BRUCE FORMAN

San Francisco’s Bard of Bop comes home for a night of jazz guitar stunts, storytelling, and mayhem. With his SF trio most anything can happen…and it usually does!

A hectic touring schedule; twenty-one recordings as a leader,  countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s distinguished films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; raconteur, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept., when does Bruce Forman rest?

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MARIA HOWELL | GIRLS IN GOWNS

Girls in Gowns is a unique musical initiative created by singer and actor Maria Howell. This collaborative project features female performers coming together to showcase their talents while dressed in elegant gowns. The concept blends various musical genres, highlighting the diverse capabilities of each performer. The inaugural performance of “Girls in Gowns” took place at a fundraising event over 10 years ago, for Students Without Mothers, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students, who have lost their mothers. Over time, the event has grown in popularity, becoming a highly anticipated occasion, wherever it’s presented. It not only celebrates musical artistry, but also raises funds for scholarships, continuing to support and empower deserving students in need.

For more information about the non-profit organization, visit www.studentswithoutmothers.org

The Girls: Maria Howell, Tracy Hamlin, Ronee Martin, Karen Briggs ~ violin

The Band: Noel Freidline ~ piano/keys | Zack Page ~ bass | Justin Varnes ~ drums

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TIFFANY AUSTIN

Tiffany Austin is a vocalist, composer, educator, and Berkeley Law Juris Doctor. She has performed with luminaries such as Pharoah Sanders, Roy Ayers, John Handy, Cyrus Chestnut, and Doug Carn. Her soulful delivery and musical storytelling has brought her to stages at Birdland and Dizzy’s Den in NYC, Walt Disney Concert Hall in her native Los Angeles and the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. Beyond California, she has performed in Europe, Asia, and Australasia, as well as on nationally televised programming in the United States.

Tammy Lynne Hall – Piano | Kevin Goldberg – Bass | Kayla Hernandez – Drums

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PETER ERSKINE & BOB MINTZER

Speaking about the musical marriage of drummer Peter Erskine, pianist Alan Pasqua and bassist Darek Oles, journalist Jim Worsley from All About Jazz said, “The trio could be considered the perfect melting pot of creativity, complexity, and rhythm, pollinated with spontaneous interplay and intelligent conversation.”  That’s quite a summary of these top-tier jazzmen who, after playing together for decades, find themselves at the top of their game. Their Live In Italy recording, which garnered a Grammy nomination in 2022, is evidence of their primacy.

What makes the meeting of minds extra special now is the addition of saxophonist Bob Mintzer, acclaimed composer, arranger, and founding member of the Yellowjackets. A long-time associate to all, Mintzer elevates the group’s collective mastery in a new project, The McIntosh Sessions, a direct-to-tape recording representing the partnership between hi-end audio giants McIntosh Laboratory and Sterling Sound. At the heart of this captured performance is a vibrant intimacy that speaks volumes about the singular power of jazz and pure, reproduced sound.

Erskine and company revealed this immediacy in the studio. But, in fact, they bring it to the stage each time they play.

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CLAIRDEE

In a career spanning some four decades, the vivacious Clairdee has performed as an internationally touring artist who’s collaborated with some of America’s most celebrated jazz masters, including Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Houston Person, Cyrus Chestnut, Russell Malone and Ken Peplowski.

Deeply informed by the music’s departed masters, Clairdee puts a personal stamp on whatever she sings, a gift aptly described by the inimitable Nancy Wilson, who declared that “in the tradition of all great vocalists she infuses each song with her own unique style while always remaining true to the song itself.” Equally at home singing various idioms in an array of settings, in addition to leading her own world-class band, Clairdee works with symphony orchestras, big bands, and intimate duos.

Clairdee’s discography as leader includes four highly regarded albums on her Declare Music label. “A Love Letter to Lena,” garnered international press and was acknowledged in three categories in the 2020 Grammy® first round nominations.

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