SFJAZZ: March, 2025

This is around the time that I try to inform readers about the schedule at the Joe Henderson Lab of the SFJAZZ Center for the following month. As many readers probably know by now, this is my preferred venue for those that take attentive listening to jazz seriously. The SFJAZZ 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:

Saturday, March 1, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The month will begin by continuing the Noise Pop festival, which began on February 27. The first performer of the new month will be August Lee Stevens, a masterful young singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose work encompasses elements of soul, jazz, and modern folk. Her selection will probably include tracks from her latest EP album, Better Places. Other contributing performers have not yet been announced.

Sunday, March 2, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: MeloDious is the duo of sisters Micaiah and Memphis Dempsey. Both are vocalists. As instrumentalists, Micaiah plays keyboards; and Memphis is a drummer. Their latest (and possibly debut) album is Is It The Way: Volume 1, which was released July 14, 2023.

Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: “Dynamic Miss” Faye Carol will present a program entitled Voice and Drums. The drummer behind her vocal work will be Dennis Chambers. They will also be joined by Joe Warner on piano and bassist Essiet Essiet.

Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: This will be a Dance Floor Show with music provided by saxophonist Howard Wiley, who is currently the SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director. His “core band” is a quartet, whose other members are organist LJ Holoman, Clark Sims on bass, and drummer Dante “Taz” Roberson. There will also be guest appearances by pianist Nona Brown, whose vocal work has deep roots in gospel music, and pianist Kev Choice.

Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Paolo Angeli’s Web page describes him as a “Sardinian Guitar Innovator.” His approach to innovation includes an eighteen-string instrument, which serves as a “hybrid” of guitar, cello, and drums. (In fact, the overall theme for this week is Innovations, and it will involve three different programs.) As an ethnomusicologist, he commands a deep knowledge of Sardinian music. His performance involves bows, strikes, hammers, plucks, and strums on his instrument, while he controls motorized propellers through foot control. Sources for his original compositions include flamenco, jazz, Baroque, post-rock, and “new music.”

Saturday, March 15, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The second “innovator” of the week will be South African pianist Bokani Dyer. He will lead a trio, which will probably be based on his Neo Native album. The other South African performers on that album are bassist Romy Brauteseth and Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums.

Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: House of Waters is the duo of hammered dulcimer player Max ZT and Moto Fukushima on bass. Their sources include African, Indian, and Middle Eastern traditions, combined with modern jazz improvisation and intricate rhythmic structures. They released a self-titled album in 2016, which received critical acclaim for its originality and emotional depth; and the duo continues to push the boundaries of contemporary instrumental music, offering listeners a rich tapestry of sounds that is both innovative and deeply rooted in diverse musical traditions.

Friday, March 21, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: Sundra Manning is an organist born in Oakland. This will be a return visit to SFJAZZ; and she has prepared an evening of original compositions and the works of one of her influences, organ great Shirley Scott. Her program promises to be a soulful blend of bebop, blues, and gospel. She will supplement her keyboard performance with vocal work. Any additional performers have yet to be announced.

Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.: Tammy Hall, who plays both piano and organ works extensively with the SFJAZZ Education Department is a Lead Teaching Artist. For this concerto she will focus on piano. She will be leading a trio, and any additional performers have not yet been announced.

Friday, March 28, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.: The month will conclude with a series of Trumpet Week programs. Rachel Therrien plays both trumpet and flugelhorn. She is a French-Canadian from Montreal, but she has immersed herself in Cuban music. Her latest album, Mi Hogar (my home), showcases an expansive array of Latin jazz masters based in New York.

Multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling (from the SFJAZZ Web page for her performance)

Sunday, March 30, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.: Known (at least by her SFJAZZ Web page) as “Sweden’s Queen Of Swing,” Gunhild Carling is actually a prodigious multi-instrumentalist (as can be seen from the above photograph). We may thus assume that her Trumpet Week performance may not be limited to the trumpet! She is also a vocalist; but, as of this writing, there is no information of other musicians that may be joining her.