each song with her own unique style while always remaining true to the song itself.”
— Nancy Wilson

"Sumptuous, elegantly restrained."
— The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland)

"Generous spirit and unpretentious sincerity"
— Down Beat

"Clairdee projects an unmistakable aura onstage — regaling the audience with songs interwoven with warm, humorous anecdotes — creating a seamless, wonderful tapestry."
—All About Jazz

“In sassy, solidly assured, crowd-pleasing form, a whole lot of interpretive brilliance."
—JazzTimes

Tickets at Clairdee

If you are looking for a great evening of music, you'll find it here!

When a young musician’s sources of inspiration are jazz greats like Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, Vince Guaraldi and Wynton Kelly, you’d figure that his own music would turn out to be pretty special...and in the case of jazz pianist and composer George Kahn, you’d be right. His music captures the feel of the West Coast Jazz scene of the 50’s & 60’s, but with a contemporary edge. George has incorporated many styles including bebop, smooth jazz, blues, Latin and New Orleans rhythms. He has released ten self-produced CDs. The most recent release, “George Kahn Quartet –Dreamcatcher” hit #5 on the JazzWeek radio charts in January 2021.

Tickets at George Kahn Quartet

Ben Rosenblum brings his award-winning, genre-bending compositional style to the Nebula Project, a six-piece ensemble featuring a diverse cast of New York City’s most in-demand jazz musicians. Rosenblum boasts an extensive resume, having led bands at prestigious venues around the world (Ravinia, Library of Congress, Kuumbwa Jazz Center; multiple tours in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan) and touring with several Grammy and Juno recognized artists across various musical genres, including Rickie Lee Jones, Kiran Ahluwalia, Curtis Lundy, Nêgah Santos and Laura Anglade. With the Nebula Project, the pianist/accordionist digs deeply into his cosmopolitan roots in NYC to create a truly global music, drawing from influences as diverse as Brazilian forró, Irish reels and jigs, Bulgarian folkloric songs, Dominican merengue and Middle Eastern traditional rhythms, and combining them with an extensive rooting in American jazz and traditional music. Rosenblum leans on personal experiences working with master musicians from these and other areas of the world in order to write explorative, emotional, narrative-driven compositions that have garnered awards from ASCAP, Downbeat and beyond.

Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project is celebrating their February 2023 release, A Thousand Pebbles. Since the Nebula Project's first album release in 2020, Kites and Strings, The Nebula Project was voted runner-up for Best New Artist in JazzTimes' 2020 Readers' Poll, and the album received positive reviews from over twenty publications, including All About Jazz, NYC Jazz Record, JazzTimes, JazzLife (Japan) and more. Since the 2023 release, the group was featured in an article in Downbeat Magazine’s May 2023 issue, “Worldly Jazz Adventuring” which highlights the adventurous spirit of this ensemble.

Tickets at Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project

A monthly series co-presented with Lilan Kane. This monthly series will be presented in even months in Oakland and in San Francisco at Mr Tipple's in odd months. Every Singer’s Lounge will feature a band with three different vocalists doing what they do best - whether solo, duo or coming together in harmony as a group. Each Lounge will be a unique experience – A journey through the jazz singers craft.

This month features:

Valerie Troutt is Bay-area born and bred, jazz and gospel trained, and internationally respected, as a musical collagist, borrowing from ancestral centuries of sound, channeling spirits, and delivering the stories of our love, loss, and lives

Kenya Moses is a vocalist, music educator and business owner who shares the music of Brazil's bossa nova in her warm and heartfelt sound. Born in the United States, yet connected to her Afro-Brazilian roots, Kenya fell in love with the sounds of Brazil after 15 years performing as a classical vocalist and flautist.

Sonya Distel is known for her soulful, powerhouse vocal style, musical versatility and ability to create lush harmonies and melodic arrangements. In addition to performing, Sonya remains a songwriter and continues writing, recording and performing her original compositions.

Lilan Kane, your host for the evening, is an award winning singer-songwriter based in Oakland, CA who performs original music and covers in the pop, soul, and jazz genres.

Tickets at The Singers Lounge

The big guy from out West and larger than life energy (he’s also 6’5’) performer, guitarist, singer, banjoist, songwriter, composer, entertainer, musical historian and teacher Mitch Polzak wears his heart on his sleeve and his playing in his heart.

Polzak performs rockabilly and 60’s country music with the religious fervor of Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash and delivers a Honky Tonk ballad with the sincerity of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Mitch will bring a room to a fevered pitch of joyous energy on the dance floor and then tell you a story in a song like two old friends sitting at a kitchen table at midnight.

His virtuosic guitar skills and influences range from the blazing flying fingers of Joe Maphis , Marty Stuart, Roy Clark, and Don Rich to the timeless dreamlike state of “Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johnny along with the vast valleys of deep rumbling twang associated with Duane Eddy.

There is not one singular definition of Polzak’s music but that is very specific to what he does. Being fluent in the musical languages of Country, Rockabilly, Honky Tonk, The Bakersfield Sound, Surf, early Rock and Roll, Bluegrass, Cajun, Blues, and Truck Driving music gives Polzak the unique voice of the melting pot of the American musical experience. This is why he consistently connects with so many people directly at every show.

Polzak’s abundant joy in communicating with people through music leaps off the stage through every fiber of his being. His near-constant genuine smile can be seen clear across the room and invites you in without any pretense or judgements. Some call him “The Honky Tonk Mister Rogers”!

Make no mistake though. Underneath that smile is a deep and reverent respect for the history and integrity of the music and musicians who came before him and created the sounds and told their stories.

Tickets at Mitch Polzak

Jun Iida fell in love with music at a very young age. His mother, a semi-professional koto player, suffused their home with all manner of sounds, from Western classical music to Japanese folk songs.

Iida spent his formative years in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at age 10 — both cities are steeped in a rich history of jazz, R&B, and blues. This exposure to a varied mix of musical styles helped Iida develop a deep affinity for blues, jazz, and improvisatory music. Iida recalls asking his parents for two CDs when he was young, Louis Armstrong’s Hello, Dolly! and Ken Burns Jazz: Duke Ellington, the influences of which can still be heard in his music today.

Iida took up the trumpet at age nine and eventually honed his musical chops at both Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, before establishing his own sextet in Los Angeles in 2015. He gigged at many notable jazz clubs, theaters, and festivals, both as the leader of his sextet and as a sideman, before moving to the Pacific Northwest.

Iida’s group, play a unique blend of classic jazz standards, his own compositions, and less conventional fare, creating a sound that is rooted in tradition but unafraid to stretch and blend those traditions in unique ways.

“I always like to include jazz standards, or music from the lineage of Black American Music. This is not only because I love and enjoy these tunes, but also to pay homage and respect to the legacy of this art form, which has so greatly affected my own music today,” he said. “Additionally, I am a firm believer that every individual’s musicality is formed by their unique experiences.”

One can hear Iida’s effervescent approach to improvisation in his casually cool and fluid playing style, landing somewhere between Miles Davis’ post-bop period and Chet Baker’s languid Southern California convertible ride breeziness. When supported by a group of like-minded and skilled colleagues, as with his sextet, the results are electrifying.

Iida’s debut album, Evergreen, was released in January to rave reviews. It includes his own compositions, as well as some jazz standards and arrangements of popular songs.

Playing with Jun is Giulio Xavier Cetto (bass), Martin Budde (guitar), Dylan Hayes (keys) and Xavier LeCouturier (drums)

Tickets at Jun Iida

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

A branch of the illustrious Jazz Mafia, COSA NOSTRA STRINGS specializes in original Hybrid Crossover music. This five-piece powerhouse crew features conservatory trained classical musicians who bring a provocative, precise, punk-rock personality to a highly distinguished multi-style sound, utilizing their unique instrumentation of cello, viola, violin, trombone, bass, and percussion to the fullest extent. Spanning centuries of genres, you’ll hear diverse influences from around the world: funk infusion, folk, western chamber music, jazz, and most certainly 80’s rock ballads!

The Cosa Nostra Strings quintet does share a good deal of creative DNA with the ever-morphing Oakland Jazz Mafia collective that’s bootstrapped its stylistically omnivorous aesthetic into a booming cottage industry, collaborating with everyone from racy cabaret productions and soul belters to symphony orchestras and socially conscious hip-hop MCs. Whatever its mob ties, Cosa Nostra belongs to a larger, more powerful subterranean family of musical renegades. The group, builds directly on the region’s rich history of string innovators by featuring a cadre of superlative musicians including violinist Shaina Evoniuk, violist/vocalist Keith Lawrence, cellist Lewis Pazner, multi-percussionist Aaron Kierbel, and bassist/trombonist Adam Theis, the music showcases pretty much everything a string band can do.

Tickets at Cosa Nostra Strings

THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT!!!!

Two-time GRAMMY-winning violin master, Mads Tolling, equally versed in the classical repertoire and the jazz tradition, is known for his work with Turtle Island Quartet, Stanley Clarke, Bob Weir and for leading his own groups. This evening, he performs at the Sound Room with a superb trio including pianist Tammy Hall and bassist Marcus Shelby.

Stepping out from behind the Sound Board is Carey Williams. Carey has long history in music. He was Etta James' manager and Taj Mahal's tour manager. He has performed with both. Tonight he brings a top notch band featuring David Udolf on piano, Ron Belcher on Bass, Leon Joyce on drums and Ryan Schaeffer on guitar. He will perfrom with the band and special guests Natalie Johns, Libby Lavella and Nona Brown.

Tickets at Carey Williams

Join us for a bite to eat, something to drink, and listen to the 12 piece Lucky Devils Band. We will be featuring some food/drink specials for this evening

Doors open at 6:45P. Come on in to the front cafe and order some food and drink. For this event, we will have some pairing specials!  You WILL want to come hungry - the food is brought to you by some Bay Area culinary stars. Once the band is set up in The Sound Room (usually about 7:45) you can grab a seat and get ready for some fun.  The band will play for 1 hour. 

This is a free musical event, but let us know you are coming! Reserve your spot here.

JAZZphoria is an exciting contemporary all–original octet of seven women and one man, led by veteran saxophonist/flutist/composer Jean Fineberg. Jean has toured and/or recorded on more than 50 albums, including stints with David Bowie, Melba Liston, Sister Sledge (We Are Family,) Chic (Good Times, Le Freak), Laura Nyro, Cornell Dupree and The Montclair Women’s Big Band. Her composition, Partly Sonny (for Sonny Rollins) is included in Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards book, and her work has been performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Grammys and the Kennedy Center.

JAZZphoria’s repertoire ranges from grooving funk and R&B, to swing, bebop, New Orleans Second Line, salsa and reggae. The band will perform fresh material from their upcoming second album, as well as favorites from their 2022 release, now in rotation on more than 50 radio stations. Jean’s clever arrangements recreate the powerful sound and punch of a Jazz Orchestra, taking advantage of the band’s many multi-instrumentalists. The ensemble’s name refers to that peak moment when everything is in sync and all the musicians are “in the zone.”

Jean serves on the faculty of the California Jazz Conservatory , has been interviewed by Chuy Varela on KCSM, and featured on Marian McPartland’s iconic Piano Jazz radio show. She is the recipient of multiple grants from the NEA, Meet the Composer, Doris Duke Foundation and Chamber Music America, and has served as composer-in-residence at nine art centers around the US.

C’mon, join us for this fun afternoon show; you’ll have a ball, leave with a smile on your face, and be home for dinner!

MUSICIANS

Tiffany Carrico – lead trumpet/flugelhorn

Marina Garza – solo trumpet/flugelhorn

Jean Fineberg – tenor saxophone, flute

Carolyn Walter – baritone saxophone/ bass clarinet/piccolo

Nancy Wenstrom – guitars

Jennifer Jolly – keyboards/melodica

Jodi Durst – acoustic & electric basses

Jeremy Steinkoler – drums/percussion

Tickets at Jean Fineberg & JAZZphoria

Holly Pyle vocal

Dmitri Matheny flugelhorn

Matt Clark piano

Geoff Brennan bass

Deszon X. Claiborne drums

Join us for a musical journey to Brazil, as Holly, Dmitri, and their all-star band put a fresh spin on jazz samba, bossa nova, and beyond!

In the early 1960s Brazil ignited a global musical revolution by exporting a new kind of jazz-infused music. Blending subtle, caressing melodies with intoxicating syncopated rhythms, the sound was called BOSSA NOVA (Portuguese for “new trend”). When Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “The Girl From Ipanema” (recorded by Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto and João Gilberto) won the Grammy in 1965, the new trend became a worldwide phenomenon.

Known for her “soulfully graceful, liquid-like voice” (Phoenix New Times), Los Angeles vocalist HOLLY PYLE started out as an opera major before studying jazz and psychology. Now one of the most popular vocalists in the west, Holly performs with leading jazz groups and appears regularly as a solo a-cappella act using electronic looping to build masterful sonic creations.

Flugelhornist DMITRI MATHENY has been lauded as “one of the most emotionally expressive improvisers of his generation” (International Review of Music). An honors graduate of Berklee College of Music, Dmitri Matheny vaulted onto the jazz scene in the 1990s as the protégé of jazz legend Art Farmer. Since then he has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal international following, releasing twelve CDs and touring extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.The San Francisco Chronicle calls Matheny “one of the jazz world’s most talented horn players.”

For a decade Dmitri and Holly have toured the western states, delighting audiences with their creative collaborations. Popular programs include The SnowCat, an original theatrical production for kids and families, Jazz From The Silver Screen, and deep dives into the songbooks of Burt Bacharach, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Wonder.

According to All About Jazz, the Dmitri Matheny Group is “an all-star jazz band featuring some of the most accomplished musicians in the western United States.”

Tickets at Dmitri Matheny Group

Grupo Falso Baiano is a choro group that offers a window into the history and diverse culture of Brazil. Choro is one of Brazil’s earliest popular musics, dating back to the late 1800s, and, similar to jazz, it reflects the melding of African rhythms with a melodic and harmonic structure closely resembling Baroque Classical music.

G.F.B.’s exploration of choro spans nearly 100 years, including everything from the traditional to more contemporary versions and jazz influenced reinterpretations. In addition to performing and touring, Grupo Falso Baiano has worked in collaboration with the Pasadena Pops, Around the World Music Program, Young Audiences of Northern CA, and Youth in Arts, to bring choro and Brazilian music to students throughout California.

G.F.B. is Zack Pitt-Smith (reeds), Brian Moran (7-string guitar), Jesse Appelman (mandolin), and Ami Molinelli (percussion). Individual bios available on the Press Page.

G.F.B. has performed at SFJazz, Yoshi’s Oakland, Yoshi’s San Francisco, The Freight and Salvage, The JazzSchool, San Jose Jazz Festival, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, L.A.C.M.A., Santa Monica “Jazz on the Lawn” series, among many other venues.

They have twice been awarded a grant by the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music towards recording. (2010 & 2013)

Tickets at Grupo Falso Baiano

Join us for our monthly Blues Blowout. You won't want to miss these!

Jules Leyhe might look like your everyday, average, unassuming guy, but he’s one of the world’s foremost blues slide-guitar players—so much so that even Premier Guitar magazine called his music “the best blues slide licks since Derek Trucks, maybe even Duane Allman.” Those might sound like some big boots, but this Oakland native not only fills them, he wears them out and has to order new ones. This year, he is showcasing a new blues series at the Sound Room, where Leyhe and his Family Jules Blues Blowout will be joined by local blues players from around the Bay each month. This month, they’re joined by guitarist and vocalist Chris Cain.

Chris Cain offers up a soulful stew of Memphis style electric blues. His powerfully deep vocals and jazz inspired, blues guitar riffs are unforgettable; uniquely his own, while reminiscent of the legendary BB King and Albert King. As a child, Chris Cain attended concerts with his dad to hear many of the great blues artists of the time. When Cain burst onto the blues scene in 1987 with his award winning debut album, he soon found himself sharing the stage and trading licks with a few of those legends, including Albert King and Albert Collins. Chris Cain has released a dozen albums, each filled with soul-stirring songs pulled from his own blues drenched heart. His brand of blues is unforgettable.

Tickets at Blues Blowout with Jules Leyhe & Chris Cain

StorySlam Oakland is Oakland's longest-running true storytelling show, where people tell short and true stories from their lives. Or just listen and laugh. The theme changes every month. You can tell any story about yourself that touches on the theme in some way. The theme this month is : Over the Top!

HOW THE SHOW WORKS:

Anybody can put their name in the hat for a chance to tell their true, personal story on the theme.

Storytellers will be mostly picked at random from the names in the hat. We may have one or two special picked guests. We usually have time for 8 to 10 open-mic storytellers. We also present one or two Featured Storytellers from our wonderful storytelling community. These are people who have won awards at various shows, or just are known to us for their great storytelling style and charisma. The Featured Storytellers tell true, personal stories, but a little longer than the open-mic'ers.

There is excellent food and drink available from the Sound Room cafe.

The venue is wheelchair accessible. There will be one intermission.

StorySlam Oakland rules for storytelling:

Put your name in the hat for a chance to tell

Stories must be about YOU

Stories must be TRUE

Length should be about 5 to 6 minutes, but no longer

Stories must be told aloud, not read and NO notes! Tell it just like you're telling friends around a dinner table.

No pressure! Just have fun. There is no voting and no judging.

Tickets at StorySlam Oakland

"Kumar is on the cutting-edge of blues today. He is highly respectful of blues traditions, yet understands how to interpret it in innovative ways. I think we will look back in 20 years and realize we witnessed something very special in the evolution of the blues." Michael Kinsman, San Diego Blues Festival

Charlie Musselwhite-endorsed Aki Kumar proves to traditionalists that singing in Hindi can co-exist with Chicago blues conventions. This Indian-American’s intense sense of musical discovery as an able vocalist and harmonica player drives worry-and-regret makeovers of Bollywood film songs and adds bounce to a reggae version of “Watermelon Man.” Boosted by top West Coast blues personnel and cross-cultural extras, Kumar proves that the integrity of his music marks the difference between novelty and substance.

Kumar was born and grew up in Mumbai, where his parents' upbringing and eclectic tastes—his father spoke Kannada, his mother Telugu—exposed him to a broad range of sounds—everything from rock 'n' roll and pop to the more traditional sounds of Bollywood film scores and Indian classical music. In his youth, he studied both keyboards and tabla, and acquired his first harmonica from his father. He listened to "everything from Bach to John Denver, from Stevie Wonder to the Police" in addition to music that dominated the Indian subcontinent.

He moved to the US in 1998 to study computer science, initially in Oklahoma City and then at San Jose State University in Silicon Valley. He was first attracted to American oldies radio, and then discovered the blues by visiting nightclubs and bars in the Bay Area.Soon after completing a degree, he went to work at Adobe. He has now turned to music full-time.

Kumar's harmonica playing is rooted in the classical style invented by Little Walter and others, but his blues style is eclectic.He developed his skills by studying with David Barrett, who operates the School of the Blues in San Jose. He played regularly in the band Tip of the Top for several years before forming his own band and launching a solo career.

Kumar expresses his pride in his Indian heritage by blending melodies from Hindi movies and Indian classical music with American blues, creating a fusion of East and West that he calls "Bollywood blues".

Tickets at Aki Kumar Bollywood Blues

If you are looking for some great music - look no further! An evening of Latin Jazz

Hailing from Chile, (Recabarren and Menares) and Galicia, Spain (Vazquez) these young artists embed a wealth of cultural experiences to their musical dexterity. Paying tribute to the music of their childhoods, the trio utilizes a variety of folkloric musical traditions into an album that like many within Pan-Latin Jazz, hybridizes various cultural attributes into compositions that reflect the complexities of our modern world. Fearless, comfortable with a variety of genres and styles of music, a deep trust and confidence binds their collective musical ambitions.

Migrating to New York City in 2009, Recabarren and Menares quickly found themselves in similar social circles as students and artists navigating the magnetic pulse of the Jazz capital of the US. Soon they bumped into Vazquez and began sharing a collective passion for “futbol,” food, family, and the burgeoning dynamic of how well they collaborated together.

Recabarren quickly discovered that his bass and piano playing companions had a very unique way of communicating musically. “It's kind of like telepathy,” Recabarren describes, adding “they just accept each other. It's just like a conversation with a good group of friends and a bottle of wine.” For the trio, Familia is an expression of shared mutual experiences but also the curiosity required to explore how personal identity shapes the music they wish to explore. As Recabarren sees it, “there are few things more important than identity. I moved to the states to learn about US folklore and in the process I found myself.”

The theme of Familia runs through the album: and not just blood relatives, but families of choice; families that help shape our identities, and creative passions.

“We all migrated to NYC together and created a family,” Recabarren recalls, remembering the years spent learning about themselves as much as they did mastering the mechanics of Jazz. For the trio, Jazz has been the vehicle of choice to engage and explore the total circumference of their musical lives.

“I think jazz does that to people” Recabarren believes. “It’s a language that allows you to explore beauty, subjects in depth, and I think that I’m realizing this through this album as well.”

Tickets at Recabarren/Menares/Vazquez

“Harvey Wainapel can be judged by the company he keeps.” —Los Angeles Times

A few examples: Wainapel toured the world for a year as a member of Ray Charles’ group. Two of Brazilian jazz’s brightest stars, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, kept him traveling with their group on and off for six years. And modern sax master Joe Lovano utilized Harvey’s talents for tours in Europe and North America.

Wainapel (pronounced “Wine-apple”) has also performed and/or recorded with pianists Dave Brubeck, Kenny Barron and McCoy Tyner, drummers Mike Clark (Herbie Hancock) and Billy Hart (everyone!), the hr-Bigband (German Radio Big Band in Frankfurt), and Holland’s Metropole Orchestra. Wainapel has also presented his OWN work in clubs, festivals, workshops, and studios in 17 countries.

Sax master Joe Lovano states “It’s a pleasure to listen to Harvey’s soulful interpretations.”

Japan’s JazzLife calls Wainapel “a musician with his own unique and deep sound.”

“The room is warm, the audience is happy, and he is good…Wainapel’s star shines brighter.” — Sky Magazine (Delta Airlines), reviewed at La Villa Jazz Club (Paris).

Harvey will be joined by the crack team of Adam Shulman (organ), Jeffrey Burr (guitar), and Jon Arkin (drums). The quartet will present a repertoire that’s a bit different from the standard organ combo style; but not to worry, the swing and the soul will still be very much in evidence! Besides some of Wainapel’s original tunes, the concert will feature composers such as Frank Foster, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Wayne Shorter, Charles Tolliver, and Kenny Werner.

Tickets at Harvey Wainapel Quartet

Alabama Mike, a certified blues man, was born Michael Benjamin in Talladega Alabama in 1964. This was where he spent all of his formative years. Early on, he was musically influenced by his father Joseph Benjamin. Joseph was a very talented quartet, tenor vocalist from whom he inherited that soulful, gospel drenched approach to his vocal style. He sings low down blues and uptown soul with the style and finesse of a vocal master.

A stint in the US Navy brought him to Oakland Ca where he now resides. His early influences were ZZ Hill, Johnnie ‘Soul” Taylor, Lightning Hopkins and Junior Wells. Alabama Mike recently received the 2022 “Muddy Waters” Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jus’ Blues Foundation in Tunica Mississippi. He has been nominated for by the Blues Foundation for Traditional Blues Artist Of The Year 2011 and Traditional Blues Band Of The Year 2014 with The Hound Kings . He won Traditional Blues Artist Of The year 2010 by the Bay Area Blues Society. In addition, he has played major festivals, both domestically and internationally. He has to date released several solo projects that are available on most digital platforms. The most recent releases being, “Upset The Status Quo” which includes the hits MISSISSIPPI and Restraining Order and also a Big Tone Records release entitled “Hip You To My Blues”. He has collaborated and shared the stage with many industry giants including, Kid Andersen, D’Mar Martin, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Bob Corritore, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Toni Tone Tony, Big Jon Atkinson, Jim Pugh, Jerry Jemmott, Bob Corritore , Kim Wilson and many others. In his latest tour, Alabama Mike joined the Andy T Band featuring Anson Funderburgh. Alabama’s works locally with, The Mighty Regulators, includes Ronnie Smith (Drums), AJ Joyce (Bass), Bernard Anderson (Sax) and Bobby Young (Guitar) who are all bringing great music to the San Francisco Bay area blues scene.

Tickets at Alabama Mike

Join Bay Area blues band THE MIGHTY MULES for a great evening of music!

Based in the Bay Area for over a decade, THE MIGHTY MULES is a blues band formerly known as Kickin’ The Mule that has been described as “infectiously grooving” and “a groove-laden crossroads where slinky T-Bone Walker-esque West Coast shuffles, Stax soul scorchers and raucous Chicago blues all converge.”

THE MULES are:

KELVIN DIXON - drums and vocals

JEFF MAGIDSON - guitar and vocals

MIKE WATERS - saxophone

ISABELLE MAGIDSON - bass and vocals

LEE BLOOM - piano and organ

The Mules are 5 sides of pure R & B heaven offering funky arrangements of classic tunes to originals that capture the flavor of our day. Leader Jeff Magidson's original vocals and guitar playing will bring a smile to your face. Kelvin Dixon holds down the drum chair with a steady back beat, and doubles with soulful vocals. Mike Waters adds a slice of spice with his tenor solos that add heat to the proceedings. Isabelle puts the funk in the beat and Lee Bloom's piano adds a nod to New Orleans' distinct music culture.

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Kenny Washington thrills audiences across the globe with his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and rapid-fire scatting. The New Orleans native, now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is described as one of “the Bay Area’s best kept musical secrets,” Washington’s astounding improvisational flights, inventive approach and emotional intensity are awe inspiring. If you have never heard this New Orleans native sing before, prepare to join a global audience that has been wowed by Washington’s talent.

"The thing is, Washington slays 'em wherever he performs. Standing not quite five-foot-two, he's an oversize talent who can scat with the harmonic daring and rhythmic command of a bebop saxophonist, croon with the simmering soul of Donny Hathaway, and interpret standards with such intelligence and emotional commitment it's like Rodgers and Hart wrote "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" with him in mind." -- Andrew Gilbert, eastbayexpress.com

Tickets at Kenny Washington Quartet

Formed in the summer of 2019, OSR is a stellar contribution to the San Francisco Bay Area's rich legacy of Brazilian music. Based on the little big band sounds of samba de gafieira, OSR features some of the Bay Area's best jazz and latin jazz musicians including vocalists Catia Machado Lund and Katiana Vilá, Zack Pitt-Smith (reeds), Erik Jekabson, Henry Hung and Ethan Pires (trumpets), Jeff Cressman and Remee Ashley (trombone), Brendan Neutra and Aaron Germain (bass), Dillon Vado and Zach Mondlick (drums). Rooted in acoustic samba, O.S.R. incorporates funk, jazz, forro, bolero and more into its smart and fun arrangements. It's music to dance to, music to listen to.

Tickets at Oakland Samba Revue

Join us for our monthly Blues Blowout. You won't want to miss these!

Jules Leyhe might look like your everyday, average, unassuming guy, but he’s one of the world’s foremost blues slide-guitar players—so much so that even Premier Guitar magazine called his music “the best blues slide licks since Derek Trucks, maybe even Duane Allman.” Those might sound like some big boots, but this Oakland native not only fills them, he wears them out and has to order new ones. This year, he is showcasing a new blues series at the Sound Room, where Leyhe and his Family Jules Blues Blowout will be joined by local blues players from around the Bay each month. This month, they’re joined by guitarist and vocalist Tim Marco.

Bay Area native Tim Marco is a artist who has formed his own unique sound. After establishing himself in the Bay Area he studied music performance at the ICMP in London. He went on to tour Europe and the Caribbean and play with greats like Nigel Hall, Jorge Santana, Narada Michael Walden, Brett Hunter Band (The Voice), Call Me Karizma, Kelechi and Lauren Sanderson. Inspired by modern R&B and old school blues guitar playing Tim Marco weaves vocals reminiscent of Frank Ocean with his own unique guitar stylings.

Tickets at Blues Blowout February

Drop in, grab a bite to eat or something to drink and listen to the 12 piece Lucky Devils Band. Dance, chat, have fun. This is a chance to have a little fun on a Tuesday night.

Doors open at 6:45P. Come on in to the front cafe and grab a bite to eat and something to drink. The food is brought to you by some Bay Area culinary stars. Once the band is set up in The Sound Room (usually about 7:45) you can grab a seat and get ready for some fun.

Music 8-9

This is a free event but we ask that you let us know you’re coming by reserving a spot

Bay Area guitarist Ray Obiedo is best known for his work with organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, ECM Records trombonist Julian Priester, jazz superstar Herbie Hancock, and Latin jazz great Pete Escovedo. Join Obiedo as he takes the stage with his group for a night of funky, percussive guitar!

Even as a child growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Obiedo recognized his own profoundly soulful musical connection to the Northern California region and its eclectic blend of exotic multi-ethnic rhythms. The greatest influence on his embryonic career was the James Brown revue, whose funky, percussive guitar sounds was the platform on which Obiedo built his technique. He joined organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith on a US tour in 1974, then ECM Records trombonist Julian Priester on his first European outing in 1977 and a world tour in 1978-79 with jazz superstar Herbie Hancock.

Obiedo also started his long association with Latin jazz great Pete Escovedo, which continues today. His own fusion band, Kick, included a young Sheila E. on drums and Sonny Rollins associate Mark Soskin on keyboards. In the mid 1980s his reputation grew as one of California's finest exponents of jazz, pop and fusion. His other outlet during this time was the pop-rock vehicle Rhythmus 21, wherein he worked with other prominent session musicians from the Bay Area. His own recording experience is considerable, having partnered with artists including Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Lou Rawls, Grover Washington Jr., Bill Summers, Brenda Russell, The Whispers and most recently The Bob Mintzer Big Band.

Obiedo's solo compositions also attracted acclaim, and saw interpretations from Tower of Power, Sheila E, Marion Meadows, steel pan great Andy Narell, jazz guitarist Bruce Forman and The Pete Escovedo Orchestra. Parts of his work have appeared on film soundtracks, most notably Michael Caine's “A Shock to the System” and Richard Gere's “Internal Affairs."

Tickets at Ray Obiedo Group

North Carolina violinist/fiddler Andrew Finn Magill is a Fulbright Fellow, a South Arts Emerging Traditional Artist, a North Carolina Arts Council Fellow, an All- Ireland Fiddle finalist, and a Ropeadope Records recording artist. He has been featured on MTV-U, PBS, and multiple times on NPR. His 2016 album, Roots, debuted at number #46 on the folk DJ charts and he has released six albums since.

His newest recording, The Polaris Project, is an ambitious album of ten original pieces written for an electric jazz quartet which synthesize Magill’s years living and working as a musician in Ireland, Malawi, Ghana, Brazil and the Southern U.S. 

Finn has received acclaim from some of the foremost jazz violinists on the planet, including Downbeat’s No.1 Rising Star of the violin, Christian Howes, Snarky Puppy’s Zach Brock, who says Magill displays “effortless virtuosity” and Berklee College’s Matt Glaser who calls him “an extraordinary violin virtuoso.”

For this event he will be playing with local jazz musicians.
Tickets at Andrew Finn Magill Jazz project