Two rising stars in Jazz team up with a mentor to show you what the future holds. Join us as we present Ben Esposito & Luis Peralta with mentor Ron Belcher.
Drummer Ben Esposito is a Bay Area native, 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. Back in the Bay he has been working with all the local music greats and working on social justice issues.
Luis Peralta is a 20-year-old pianist from Oakland, California. He began playing piano at seven, embarking quickly on a serious study of European Classical and American Classical Music (Jazz). In 2017 he performed Alex Conde’s Concierto Para Piano Flamenco y Orquesta as a soloist with the Oakland Youth Orchestra. In 2019, Luis was awarded a full scholarship to study piano at the New School. He has studied with and performed with Bay Area figures such as Howard Wiley and Marcus Shelby. Currently, he studies with pianists Sullivan Fortner and John McCarthy.
Bassist Ron Belcher travels the world from France to Japan and throughout the United States bringing his rhythmically buoyant, emotionally uplifting style to the stage for a wide diversity of jazz artists. Performing or recording with such international stars as Branford Marsalis, Regina Carter, Rodney Franklin, John Handy, Kenny Washington and Pete Escovedo, as well as a literal “who’s who” of the San Francisco jazz scene, Ron has garnered a reputation as one of northern California’s first-call jazz bassists.
A passionate teacher and advocate for children’s education, Ron has served on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, Young Musicians’ Program, and has contributed to several seasons for the San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures In Music outreach program.
Doors open at 5:45, music will start at 6:45. Consider joining us for the evening by purchasing the Nite Out ticket which includes this show and the 9P comedy show. Grab a bite to eat at the show and have fun!
Tickets at Future of Jazz