The Bleeding Edge: 9/21/2026

This continues to be a busy month. Fortunately, a generous number of the events have already been reported. In “order of appearance,” those events are as follows:

1. The 25th Annual San Francisco Electronic Music Festival at 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26
2. The five Metamorphosis compositions by Philip Glass performed by pianist Patrick Anderson, also on Saturday, September 26 but at 6:15 p.m.
3. Saxophonist Kasey Knudsen leading a jazz sextet for a Jazz Chez Hanny concert on Sunday, September 27, with door opening at 3:30 p.m.
4. The Atom String Quartet of violinists are Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, performing with Michał Zaborski on viola and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski for the last Old First Concerts performance of the month, also taking place on Sunday but beginning at 4 p.m.

Remaining events will also take place between Thursday and Sunday at a diversity of venues, many (most?) of which will be familiar to readers:

Thursday, September 24, and Sunday, September 27, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., and Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Black Cat Jazz Supper Club: Saxophonist Stacy Dillard and trumpeter Josh Evans  will lead a quintet whose other members have not yet been identified. In their words, the repertoire will be “hard swing, sharp interplay, and the kind of late-night jazz energy that keeps the room on edge.” Admission for all performances will be $30. The club is located in the Civic Center at 400 Eddy Street.

Thursday, September 24, 7 p.m., Mr Tipple’s: Japanese jazz pianist Rumi Abe is now based in San Francisco, following her career in Tokyo, where she appeared in over 200 performances annually. She will lead a quartet with drummer Akira Tana and bassist John Wiitala. Saxophonist Kasey Knudsen will take the front line. As many readers probably know by now, the venue is located at 39 Fell Street.

Friday, September 25, 7 p.m., Community Music Center: Persistence is a program of two nights of music and poetry performed both nationally and internationally by Bay Area artists. On the first of these programs, the poets will be devorah major and Josiah Luis Alderete. Each reading will be followed by a combo. The first of these will be a quartet called Red Fast Triple Luck, whose performers will be David Boyce and Francis Wong on reeds, keyboardist Chris Trinidad, and spoken word artist PC Muñoz. The second will be the Music at Large quartet, identified only by the performers: Lewis Jordan, Sandi Poindexter, Ollen Erich Hunt, and Jimmy Biala. For those that do not already know, the venue is located in the Mission at 544 Capp Street.

Friday, September 25, 7 p.m., Medicine for Nightmares: The next Other Dimensions in Sound performance to be curated by “Boohaabian multi reed player extraordinaire David Boyce” will see him playing saxophones and special effects as part of a quartet. He will be joined on the front line by saxophonist Francis Wong. Rhythm will be provided by Chris Trinidad on bass with percussionist PC Munoz who will supplement his drum kit with boom stick and flying hook-rug. As many (most?) readers probably know by now, the venue is located in the Mission at 3036 24th Street, between Treat Avenue and Harrison Street. As always, there is no charge for admission, presumably to encourage visitors to consider buying a book.

Bruce Ackley with his soprano saxophone (from the BayImproviser Web page for his performance this week)

Saturday, September 26, 7 p.m., Community Music Center:  The second performance of Persistence will present a poetry reading by Genny Lim. The program will conclude with Poetic License (with no further information currently provided). Saxophonist Bruce Ackley will perform with The Don Robinson Abstract, whose set will be followed by Music at X-Large.

Saturday, September 26, 7:30 p.m., Bird & Beckett Books and Records: Drummer Devin Gray is currently based in Berlin. However, he is currently on a West Coast tour, which will bring him to San Francisco. He will lead a quartet with trumpeter Darren Johnston on the front line. He will be joined in the rhythm section by Lisa Mezzacappa on bass and guitarist Liberty Ellman. For those that do not already know, the bookstore is locate at 653 Chenery Street, a short walk from the Glen Park station for both Muni and BART.

Sunday, September 27, 7 p.m., Bric-a-Brac: Johnny Bell, who performs on a diversity of instruments, is currently on his Basin & Range Tour. He will be performing with “an outstanding bill of Bay Area artists.” He will be joined by the vocal duo of Eda Er and Tasya Abbot. There will also be a duo performance of traditional and experimental string band music by Sadie Siskin and Waldner Kalb, as well as solo improvisations by guitarist Joseph Bradshaw. The venue is located at 175 Leland Avenue. Admission will be $10, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.