Ben Esposito headlines this great band. As a drummer who is emerging through the scene as one of the top call musicians, he has pulled together a tremendous band.

Espositio is a local musician - born and raised in Alameda. He was a college freshman studying music education and performance at Chicago’s DePaul University when the pandemic hit, and had been playing weekly at a Baptist Church on Chicago’s South side as well as working with the great guitarist Bobby Broom and bassist Dennis Carroll. He came back home to the Bay Area and soon got busy playing outdoors at Lake Merritt in Oakland working with great players, both budding talents and seasoned pros (like the three with him on this gig), to raise money for social justice causes.

Ben is joined by sax legend Howard Wiley - Wiley’s love of jazz and arranging led him to fuse his jazz sounds with funk. Wiley has toured internationally, recorded and performed with artists including Miss Lauryn Hill, Sheila E, Cory Henry, Christian McBride, Chester Thompson and more.

Matt Clark is a major fixture in the San Francisco jazz scene. He studied. at Oberlin Conservatory, then moved to the Bay Area becoming an in-demand rhythm section player. He has played with Bobby Hutcherson, Marcus Shelby, and Joshua Redman among others.

Bassist Laura Welland studied and played with John Clayton and toured with greats like Joe LaBarbera & Bill Mays. A consummate performer, she is making a mark in the jazz world.

Tickets at Ben Esposito Quartet