Multiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his […]
The New York Times, Miami Herald, and Jazz Times Magazine have compared powerhouse jazz vocalist Nicole Henry to Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole for her dynamic range, impeccable phrasing, and bluesy gospel style. Whether burning through a swing tune or gently caressing a ballad, Nicole truly makes each song uniquely her own and “aims right […]
Starting his week as Resident Artistic Director in grand style, Kenny Barron performs with his ironclad working trio with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. Kitagawa’s 27-year association with Barron and Blake’s nearly twenty-year tenure have made them the finest working piano trio in jazz, a unit that has developed a singular depth of communication as captured on Barron’s […]
Expanding his stellar working trio to a quintet with the addition of SFJAZZ Collective trumpeter Mike Rodriguez and Bay Area-raised saxophone great Dayna Stephens, Kenny Barron explores new sonorities and textures in a program of originals and fresh takes on standards documented on his 2018 Blue Note album Concentric Circles. Best known for his work with the Charlie Haden Liberation Music […]
Called “one of the top jazz pianists in the world” by The Los Angeles Times, Kenny Barron is a 2010 NEA Jazz Master and eleven-time GRAMMY nominee who helped define and extend the jazz tradition since his work with Dizzy Gillespie in the early ‘60s catapulted him into the spotlight. Extensive associations with Freddie Hubbard, Yusef […]
Renowned trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and educator Sean Jones leads his NYO Jazz All-Star Quartet in Zankel Hall Center Stage, an intimate setting that invites audiences to sit on all sides of the performers. This communal, "in the round" configuration brings listeners closer than ever to the music—an ideal way to enjoy live jazz performed by […]
Kenny Barron closes his residency in the most spontaneous and creative way possible, with an evening of improvised music featuring a sterling lineup of adventurous artists. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu is a Guggenheim Fellow known for her visionary approach as a composer and her memorable work with Steve Coleman and Five Elements. A 2017 Juilliard graduate, […]
Fresh off the world premiere of his epic work La Creación at the Arsht Center in 2021, Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés returns to commemorate 50 years of IRAKERE, the legendary Afro-Cuban jazz band he founded that changed the face of Latin music forever. With its audacious mix of Afro-Cuban ritual music, Cuban dance music, […]
Two-time Grammy-winning vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Corinne Bailey Rae is among the most celebrated artists in contemporary soul and R&B. Named the number-one predicted breakout star by the BBC’s critics poll following the release of her #1 charting debut album in 2006, the Leeds-born Bailey Rae has racked up six GRAMMY nominations, an NAACP Image Award, […]
The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for more than half a century, virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés returns with Irakere 50, the new iteration of the legendary band that changed the course of Latin music in the 1970s and 80s. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, the winner of seven GRAMMYs and four […]
“A masterful ballad interpreter” (NYC Jazz Record), the sublime vocalist and 2015 Thelonious Monk competition finalist performs music from her newest Outside in Music album, Other Side. An artist on the rise, the New York City-based singer and composer weaves together elements of jazz, folk, and the use of her voice as an instrumental texture to create […]
Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti has been one of the most popular instrumentalists in the world for nearly three decades. He’s collaborated with some of the biggest superstars on the planet, including Sting, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Steven Tyler, Andrea Bocelli, Herbie Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma. He’s topped the […]
For many years a mainstay at New York’s cabaret capital, the Carlyle Hotel, singer and pianist Loston Harris and his swing-infused trio present intoxicating takes on gems from the Great American Songbook, carrying on the tradition of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Short, and Nat King Cole. Saturday Performance | 7:00pm & 8:30pm Sunday Performance | 6:00pm & 7:30 […]
In a span of two decades, René Marie has cemented her reputation not only as a singer but also as a composer, arranger, actress and educator. Guided and tempered by powerful life lessons and rooted in jazz traditions laid down by icons of past generations, this two-time Grammy Nominee melds jazz with elements of spirituals, […]
Ernest “EC3 Coleman III BIO Ernest, a second generation musician, was born in Naples, Italy to Ernest and Rebecca Coleman. His father, Ernest Jr., was a jazz musician who played tenor sax and was also a great arranger and composer. Ernest studied at the Naval Conservatory of Music in Norfolk, Virginia and was awarded a […]
“The most admired jazz diva since the heyday of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday,” (NY Times) GRAMMY winner and 2018 NEA Jazz Master Dianne Reeves is jazz’s greatest living vocalist — an artist who embodies the music’s enduring values of elegance, class, and improvisational poise. Her string of GRAMMYs includes an unprecedented three consecutive Best […]
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Gregory Porter was raised in Bakersfield, California, and he cites the Bakersfield Southern gospel sound, as well as his mother’s Nat King Cole record collection, as fundamental influences on his own sound. In 2013, he released his breakout Blue Note debut Liquid Spirit, which sold more than a million albums and earned Porter his […]
Nashville native makes her Carnegie Hall debut in the intimate setting of Zankel Hall Center Stage. A major rising star with a singularly soulful voice, Springs coolly blurs the lines between jazz, R&B, and soul. Recent recordings hint at the breadth of her influences, featuring music by artists who range from Ella Fitzgerald and Roberta Flack […]
Heralded as a 'supreme talent and purely expressive artist like no other' by All About Jazz, Nicole Zuraitis, a renowned vocal artist, pianist, and songwriter, brings her exceptional talents to the forefront. Her latest masterpiece, 'How Love Begins,' co-produced with jazz luminary Christian McBride, is currently nominated for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Album […]
Step into the SFJAZZ “living room” and hear artists and tastemakers spinning their favorite recordings while in conversation. Listening Parties offer listeners the chance to get behind-the- scenes and hear about music from the artist’s perspective. The format is an on-stage conversation in the Robert N. Miner Auditorium, accompanied by the artist’s pick of recorded, […]
Brandee Younger begins her week with two nights devoted to her 2023 Impulse! album Brand New Life, a shimmering collection of works written by or performed by the late jazz harp pioneer Dorothy Ashby, along with original compositions dedicated to Ashby’s enduring legacy. Building bridges that span jazz, classical music, and hip-hop, Younger is joined for these […]
For her final two nights of residency, Younger honors the life and music of the late harpist and jazz legend Alice Coltrane with her working trio, strings, and special guests. An artist chosen by Coltrane’s son Ravi to perform at a series of concerts in her honor as well as her memorial in 2007, Younger carries on […]
James Reese Europe and the Harlem Hellfighters: From the Dancehall to the Battlefield Jason Moran is one of jazz and modern American music’s most engaging and historically attuned artists. With a 10-piece expansion of his renowned Bandwagon trio, Moran celebrates the foundational, history-changing artistry of James Reese Europe—who brought the first taste of jazz not […]
Experience the magic of Grammy-winning Cameroonian multi-instrumentalist Richard Bona, known for his unique bass sound and captivating vocals! Bona beautifully blends African musical traditions with global jazz influences. His collaborations with music legends and his role as an educator and mentor highlight his diverse talents. The Asante Trio, his latest ensemble, showcases a fusion of […]