The Bleeding Edge: 1/29/2024

This will be a moderately quiet week in the Bleeding Edge. Two events have already been accounted for as follows:

• The Underground Jazz Cabaret at The Lab with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 2, and Saturday, February 3.
• The next Earplay concert hosted by Old First Concerts at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 5.

There are two previously unreported events. However, one of them will be the first February event at the Center for New Music (C4NM); so this report will preview the rest of the month there.

Saturday, February 3, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Keys Jazz Bistro: Trio M brings together three visionary jazz artists: pianist Myra Melford, Mark Dresser on bass, and drummer Matt Wilson. All three of these performers are so inventive that there are no distinctions between the frontline and the accompaniment. There will be a happy hour beginning at 5 p.m. Seating is first-come-first-serve. The venue is located in North Beach at 498 Broadway.

Saturday, February 3, 7:30 p.m., C4NM: This will be the third installment of The Opus Project with a survey of Opus 3 compositions. They will include Jean Sibelius and Niccolò Paganini, as well as local Bay Area composers Johannes Löhner, John Vidovic, and Lukaš Janata. In addition, Vance Maverick will contribute a special new arrangement. For those that do not yet know, the Center is located at 55 Taylor Street, half a block north of the Golden Gate Theater, which is where Golden Gate Avenue meets Market Street. Ticket will be $15 for general admission with a $10 rate for members and students. Tickets may be purchased in advance through an Eventbrite Web page. The remaining events of the month are as followed with hyperlinks on the dates for ticket purchases: [added 1/31, 9:10 a.m.:

• Sunday, February 4, 7:30 p.m.: Sarah Grace Graves and Helēna Sorokina will present a program entitled Shared Monologues. As may be deduced from the title, each of them will perform a selection of solo compositions. However, there will also be a few duo performances, one of which will be Giacinto Scelsi’s “Sauh.” Other composers to be represented on the program will be Jon Yu, Sarah Grace Graves, Carol Robinson, Gudenga Šmite, and Feliz Anne Reyes Macahis.]
  
• Saturday, February 10, 7:30 p.m.: This is the latest program of new music written by members of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of NACUSA. Contributing composers will be Darrell R. Adams (Divergences for clarinet, 2 violins, viola and cello), Molly Axtmann (Prelude in F# minor for piano), Douglas Ovens (whisper, Murmur… SHOUT! for clarinet and vibraphone), Allan Shearer (Duo for violin and cello). There will also be two works for a trio of clarinet, violin, and piano. “Dance Aria” was composed jointly by John and Anthony Bilotta, and Davide Verotta will contribute “Two Dances.” The program will also feature the winners of the Nancy Bloomer Deussen Competition, Emily Thomas – for the Emerging Composer category, and Malcolm Xiellie – for the Young Composer category.
• Saturday, February 17, noon: This will be the latest monthly installment of G|O|D|W|A|F|F|L|E|N|O|I|S|E|P|A|N|C|A|K|E|S. This offers the usual opportunity to enjoy vegan pancakes will listening to “bleeding edge” music. As usual, general admission will be $10 with a $6 rate for members and students. Music programming is scheduled to conclude by 2 p.m. The contributing performers and composers will be John Bischoff, Evicshen, Andrew Wayne Bored Valentine, Midmight, and Conner Tomaka.