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653 Chenery Street in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood
Open to walk-in trade and browsing Tuesday to Sunday noon to six
phone: 1-415-586-3733 email: [email protected]
Here’s a little backstory, to get us to where we now stand… in re: the Fridays, anyway… Read on! And thanks for being part of the Bird & Beckett story in the present day. /s/Eric Whittington, proprietor, since 1999 Once upon a time, in the late spring of 1999, Bird & Beckett opened its doors down on Diamond Street where Manzoni now serves exquisite Northern Italian cuisine to the ravenous epicures who’ve found their way to Glen Park. We took on the nicely appointed 1,000 square foot space from the four-year-old Glen Park Books, and paid our rent to Manhal Jweinat, still to this day the crepemaster behind the counter of his kitty-corner coffee house, Higher Grounds, which he opens in the early morning before jamming across the street to handle his love child, Manzoni through the dinner hours. Amazing fella, and still a good friend, that Manhal! Within…
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Funk – Jazz – Tango – Jazz – Jam Session _____ Thursday, January 22, 7:30pm: Fog City Groove [Soul/Funk/Worldbeat] {$20} _____ Friday, January 23, 6:00pm: 230 Jones Street Band [Hard Bop]{$20} _____ Friday, January 23, 8:30pm: Tango No. 9 [Tango Nuevo y Más] {$20} _____ Saturday, January 24, 7:30pm: Kevin Gerzevitz Trio [plays Herbie Nichols] {$20} _____ Sunday, January 25, 5:00pm: Jam Session/Vince Lateano Trio [jazz] {$20} _____ Reserve a seat by calling the bookshop at (415) 586-3733. We’ll hold your reservation until the music starts. No advance ticket sales; plan to pay with cash at the door, and byob. _____ Thursday, January 22, 7:30–9:30pm {$20, $10 for students; kids free} Fog City Groove Soul/Funk/Worldbeat Shelley Sorenson, vocals/flute; Lisa Hartmeyer, tenor sax; Lear Blitzstein, bari sax; John Brixie, keys; Matt Flynn, guitar; Brian Bishop, congas; John Sweet, bass; Tom Misage, drums Friday, January 23, 6:00–8:00pm {$20, $10 for students; kids…
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Poetry – Fiction – Jazz x5 Tuesday, January 27, 7:00pm: Nellie Wong Memorial Reading [Poetry reading] {free} _____ Thursday, January 29, 5:30pm: Tara Dorabji & Betty Shamieh [Fiction reading] {free} NOTE START TIME CHANGE! _____ Friday, January 30, 6:00pm: Erik Jekabson Quintet {$25} _____ Friday, January 30, 8:30pm: Vaughn Cannon Quartet {$20} _____ Saturday, January 31, 7:30pm: Dawn Lambeth w/ the Caparone/Hamilton Trio {$20} _____ Sunday, February 1, 5:00pm: Next Gen Jam w/ Urban High School Bebop Combo {$} _____ Sunday, February 1, 7:30pm: Craig Handy Quartet {$20} _____ Reserve a seat by calling the bookshop at (415) 586-3733. We’ll hold your reservation until the music starts. No advance ticket sales; plan to pay with cash at the door, and byob. _____ MORE DETAILS: Tuesday, January 27, 7:00 – 9:00pm Nellie Wong Memorial Reading Genny Lim and Flo Oy Wong as “The Hoisan Poets,” Kim Shuck, Maw Shein Win, Merle…
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The posts that follow show you what’s come and gone. Search the videos on our youtube channel or facebook page to find evidence of what you remember, or what you missed! Then, make sure you catch the next thing that catches your fancy. The live streams are great, but live music in a room with folks you know or ought to get to know, that’s irreplaceable…
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Kevin Gerzevitz, piano. Ari Munkres, bass. Tim Bulkley, drums. $20 cover; byob. Students, $10. For a reservation, call the shop at 415-586-3733. Pianist and composer Herbie Nichols was a marvelously singular musician and wrote many beautiful and often complex tunes much admired by modern jazz musicians and aficionados, though relatively obscure to the popular jazz audience, including House Party Starting and Serenade (recorded by Billie Holiday as “Lady Sings the Blues”). The trio pays tribute in two sets of music.
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Tango No. 9 has been making audiences swoon for two decades with their exquisite and charming sets, and we’re overheated with excitement every time they hit the stage in our cozy little bookshop. The group comprises violinist Catharine Clune, pianist Joshua Raoul Brody and trombonist Greg Stephens, together with the dashing Zoltan DiBartolo, who vocalizes those Argentinian, Spanish and Italian tunes that stir the soul. From Astor Piazzola’s Buenos Aires and Paris to your own fog shrouded city of love, they deliver music that is haunting, inspiring and soulfully satisfying. Byob, and a twenty for the band! For a reservation, call the shop at 415-586-3733.
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Remembering the good times, and still living them… There’s jazz every Friday at Bird & Beckett, these days with a 6pm jazz happy hour and an 8:30 extra show. If you’ve just caught wind of what goes on here, then come on down. You’ll find a gem in the rough you only imagined might still exist in the magical city that is San Francisco. It’s drummer Tony Johnson’s 230 Jones Street Band tonight in the 6pm Jazz Happy Hour, with Charlie McCarthy on saxophone, Sam Cady on piano and Chuck Bennett on bass, veteran players who came up with bebop and who’ve played all the styles that bebop took off from and spawned in the decades since swing was king. And at 8:30pm, Tango No. 9 takes the stage with their unique take on Argentina’s marvelous musical export, with Catharine Clune on violin, Greg Stephens on trombone, Joshua Raoul Brody…
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Bird & Beckett is pleased to present an eight-piece soul/funk outfit brought to Glen Park by drummer/Friday B&B sound engineer/neighbor and all around good guy Tom Misage! Prepare to kick our chairs to the side and dance in the aisles! BYOB & a twenty for the band! Doors open at 7:15pm.
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Thursday, January 15, 7:30 – 9:00pm {no charge, donations welcome} Walker Talks…a live streamed rumination from the darkened shop. Walker Brents III on the mythopoeic California of Ursula Le Guin. Walker addresses topics in poetry, mythology & folklore, philosophy and more, once a month. Find Walker’s talks on our YouTube channel or Facebook page; or at showtime, right at the top of this website. Audiences in the store are welcome (knock on the window for admission, and bring $5 or $10 for Walker), but this is primarily a live streamed program. Friday, January 16, 6:00 – 8:00pm {$20 suggested cover charge; pay what you can. $5 for students; kids free} Scott Foster Combo The Masters Series Charlie McCarthy, saxophone Scott Foster, guitar Luke Schwartz, guitar Scott Foster, long considered our favorite guitarist, has been a consistent presence on the Bird & Beckett stage for nearly a quarter century, since…
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Lucas Davis, trumpet Isaac Coyle, bass Miles Turk, drums $20 cover charge; byob. Students $10. For a reservation, call the store at 415-586-3733. The Lucas Davis Trio plays music created by artists who most inspire the trio’s leader, as well as his original compositions embracing a modern aesthetic rooted in the tradition of Black American Music. The trio focuses on improvisation to allow each musician the opportunity to contribute their voices. Lucas Davis is a creative musician dedicated to spreading peace and love by sharing his music with audiences across the world. He is a passionate improviser, performer, and composer in the jazz world, but has thrived in many genres. A graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Lucas studied jazz, roots, and American music under the mentorship of Mike Rodriguez, Mario Guarneri, Matt Brewer, Anthony Wilson, Marcus Printup, and more. He maintains an active career as a freelance…
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Charlie McCarthy, saxophone. Scott Foster, guitar. Luke Schwartz, guitar. $20 suggested cover charge; byob. Students, $5; kids free. For a reservation, call the bookshop at 415-586-3733. Arrive 15 minutes before showtime to claim your seat. Charlie McCarthy has been an acknowledged master of the reeds and flute for decades. His tone is impeccable, his sense of swing and inventiveness ever fresh and sure. A master on the regional jazz scene. Guitarist Scott Foster has been a key player at Bird & Beckett since we began presenting jazz in the bookshop on a weekly basis nearly a quarter of a century ago, in late 2002. Now, you can hear him on the third Friday of each month with a freshly conceived combo every time out. His duo date with young virtuoso guitarist Luke Schwartz a few months back was pure pleasure; this week he merges that delightful pairing with his determination…
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Kim Shuck,San Francisco Poet Laureate Emirta, hosts poetry readings on Zoom twice a month. The second Monday of each month, there are featured readers followed by an open mic. The fourth Sunday of each month, it’s all open mic. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84350265713?pwd=eE84V3BYdWxiSFBHNHhmdUt1WTUzdz09 Meeting ID: 843 5026 5713 Passcode: 244211 Tonight’s featured readers are Kimi Sugioka and Nala Washington Kimi Sugioka is a mother, educator, songwriter and poet. Her newest book is Wile & Wing on Manic D Press. She is the poet laureate of Alameda, CA and believes that we must use our creative powers to manifest global benevolence. Best of the Net Nominee Nala Washington (she/her) is a poet, writer, and educator, completing her MFA at Texas State University. You can find her words currently/forthcoming in South Florida Poetry Journal, Midnight & Indigo Lit, The Hemlock Journal, Mouthful of Salt, The Santa Clara Review, Livina Press, Essay Magazine,…
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Mainstays of the Bay Area Americana scene for nearly a decade, Nashville Honeymoon has traversed country, rockabilly, bluegrass, and pop across four albums, writing songs that uplift the tangled mess of day-to-day life and investigate universal themes of love and loss – often at the same time. Their latest album, Sidewinder, is true to its title, offering a collection of songs that are grounded in classic country while edging into different sounds, genres, and themes that run through American pop music. Husband and wife, Hank Maninger and Lynne Maes write a lot of the material, mine the country catalogue and tease out some pop to deliver a spirited and charming evening of music with a terrific band that includes guest pedal steel player Joe Goldmark alongside bassist Tim Wagar and drummer Leo Beary. BYOB and $25 cash for the five-piece band. Students $10; kids free.
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Poetry – Jazz – Jazz – Jazz – Country _____ Thursday, January 8, 7:00 – 8:30pm: Sixteen Rivers Press poetry reading {free} _____ Friday, January 9, 6:00 – 8:00pm: Eric & the In Crowd [Songs that start with “C”] {$20} _____ Friday, January 9, 8:30 – 10:00pm: Chris Aschman & Skyy Daddy {$20} _____ Saturday, January 10, 7:30 – 9:30pm: Triology [Dickow / Kerwin / Moore] {$20} _____ Sunday, January 11, 5:00 – 7:00pm: Nashville Honeymoon {$25} _____ Reserve a seat by calling the bookshop at (415) 586-3733. We’ll hold your reservation until the music starts. No advance ticket sales; plan to pay with cash at the door, and byob. _____ Thursday, January 8, 7:00 – 8:30pm Sixteen Rivers Press poetry reading Patrick Cahill, Terry Ehret, Moira Magnussen, and translator Nancy Morales _____ Friday, January 9, 6:00 – 8:00pm Eric & the In Crowd play sngs that start with “C” Eric…
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SUPPORT BIRD & BECKETT - DONATE TODAY!
Your donation to the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project helps us pay for a multitude of operating expenses necessary to present, promote and preserve local music, poetry, and more.
Help us keep the arts alive and thriving!
The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project was created in 2007 "to present, document and archive the creative work of significant living writers and musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, for a neighborhood audience and future generations," continuing the work we began when the store was established in 1999.
We continue to present a full slate of programming of live music and poetry readings, and produce a literary journal and poetry chapbooks, and we seek and welcome your continued financial support by way of donations.
Click on "donate" in the navigation bar above. Better yet, make a check out to the “Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project” and drop it off or mail it to:
Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
653 Chenery Street
San Francisco, CA 94131
Call us at (415) 586-3733 to find out how else you might lend your support.
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The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
Our events are put on under the umbrella of the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project (the "BBCLP"). That's how we fund our ambitious schedule of 300 or so concerts and literary events every year.
The BBCLP is a [Read More ]
The Independent Musicians Alliance
Gigging musicians! You have nothing to lose but your lack of a collective voice to achieve fair wages for your work!
The IMA can be a conduit for you, if you join in to make it work.
https://www.independentmusiciansalliance.org/
Read more here - Andy Gilbert's Feb 25 article about the IMA from KQED's site
