As usual, this site will do its best to account for performances in the Joe Henderson Lab at the SFJAZZ Center. This remains my preferred venue in the Center when it comes to attentive listening; and I try to account for all of the options, even when one of them (April 7) has s Web page claiming the performance is in Miner Auditorium! (Anyone clicking “BUY TICKETS” will quickly see that the prices are for Henderson!) For those that do not already know, the Center is located at 201 Franklin Street, on the northwest corner of Fell Street, where the main entrance doors are located. Performance dates, times, and hyperlinks for purchasing tickets are as follows:
Sunday, April 7, 4 p.m.: Júlio Resende will appear as a “Visiting Presenter.” He is a pianist and composer, whose expertise encompasses both jazz and traditional Portuguese fado. He will perform with Bruno Chaviero, a master of Portuguese guitar. The program will debut songs from Resende’s most recent album, Sons of the Revolution.
Thursday, April 18, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: This evening will mark the beginning of a Joe Henderson Festival, which will run through April 21. Ranzel Merritt is a tenor saxophonist, who will lead a trio with rhythm proved by Eytan Hyman on bass and drummer Rodney Rocques, Jr. The title of the program will be Inner Urge, which was the title of Henderson’s fourth album, recorded for Blue Note in 1964 and released in March of 1966. The program will include Henderson’s “Inner Urge,” as will as Thelonious Monk’s “Isotope.”
Saturday, April 20, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The second Henderson tribute will be a performance by The Modern Line quartet, led by flutist and composer Lori Bell. The other quartet members are pianist Josh Nelson, Owen Clapp on bass, and drummer Brian Fishler. The quartet will mix their own original compositions with reimagined approaches to music by Henderson, Woody Shaw, and Bill Evans.
Sunday, April 21, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: The Festival will conclude with another saxophonist, Michael Zilber; he will leader a larger band, whose details are not yet available.
Thursday, April 25, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Henderson programs for this week have been prepared for South African Freedom Day Commemoration. The series will begin with a solo performance by South African guitarist Derek Gripper. His program will include his own original compositions and transcriptions of music by West Africa’s greatest masters of the 21-string kora, particularly Mali’s Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko. For those unfamiliar with the latter instrument, it is made from a skin-covered calabash with a hardwood neck. Due to the number of strings, an adept performer can improvise flowing melodies accompanied by bass lines and harmonic progressions.
Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: South African vocalist and composer Melanie Scholtz will be accompanied at the piano by Aaron Rimbui (who was born in Nairobi). Their program will be a tribute to Miriam Makeba, who was a leading social activist in South African, as well as a vocalist and a songwriter. She was no stranger to the United States; and, when the equal rights movement was at its most intense, she married Stokely Carmichael (which led to her visa being revoked). Scholtz and Rimbul will be joined by other musicians not yet finalized.
Sunday, April 28, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: The Festival will conclude with South African McCoy Mrubata, who plays both saxophone and flute. He was born in Cape Town and is now based in Johannesburg. He will be making his West Coast debut as a leader, but any information about whom he will be leading has not yet been provided.
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