In less than a decade, vocalist Kalil Wilson has become one of the most potent and promising young vocalists of his generation. Gifted with a powerful yet nuanced voice and armed with a technical versatility that positions him comfortably in jazz, R&B, pop, and even classical, Wilson has earned high marks from the music press and has captivated audiences from Barcelona to Berkeley with performances that defy easy categorization. His bright reimaginings of jazz standards and originals are well-informed by the rich history of great jazz singing while melding seamlessly with his heartfelt, eclectic stylings.

Kalil will be playing with a great band, including:

Billy White came of age in the San Francisco’s music scene of the 90’s. After graduating UCLA’s Ethnomusicology program under a trio of scholarships, he went on to live in New York City for 9 years, performing and recording with a wide variety of artists both within and outside of jazz, releasing “First Things First”, an album of jazz originals, to strong reviews in Down Beat and the SF Chronicle. Having first met at UCLA, he and Kalil and have worked closely together for many years, performing at clubs (including the Sound Room), neighborhood venues, and the Bear Valley Music Festival.

Genius Wesley has been hailed as a prodigy jazz drummer and percussionist. At age 18, he performs regularly and coaches youth players with the late Khalil Shaheed’s Oaktown Jazz Workshops and the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra. He resides in North Oakland, in a home his family has owned for generations.  

Bassist Chris Bastian is a California native who has lived and worked as a musician in Oakland, Los Angeles, New York City, Quito, Ecuador, and Santiago de Chile. He has performed with a variety of ensembles in a wide range of musical traditions including jazz, opera, blues, flamenco, Jewish music, huayno, soul, and Afrobeat,. He has performed at Radio City Music Hall, Herbst Theater, Studio 54, Yoshi’s, and Ars Nova and has had the honor to share the stage with Babá Ken Okulolo, Kenny Burrell, Kalil Wilson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Il Volo, among others. In addition to his versatility on double, electric, and keybass, Chris also plays accordion and keyboards. He is interested in the way people collaborate and the intersection of diverse forms of artistic expression.