Smith Dobson, alto saxophone, leads a fine quartet featuring Keith Saunders, piano; John Wiitala, bass; and Evan Hughes, drums. Smith has been a leading figure in the young Bay Area jazz scene for a decade or more, equally acclaimed on sax, vibes and drums. He leads a quartet at Bird & Beckett the first Saturday…

The indigenous people of the Haida Gwaii, an archipelago of islands off the coast of what is now British Columbia, date back 17,000 years and to this day retain a rich vein of stories — mythopoeic gems, as Walker Brents III would have it. This Sunday afternoon, Walker will tell a few of their stories,…

Saxophonist Matt Zebley joins guitarist Luke Westbrook and bassist Don Prell in drummer Vinnie Rodriguez’ quartet this Saturday, for two sets of straight ahead jazz and bebop. Matt Zebley released his first solo CD, “Live at Moondog” in 1999, and over the years has collaborated with the likes of Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, Yusef…

Pianist Grant Levin continues a series of duo performances (taking place on the 2nd and 4th Sunday afternoon of each month), which has spawned fruitful collaborations with a number of bassists and percussionists. This afternoon, drummer Pepe Jacobo shares the stage with Grant.  Pepe received his Diploma in Music from the University of Costa Rica. He…

Peter Sherburn-Zimmer was raised in Southie, in Boston, a slum kid. No one famous came from there, he had to admit to Gordon Cairney, lounging on a couch in Cairney’s Grolier Book Shop. Traveled an arc through mathematics to literature, sociology, philosophy and more to no bachelor’s degree ’til much later, at his wife’s urging,…

The GG Amos Trio with Greg Sankovich on keyboards and Randy Odell on drums are featured this week in a new Sunday night series we’re calling Canyon Moonlight Music, 7:30-10 pm each week. Guitarist / Vocalist GG Amos is an artist in the West Coast Blues tradition, raised in Sacramento and now based in San Francisco….

Special sneak preview of SFMusic Day 15’s Field Report:  Asian American Jazz Anthony Brown’s Ensemble featuring Genny Lim performing “1945: A Year of Infamy” plus a set by the Brown, Izu & Jordan Trio Today’s sneak preview performance at Bird & Beckett will include an opening set by the Anthony Brown-Mark Izu-Lewis Jordan Trio (original members…

Pianist Duane Muziki Roberson’s distinct style and creative individuality have placed him among the most respected musicians in the Bay Area. It has been said, that “Muziki’s music and playing will move you at the very depths of your being.”  His breathtaking compositions are always characterized by the hippest of rhythms and the deepest elements of swing….