Darren Johnston, trumpet Matt Renzi, reeds Adam Shulman, piano Eric Vogler, bass Darren & Co. emerge from the shed with a sizzling pot of nicely spiced modern jazz drawing on classic recipes from Bach to Bartok, Shostakovich to Sibelius… Darren says his ‘n Amy’s cats know these cats as the “Noisy Strangers,” but we know…

James Mahone, tenor sax, joins guitarist Scott Foster, bassist Aaron Cohn and drummer Omar Aran for two sets of straight-ahead jazz ‘n bebop! Bird & his confreres live on at Bird & Beckett! Never a missed Friday evening of jazz since it started in earnest nearly 16 years ago, and Scott’s been on it from…

Rodney Ruckus kicks it up with two pros up from L.A. — Detroit native DeSean Jones on tenor sax and, originally from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, the bassist Tabari Lake. Oh, and on drums? That would be RUCKUS!  

Thu Ho – Vocals Jeff Kaliss – Poet and Music Historian Grant Levin – Piano Ollie Dudek – Upright Bass Mark Lee – Drums Have you ever pondered how legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart developed his exquisite lyricism? One has to wonder how much of his personal experience living as a gay man in 1920’s and…

Gray Brechin and Walter Riley will be on hand at Bird & Beckett this Sunday, hosted by Riva Enteen, editor of Follow the Money: Radio Voices for Peace and Justice, a new book compiling 66 interviews conducted by KPFA radio commentator Dennis J. Bernstein on his long-running and hugely influential program, “Flashpoints.”  Bernstein’s Flashpoints interviews with…

Beth Custer, voice, clarinet David James, guitar/voice Diana Mangano, voice Jordan Glasgow, piano Keith MacArthur, bass John Hanes, drums Supported by Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund      

Three Friday late nights in a row with triple-threat trumpeter Darren Johnston. Call him Mr. 3D! June 8 – DARREN JOHNSTON/DESTINY MUHAMMAD QUARTET (featuring Leon Joyce Jr. and Eric Vogler) Expect fresh takes on jazz standards, some premieres of original music, and selected covers from around the globe. Destiny Muhammad – harp Darren Johnston –…

Bob Kenmotsu is one of the great tenor players on the Bay Area jazz scene, and has been for years. He’s joined this evening by bassist Adam Gay and drummer Vince Lateano. Three generations of great jazz players share the stage. Bob notes that tonight’s tenor-bass-drums format is a particularly nice set-up “that we sometimes call…

Pianist Steve Rudolph, based in Harrisburg, PA, is on tour with Ali Ryerson; and after a week of workshops with her in the Carmel Valley, leads a trio at Bird & Beckett in the eve of their concert at Piedmont Piano.  Bassist John Wiitala and drummer Akira Tana are two of the finest, most experienced…