Some readers may recall that, prior to the pandemic, I tried to provide preview material for performances in the Joe Henderson Lab at the SFJAZZ Center. However, when SFJAZZ resumed post-pandemic concerts, my awareness of any of them turned out to be a “sometime thing.” This past week showed the first signs that I would be able to preview SFJAZZ events that do not take place in Miner Auditorium, which I continue to avoid, due to “flaws and inconveniences,” which I shall not belabor. It also turns out that this month SFJAZZ will venture back to Davies Symphony Hall. Unless I am mistaken, the last time Davies hosted an SFJAZZ event was in June of 2011 for the performance of A Night in Treme. Here, then, is an account to preview a diversity of SFJAZZ offerings taking place in venues other than Miner Auditorium:
Thursday, September 7–Sunday, September 10: The month will begin with a program entitled SFJAZZ Collective: Past & Present Members. This season marks the twentieth anniversary of the Collective. Past and present members will perform in configurations from solo to trio. Arrangements are still in progress; but, as of this writing, confirmed artists include current members Mike Rodriguez on trumpet and Warren Wolf on vibraphone and alumni Robin Eubanks on trombone and Matt Penman on bass. There will be performances at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday; and the second Thursday concert is already sold out. A single Web page has been created for the event, which includes hyperlinks for all ticket purchases.
Friday, September 8: The first performance in Davies will be a tribute to Nina Simone performed by R&B diva Ledisi. She will be backed by her own full orchestra (which will not be the San Francisco Symphony). In all likelihood her selections will be drawn from her 2021 Listen Back album Ledisi Sings Nina. The performance will begin at 8 p.m. A Web page has been created for the purchase of tickets, which are being sold for $55, $85, $125, and $160.
Saturday, September 9: The second performance in Davies will present the “global fusion” combo Shakti. This was created through the collaboration of guitarist John McLaughlin and tabla player Zakir Hussain. Other performers will be vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram. A special guest has not yet been announced. As of this writing, all tickets have been sold. Information about ticket returns can be found by calling the Box Office at 866-920-5299 (or 415-788-7353 for SFJAZZ members).
Thursday, September 14–Saturday, September 16: This program will present no-holds-barred improvisation by four highly skilled jazzmen. This will involve two contrasting drummers, Scott Amendola, who is based in Berkeley, and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. Rhythm will also be provided on a Hammond B-3 organ by Wil Blades. The one “front line” improviser will be Raffi Garabedian on tenor saxophone. (He is also a member of Amendola’s Sticklerphonics trio.) Once again, there will be performances at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A single Web page has been created for the event, which includes hyperlinks for all ticket purchases.
Monday, September 18: This will be the September installment of the monthly open jam sessions. These are known as SFJAM: Free Community Jam Session, and this particular event will be called Silver Serenade, curated by Kristen Strom. Each session is free and open to the public with no need for reservations or tickets. Participants are expected to sign up a few weeks in advance, and this should be enabled through a hyperlink from the Web page for this particular event. Space for participants is often limited.
Thursday, September 21: Drummer Smith Dobson will lead a quartet in a performance of Shades, the title of a 1976 Impulse! Records album. Shades was the fifth album on that label to be led by pianist Keith Jarrett. The other members of his quartet were saxophonist Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden on bass, and drummer Paul Motian. (Guilherme Franco contributed as a second percussionist.) The other members of Dobson’s quartet will be Patrick Wolff on tenor saxophone, Eric Markowitz on bass, and pianist Dahveed Behroozi. As usual, there will be performances at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; and tickets may be purchased online from a single Web page. This will be the first of four concerts to be performed under the rubric of Jazz & Roots; the remaining three are as follows:
Friday, September 22: Pianist Connie Han will make her SFJAZZ debut in a performance of the music from her newest Mack Avenue album, Secrets of Inanna. She will lead her “empathic trio;” but the names of the other performers have not yet been released. On her album she plays a Fender Rhodes electric piano with rhythm provided by John Patitucci on bass and drummer Bill Wysaske. As usual, there will be performances at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; and tickets may be purchased online from a single Web page.
Saturday, September 23: The American Patchwork Quartet was formed to reclaim the immigrant soul of American folk and roots music. The performers are Hindustani vocalist Falu Shah, guitarist Clay Ross (co-founder of Ranky Tanky), Issei bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Clarence Penn. As usual, there will be performances at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; and tickets may be purchased online from a single Web page.
Sunday, September 24: The week will conclude with a performance by Azerbaijan-born pianist Amina Figarova. She will lead a quintet, whose other members include Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Martin Masakowski on bass, and drummer Donald Edwards. The quintet will also include flautist Bart Platteau, who has been playing with Figarova for as long as I can remember, dating back to the release of her Twelve album based on recording sessions that took place in February of 2012. Performances will be at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online from a single Web page.
Thursday, September 28–Sunday, October 1: The month will conclude with the organ trio led on a Hammond B3 by Larry Goldings. He will be joined by guitarist Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart on drums. This trio released its thirteenth album, Perpetual Pendulum, in March of 2022. Performances will begin at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. except on Sunday, when they will begin at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online from a single Web page.
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