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.

How it works: The hosts will encourage audience members to shout out ideas for themes. It could be a theme you have a story about, or a theme you want to hear some true stories about. We'll write them down and then the fun begins.

You can also take your time between now and the show and craft a story on our pre-announced theme, which is Coming Clean. We usually have time for about 10 storytellers. Any story is good as long as it's true, about you, and five to six minutes long. We'll have a timer to keep you on track. Remember, no notes or reading allowed. You'll tell it like you're telling friends around the dinner table.

Hosted by creator Julie Soller & comic Inanc Ino.

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

A night of contemporary Latin Jazz with The Saúl Sierra Quintet performing an eclectic repertoire including original music and arrangements of latin and jazz classics.

Saul will be backed by Julio Perez, and Emilio Davalos on percussion, Charlie Gurke on Tenor sax and special guest Luis Rosa on Alto Sax

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.

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.

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Winners of the 2023 Golden Gate Blues Society International Blues Challenge, the Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen, has quickly risen to the forefront of Northern California’s blues scene. With a reputation for electrifying live performances, the band blends raw, soul-drenched vocals led by Jill Dineen, searing guitar work by Carmen Ratti, and an irresistible groove that captures audiences from the first note. Their high-energy sound fuses the spirit of traditional blues with a fresh, contemporary edge, earning them recognition on both local and regional stages.

Formed in 2018, the band was born from guitarist Carmen Ra ’s vision to unite some of the Bay Area’s finest musicians and create original music that is both authenic and distinct. That vision came to life with the release of their debut album, The Road Back (2021), recorded at the legendary Greaseland Studios under the guidance of acclaimed producer Kid Andersen. Recently, the band recorded a yet-to-be released second album of originals at Greaseland alongside some of the Bay Area’s very best musicians. The Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen has built a devoted following through countless club, festival, and private event performances across Northern California.

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An Evening of Illusion features the Bay Area's top acts in magic. Our performers have been seen on the biggest stages and have appeared in film and television! In this off the rails unconventional magic show, we take you on a tour of the impossible.

Performing this evening are three great illusionists:

Chris Britt is an award-winning magician who has performed in England, India, Japan, Las Vegas and all across the country. He has been featured onstage at SF Sketchfest and Outside Lands Music Festival. Drawing from his theater training at Northwestern University and improv comedy training at The Second City Conservatory, Chris’s style is polished, interactive, and spontaneous.

Perry Yan has been performing full time for the past 16 years. From private parties, school shows, to company events like microsoft, intel, salesforce and the SF giants.He has refined his craft by delivering over 350+ shows a year. His style is best described as highly visual sleight of hand combined with astonishing magic.Perry recently competed in the Oakland Magic Circle stage competition, where he was awarded first place.

Timothy James is a sleight-of-hand artist with a knack for reading thoughts, predicting futures, and creating moments of wonder that defy explanation. He’s performed for fortune 500 companies, cruise ships, comedy clubs and performing art centers across the country. He is the winner of numerous awards for sleight of hand and variety entertainment including the Lance Burton Award of Excellence from the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas.

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This event features swing and bebop with young phenom, Nathan Tokunaga. Nathan is a New York City based clarinetist and saxophonist from the Bay Area who blends classic jazz traditions with a fresh modern voice. He is the 2026 YoungArts® winner in jazz clarinet, and has performed widely at venues and festivals including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Smalls Jazz Club, Lindy Focus, and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival. His playing bridges generations, bringing the joy and spirit of swing to a new generation of listeners.

He will be accompanied by Charles Chen, an accomplished San Francisco Bay Area pianist who performed or recorded with notable musicians such as Billy Drummond, Bob Sheppard, Roy McCurdy, Ralph Moore, Peter Washington, and Kenny Washington.

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A masterful harmonica player, soulful vocalist, band-leader, drummer and producer, Kumar is a man of many talents and one of the most prolific artists in the SF Bay Area today. He has successfully blended retro Indian music into his presentation, making for a unique, electrifying, multi-cultural mash-up that sounds like no one else, yet never loses touch with the inspiration it draws from the blues. A veteran of the San Jose music scene for two decades, Kumar was hailed as "...King of ‘Bollywood blues’ music" by SJ Mercury News (2022) and received the Metro Silicon Valley Gold Award for Best Band (2024).

Kumar's "Little Village" releases "Aki Goes To Bollywood" (2016) and "Hindi Man Blues" (2018) are considered ground-breaking albums that have garnered international critical acclaim. In 2020, Kumar made major news with the world-wide launch of his album "Dilruba" on Sony Music. In 2021, Little Village released Kumar's uplifting reggae-inspired single "Zindagi" (Life). 2025 marked a milestone year for Kumar with the release of his self-produced “Little Village” album “God Bless The USA”

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The Doppler Trio performs melody driven, passionate original compositions that won’t lose the listener in abstract improvisation or blistering fast tempos. This Bay Area band has been together since 2004 and released four albums. Their latest release, Sherbert Reynalds, was recorded by Desmond Shea at the legendary Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco.

Erik Hoagland - Saxophone

Brandon Essex - Bass

Brian Carmody - Drums

THE DOPPLER TRIO sets out to play music that has the drive of rock, the harmonic and melodic vocabulary of jazz, and the joy of a backyard BBQ with good friends, sunshine and plenty of food and beverage. The music is written and performed with the intent of bringing every listener along for the wild ride.

Erik graduated from The Berklee College of Music, and is an RN at a Bay Area hospital.
Brandon studied music at the University of Cincinnati, builds custom bass amplification equipment, and rebuilds pianos and now flies commercial planes
Brian Carmody has a Doctorate in Music from USC, and recently composed the score to the documentary SOMM.

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Teaming up TWO of the greatest Jazz Vocalists!!

Karrin Allyson, 5-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, pianist, and songwriter is widely recognized as one of the most gifted voices of her generation. With fifteen albums under her belt, she has built a mastery of The Great American Songbook, blues, pop, be-bop, Brazilian, and French chansons, to name a few. Allyson rose to prominence in the ‘90s, releasing a string of albums including her debut I Didn’t Know About You in 1992. The album earned such accolades as being name-checked in Playboy's annual readers' poll alongside such greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Horn.

Allyson continued issuing albums at a steady pace, picking up Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy nominations for 2001's Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane, 2006’s Footprints, 2007’s Imagina: Songs of Brasil, 2011's 'Round Midnight, and 2015’s Many a New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein. Born in Great Bend, Kansas, Allyson now lives in New York City, after growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, attending high school in the Bay Area, earning her bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and spending time in both Kansas City and Minneapolis before making the move in 2000. Since moving to New York, Allyson’s band has consisted of such players as Bruce Barth, Ed Howard, James Williams, Adam Cruz, Steve Wilson, Miro Sprague, Jerome Jennings, and Jeff Johnson. The New York Times has called her a "singer with a feline touch and impeccable intonation."

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

So what happens when you put them together? Pure Magic!

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Fifteen years ago, Malian hunters harp('kamale ngoni') player Mamadou Sidibe and American guitarist Walter Strauss began their colorful cross-cultural collaboration, evolving a deep joyful music that is simultaneously ancient and fresh. Together, they weave West African hunters harp, fingerstyle guitar, vocals, and a bounty of improvisation into an ecstatic groove-based dialogue which the heart - and the feet - cannot resist.

Master kamale ngoni player, Mamadou Sidibe, is from the Wassoulou Region of Mall, West Africa. He played a groundbreaking role in the transformation of this region's music from its origins in hunters' sacred melodies - played on six string donso ngoni (hunter's harps) - to a music of philosophy, politics, and dally life. Mamadou, with artists Coumba Sidibe and Oumou Sangare, spread the new sounds through Europe, Africa, and the US.

Fingerstyle guitarist Walter Strauss's multi-layered style draws on American roots, jazz, classical, and Spanish guitar traditions, and a decades-long exploration of West African stringed instrumental music. Acoustic Guitar Magazine says his innovative approach “has managed to elevate the instrument and the genre on the whole”. He has performed from New York to Glasgow and Bamako, and his collaborators have ranged from Grammy-winning kora player Mamadou Diabate to Scottish fiddler Johnny Hardie.

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Low End Theory is a trombone-driven ensemble led by Jazz Mafia co-founders Adam Theis and Eric Garland. Built around a powerful front line of four trombones and a rhythm section capable of shifting from subtle textures to explosive energy, the group blends soulful, heartfelt playing with cinematic soundscapes and high-energy future jazz. Bold arrangements, deep brass harmonies, and adventurous improvisation create a rich low-brass sound that is truly unique.

Adam Theis - trombone

John Gove- trombone

Jeff Cressman - trombone

Marc Bolin - bass trombone

Matt Clark - piano

Eric Garland - drums

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Experience the rich textures of Brazilian instrumental music with Julio Lemos, a virtuoso of the 7-string guitar whose performances blend deep tradition with inventive expression.

Drawing from the classical precision of Villa-Lobos and Radamés Gnattali and the rhythmic soul of choro and samba, Julio’s music is rooted in the legacy of masters like Dino 7 Cordas, Rafael Rabelo, and Baden Powell. His sound is at once grounded and exploratory—effortlessly moving between intricate counterpoint, spontaneous improvisation, and the driving pulse of samba-jazz.

Featuring Brian Moran - cavaquinho/mandolin, Ami Molinelli - percussion, Harvey Wainapel -reeds

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Celebrate with Jazz!
Founded in 2018 after years of living and performing in New Orleans, Benny Amón’s New Orleans Pearls quickly earned international acclaim, with their self-titled CD debuting to sold-out audiences at Preservation Hall and the New Orleans Jazz Museum in 2019. Since returning to his native San Francisco Bay Area, Amón has continued to delight audiences with his ensemble.  

For this special Independence Day celebration, the quartet version of Benny Amón’s New Orleans Pearls will highlight material associated with legendary figures such as Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, AJ Piron, and Tony Jackson. This is world-class, authentic New Orleans Jazz performed by some of the finest living exponents of America’s most original art form, with a repertoire spanning rags, marches, waltzes, quadrilles, pop tunes, spirituals, and blues.

Join us for an unforgettable celebration of New Orleans Jazz, bringing the vibrant spirit of America’s musical heritage to Oakland. 

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Tabula Rasa -- ‘the idea that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all knowledge is derived from experience and perception’ -- excites and invites listeners into their soundspace with music generated through connection and without pre-conceived notion. Their chemistry as collaborators shines through each members’ unique compositional voice, letting audiences in on a culmination of years of friendship and commitment to pushing the music to its highest point.

Tabula Rasa features Devin Daniels on alto saxophone, Joey Curreri on trumpet, Jonathan Paik on piano, Dario Bizio on bass, and Mark Valdes on drums. As individual artists, they are all active and emerging voices in both the New York and Los Angeles music scenes.

Alto saxophonist Devin Daniels stands out as one of the most unique and versatile voices to emerge from LA’s rapidly evolving creative music landscape. Daniels has been invited to perform with bands led by Gerald Clayton, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, John Beasley, Sam Barsh and Jamael Dean. In 2023, the great Herbie Hancock invited Devin to join him alongside jazz legends Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Terence Blanchard, Chris Potter and LA-royalty, Kamasi Washington in a performance at the Hollywood Bowl honoring the late iconic saxophonist, Wayne Shorter. Following this performance, Hancock invited Daniels to join his band again, this time for a month-long US tour in the Spring of 2024.

Joey Curreri is a jazz trumpeter and composer from Los Angeles, California currently based in New York City. Curreri’s unique artistic outlook stems from the foundations in the trumpet tradition learned from his mentors, jazz luminaries Brian Lynch and Ingrid Jensen, whose creative inspiration has led Joey to compose music that looks to go beyond the trumpet, generating excitement, harmony, and balance within the orchestration of the small ensemble. As a working musician in New York, Joey has performed at the marquis venues with his own band and music, as well as a side man.

Jonathan Paik is a Los Angeles-born, New York-based pianist and improvisor/composer. Hailed as an exciting new voice on the piano, he has recorded or performed with the likes of David Binney, Alfredo Colon, Joe Morris, and Charles Downs. Jonathan’s playing has been heard in many of NYC’s most important spaces for creative music, including The Jazz Gallery, Close Up, IBeam, and Downtown Music Gallery. In 2025, Jonathan made his bandleader debut at The Jazz Gallery, presenting his collaborative quartet Fugitive. Artistically, Jonathan seeks to push the possibilities of piano-playing while unconditionally uplifting the music and people around him.

Dario Bizio is a bassist, improviser, and singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. Having grown up in the diverse musical community of Los Angeles, he grew up loving and playing various genres on electric and upright bass. After graduating from USC in 2023 he began working as the touring bassist for Icelandic artist Laufey, with whom he took part in a world tour from 2023-2024. While continuing to perform and record as a freelancer in Los Angeles, Dario also writes and records music for voice and bass and has performed locally as a soloist.

Mark Valdes is a drummer, educator, and composer based in Los Angeles who has performed at venues and festivals across the world sharing the stage with world-class artists such as Tim Berne, Theo Bleckmann, John Daversa, Poncho Sanchez, Bob Mintzer, Barbara Morrison, Gordon Goodwin, Wayne Bergeron, and Vardan Ovsepian. Some notable venues/events include The Panama Jazz Festival, Jordan Hall, The Monterey Jazz Festival, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Central Avenue Jazz Festival, and The Oasis Music Festival in Palm Springs, CA.

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Mikailo Kasha is an award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader based in Miami, Florida. Currently considered to be among “the top 1% of bassists worldwide”, as stated by Scotty Barnhart of the Count Basie Orchestra, Kasha is a dynamic bandleader, versatile sideman, and a prodigious voice on both upright and electric bass.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Kasha is an alumnus of renowned incubator programs including the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, San Jose Jazz All Stars, and the Stanford Jazz Institute.

A three-time DownBeat student award winner, Kasha received the 2022 “Jazz Soloist” award in the graduate division and an “Outstanding Performance” award for his trio. He also earned an Outstanding Soloist award in 2019. Kasha has been mentored by leading jazz figures. Beyond performance, Kasha is deeply committed to jazz education and community leadership. He serves as the Executive Director of the Miami Jazz Cooperative, is on faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and leads the High School Honors Jazz Combo at Miami Country Day School.

Kasha has put together a stellar group for this evening!

Mikailo Kasha, bass

Jalen Baker, vibraphone

Tal Cohen, piano

Anthony Fung, drums

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Flamenco is an artistic expression fusing song (cante), dance (baile) and musicianship (toque). Andalusia in southern Spain is the heartland of Flamenco, although it also has roots in regions such as Murcia and Extremadura. Cante is the vocal expression of flamenco, sung by men and women, preferably seated, with no backing singers. The gamut of feelings and states of mind – grief, joy, tragedy, rejoicing and fear – can be expressed through sincere, expressive lyrics characterized by brevity and simplicity. Flamenco baile is a dance of passion, courtship, expressing a wide range of situations ranging from sadness to joy. The technique is complex, differing depending on whether the performer is male (heavier use of the feet) or female (gentler, more sensual movements). Toque or the art of guitar playing has long surpassed its original role as accompaniment. Other instruments, including castanets, hand-clapping and foot-stamping are also employed. Flamenco is performed during religious festivals, rituals, church ceremonies and at private celebrations. It is the badge of identity of numerous communities and groups, in particular the Gitano (Roma) ethnic community, which has played an essential role in its development. Transmission occurs through dynasties, families, social groups and Flamenco clubs, all of which play a key role in its preservation and dissemination.

Featuring Fanny Ara - baile, Azriel "El Moreno" - cante, Marlon Aldana - cajon, Clara Rodriguez - baile y cante, David McLean - guitar. with a special SURPRISE OPENING ACT at 7:45

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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 with special guest Adam Miller.

Australian-born Adam Miller has toured the globe, performing in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Japan, Australia & even Afghanistan for the Australian and Allied Forces. Miller has shared stages with Les Paul, Tommy Emmanuel, Samantha Fish, Mike Stern, Charlie Hunter, Tomo Fujita, Adam Levy, KT Tunstall, Matt Schofield, Mason Stoops, Molly Miller, Josh Smith, Joey Landreth, Russell Morris, Ariel Posen, Tony McManus, Ben Gillies (Silverchair) amongst so many others. With glowing coverage in guitar & music press around the world, the 2002 Australian Fingerstyle Guitar Champion even has his own signature model guitar from Nik Huber Guitars.

Miller originally from Newcastle Australia, was based in Los Angeles, California for a time, and spent the better part of the last two decades performing throughout the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Japan, & Australia. Miller has played an array of International Festivals and has feature articles in The Fretboard Journal, Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, Premier Guitar, Acoustic UK, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, and so many more. In 2013 his album "Delayed" was named Top 10 Albums of 2012 by US Acoustic Guitar Magazine. He was also named in the top 25 Future Legends in Australian Guitar Magazine. He has also been featured on many YouTube channels, including the esteemed 'That Pedal Show'.

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Due to a scheduling conflict, this event has been canceled.

OH MY THIS IS GOOD! We featured this band last Fall and are SO excited to have them back!

The sensitive and sophisticated vocal stylings of Carla Helmbrecht are the perfect complement to the soulful, blues- and swing-influenced style of the Brad Leali ensemble. Not only do they explore classic jazz standards and original materials, but they are able to infuse historical and modern components to their unique arrangements. This dynamic duo will be backed by a world class trio.

With a unique style and sound, which echoes the influences of his past, Brad Leali is one of the most notable saxophonists of current times. Leali toured and recorded with numerous jazz greats, including several years with the Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra and with the Count Basie Orchestra. Leali was a standing member of the Kennedy Center Honors Band and performed for President Obama’s inaugural celebration. Brad has had a long-time endorsement with Keilwerth Saxophones and D’Addario Reeds. Currently the professor of jazz saxophone at UNT, Brad continues to perform domestically and abroad, including touring with Lyle Lovett & His Large Band.

“Saxophonist Brad Leali was among the most soulful and exciting I’ve heard recently.” – New York Times

Grammy-nominated singer/song-writer, Carla Helmbrecht, began her love affair with music at the age of eight.By age 13, she was singing professionally and continued her musical studies through high school and college. Early influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, and Blossom Dearie. Her dual career in music and Speech Pathology has given her a unique understanding of the balance between vocal efficiency and expression in this fragile instrument – the voice. Her recording ONE FOR MY BABY earned a prominent position on Gavin’s Jazz Chart, while BE COOL BE KIND debuted as “the most added jazz record on radio in the nation” and received three Grammy nominations. Carla is a featured artist on numerous other recordings, television and major motion picture films. She lives in San Francisco and tours nationally and internationally.

“… imaginative…poetic and sophisticated…She’s hip without being frenetic, laid-back without sounding haphazard, and best of all, the lady swings without sweating…the lyric writer’s best friend.” -Harvey Siders, JazzTimes

“She exudes warmth in spades…An unusually gifted vocalist, impeccable phrasing…steeped in a swinging jazz sensibility that reminds me of Mel Torme….” -Carol Archer, R & R Magazine

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Novos Caminhos is the meeting of two leading voices in Brazilian instrumental music: Ian Coury (10-string mandolin) and Igor Souza (7-string guitar). United by their love of choro and samba, they blend technical mastery and creativity to honor tradition while reimagining it for new audiences. Born from an instant musical connection, their collaboration offers original compositions and inventive interpretations of Brazilian classics, with improvisation and modern arrangements that echo global jazz influences.

Novos Caminhos is more than a show, it’s an artistic manifesto celebrating the continuity and evolution of Brazil’s rich musical heritage, inviting listeners on a journey through roots and possibilities that bridge generations and cultures. Their performances aim to deliver a live experience that is deeply Brazilian yet open to the world, captivating diverse audiences from traditional fans to those eager for new sounds.

By 12, Ian Coury had already performed with Brazilian choro legends Armandinho and Hamilton de Holanda. Now 23, he is a leading virtuoso of the 10-string mandolin, redefining choro and instrumental music. He has performed with Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi, and Toninho Horta, earning awards such as “Best Instrumentalist” at the National FM Radio Festival (2020).

A Brasília native, Ian began playing mandolin at 8 and later attended Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship, receiving the String Department Award. He has taught workshops at Harvard, MIT, and the University of Colorado Boulder and launched the first online Brazilian mandolin course in the U.S. on Peghead Nation.

Ian has performed at NAMM and received accolades from Brazil’s House of Representatives. He continues pushing the mandolin's boundaries, captivating international audiences with his technical mastery and innovative style.

At 24, Igor Souza is a talented musician, arranger, producer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. He began playing at six and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from UNIRIO. Known as the “7-String Guitar Phenomenon of Brazil,” Igor has taught over 900 students and performed in five European countries and across Brazil. He has toured with Xande de Pilares on the “Xande Canta Caetano” tour, performed in Rio’s Carnival with top samba schools since 2016, and worked with Grammy-winning artist Esperanza Spalding. A sought-after studio musician, he has contributed to TV Globo soundtracks, including the iconic Globeleza theme. In 2025, he released his debut album with Saulo Fernandes on Japan’s Pyramid Label, and in 2026 he will release Novos Caminhos, a collaborative project with mandolinist Ian Coury, showcasing his versatility in choro, samba, and Brazilian instrumental music.

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The Toulouse, France native, Guilhem Fourty, now based in NYC, has built a profile that combines headline billing, top-tier festival work, and a string of awards that mark him as a leading artist of his cohort.

Guilhem Fourty is not only a drummer who keeps impeccable time. He is a leader shaping sound and structure, moving with ease from neighborhood clubs to the largest jazz festival in the world, and from civic concerts to international tours. In a crowded field, that breadth—and the depth behind it—marks him as a major artist on the rise.

Joining Guilhem will be Brahm Sasner (piano), Aidan McCarthy (Bass), and Jonah Hieb (Trumpet).

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In the mood for a good true story? How about five?

Our June Show features:

️ ️ Don Reed ️ ️  - NPR Snap Judgment Storyteller of the Year, Simon & Schuster author, creator of 7 award-winning solo shows, including The Never Too Late Show, lead actor in Bartlett TV series, alongside Lin Manuel-Miranda, and so much more, as well as the creator and host of Redwood Nights storytelling series in Fairfax and Carmel.

Eva Schlesinger - Moth Grand SLAM champion and multi-time Moth StorySLAM winner, award-winning writer, including Remembering the Walker & Wheelchair (Finishing Line Press) and contributor to several Chicken Soup for the Soul titles. She is working on a short fiction collection and YA novel.

Ben Bourdon - tearing it up in Petaluma, winner of Grand Slam at West Side Stories.

PLUS, the hard-to-define songs of Jon Smear. And stories from Beau and Tom.

About your hosts:

Beau Ryder Davis: Moth Grand Slam champ and winner of multiple Moth StorySLAMs. Featured at Redwood Nights, In A Nutshell, Simply Said, StorySlam Oakland, Alameda StorySlam and so many more. Comedian and seasoning-packet hawker.

Tom Darci: Moth StorySLAM winner. Featured at Simply Said, StorySlam Oakland, Conundrum Chronicles, Alameda StorySlam. Shakespeare lover, pickleballer.

They created Pretty Good Stories to give the room for experienced storytellers to showcase longer, more in-depth stories. Some are funny. Some are moving. All are pretty good. Join us.

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Mark Hummel is a Grammy-nominated blues harmonica master, vocalist, and producer with a career spanning over five decades. A key force in the modern West Coast blues sound, he’s known for his explosive harmonica style, soulful vocals, and high-energy live shows. From leading the Blues Survivors to producing his acclaimed *Blues Harmonica Blowout* series, Hummel continues to honor classic blues traditions while keeping the music powerfully alive.

Playing with Mark is long-time collaborator Steve Freund (guitar), who has worked with a who’s who of blues legends, including Sunnyland Slim, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Big Walter, Snooky Pryor, Floyd Jones, Eddie Taylor, Lee Jackson, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, and San Francisco’s own Boz Scaggs.

Karl Sevareid, Blues Bass Legend, known for his work with Jimmy Witherspoon, Robben Ford, the Ford Blues Band, Charlie Musselwhite, and countless West Coast blues greats as well as playing alongside Eric Clapton & The Rolling Stones.

Paul Revelli, a consummate drummer with diverse skills, a passion for playing and listening to all genres of music, and his intuition as the consummate sideman are evidenced by the artists he has performed and/or recorded with, including: ​B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Nick , Sammy Hagar, Joan Baez, Moby, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Huey Lewis, Clarence Clemmons, SugarPie DeSanto, and more.

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Oakland’s powerhouse collective Jazz Mafia dives deep into the purple catalog for a special tribute to the music of PRINCE. From slow-burning ballads to high-octane funk anthems, this show reimagines Prince’s iconic songs through the lens of jazz, soul, and hip-hop. Led by composer/trombonist Adam Theis and featuring the electrifying vocals of Kate Lamont, the ensemble brings fresh arrangements and deep grooves to this timeless repertoire.

Oakland’s powerhouse collective Jazz Mafia dives deep into the purple catalog for a special tribute to the music of PRINCE. From slow-burning ballads to high-octane funk anthems, this show reimagines Prince’s iconic songs through the lens of jazz, soul, and hip-hop. Led by composer/trombonist Adam Theis and featuring the electrifying vocals of Kate Lamont, the ensemble brings fresh arrangements and deep grooves to this timeless repertoire.

An evening of original and arranged compositions with stylistic influences from jazz, blues, and free improvisation.

Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee - saxophone.    Kaz George  - saxophone  Isaac Coyle - bass.     Miles Turk - drums

Born and raised in Oakland, California, saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee embodies a striking mix of sounds deriving from improvised, vocal, blues, and jazz traditions. He is a graduate of The New School’s Jazz and Contemporary Music program, where he studied with luminaries such as Melissa Aldana, Darius Jones, Tivon Pennicott, David Glasser, Or Bareket, Jon Irabagon, Anat Cohen, Joshua Rubin, and Ismail Lumaneovsky. As a performer, Nathan has appeared alongside generational artists such as Billy Martin, Faye Carol, Azure McCall, Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson, and Lesley Mok. He has performed internationally in Tokyo, and the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland, in the Bay Area at Yoshi’s and The Sound Room, and NYC at Dizzy’s Jazz Club, The Stone, and Le Poisson Rouge. A big supporter of community organizing, Nathan hosts eclectic house shows and Improv Nights, and continues to compose, improvise, and perform in New York City and the Bay Area.

Kazemde George is an African American Jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator. Raised by Caribbean parents in Berkeley, California, Kaz has been playing Saxophone, Piano and Percussion in a wide range of musical styles from an early age.

Kazemde attended college in Boston where he completed the Harvard/New England Conservatory (NEC) Joint program, receiving his Bachelors in Neurobiology (Harvard) and his Masters in Jazz Composition (NEC). At NEC, Kazemde studied with Miguel Zenón, Jerry Bergonzi, Jason Moran, Cecil McBee, Donny McCaslin, Danilo Pérez, and John McNeil. In 2012, he received Harvard’s George Peabody Gardener Fellowship to study traditional music in La Habana, Cuba for ten months. Through his travels, Kaz has expanded his focus from Hip-Hop and Jazz to include the full spectrum of musical styles which blossomed from the African Diaspora, including Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Brazilian, and African-American traditions. As he sees it, the study of these musical styles serves as a way to regain cultural histories that were lost through the processes of African-American Slavery.

Isaac Coyle is a bassist, composer, and educator residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since graduating from the Berklee College of music in 2023, Isaac has become one of the top call bassists in the Bay Area jazz scene. In addition he is also a frequent collaborator in Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards band, performing throughout the country.

Raised in Oakland and immersed in the Bay Area’s vibrant music community, drummer Miles Turk seeks to follow the tradition in appreciating the cultural importance of blues, bebop, jazz, etc. along with shining a light on his own musical influences coming from R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk, & many more.

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His resumé reads like a "Who's Who in The Blues." Over the past three decades, Danny Caron recorded and performed with Zydeco King Clifton Chenier, Charles Brown, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. John, and on and on. He was the featured guitarist on the Van Morrison-produced John Lee Hooker album, Don't Look Back, which won Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Blues Recording and Best Collaboration (Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker). For 12 years, he served as guitarist and musical director for Charles Brown. Recent tours have taken him on the road with Robben Ford, Maria Muldaur, and many others.

His recent projects include playing guitar on the new CD “Savoy” by legendary singer Taj Mahal and recording and an album of Spanish songs “Cantos Mi Corazon” featuring vocalist Marina Crouse. Danny wrote the film score to the Scott Silver directed motion picture ‘johns’ for which he and Charles Brown composed music, and for which he composed the title song, “The Promised Land.” The movie stars David Arquette, Lukas Haas and Keith David.

He has played for President Clinton’s first Inaugural Ball, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, numerous jazz festivals throughout the US and Europe, several tours to New Zealand with great artists like Robben Ford, Charlie Musslewhite and Bettye LaVette. Television appearances include Charles Brown and Bonnie Raitt on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The Danny Caron House Party features Marina Crouse -vocals, Ruth Davies- bass, John R Burr- piano, Deszon Claiborne - drums, Danny Caron - guitar, Kim Addonizio - poetry, and
special guests TBA

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Marina Crouse is one of the most notable talents on the San Francisco/Bay Area music scene. Her early classical training is reflected in her powerful and versatile vocal style that creates a genuine excitement in every performance. Blessed with an incredibly expressive voice early in life, Marina Crouse applies her distinctive talents to a wide range of material while delivering an emotional authenticity that consistently cuts deep.

Marina is equally comfortable with the blues of Etta James, the soulful renderings of jazz by Ernestine Anderson & the music of her youth, the torch songs and boleros of Mexican canciones. Rather than present just one, she is presenting all of her favorite things!

Featuring John R Burr on piano, Ruth Davies on bass, Deszon Claibone on drums

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Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report. He recorded more than 20 albums as a bandleader. Many Shorter compositions have become jazz standards, and his music has earned worldwide recognition, critical praise, and commendation. Shorter won 12 Grammy Awards.He was acclaimed for his mastery of the soprano saxophone since switching his focus from the tenor in the late 1960s and beginning an extended reign in 1970 as DownBeat's annual poll-winner on that instrument, winning the critics' poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers' for 18. The New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff described Shorter in 2008 as "probably jazz's greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser". In 2017, he was awarded the Polar Music Prize.

Oakland native Isaac Schwartz brings his band of musical collaborators and lifelong Wayne fans to pay tribute to their collective hero. The night will feature Wayne's early work with the Jazz Messengers and solo recordings all the way through to the music he made with the Wayne Shorter Quartet, which pushed boundaries for the last 20 years.

Isaac first heard Wayne on his seminal album, "Speak No Evil" and fell in love with its impressionistic yet propulsive sound. The music was sensitive yet bombastic; intuitive yet clever; cryptic yet soulful. Finally when Isaac was 16, his father took him to see Wayne live. Isaac wasn't sure if the modern music Wayne was making was really his vibe and boy was he wrong. It was the greatest show he'd ever seen and got him screaming in his seat. The intensity created by Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade with Wayne at the helm was undeniable. That concert changed the direction of Isaac's life and caused him to fully invest and dedicate his life to music. Isaac is honored to get to pay tribute to his musical father and guiding light in life, Wayne Shorter. ALL HAIL WAYNE!

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A Night to Remember!
A critically acclaimed pianist teams up with a winner of the Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition - an honor bestowed on Samara Joy and Jazzmeia Horn - to bring you an evening of GREAT music. 

Known for performances that are both soulful and hard-hitting, Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman  tours with the finest jazz artists, including Christopher McBride (GRAMMY-winning alto), Lucas Pino (Dave Brubeck Artistic Director), Michael Bublé. and  Langston Hughes II.  He is known for showcasing a catalogue of originals and arrangements of works by Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and more, and honors the history of these master pianists with performances that are both soulful and hard-hitting. 

Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim is an award-winning jazz vocalist based in Los Angeles, whose artistry reflects a vibrant mix of cultural heritages. Her rapid ascent on the international stage is marked by major honors and extensive global touring, including winning the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition—an accolade previously conferred on artists such as Cyrille Aimée, Jazzmeia Horn, and Samara Joy. In April 2023, she received an Outstanding Achievement Bistro Award for Jazz Vocalist following her “stunning” debut at Birdland Jazz Club in November 2022, as noted by Gerry Geddes. In 2024, she expanded her international presence with an 18-country European tour and three U.S. tours with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, alongside three additional tours including a Florence debut at the Teatro Niccolini with Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Her performance experience spans major concert halls, international touring circuits, and intimate venues worldwide. As All About Jazz observed in 2022, “Tawanda seems to go from zero to belonging in the esteemed company of Veronica Swift, Cecile McLorin Salvant and Cyrille Aimée in negative time, if that could be measured (All About Jazz, 2022).”

Personnel:Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman, piano. Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim, vocals. Michael Mitchell, drums. Nico Martinez, bass

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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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