SFJAZZ: June, 2024

This month’s offerings in the Joe Henderson Lab of the SFJAZZ Center were folded into a “busy weekend” article. The first half of next month, however, will be devoted to the 41st San Francisco Jazz Festival. All but two of the performances will take place at the Center, while Herbst Theatre and Davies Symphony Hall will each host one event. Those two “exceptions” to the rule will be cited at the end of this article. First, however, there will be an account of Henderson events. 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:

Wednesday, June 5, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The title of the Opening Night program is Unity Through Sound. It will be a performance by the 24-member CO-LLAB Choir, led by keyboardist, vocalist, and arranger Cava Menzies, who is also the co-founder of the Oakland School for the Arts. This ensemble is dedicated to developing new works with a wide array of visionary composers, as well as co-arranging and co-composing music specifically by members of the group.

Thursday, June 6, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The Lao Tizer Band will make its SFJAZZ debut. They will perform material from AMPLIFY, which will be released both as an album and as a video. Tizer leads from multiple keyboards (including the piano). He will lead a quartet whose other members are Gene Coyle on drums, vocalist Elliott Yamin, and Anthony Crawford on bass.

Friday, June 7, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The Rodriguez brothers are trumpeter Mike (a member of the SFJAZZ Collective) and Robert on piano. They are the sons of drummer Roberto Rodriguez. In 2015 they released the album Impromptu, which received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album. Their repertoire mixes Afro-Cuban rhythms with modern jazz.

Saturday, June 8, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Nikara Warren is a vibraphonist. Her compositions blend the genres of hip-hop, jazz, neo-soul, and rhythms of both Afro-Latino and Afro-Caribbean origins. As of this writing, it is uncertain whether she will play solo or with a backup group.

Sunday, June 9, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Kalil Amar Wilson is an alumnus of the Oakland Youth Chorus. They now perform piano music as well as vocals. Their most recent album is Time Stops, sharing composition duties with pianist Dan Marschak. Most likely, this will be a solo performance.

Monday, June 10, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Drummer and composer Sylvia Cuenca will make her SFJAZZ debut as a leader. Unfortunately, the other members of her combo have not yet been announced. However, since Nat Hentoff has christened her “the fiery incarnation of Art Blakey,” one should probably approach her combo work with high expectations!

Tuesday, June 11, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: This will be a duo performance by Spanish-born jazz pianist Chano Domínguez and Antonio Lizana, who is both a saxophonist and a flamenco singer. They will perform selections from Estándares, released by Altafonte in 2022. Those selections will reimagine standards from different eras, such as Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are,” Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way,” and John Coltrane’s “Resolution” (the second movement of his extended suite A Love Supreme).

Wednesday, June 12, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Bassist and composer Ben Wolfe will lead a quartet whose other members are Nicole Glover on saxophone, pianist Orrin Evans, and Aaron Kimmel on drums. The program will present selections from Wolfe’s Unjust album. He also plans to preview selections from his next release in 2025, which will consist of four extended compositions.

Thursday, June 13, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Guitarist and composer Oscar Peñas made his SFJAZZ debut during the 2022–23 season. For this performance he will play electric guitar, leading a trio, whose other members will be Simón Wilson on upright bass, and Marc Ferber on drums. His original compositions weave together jazz, Spanish folk music, and the European classical tradition.

Friday, June 14, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Cameroonian-American vocalist Ekep Nkwelle will make her San Francisco debut, having already been celebrated as a “rising star” on “the other coast.”

Saturday, June 15, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Jumaane Smith is both a trumpeter and a vocalist. His debut album as a trumpeter was I Only Have Eyes for You, which was released in 2014. This a standards album with a plethora of “guest artists,” one of whom was the young opera vocalist Jackie Evancho. He continued to explore the Great American Songbook in 2020 with the release of When You’re Smiling, which evoked the timeless appeal of Louis Armstrong.

Sunday, June 16, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: The Festival will conclude with a festive Dance Floor Show (which means standing room only for general admission). Music will be provided by Sal’s Greenhouse, an Oakland-based soul and R&B group. They take their name from their leader, vocalist and baritone saxophonist Sally Green.

The two events that will not be taking place in the SFJAZZ Center are as follows:

Friday, June 7, 8 p.m., Herbst Theatre: The Big Phat Band is led by pianist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger Gordon Goodwin. This group was formed in 2000 and reflects an impressive diversity of Goodwin’s influences: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power! For their return visit, the group will be joined by the eclectic Bay Area-based string group Quartet San Francisco.

Wednesday, June 12, 8 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall: This program was planned to celebrate the centennial of Canadian piano legend Oscar Peterson. As might be expected, the performances will focus on Peterson’s own compositions. This will include the United States premiere of his AFRICA suite, arranged by John Clayton, and a performance of Canadiana Suite, composed in 1964, in its entirety. The performers will be a quartet led by pianist Benny Green, who had been Peterson’s protégé. Rhythm will be provided by guitarist Russell Malone, Jeff Hamilton on drums, and bassist Clayton (who is also a composer). The program will also feature three other pianists: SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Kenny Barron, Gerald Clayton, and Tamir Hendelman. Finally, John Clayton and Hamilton will join forces to lead (what else?) the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.