Drummer, composer, and bandleader JACOB WENDT has a unique sound; balanced, supportive, and interactive, with a driving energy that serves the music while leaving space for others to speak — he is an authoritative yet never intrusive player. Originally from Sonoma County, his original ensembles have headlined major venues across Northern and Southern California including Blue Whale, Dizzy’s, Yoshi’s, The Fillmore Jazz Festival, Catalina’s Bar & Grille, Campus JAX, and The Grape. To date he has released one album as a leader (Jacob Wendt Quartet, 2011), another as co-leader (Carter-White-Wendt, 2013), and a collection of original compositions (Jacob Wendt Sextet: Live at the Blue Whale, 2020). His critically acclaimed new album, Silver Street (Hayden Records) is a classic hardbop quintet project in the spirit of Blue Note Records during the 1950’s & 60’s. Already dubed "an instant jazz classic," the album features all original compositions by Wendt, influenced by jazz greats such as Horace Silver, Sonny Clark, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, and Hank Mobley. With the entire first limited-edition pressing of 1,035 copies having already sold out, the album is scheduled for rerelease with a second pressing available late July 2025. It is available exclusively as a vinyl LP and as a Bandcamp digital download – 100% artist friendly and with no major streaming platform participation.

Personnel:Jacob Wendt — drums & compositions. Mike Olmos — trumpet.

Patrick Wolff — tenor sax. Matt Clark — piano. David Ewell — bass

Tickets at Jacob Wendt Group

Flamenco is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain , developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia. Flamenco fuses song (cante), dance (baile) and musicianship (toque). 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.

Featuring Mizuho Sato - dance, Clara Rodriguez - dance, Pirouz Ebadypor - vocals, David McLean - guitar, Marlon Aldana - percussion

Tickets at Flamenco

Riley Mulherkar is a founding member of The Westerlies and in 2024 released his debut album Riley, hailed as “über hip, modern yet timeless…one of the best debut records to come out in a long, long time” (DownBeat).

The trumpeter has had audiences on their feet since he was in middle school, a prodigious and disciplined player soaking up everything he could from Seattle's unexpectedly rich and rooted jazz community. Playing under legendary band directors Robert Knatt and Clarence Acox prepared him for The Juilliard School, where he quickly found a musical home with Jazz at Lincoln Center and its leader, Wynton Marsalis.

Since, he has played with everyone from Kenny Barron and Dee Dee Bridgewater to Anna Deavere Smith and Alan Cumming, and in 2020 received Lincoln Center’s prestigious Emerging Artist Award in 2020 for his work as “an original bandleader, composer, arranger, educator, community activist and advocate for jazz and the arts.”

Tickets at Riley Mulherkar Group

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 Petrelli

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!

With over a decade of entertainment experience, Sean Francisco's zany performance style and unconventional act may leave you in stitches both figuratively AND literally. Sean has appeared on multiple streaming networks including "Discovery+" and the Belgium "VTM GO".

Jake Berg, a master mentalist from NYC, has mesmerized audiences and celebrities nationwide with his extraordinary abilities. Armed with a degree in psychology, razor-sharp wit, and over 20 years of performance experience, Jake has yet to encounter a mind he can't unravel.

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

Tickets at Halloween Magic & Mystery

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.

Tickets at Natalie & Ian

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

Joel Frahm is one of the most captivating saxophonists in jazz today, known for his warm tone, effortless swing, and boundless improvisational energy. His big tenor sound—fluid, inventive, and full of passion—is recognized worldwide.

A two-time winner of the DownBeat Critics Poll in the Rising Star category, Joel has recorded and performed with legends like Brad Mehldau, Matt Wilson, Betty Carter, and Bill Charlap. He has played as a leader or sideman on more than 100 recordings and has appeared at jazz festivals in the United States, Europe, Israel, Canada and South America.

His albums include the critically-acclaimed “Don’t Explain,” a duo with pianist Brad Mehldau and live performances at Smalls and Mezzrow jazz clubs in New York City. He was featured on Freddy Cole’s Grammy-nominated album “My Mood is You” and was a member of Dafnis Prieto’s big band on “Back to the Sunset,” a 2019 Grammy-winning album.

After more than 30 years playing in New York City jazz clubs and three years working in the Nashville music scene, Joel Frahm has joined the music faculty at Texas State University. He has taught classes and clinics worldwide.He has honed his craft working alongside top jazz artists such as Betty Carter, Kenny Barron, Freddy Cole, Dianne Schuur, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, Bill Charlap, Brad Mehldau, Matt Wilson, Cyrille Aimee and many others.

Tickets at Joel Frahm Trio

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

The Saúl Sierra Quartet (Marco Diaz, Julio Perez, Ahkeel Mestayer) is back at the Sound room, this time with two very special guests, Arwen Lawrence on vocals and Jorge Liceaga on guitar. A night of original compositions and arrangements all by Mexican composers.

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 Ahkeel Mestayer on percussion are two of the most sought after musicians in the Latin Jazz world. They bring an infectious Afro-Cuban backbeat.

Arwen Lawrence is an accomplished interpreter of Mexican regional music and dance. As a member of Los Angeles' Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, she recorded and toured throughout the US and Mexico, performing in venues such as New York's Lincoln Center, Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall and Guadalajara's Teatro Degollado. Arwen has studied regional Mexican dance with teachers in both the US and Mexico, and performed with several Ballet Folklórico groups such as Ballet Folklórico Ollin in Los Angeles and Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco.

Jorge Liceaga is a Mexican-born musician, composer, and educatorbased in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for his work as a flamenco guitarist and his role as a co-founder of the ensemble Cascada de Flores. He is also an accomplished Cuban tres player and is involved in various educational programs for children

Tickets at Saul Sierra Quintet

Over the past 12 years, Jonathan Seiberlich has become a prominent member of the San Francisco Bay Area’s vibrant music scene. He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the Nomad Session Wind Octet, Jazz Mafia collective, Grateful Brass, Honor Brass Band, Circus Bella and Kyle Athayde Dance Party. Seiberlich has also played alongside internationally renowned acts such as Sigur Ros, Veronica Swift, Peter Apfelbaum, Josh Jones and The California Honeydrops.

In addition to his work as a tuba player, Seiberlich is an accomplished producer, composer, arranger and songwriter. Since 2015 he has been producing music albums under the name Jensen Engineering. These albums include a variety of original songs and collaborations with other renowned Bay Area instrumentalists, singers and rappers. More recently, he has formed the Seiberlich Quintet, which performs original instrumental music featuring a blend of New Orleans “brass band” instrumentation, classical composition and improvisation.

Jensen Engineering is an original, multi-instrumental musical project created by Jonathan Seiberlich. The band's namesake comes from an old company (owned by Jonathan's Grandfather) that burned to the ground. The cast of this ensemble is ever-changing, and live performances feature a wide array of sonic textures. In JE's debut album, Jonathan has pulled from his eclectic musical influences to create something honest and unique.

Tickets at Jonathan Seiberlich: Jensen Engineering CD Release

It's Wednesday Night and you need a break! Come with friends, test your skills, win prizes, and enjoy some great drinks and food. This evening is hosted by Chuck Butler (a local legend)! The Sound Room has great food, so come hungry, and there is a nice selection of beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. Doors open at 6pm and the Quiz begins at 7pm!

Come with a team and have FUN! Compete to answer general knowledge, history, music, and pop culture questions for prizes or bragging rights. Teams work together on answer sheets, and a host reads the questions, with scores tallied after each round and at the end of the event.

There will be a special Happy Hour Menu if you arrive before 6:30. Doors open at 5P

Roots Samba and Samba de Raiz is Brazil's national music performed with acoustic instrumentation. Featuring 7-string guitar player, Edinho Gerber and Brian Moran on guitar and cavaco, Ami Molinelli on percussion and vocalist Dill Costa, a native of Rio de Janeiro, get ready for an evening of old sambas, brazilian jazz and bossa nova.

Dill Costa is a multi-talented Brazilian performer. Recording actress, musical theater and vocalist, Dill rose to fame in Rio De Janeiro as an actress and vocalist on major network TV GLOBO in Brazil.

Dill relocated to Chicago in 2003 and created the Dill Costa Quintet as well as A Cor Do Brasil , Bossa Três Quintet, Swing Brasileiro, and more. Her interpretations of Brazil's samba and bossa nova legends has stamped a place for her in Rio's music scene and world stage. Get ready for an evening in Rio!

Tickets at Roots Samba and Samba de Raiz

Guitarist Ray Obiedo was born and raised in San Francisco Bay Area, At the outset of his career, Obiedo regularly shifted between Jazz and R&B, later touring or recording with a variety of artists including Herbie Hancock (1978-79 Tour), George Duke, Sheila E, Lou Rawls, Grover Washington Jr and most recently, Bob Mintzer’s R&B Big Band. Obiedo made his solo debut on Windham Hill Jazz with 1989’s Perfect Crime, followed two years later by Iguana; with 1993’s Sticks and Stones, he reached the Top Ten on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts. After 1995’s African-influenced “Zulaya”, he resurfaced two years later with “Sweet Summer Days”. Ray has released 5 CD’s on his own label Rhythmus Records, 2015’s “There Goes That”, “Latin Jazz Project Vol. 1” in 2017, “Carousel” in 2019, “Latin Jazz Project Vol. 2” and most recently 2024’s “Twist”.

Lilan Kane is a vocalist rooted in jazz and soul. Often noted for her distinct vocal timbre and musicality, she has captured audiences in the Bay Area for years selling out venues like SFJAZZ and Yoshis and playing various festivals. With one full length album, Love, Myself and two EPS, she has shared the stage with many notable performers including Pete Escovedo, Jazz Mafia, Ray Obiedo, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Hall & Oates, Morgan James, and many more.

Tickets at Ray Obiedo Group featuring Lilan Kane

In the year 2000, trombonist, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer Adam Theis co-founded Jazz Mafia. Known for their innovative approach to music, Jazz Mafia stands out as a dynamic musical collective that goes beyond conventional boundaries. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of genres, Jazz Mafia offers a kaleidoscope of musical formats that transcend traditional expectations. Whether orchestrating large ensembles or collaborating with a myriad of talented musicians, the collective consistently delivers distinct and memorable musical experiences. With a foundation rooted in jazz, they skillfully blend elements of hip-hop, funk, and electronic music, creating a fusion that captivates audiences and challenges the conventions of contemporary jazz. Their commitment to pushing musical boundaries and fostering a collaborative spirit has solidified Jazz Mafia as a force to be reckoned with in the ever-evolving landscape of musical innovation.

For this event, the Jazz Mafia will play music celebrating their 25th Anniversary!

Tickets at Jazz Mafia: 25 Year Retrospective

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 and a featured performer.

We've all done it! Something that your gut told you to avoid. It works out sometimes and sometimes not. 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!

Tickets at Story Slam Oakland

Mads Tolling is the recipient of the 2016 DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Award for violin. A former long-time member of Stanley Clarke’s band and the Turtle Island Quartet, Mads is currently touring with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros. He has performed his violin concertos with the late great Michael Morgan and The Oakland Symphony, and he leads his own ensemble, Mads Tolling & The Mads Men. His work has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition and in The Washington Post, and he has performed with musical legends such as Kenny Barron, Ramsey Lewis, Paquito D’Rivera, and Leo Kottke.

Kenny Washington is a highly acclaimed jazz vocalist, known for his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and inventive scatting. He's been called the "Superman of the Bay Area jazz scene" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Washington's style is influenced by classic jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, while also incorporating elements of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. 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.

John R. Burr is one of the most in-demand pianists around the Bay Area. He has toured extensively with Maria Muldaur and The Alison Brown Quartet. Mads and John met back in 2015, and last year they released the album Ramblin’ on Blue Coast Records, which features creative arrangements of songs from all corners of the music world, including Toto, Lennon/McCartney, Victor Young and John McLaughlin.

Tickets at Mads Tolling, Kenny Washington & John R Burr

Flamenco is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain , developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia. Flamenco fuses song (cante), dance (baile) and musicianship (toque). 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.

Tickets at An Evening of Flamenco

Terrie Odabi is a powerhouse soul blues artist from the San Francisco Bay Area, whose music is deeply influenced by legends like Mavis Staples and Etta James. In fact it has been written,“Terrie Odabi is easily the most dynamic blues and soul woman to have emerged in the Bay Area since Etta James came out of San Francisco’s Fillmore District in the Fifties. Terrie has a powerful set of pipes, writes terrific tunes, leads a kicking band and has onstage movements that perfectly match the rhythms of her material. Surely stardom awaits her.” -Lee Hildebrand, contributor to the *San Francisco Chronicle, *East Bay News Group and *Living Blues Magazine"

With two acclaimed CDs and six Blues Music Award nominations, Terrie has made her mark on the international stage as a touring artist. Known for her stirring vocals and commanding stage presence, she is also the leader of her powerhouse, soulful band.

Her highly anticipated 2025 release, recorded at Greaseland and produced by Kid Andersen, showcases her artistry with collaborations featuring DK Harrell and Jimmy Carpenter. Andersen, a celebrated producer and musician, also collaborated with Terrie on the album, adding to its rich sonic depth.

For Terrie, the stage is her happy place, and performing is her greatest passion. She strives to make her audience feel love and happiness during every performance, and she cherishes the opportunity to spread positive messages through her music. Terrie’s songwriting dives deep into the subjects she cares most about, infusing each song with personal conviction and a sense of purpose. As fans eagerly await her upcoming project, they can expect the same soul-stirring authenticity and artistry that have made Terrie a standout in the blues world.

Tickets at Terrie Odabi

Pianist Peter Smith puts out a cooking hard bop sound that has that classic Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers/ Horace Silver groove to it. Smith's piano work is certainly a talent worth paying plenty of attention to.

Peter is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, songwriter, and music director, and his career has flourished on both coasts. Originally a New Yorker, Peter has lived in Los Angeles since 2005.

Along with his jazz performances, Peter has been the musical director on numerous TV shows. He has worked directly with Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles, Robin Thicke and John Legend, not only accompanying them and their contestants in rehearsal, but collaborating with them on the musical arrangements for the show.

Peter began working with Natalie Cole as her primary accompanist just prior to her passing, and he has been traveling the world as Molly Ringwald’s pianist/MD, serving as co-producer and arranger on her Concord Records release: Except Sometimes. He has played on major stages large and small: Iridium, Birdland (NYC), Jazz Alley (Seattle), Yoshi’s (SF), Blues Alley (DC), Montreal Jazz festival, Vector Arena (NZ), Melbourne Recital Centre (AUS), and many, many more.

Peter’s composing career has merged with the Industry in Los Angeles, and his compositions can be heard on numerous TV shows (Mindy Project, CSI, Bones, Arrow, Bojack-Horseman, Young Sheldon, Benched, Supergirl, Growing Up Fisher, Black Lightning, Pitch, Charmed, How to Live With Your Parents) as well as in the films Hotel Noir, Myth of Fingerprints, and Bleached. He has also created custom music for commercials, animated logos, and explainer videos.

An accomplished actor as well, Peter’s career has brought him many roles on the small screen in shows like Law and Order, 24, Scandal, Weeds, CSI, and many more. Peter has also performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Regional stages. Combining his experiences in acting and music, Peter has written a screenplay about jazz pianist Bill Evans during his time with Miles Davis. The script, Blue in Green, has received much acclaim in the industry and is inching its way towards production.

Smith will be accompanied by Lorca Hart on drums and Gary Brown on bass.

Tickets at Peter Smith Trio

Skip the shopping, sneak away from the family, and come on out for some great music!

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 Ian McArdle on keys, Isaac Schwartz on drums and renowned bassist Matt Roades. Join us as they pay tribute to the renowned Beatles.

Then we add Nancy Wright . Wright appeared on the Bay Area music scene in 1984 with the popular New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Band, Hot Links. Following a successful North American tour, Wright and Hot Links were tapped to perform with Swamp Boogie Queen Katie Webster, appearing on her Arhoolie Records release, “You Know That’s Right.” Wright and Webster also performed together at the Chicago Blues Festival and appear together on B.B. King’s album, “Blues Summit,” winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Wright spent the next two decades touring North America, Europe, and Asia with such artists as Elvin Bishop, Commander Cody, Johnny Adams, Earl King, Joe Louis Walker, and Maria Muldaur, and opening the top-grossing Jimmy Buffett Outpost Tour with harmonica player Greg “Fingers” Taylor. She recorded with B.B. King, Elvin Bishop, Joe Louis Walker, Little Charlie and the Nitecats, Mark Hummel and many others, and performed with top blues artists including Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Lowell Fulsom, Son Seals, and Ike Turner. “I have been blessed to play with and learn from so many wonderful musicians,” says Wright.

“One of the hottest blues sax players in the business, she is known for powerful, soulful, fascinating playing.”
– John Orr, San Jose Mercury News

“One of the best horn blowers in the blues business . . . a singer and songwriter of high order.”
– Lee Hildebrand, Living Blues

Tickets at Jules Leyhe & The Family Jules with Nancy Wright

Formed by a pair of former Cal Berkeley students who shared a love of early jazz and barroom blues, the band began as humbly and seemingly incongruous as possible, with the pair dragging their Wurlitzer spinet around to busk on street corners around San Francisco and the East Bay. The John Brothers Piano Company have built a devoted fan base one show at a time, blending timeless classics and original compositions with nearly irrepressible energy, and the lineup has expanded to a quartet of prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalists.

They’ve graduated from performing on the street to headlining many Bay Area venues The Chapel, Great American Music Hall, Bimbo’s 365 and performing at a multitude of festivals and events SFJAZZ, Stern Grove Festival, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Oakland Art + Soul, Outside Lands and more. In addition to headlining their own shows they’ve performed alongside phenomenal artists like Karen O, Booker T, Joan Osborne, Sugar Pie Desanto, to name a few. Asked to describe their sound and approach by The Bay Bridged, the band responded, “This group is a punk band with jazz instruments and classical inclinations.”st. SF Chronicle

Tickets at John Brothers Piano Company

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 brings her signature blend of midcentury blues, smoky jazz and original tunes with the spice of New Orleans.

Angela LaFlamme heads up a six-piece band from San Francisco that deftly re-imagines some of our favorite music from ’20s through the ’00s into her own swinging sound.

Angela LaFlamme: vocals
Timothy Orr: drums
Greg Olwell: bass
Scott Larson: trombone
Myles Boisen: guitarDanny Cao: trumpet
Mike Risse: piano

“A fantastic band… sexy and sleek.” —Huffington Post

Being drawn into a new and curious dimension by the magic of film, books, poetry or music
and years of studying the tarnished elegance of Billie Holiday, the whimsical smirk of Fats Waller, the full throttle kick of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and the gritty beautiful longings of Tom Waits, LaFlamme has found a way to tell her own stories.

Tickets at Angela LaFlamme Group

Marcus Anthony Shelby is a composer, bassist, bandleader, and educator who currently lives in San Francisco, California. His work focuses on the history, present, and future of African American lives social movements and music education.

In 1990, Marcus Shelby received the Charles Mingus Scholarship to attend Cal Arts and study composition with James Newton and bass with Charlie Haden. Currently, Shelby is the Artistic Director of Healdsburg Jazz, an artist in residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, and a past resident artist with the San Francisco Jazz Festival and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival. Shelby has composed several oratorios and suites including “Harriet Tubman”, “Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio”, “Soul of the Movement: Meditations on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”, “Black Ball: The Negro Leagues and the Blues”, “Green and Blues”, and a children’s opera “Harriet’s Spirit” produced by Opera Parallel 2018.

Darren Johnston: Trumpet. Tony Peebles Alto Sax. Danny Lubin Laden Trombone. Ian McArdle: Piano. Jemal Ramirez: Drums. Marcus Shelby: Bass

Tickets at Marcus Shelby Sextet

An amazing night is in store! Alabama Mike will perform with opening act, Nia Cephas, also from the Little Village foundation label performing songs from her upcoming release ” Cosmicpolitan”.

Alabama Mike is a hard-driving Chicago-style blues singer with the ability to make you feel as if you’ve revisited the early CHESS RECORDS days. He's a force on the microphone with a first rate, church house tenor’, that he was blessed with. He has a sound that will remind you of a young BB King or Buddy Guy, Elmore James and Little Johnny Taylor.

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

He has been nominated for by the Blues Foundation for Traditional Blues Artist Of The Year 2011 and Traditional Blues Band Of The Year 2014 with The Hound Kings . He won Traditional Blues Artist Of The year 2010 by the Bay Area Blues Society. In addition, he has played major festivals, both domestically and internationally. He has to date released several solo projects that are available on most digital platforms. The most recent releases being, “Upset The Status Quo” which includes the hits MISSISSIPPI and Restraining Order and also a Big Tone Records release entitled “Hip You To My Blues”. He has collaborated and shared the stage with many industry giants including, Kid Andersen, D’Mar Martin, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Bob Corritore, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Toni Tone Tony, Big Jon Atkinson, Jim Pugh, Jerry Jemmott, Bob Corritore , Kim Wilson and many others.

Nia Cephas is a recent discovery of the Little Village Foundation label and is known for her soulful singing and songwriting abilities.

Tickets at Alabama Mike & The Revelators with Nia Cephas

Can't wait for this show!

Charles Chen, a San Francisco Bay Area pianist who performed or recorded with notable musicians such as Randy Brecker, Billy Drummond, Bob Sheppard, Roy McCurdy, Adam Nussbaum, Mike Richmond, Ralph Moore, Peter Washington, and Kenny Washington. Charles leads a trio and has performed intentionally in Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. His debut album, Charles, Play!, was featured as one of the Best Albums of 2024 in Downbeat Magazine.

Mikiya Matsuda is a steel guitarist and string bassist living in San Francisco, CA. He has played at venues and festivals across the US. At home on the West Coast, he has worked with a range of artists, including Clint Baker, Nick Rossi, Vic Wong, the Hot Club of San Francisco, Le Jazz Hot, Dave Stuckey, Hal Smith, Jonathan Stout, Casey MacGill, and others.

Benny Amón is a prominent and passionate classic jazz and New Orleans drummer and bandleader. Benny lived full time in New Orleans from 2011-2021 and performed regularly at Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, The Palm Court Jazz Cafe, and aboard the Steamboat Natchez. He has toured the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden performing at jazz festivals and clubs including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Festival international I LOVE JAZZ in Brazil, and the New Mexico Jazz Festival.

Tickets at Charles Chen Trio

Possibly one of the best shows you can see!!!

This show will leave you spellbound! If you like music, tales and pizazz this is it. An amazing show of Sinatra's music - beautifully done - interspersed with tales about the real man behind the legend.

For the last 13 years Oakland-based vocalist Jefferson Bergey has been zig-zagging through multiple genres of music and comedy. He’s been channeling the voice of Gregg Allman in Freestone Peaches: A Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band for a decade. As a solo act and live-looper, he’s negotiated thousands of covers in an anything-goes show at Belle Cora in North Beach since the pandemic. He’s a featured vocalist with Jazz Mafia’s Grateful Brass and will soon be taking on the David Byrne role in a Talking Heads tribute in the fall. As a vocalist and bandleader he’s lead hundreds of bands on private and corporate events all over the Bay Area as well as corporate events in Barcelona, Hawaii, Cancun, Dallas, and Arizona. Now he’s taking on his most challenging musical costume yet, covering arguably the greatest singer of the 20th Century, Frank Sinatra. Sinatra may have been the greatest singer, but he was far from a perfect man. Bergey is pulling no punches as he tells sordid stories of the singer’s life against the musical backdrop of some of the best-known songs of the Great American Songbook.

He also warned that this is not a classic, note-for-note tribute. “I’m not doing a Frank Sinatra impression. I won’t be wearing a fedora or tuxedo. If I quote him, it will be in context of a story I’m telling about the man and these will not be well-known stories! I’m singing his songs, but I’m also telling tales that are not the normal, bland fanfare and publicist-approved points that would introduce him on a prime time television show in the 60’s. This show will present both the bright accolades and the dark sins of a nuanced artist while showcasing the songs that make him undeniable for any generation.”

This show will focus on the tales and history of Sinatra as we celebrate his birthday.

Bergey will be backed by some of the best of the Bay Area including Andrew Dixon on tenor sax and all three of the incredible Hogan Brothers. Expect some very-special musical guests as well.

Tickets at Sinatra Saloon

Hide the presents and spike the punch! The irrepressibly funky Jazz Mafia collective celebrates the season with their Holiday Heist, purloining songs from under every tree. Featuring soulful vocalists, rollicking horns, and the ambidextrous work of Mafia chief Adam Theis pivoting from bass lines to trombone riffs, Holiday Heist offers something for everyone. 

The group’s clever arrangements, crafted by former SFJAZZ High School All-Star Kyle Athayde and tuba expert Jonathan Seiberlich, offer a delightful mix of holiday favorites. Enjoy reworked versions of James Brown’s “Soulful Christmas,” a remix of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and playful renditions of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy.”

For over two decades, Jazz Mafia has been a major player in the Bay Area music scene, expanding their influence and continuously welcoming new talent. Their diverse performances, including multimedia shows and burlesque, keep audiences grooving and coming back for more.

Tickets for Holiday Heist 6PM

Hide the presents and spike the punch! The irrepressibly funky Jazz Mafia collective celebrates the season with their Holiday Heist, purloining songs from under every tree. Featuring soulful vocalists, rollicking horns, and the ambidextrous work of Mafia chief Adam Theis pivoting from bass lines to trombone riffs, Holiday Heist offers something for everyone.

The group’s clever arrangements, crafted by former SFJAZZ High School All-Star Kyle Athayde and tuba expert Jonathan Seiberlich, offer a delightful mix of holiday favorites. Enjoy reworked versions of James Brown’s “Soulful Christmas,” a remix of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and playful renditions of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy.”

For over two decades, Jazz Mafia has been a major player in the Bay Area music scene, expanding their influence and continuously welcoming new talent. Their diverse performances, including multimedia shows and burlesque, keep audiences grooving and coming back for more.

Tickets for Holiday Heist at 9P

The Kelly Park Big Band is a 16 piece BIG Band that was founded in 2014. The band is dedicated to the writing and performance of fresh original music and arrangements, it is designed to be a concert band, not a dance band. Although much of the music is composed and arranged by Kelly, he has created a platform that gives band members and local composers an opportunity to write for a big band with no constraints; an opportunity to be as free and creative as possible.

Kelly Park is a former faculty member and alumnus of the Berklee College of Music, Boston MA. He has been a fixture of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for many years, most notably as Musical Director of the Rrazz Room, the premier SF nightclub from 2007-2013. There he performed with such stars as Loretta Devine, Keely Smith, Pia Zadora, the Shirrelles, Deborah Gibson, Trini Lopez, Deana Martin, and many others. He has performed throughout the United States and Europe, and was the owner of the jazz club Kelly's of Alameda.

Mitch Polzak is the big guy from out West. He has larger than life energy (he’s also 6’5’) and is a stunning performer, guitarist, singer, banjoist, songwriter, composer, entertainer, musical historian and teacher.

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

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

Tickets at Kelly Park BIG BAND

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.

Tickets at Tabula Rasa

Flamenco is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain , developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia. Flamenco fuses song (cante), dance (baile) and musicianship (toque). 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.

Tickets at An Evening of Flamenco

Kenny Washington is a highly acclaimed jazz vocalist, known for his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and inventive scatting. He's been called the "Superman of the Bay Area jazz scene" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Washington's style is influenced by classic jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, while also incorporating elements of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway.

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

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

Tickets at Kenny Washington Quartet

There's a saying that what you do on New Year's Eve (NYE) is what you'll do the rest of the year. So let's all get together for some GREAT MUSIC, FOOD & MORE! Join us for a Special NYE Blues Bash featuring Marina Crouse, one of the best blues singers today, teaming up with Jules Leyhe, one of the world's best slide guitarist and his band.

Marina Crouse is one of the most notable talents on the Bay Area music scene. "A new voice as strong as the best blues singers of the past as she sings with the intensity of a Koko Taylor, heartbreak of Etta James, raw emotion of Big Maybelle... Marina Crouse has all it takes to be the next top lady of the Blues" ~ Noel Hayes, DJ at KPOO 89.5FM

"Marina Crouse is long overdue her day in the sun. This big, delicious voice deserves to be heard! Really soulful." ~Danny Caron, guitarist and former musical director with Charles Brown
Marina regularly performs in the Bay Area, sharing the stage with many notable Bay Area musicians, including Garth Webber, S.E. Willis, Ruth Davies, Pamela Rose, Tammy Hall, Danny Caron, and many others.

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

Doors open at 6:30P. A buffet of hors d'oeuvres is included in the ticket. Many of you like to be home before the clock strikes midnight, so this is the show for you. Beer, wine, champage and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase.

Menu will be listed shortly.

Ticket includes GREAT MUSIC , GREAT FOOD!

Tickets at New Years Eve Blues Bash