Amy D.’s innate ability to carry a lyric and capture the essence of a song can be traced back to her early years. Embodying the longing in Great American Songbook standards and the depth of Quiet Storm R&B, she’s found a timeless sound entirely her own.

A San Jose native now based in Oakland, Amy D. (Amy Dabalos) is a vocalist and songwriter whose luminescent voice and performances have graced stages throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2010 — Drawing from jazz, soul, and R&B, she moves between styles and eras with effortless warmth.

Her debut album Like You was released in 2019 on Unspeakable Records, co-produced with Michael Aaberg (Goapele, Lalah Hathaway, Derrick Hodge). In addition to presenting her own performances as a bandleader, she co-leads Heart Matter, a collaborative project with vibraphonist Dillon Vado.

This appearance features: William Johnston Bohrer, guitar. Lukas Vesely, bass. David Aguiar, drums and Geechi Taylor on trumpet

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A masterful vocalist and “the superman of the Bay Area jazz scene” (SF Chronicle), Kenny Washington is easily among the most beloved and soulful singers working today. A native of New Orleans, Kenny grew up singing gospel music in church and playing saxophone in the school band. He continued his music studies at Xavier University where he became interested in various styles ranging from traditional and contemporary jazz, to classical, to rhythm-and-blues and pop. Joining the U.S. Navy Band in 1986, Kenny performed and toured nationally and internationally through out the U.S., Asia, Russia, and Australia. After nine years in the Navy, Kenny made his home in the San Francisco Bay Area where he established himself as a top vocalist.

While performing with the Michael O’Neill Quintet at the Douglas Beach House, Kenny met vibraphonist Joe Locke who happened to be in the audience. This led to an invitation to perform with Joe at Dizzy’s; Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC). Since then he has been a featured artist at JALC for over ten years where he has appeared with Joe Locke, Eric Reed, Eric Alexander, Joe Lavano, Branford Marsalis, Roberta Gambarini and Wynton Marsalis. With Wynton, Kenny has performed both in small groups and large including numerous times with the "Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.” In 2013 Kenny was featured in Wynton’s oratorio: "Blood On The Fields" which also included vocalist Gregory Porter. Kenny has headlined performances in Japan, Russia, Scotland, Shanghai, Denmark, Mongolia and many other countries. He has performed at top Jazz Festival including the Monterey Jazz Festival, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and the San Jose Jazz Festival.

Kenny is a jazz vocalist virtuoso. Emulating the classic styles of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and infusing colors of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, Kenny's free, playful approach, with over a four-octave range is awe inspiring. His tone on ballads is liquid and his scat singing - informed by his saxophone playing - is rapid-fire, passionate, melodious and inventive. His intonation is so precise that it becomes noticeable if the piano wasn’t tuned that day. Kenny is considered by many to be the premiere male vocalist on the planet today. This man is a must-see.

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Join us for a night where reality blurs and wonder unfolds.

Jonathan Molo has captivated audiences across the country with his one-of-a-kind blend of magic, mentalism, and comedy — all delivered with heart, humor, and his signature purple suit. Jonathan is a proud member of the Academy of Magical Arts and a regular performer at the legendary The Magic Castle in Hollywood. In 2025, he was crowned the Magic Castle Strolling Showdown Champion, and returned the following year to place 2nd among 24 top magicians, solidifying his reputation as one of the premier close-up performers in the country.

​Performing more than 150 events each year, his performances combine sleight-of-hand, mind-reading, and comedy to create unforgettable moments where the magic happens in the hands of the audience.

​Michael Nguyen is a magician known for his captivating visual magic that appeals to all audiences. A classically trained, award-winning performer, he is a graduate of the Chavez Studio of Magic, specializing in prestidigitation and dexterity. He is the current President of The Oakland Magic Circle

Tickets at An Evening of Illusions with Jonathan Molo & Michael Nguyen

If you are a blues fan, it doesn't get any better than this!!!

Take some influence from B.B. King, Albert King, Ray Charles, and a pinch of Albert Collins. Add in dazzling blues and jazz guitar chops, a rich soulful baritone vocal delivering original, often wry and beleaguered lyrics with sophisticated chord changes and instrumentation, and skills on various horns and keyboards, all delivered with an uptown cool that never lacks searing passion. It all adds up to the one and only Chris Cain, who has gone from being a newcomer phenomenon bursting onto the blues scene in 1987 with a classic debut release, to being a legend, inspiration and long-established member of the blues pantheon.

His jazz-informed blues guitar playing is fiery, emotional and always unpredictable. His vocals—gruff, lived-in and powerful—add fuel to the fire. His indelible original songs keep one foot in the blues tradition and both eyes on the future. The pure joy Cain brings to his playing and singing is palpable, and draws fans even closer in.

"Hands down my favorite blues player on the scene today. He’s an absolute blinder of a guitarist, with the voice of B.B. King and the chops of Albert King." –Joe Bonamassa

"Chris Cain? Now that boy can PLAY the guitar!" –B.B. King

"Chris Cain is a hot-shot guitarist and a singer with the maturity of blues masters like Bobby Bland and B.B. King." –The Washington Post

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Marcus Shelby, Howard Wiley, and their amazing band return to the Sound Room to present a Centennial Celebration honoring John Coltrane.

John Coltrane departed this mortal plane more than fifty years ago; today he remains among us, more alive than ever. His sound continues to grab the ears of an ever-widening circle of fans. His legend is stone solid: planted firmly in our culture as that of any 20th century musical giant. His saxophone sound—brooding, searching, dark—is still one of the most recognizable in modern jazz. His influence stretches over styles and genres, and transcends cultural boundaries. The modern ideal of music serving a deeply spiritual, connective purpose? A defining facet of John Coltrane.

To Coltrane, a musician was a message-giver; making music was an endeavor tied to a larger, greater good. “I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music,” Coltrane wrote in 1964 in a letter to his listeners, telling of a prayer to God. In 1966, less than a year before his death, he stated:

“I know that there are bad forces, forces that bring suffering to others and misery to the world. I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good.”

Coltrane achieved his goal as a hard-working jazz player coming out of a proud, rooted musical tradition, paying his dues as a sideman, learning the ropes as a leader, working with primarily wordless music to convey his message. He released twenty-five albums as a leader during his lifetime, some attaining five-star, classic status: Blue Train, Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, his Grammy-nominated, “humble offering” to God, A Love Supreme. One after another, from 1957 to ’67, his music defined a comet-like path of rapid growth and dizzying rate of change. That Coltrane accomplished all he did in a mere ten years accounts at least partly for the saint-like devotion he often receives.

Tickets at Marcus Shelby Quartet ft Howard Wiley: John Coltrane Centennial Celebration

Jules Leyhe is 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.”

Leyhe has performed/ recorded alongside some of the industry’s heavyweights including Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, Chris Cain, Charlie Musselwhite, Fantastic Negrito and Wyatt Flores

For this event he brings a top-notch band featuring Ian McArldle on piano, Isaac Schwartz on drums and renowned bassist Matt Roades to celebrate the music of The Meters.

The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr and Art Neville. They are considered originators of funk along with artists like James Brown. Their sound is defined by a combination of tight melodic grooves and syncopated New Orleans second line rhythms under highly charged guitar and keyboard riffing. The band has been nominated four times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Adam Klipple, who has been described as "a standout pianist who has gone to school on McCoy Tyner and Cecil Taylor and earned his degree," plays piano, Hammond organ, sampler, and a variety of vintage keyboards. He currently is a member of the legendary jazz rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears. He also currently performs and records with jazz phenom Veronica Swift.

Adam has recorded and performed onstage with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Lauryn Hill, Graham Haynes, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Craig Harris, Joe Bowie's Defunkt, Sekou Sundiata, Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Carla Cook, Dave Fiuczynski, David Gilmore, Josh Roseman, Peter Apfelbaum, Jay Rodriguez, Groove Collective, and Smokey Robinson. He has appeared at renowned venues including the Blue Note, Iridium, the Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, and the Knitting Factory, and at jazz festivals around the world.

Also a composer and arranger, Adam has earned grants from Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Arts International, Meet the Composer, and the U.S. Department of State, enabling him to tour and teach master classes in southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

Adam’s band plays wild arrangements of current pop songs and classical music. What if Billie Eilish was a Motown star? What if Tchaikovsky was from Jamaica? What if Radiohead collaborated with Roy Orbison to record Hindustani classical music? All these questions are answered through Adam’s inventive arrangements and top notch funk jazz musicians.

Jesse Levit sax

Joel Behrman trombone

Scott Amendola drums

Kai Lyons guitar

Adam Klipple keys

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Cascada de Flores brings to the Sound Room a mix of nostalgia and tradition from Mexico and Cuba on a night that promises to be unforgettable. The core members of Cascada de Flores have been re-imagining Mexican and Latin traditions for years.

After falling for Mexican music as a young woman, Arwen Lawrence toured with Grammy-winning L.A. mariachi heavyweights, Los Camperos de Nati Cano, an apprenticeship that honed her skills and deepened her love for Mexico's musical language. With them, she recorded and performed in venues such as the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara and Lincoln Center of New York. Nati always nudged her towards what she already did naturally: to sing with heart.

Jorge Liceaga grew up in Mexico City, buying his first guitar with the money he'd earned shining shoes. Self taught, he was later mentored by local legend Leonardo 'El León' Salas, a transplant from Yucatan, who taught Jorge to 'guasanguearla' (play with that special Yucatecan swing). Jorge followed his sister and found himself amongst local masters of artistic communication: The flamencos of Gitanerías. From them he received a raw and complicated education, which contributed to his special sensitivity as accompanist.

For the past 20 years Saúl Sierra has been a member of some of the leading bands in the Bay Area, including The John Santos Quintet/Sextet, Bobi Cespedes’ band, Dr. Loco’s Rocking Jalapeño Band, El Tren Trío, Anthony Blea y su Charanga, The Snake Trío, Jesús Díaz y su QBA, The Bay Area Afro-Cuban All Stars, The Venezuelan Music Project, Corazón Sur, Sababa band, Cascada de Flores, SJZ Collective, LaTiDo.

Marco Diaz is an accomplished recording musician who has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning artist, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Nelson Gonzales, Jimmy Bosch, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Ska Cubano (Europe), Tito Rojas, Nino Segarra, Anthony Cruz, Anthony Blea, Jovino Santos Neto, Joe Santiago, and is an integral member of the John Santos sextet, and the musical director for Bobi Cespedes

Kyla Danish is a Bay Area-based musician and violinist known for performing traditional Mexican son jarocho music and collaborating on Latin jazz and Afro-Latin coalition projects.

Brian Rice is a highly acclaimed performer, educator, and recording artist and one of the most versatile percussionists in the Bay Area. Though best known as a specialist in Brazilian and Cuban music, he can be heard playing a multitude of styles, and his percussion playing graces over sixty recordings.

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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.

Each month there is a theme . The theme for this show is Decisions, Decisions.

Come join us and tell your story.

Put your name in the hat when you come in, for a chance to be picked to tell your story. Remember, open-mic stories must be 5 to 6 minutes or less, no notes and no reading allowed. Just tell it like you’re telling friends around a dinner table.

Julie & Inanc will be hosting again. And as always, the food is amazing!

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2027 American Piano Awards Finalist Brahm Sasner brings his jazz trio to the Sound Room where he'll be joined by Miles Turk on drums and Isaac Coyle on bass. Awarded every four years, the American Piano Awards identifies five emerging jazz artists and highlights their talent throughout a year long competition culminating in the Cole Porter Fellowship prize. Brahm is a 2026 graduate of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he developed his dynamic improvisational style through deep study of the jazz tradition. Raised in the Bay Area, Brahm was a member of SF Jazz bands the High School All Stars and the Monday Night Community Band. He has received awards from international, national, and statewide competitions including YoungArts and Rubato International. Brahm is also an alumnus of the Vail Jazz summer workshop. In addition to gigging throughout New York City, Brahm has toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad. He has performed on multiple occasions at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the DeLuxe, Mr. Tipple's, and at Casa De Musica in Porto as part of an international tour. Brahm has three upcoming tours in Europe scheduled for early and mid-2027, and 2028.

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A poet with a guitar and smokin’ hot band!! Maurice Tani is a songslinger working his own lane. Known for his wry-to-romantic writing, agile guitar work and expressive singing, Tani's style is a broad spectrum tincture of influences from jazz, blues, classic country and the Great American Songbook. This is storytelling. A sort of cinema for the blind, shot alternately in grainy black and white noir or vivid technicolor with a wide angle lens.

The lyrics are sheer poetry:

I used to wonder who I am
I don’t wonder anymore
The mirror shows a face
That I’ve never seen before

I’ve hidden all my scars
Burned away my fingerprints
Playing in the flames
Destroying evidence

The band covers a lot of ground, from wistful ballads to hard driving honky-tonk rock, from personal meditations to satirical cultural observations, from electrified twang to down-home acoustic. Once in a while, they even find new shades of meaning in some cover you thought had been long since played out. This band is different. This band is special.

“All in all, possibly the best indie ‘Americana’ band to come from the Bay Area . . . ever . . . period.” - Paul Olguin

The term Renaissance man could and should be applied to Maurice Tani. A certified jack of all trades in the San Francisco music scene for over forty years, Tani has extensive experience in the recording industry as singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist, and producer. Recent alt-country/roots music releases with his band 77 El Deora, have garnered him a local following for both his records and live performances. Tani is right at home where the blues relaxes into Americana, and can sing jazz better than most who claim they do.

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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.”

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.”

Dmitri Matheny flugelhorn, Dave Ellis saxophones, David Udolf piano, Ron Belcher bass, Leon Joyce Jr. drums

Tikets at Dmitri Matheny Group. Louie Louie! Louie!

Jazz saxophonist and composer Dennis Mitcheltree has just released his 7th album, "Holding Space", on Sifting Paradigm Records. Mitcheltree is a mainstay of the tenor saxophone, having been based in New York City from 1987-2007 and in Los Angeles from 2007 to the present.

Dennis has performed and recorded with masters of the jazz world: Clark Terry, Billy Taylor, George Cables, Bill Holman, Bob Moses, Jim McNeely, Howard Johnson, Gary Bartz, Kenny Werner, James Williams, Don Sickler, Charli Persip, Ronnie Matthews, Pete Yellin, Richie Cole, Bill Holman, Pete Christlieb, Doug Webb, Carl Saunders, Joe Labarbera, John Clayton, Christian Jacob and Bruce Forman along with contemporaries Uri Caine, Ingrid Jensen, Johannes Wallmann, Andy Milne and David Binney.

Mitcheltree was born and raised in Wisconsin, picking up the oboe and saxophone at age 12. He received a scholarship from Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a Magna cum Laude degree in Jazz Performance in 1987. He is the Artistic Director for the American Music Group, widely known for the INFLUENCES series presented at Carnegie Hall, and an award-winning saxophonist and composer.

A former student of Joe Viola, Billy Pierce, Jim McNeely, George Garzone and Joe Lovano, Dennis is also a renowned jazz teacher and clinician of jazz improvisation, harmony, composition and saxophone/woodwinds. He teaches privately and as a guest artist/clinician/lecturer at universities and jazz education programs worldwide.

Dennis Mitcheltree - tenor saxophone

Adam Klipple - piano

Jesse Crawford - bass

Bill McClellan - drums

"...the saxophonist is aggressively adventurous and most expressive...Mitcheltree evokes hearty tones from his instrument as he masterfully interweaves unexpected lines to create fascinating sound tapestries at any tempo."
Nancy Ann Lee, Jazz Times

"Mitcheltree's quartet is definitely hard-core NYC: tough sounding, aggressive, and complex. They swing hard, even at midtempo, as though all of them were percussionists, which infectiously pulls the listener into their complex conversations."
Dave McElfresh, Jazz Now

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Don't Miss This Show!!!

Trombone/classical guitar duos are very rare in Jazz. While few dare to exist beyond the occasional recording or live performance, Cressman and Faquini have transformed their platform into a sophisticated medium showcasing the extraordinary influence Brazilian contemporary artistry has had on music throughout the world. Tagged as the “Bossa Nova girl” while studying at the Manhattan School of Music, Cressman has always been inspired by Brazilian culture, frequently attending the California Brazil Camp in the mountainous enclave of Cazadero, California where she met Faquini, a Guinga protégé teaching at this annual summer gathering.

In time they discovered the dynamic nature of their instrumental pairing as well as the unique aperture it lends to the intricate nature of Brazilian music. Having mastered a resonant, open, and full bodied sound, Cressman and Faquini utilize a spacious tonal vocabulary, deft harmonic pairings and meticulous arranging that perfectly lends itself to the unique repertoire they’ve cultivated over the years.

Simplicity can feel like a rare commodity in our increasingly complex world. Knowing this, Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini recognize that the simplicity of their instrumentation provides an introspective way to celebrate the legacy of música popular brasileira and the remarkable manner in which Guinga extends the vocabularies of its exceptional harmonic and melodic systems. Managing the perfect balance of space, pacing and musicianship, Cressman and Faquini have mastered the mechanics of unpacking the deep musical authority that defines the DNA of Brazilian music and the core of Guinga’s genius.

Cressman’s musical pedigree is impeccable, growing up as the daughter of vocalist Sandy Cressman and Santana trombonist Jeff Cressman, gaining fame as a member of Phish leader Trey Anastasio’s solo project, and working with Nicholas Payton and Wycliffe Gordon. A virtuosic instrumentalist and gifted singer, she’s a former member of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars who has made good on her prodigious beginnings, working with a diverse range of artists including salsa icon Pete Escovedo’s Latin Jazz Orchestra, world music giant Jai Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra, and iconoclastic multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum.

Faquini, who was born in Brasília and now lives in Berkeley, California, was mentored by legendary Brazilian composer Guinga. He went on to study at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley and immediately after graduating joined the faculty there. He is also on the faculty at California Brazil Camp, alongside musical legends including Ivan Lins, Guinga, Chico Pinheiro, and Spok. Ian has become one of the most unique and respected guitar players in the San Francisco Bay Area, with his distinct compositional style and harmonic sense. He is also a brilliant accompanist, which has made him an in-demand collaborator with vocalists in the Bay Area and beyond.

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Eloise Carter is a NYC-based jazz singer and actress. With Bay Area roots, she is delighted to return home. She’s a recent graduate from the Tribeca Jazz Institute, where she studied with Lucy Yeghaizaryan, Michael Kanan, Tardo Hammer, and Vanisha Gould. In November 2025, she released her debut EP “Eloise: Live From Monks.” An emerging artist in both the acting and music fields, her Shakespeare adaptation Gents Can’t Measure was workshopped by Fiasco Theater in May and she has just returned from her first European tour with stops in London, The Netherlands, and Paris.

Featuring Adam Schulman on Piano, John Wiitala on Bass & Tim Bulkley on Drums

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Chiara is an award-winning jazz singer and composer from Italy based in New York City since 2014, three years after Quincy Jones awarded her first prize in the 2011 Montreuz Jaa Festival Vocal Competition. In 2020 she also won one Independent Music Award for Best Jazz song with vocals with her composition Circles of the Mind. She perfectly blends traditional Italian music with jazz, Mediterranean and pop sounds to create a dynamic and heartwarming show, singing and telling stories in four languages (Italian, English, Portuguese and Spanish).

Chiara navigates each idiom fluently, on its own terms of engagement, displaying her prodigious vocal instrument, refined musicianship, inherent soulfulness, and ability to convey both emotional transparency and ebullient swing. In an All About Jazz review Michael Bailey praised Chiara as “a force of nature,” while in Jazz Times Travis Rogers described her as “a talent to be heard, admired and anticipated.” How that talent has evolved and blossomed since Chiara moved to New York is apparent on her latest releases: Live In Bremen (Dot Time Records/2022) that embodies a classical richness enhanced by Izzi’s stylistic method of blending her lyrics and languages, and Across The Sea (Jando/2019), a cooperative project with pianist Kevin Hays who says about Chiara: “There was a sense of sincerity and honesty — a lack of artifice. She has an inner strength that I think is rare”. Delivering a vocal that carries a warm, Mediterranean quality, Izzi acknowledges that experiencing music in a highly inspiring place like New York City brings out her best assets as a storyteller, musician, and human being. “It’s very important for me to make music as a peacemaker, to work creating bridges between different worlds, to put different cultures in communication starting from the music.” says Chiara.

"Sister, you are very very talented!” - QUINCY JONES

"A talent to be heard, admired and anticipated" - Travis Rogers, JAZZ TIMES

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Rhonda Sauce is an Oakland-based vocalist, composer, arranger, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader whose original music reminds us that the tradition is still being written. Rooted in jazz while drawing from soul, blues, Brazilian music, folk traditions, and the broader Afro-diasporic musical lineage, her songs blend rich storytelling, adventurous improvisation, and fearless emotional honesty.Praised by vocalist and educator Dr. Kim Nalley as having "the special voice, firmly rooted in the jazz greats while still oozing her special unique style," Rhonda has become one of the Bay Area's most compelling emerging original voices. Her recent body of work has been featured in a live Studio 91 performance and interview on KCSM 91.1 FM, profiled by the East Bay Express and the Mercury News, and presented on stages including the San Francisco International Arts Festival, Fillmore Jazz Festival, and Levitt VIBE Oakland. For this performance at The Sound Room, Rhonda is joined by an exceptional quartet anchored by pianist Adam Klipple, with Dan Feiszli on bass and Deszon Claiborne on drums. Together, they bring Rhonda's original compositions to life with lyrical interplay, deep grooves, and fearless improvisation.

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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 six 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.

For this event, the Jazz Mafia will play music celebrating Stevie Wonder. Wonder is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. A musical pioneer who has drawn inspiration from jazz and reggae, Wonder is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “I Just Called to Say I Love You” from the 1984 film The Woman in Red.

Tickets at Jazz Mafia: Stevie Wonder Reimagined 6P Show

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 six 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.

For this event, the Jazz Mafia will play music celebrating Stevie Wonder. Wonder is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. A musical pioneer who has drawn inspiration from jazz and reggae, Wonder is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “I Just Called to Say I Love You” from the 1984 film The Woman in Red.

Tickets at Jazz Mafia: Stevie Wonder Reimagined 9P Show

THE COTTONTAILS are one of San Francisco's most exciting musical groups, playing a wide range of styles ranging from 20'/30's jazz torch songs, classic 40's swing, and 50's R&B. Made up of local Bay Area luminaries in their own right The Cottontails are Karina Deniké on vocals, Michael McIntosh on piano, Vic Wong on guitar, Joe Kyle, Jr. on bass, Tom Griesser on saxophone/clarinet, and the irrepressible Randy Odell on percussion.

San Francisco's darling Karina Deniké is a versatile, sought after vocalist, songwriter, collaborator and band leader who moves fluidly from intimate torch song chanteuse to soul singer, to punk powerhouse. "Deniké possesses a voice so rich and luxuriant she sounds like she was born to sing any song that comes her way". (KQED’s California Report). Deniké has released over 30 albums as solo artist, band member or guest, been on major and independent labels: ( MCA, Warner/Discovery, Fat Wreck Chords, MoonSka, 510, Pink and Black, Portofranco, Hellcat), toured extensively worldwide, had her work on soundtracks and countless compilations. She is known for her work in SF Bay Area groups: Dance Hall Crashers, Stara Nova, Jezebelle among others, and is a current recording and performing member of bands NOFX , her own self- titled sextet “Karina Denike”, The Cottontails, The Bluebelles, Red Room Orchestra, Marc and The Casuals and recently sang and toured with Hope Sandoval ( Mazzy Star) and the Warm Inventions for their 2017 release.

Deniké and her solo band have performed in New York, Los Angeles, at dOCUMENTA 13 arts festival in Kassel Germany, London and Japan and locally have been presented by SF Jazz, The Flower Pianos series, the centennial celebration of SF City Hall, Noise-pop, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, Undercover Presents as musical director for ‘Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 revisited’ among others. Her acclaimed 2015 solo release "Under Glass" was named one of the TOP 10 JAZZ ALBUMS of 2015 -by KQED, and her song Musee Mecanique was on the 2016 compilation by Fat Wreck Chords.

"In my humble opinion, she’s probably got one of the most powerful, virtuosic voices around and a vocal delivery that’s JUST SEXY. You really have to see her live to know what I mean." - Missionmission.com

Tickets at Karina Deniké & The CottonTails

Flamenco is a passionate, expressive art form from Andalusia, Spain, combining song (cante), dance (baile), and guitar playing (toque). Shaped by Romani, Moorish, and Jewish cultures, it is celebrated worldwide for its complex rhythms, elaborate footwork, and emotional storytelling.

Recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, flamenco is a living conversation between the performers. Performers often shout jaleos (encouraging words like "¡olé!") to support and praise one another during improvisational sections. It is performed across Spain in intimate venues called tablaos, and has grown into a global phenomenon with vibrant communities and academies around the world.

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Jazz ​​Mafia vocalist and genre-bending artist Kate Lamont brings soulful originals, inventive covers, and a powerhouse band ...

Born in the UK, singer Kate Lamont has recorded 7 collaborative works as well as 2 solo albums and spent a decade working in and building the Indianapolis arts and music community. Arriving in the Bay Area in 2012, Kate released a self-titled contemporary R&B record in 2013 with drummer/producer Devon Ashley, and has since released several singles with Bay Area producers including On Again, Everything, and 2 Forever One 4 Me, featuring Kev Choice on keys. In 2020, Lamont released Konkrete Violet with artist/producers Mani Draper and NOBL. Kate also runs with the Oakland collective, Grand Nationxl, releasing 2020’s Twice on Sunday: Season One & Season One Deluxe.

Kate Lamont crafts original music with emotional depth that grooves. A frequent vocalist with the Jazz Mafia family, Kate’s reputation as a genre-fluid vocalist keeps audiences guessing as to what she’ll do next. Her collaborative nature has produced a wide variety of arrangements (and a TED talk you can find on her website, katelamont.com ) giving each song a unique jumping off point. A creative interpreter, Kate uses spacious arrangements to cover some of her favorite artists like Joni Mitchell and Nancy Wilson, and Michael Jackson.

Mia Pixley, is a multidisciplinary artist who integrates cello, voice, and performance to explore aspects of our inner worlds. Her music—often described as whimsical, irreverent, melodic and unconventional — is a grounding, soulful, and ethereal blend of classical, experimental, blues, folk, and jazz genres.

Mia has opened for artists such as Fantastic Negrito, Valerie June, Hauschka, and Holly Near. She performs and records regularly with GRAMMY-nominated multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie and Fantastic Negrito. Mia loves collaboration and interdisciplinary endeavors of all kinds

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We start with Jules Leyhe & The Family Jules.

Jules is 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.” His band is also top-notch - featuring Max Cowan on paino, Isaac Schwartz on drums and renowned bassist Matt Roades.

Then we add a special guest to create something new and exciting!

The guest this month is Angela Petrilli, a professional guitarist from Los Angeles known for her extensive online presence, her work with Norman's Rare Guitars, and her band Angela Petrilli & The Players. She also hosts The Riff Rundown and has released music with her band, earning acclaim from CBS Morning, Rolling Stone and Guitar Player Magazine. The band has opened for The Immediate Family, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, Eric Krasno, Cardinal Black and Joe Bonamassa's Stream-a-thon.

Tickets at Jules Leyhe & The Family Jules with Angela Petrilli

If you are a fan of Latin Jazz, this is a DON'T MISS EVENT!

A night of Contemporary Latin Jazz with Original Compositions and intriguing Arrangements!

For the past 20 years Saúl Sierra has been a member of some of the leading bands in the Bay Area, including The John Santos Quintet/Sextet, Bobi Cespedes’ band, Dr. Loco’s Rocking Jalapeño Band, El Tren Trío, Anthony Blea y su Charanga, The Snake Trío, Jesús Díaz y su QBA, The Bay Area Afro-Cuban All Stars, The Venezuelan Music Project, Corazón Sur, Sababa band, Cascada de Flores, SJZ Collective, LaTiDo.

Saul is joined by a team of exquisite musicians:

Marco Diaz is an accomplished recording musician who has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning artist, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Nelson Gonzales, Jimmy Bosch, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Ska Cubano (Europe), Tito Rojas, Nino Segarra, Anthony Cruz, Anthony Blea, Jovino Santos Neto, Joe Santiago, and is an integral member of the John Santos sextet, and the musical director for Bobi Cespedes.

Julio Pérez and Emilio Davalos on percussion are two of the most sought after musicians in the Latin Jazz world. They bring an infectious Afro-Cuban backbeat.

Charlie Gurke is a Bay Area based saxophonist, composer, and educator. In addition to leading various incarnations of his Gurkestra, Charlie is a member of the John Santos Sextet, The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, Edgardo Cambon’s groups Candela and Latido. Charlie regularly performs and records with collaborators in a variety of genres. Recent performances of note include the 2018 and 2019 Monterey Jazz Festivals (with John Santos and the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, respectively), and the 2019 Montreux Jazz Festival (with the Grammy winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra).

Saxophonist Luis Rosa has appeared at major festivals and venues such as the Java Jazz Festival, Hungary’s Mediawave Festival, the Berklee Performance Center, and Boston’s Beantown Jazz Festival. His performance collaborations include work with Wayne Bergeron, Theo Bleckmann, Maurice Brown, Eguie Castrillo, Billy Cobham, Carlos Garnett, Jerry Gonzalez, John Hollenbeck, Roscoe Mitchell, Steve Nash, Charlie Sepulveda, Don Severinsen, Terrell Stafford and Allen Vizzutti among others.

Tickets at Saúl Sierra Sextet

Come in costume, come as you are. But be prepared to be AMAZED!

Join us for a magical show full of laughs, gasps, and WTF was that's?!

This will be an unforgettable eveining of magic, mentalism, and mysteriousl feats.

Award winning comedian and magician Sean Francisco teams up with mind reading sensation Jake Berg to bring you a show like no other! With experience performing everywhere from the biggest stages to the swankiest private events, this is sure to be a show you don't want to miss!

Sean Francisco makes magic funny and comedy magical. Mixing laugh out loud comedy with jaw-dropping illusions, Sean’s style is fast, fresh, and a little dangerous. This isn’t your uncle’s card trick, it’s a night out guaranteed to be bold, hilarious, and unforgettable.

Jake Berg blurs the line between reality and illusion. He has performed nationwide for celebrities and Fortune 500 companies, delivering an interactive, mind-bending show that astonishes from start to finish. You’ll leave questioning where the trick ends and reality begins.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll find coins behind your ears!

Tickets at Halloween Magic & Mystery

What a band!!!! Often they are on the road with BIG names but now this is a showcase of their talent! Miro has been on the road with Karrin Allyson. Karl tours with Jane Monheit, John C Reilly and Anthony Wilson. Dan has toured with all of these musicians. But now we get to focus on THEIR music.

Featuring pianist Miro Sprague, bassist Karl McComas-Reichl and drummer Dan Schnelle, this dynamic Los Angeles-based cooperative trio performs original music and choice standards in a conversational and highly interactive improvisational style. The trio’s music spans a wide range of grooves, moods and musical colors, from intense swing and second line grooves to contemplative ballads and freely improvised vignettes. The musical material is also wide-ranging, featuring original compositions by each band member as well as lesser known material by artists like Mary Lou Williams and Bill Evans. Come see their Bay Area debut!

Miro Sprague is a pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator known for his inspiring creativity, dynamic and passionate performance style, and artistic versatility. Working primarily in the world of jazz and improvised music, Miro has been an active performer since the early 2000’s, touring throughout the U.S. and overseas and performing at many of the world's top venues and festivals. Currently based in Los Angeles, Miro leads his own trio and quintet, and has performed with many renowned artists including Greg Osby, Ingrid Jensen, Linda Oh, Jeff Parker, Joe LaBarbera, Steve Cardenas, Jerome Jennings, Ed Howard, Walter Smith III, Jerry Bergonzi, Houston Person, and many others. He is also an in-demand vocal accompanist and since 2015 has been the pianist of choice for renowned vocalist Karrin Allyson, touring extensively with her throughout the U.S. and overseas. He has recorded on numerous albums as both a sideman and a bandleader and he is currently gearing up to release his next album “Constant” later this year.

Karl McComas-Reichl is a bassist, cellist, film composer and artist. He is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin and earned a BFA from The New School. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and good friend Lesley Ann Wheeler. Arrangement and performance credits include: Baskets Season 4, The Shrink Next Door, Special, Three Busy Debra, ONI: Thunder Gods Tale, Grace & Frankie, NY State Lottery. Other performance credits include: Jane Monheit, John C. Reily, Joshua White, Anthony Wilson, Glenn Zaleski, Josh Nelson, Peter Schlamb, Hermon Mehari, Libery Ellman, Logan Richardson, Colin Stranhan, Geoffrey Keezer, and Tommy Crane.

Dan Schnelle is one of the most talented, in-demand drummers in the music scene. Schnelle understands how to make other musicians comfortable, while bringing enough of the unexpected to his playing to keep it consistently exciting. Unsatisfied with the idea that the drum set is merely a time-keeping device, Schnelle is thoughtful about how this unique instrument, with its nearly limitless variety of sounds, can be tastefully and effectively deployed in a wide variety of musical situations. Notable collaborators in the studio and on tour have included Billy Childs, David Benoit, Karrin Allyson, David Binney, Josh Nelson, Alan Ferber, Joshua White, Sara Gazarek, Dayna Stephens, Anthony Wilson, and many others.

Tickets at Miro Sprague/Karl McComas-Reichl/Dan Schnelle

With its heavy influence of Caribbean & Reggae rhythms, a traditional West Coast Latin Jazz sound is always at the core of the ensemble. Featuring:

Ray Obiedo has been at the forefront of Latin jazz for three decades. With a long list of albums out that seem to always make the Billboard charts, Obiedo's funky percussive guitar playing is rooted in blues, jazz, Latin and pop. Demonstrating an exceptional talent for mystically melding urban jazz with Brazilian funk and dynamic Caribbean rhythms, Ray has developed a very unique and distinctive guitar signature. For this show, he is accompanied by an ALL STAR cast

Murray Low is best known for his contributions to Latin Jazz, Salsa and Afro-Cuban musical landscape. In his twenty-two years of involvement he has established himself as one of the premier pianists in that genre, being nominated as 2008 Pianist of the Year by the Latin Jazz Corner and for a Grammy in 2004 as part of Machete Ensemble. He is or has been the regular pianist/collaborator with several top Bay Area ensembles including Wayne Wallace’s Quintet, John Calloway’s Diaspora, Jesus Diaz y su QBA, Pete Escovedo Orchestra, and John Santos’ Machete Ensemble. He has also collaborated with Latin Jazz giants Ray Vega, Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, Nestor Torres, and Andrea Brachfeld. In 2008 he also performed with famous Cuban flautist Orlando Valle at the Monterey Jazz Festival as part of a specially commissioned project including Jon Benitez, David Sanchez, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, and Giovanni Hildalgo.

Dan Feizli, experienced on both upright and electric basses, is a versatile performer in styles of music ranging from jazz and latin to pop and rock. He has performed in concert with such notable artists as James Moody, Raul Midon, and Mickey Hart, toured nationally and internationally with artists including Julio Iglesias, Nicole Yarling and Raul DiBlasio, and played in the pit orchestras for musical theatre productions including Hamilton, The Lion King and Billy Elliot.

Jon Bendich has performed with Tito Puente, Pete Escovedo, Sheila E., Robben Ford, The Last Poets, George Duke & Stanley Clarke, Roy Ayers, MC Hammer, Lisa Stansfield, Bobby McFerrin, Frank McComb, Ray Obiedo, Andy Narrell, Lenny Williams, Gerald Allbright and Phil Upchurch

Phil Hawkins is an accomplished jazz drummer and one of the leading innovators of music for the steelpan. As a percussionist and drummer he regularly travels throughout the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America to perform concerts, teach clinics and study percussion.

Harry Best is a steeldrum player, vocalist and composer who has been performing in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 15 years. His music ranges from infectious Afro-Caribbean rhythms of reggae, calypso, soca, bossa, samba and salsa to engrossing arrangements of jazz and popular standards.

Jeff Narell is an internationally known steel panist, Afro-Caribbean percussionist, educator-clinician, and recording artist who has dedicated his life to promoting the artform and expanding the musical range of the steel pan.

Tickets at Ray Obiedo & SugarCane Sweet

JazzTimes magazine calls Jackie Ryan “one of the most outstanding vocalists of her generation ..rivaling the dexterous sass of Sarah Vaughan, the instinctive smarts of Carmen McRae and the scintillating verve of Diana Krall.” Vocalist Jackie Ryan arrived on the ever-changing jazz scene at the dawning of the new millennium, deriving a classic, yet exotic style and sound. Of Mexican, Irish, French, and Spanish decent, Ryan throws her background it into her music. She sings in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and echoes of Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday can be heard.

"Extraordinary - a world-class talent!" Don Heckman, jazz critic for the Los Angeles Times, calls her. And it's no wonder. She has a magnetic stage presence. Wherever she performs - domestically, or in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada - it's the same story. She's been such a hit at London's famed Ronnie Scott's Club that the owner, Pete King, asked Jackie to appear on Ronnie Scott's own prestigious Jazz House label and the London Evening Standard called her "one of the finest singers to perform at Ronnie's since Shirley Horn." Among the many jazz greats Jackie has sung, recorded, or toured with are: Clark Terry (at the Monterey Jazz Festival), Toots Thielemans, Barry Harris, Cyrus Chestnut, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Red Holloway, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Ernie Watts, Roy McCurdy, George Gaffney, Amina Figarova, Mike Wofford, Larry Vuckovich, Jon Mayer, and Jon Hendricks - just a few of the legends with whom she has shared the stage, and who sing her praises as well.

She has written and recorded not only vocalese lyrics to such be-bop improvisations as Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," but also lyrics to such poignant ballads as Barry Harris's "Deep Love." This creativity as an artist and performer, combined with her being a genuinely warm person, has put her much in demand for concerts both here and abroad.

Playing with Jackie will be: John R Burr onPiano, Doug Miller on bass, Leon Joyce on drums, and Erik Jekabson on Trumpet

Tickets at Jackie Ryan Quintet

Charles Wheal walked into a bar in Blacksburg Virginia to hear Muddy Waters' old guitar player "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin light up the stage. That night, he went back to his apartment, picked up his roommate's acoustic guitar, and hasn't been without one since.

A few years later, he moved to London to pursue a career in global finance, but his passion for playing won out. Following in the footsteps of other English musicians steeped in the blues, from Peter Green to Stevie Winwood, Charles came back to America to delve deeper into the heart of the music he felt compelled to play.

After an apprenticeship in the historic clubs of Chicago, Charles was pulled further westward, to one of the epicenters of the contemporary Blues scene--San Francisco. Wheal got the call from harmonica player Mark Hummel to fill the guitar chair in his band. He played on all of Hummel's releases since then, including three Harmonica Meltdown CDs (Mountaintop) and Hummel's Electro-Fi CDs, "Golden State Blues", "Blowing My Horn", and "Ain't Easy no More". Over the years, Wheal has played with a virtual who's-who of blues greats, including James Cotton, Snooky Pryor, Sam Myers, Joe Beard, Steve Freund, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson (The Fabulous Thunderbirds), Rod Piazza, Rick Estrin (Rick Estrin & The Nightcats), James Harman, Paul Delay, Jerry Portnoy, Lee Oskar, Magic Dick, Huey Lewis, Jody Williams, Jr Watson, Billy Branch, Curtis Salgado, Maria Muldaur, Bob Margolin, Anson Funderburgh, Cal Valentine, Detroit Jr, Barrelhouse Chuck, Billy Boy Arnold, and of course Mark Hummel. For almost a decade, he anchored Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors, playing with some of the greatest musicians of their generations, criss-crossing North America and Europe to packed halls, and playing festivals and clubs to dedicated fans of blues and jazz from around the world.

In October of 2006, Wheal decided it was time to devote his energy to his own band. Charles and his band can be found playing at all of the best Bay Area clubs, providing a mix of Chicago, Texas, and West coast blues that gets crowds on their feet and keeps them there.

Tickets at Charles Wheal Band

Twenty six 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.

Join us for the unveiling of thier newest configuration: Jazz Mafia Strings!

Tickets at Jazz Mafia Strings

Experience the elegant mysteries of Master Illusionist and comedian Patrick Martin, along with the wildly creative music of Mads Tolling in this surprising, fun and amazing mix of illusion, wicked jazz, comedy and startling mystery!

Internationally celebrated, Patrick has entertained at the White House, inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, and on “Masters of Illusion.” Mads, a two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist from Copenhagen, has performed with jazz legends Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Turtle Island Quartet, and is a recent member of Bob Weir & Wolf Bros.

This collaborative show takes audiences on a surprising and comedic journey. Tolling provides a live, dynamic musical score to Martin’s  illusions, integrating classical virtuosity, jazz into a magic show unlike any other. Mads brings his signature live looping to the stage, layering rhythms, and harmonies on the violin, magically creating the sound of an entire ensemble. Together, Patrick and Mads create an unforgettable evening where magic meets music in the most unexpected and delightful ways.

Not to be missed!

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Angela LaFlamme's Wild Women of The Blues is an evocative musical tribute that brings to life the stories and songs of legendary blues and jazz artists. With a voice that channels the raw emotion of Etta James, the soulful depth of Billie Holiday, and the powerful presence of Big Mama Thornton, LaFlamme offers a captivating performance that honors these trailblazing women. Her repertoire also includes the timeless works of Alberta Hunter and other iconic figures, as well as her own original songs, weaving a rich tapestry of music and storytelling. Through this show, LaFlamme not only celebrates the enduring legacy of these artists but also keeps their voices alive for new generations of listeners.

Angela LaFlamme is a throwback to a bygone era — with an edgy modern twist. Sepia toned. Think 1920’s film siren meets Tom Waits. Angela's love for not only storytelling, but creating a unique nostalgic vibe come from years of studying the tarnished elegance of Billie Holiday, the whimsical smirk of Fats Waller, and the full throttle kick of Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

From performing at an Oakland warehouse party to the sumptuous main stage of the Edwardian Ball or legendary rock venue Bottom of the Hill, to the top floor of the De Young Museum, LaFlamme is completely at home. Her dedication, sheer joy and passion in creating not just great music, but an unforgettable atmosphere are a thing to behold.

Tickets at Angela LaFlamme: Wild Women of the Blues