birdbeckett

Smith Dobson, known for his work on drums, vibes and sax among other pursuits, is happily at work building a new quartet with a new sound, drawing on the tradition of vibes-led groups like the Modern Jazz Quartet. For his date this Saturday, 9/5, he’s got Luke Westbrook on guitar; Miles Wick on bass and…

Bassist Don Prell entered the business in the mid-1950s as a member of The Bud Shank Quartet, recording two albums with Shank – “The Bud Shank Quartet featuring Claude Williamson” (1956) and “Bud Shank on Tenor” (1957). Don has anchored our Friday night jazz in the bookshop series, just as often taking it aloft, since it began…

Straight-ahead and spiritually adventurous jazz from trumpeter Earle Davis, whose approach and commitment to the art have been shaped by decades of experience in the jazz trenches on both coasts. Jake Barrett, piano, and Danny Castro, bass, join Earle for this afternoon’s date. With a shared history on the bandstand prior to today’s date, Danny…

Walker Brents III will from time to time over the next several months address Native American myths & symbols in a series of talks. Today: John Neihardt and Black Elk.  The mysterious journey of each one’s daimon, questing in the mythic west, culminating in the prophetic beauty of Black Elk Speaks. Neihardt is an influential…

Two new books of particular interest to San Franciscans are presented by their authors. J.K. Dineen presents his new book, High Spirits: The Legacy Bars of San Francisco Community, heritage, architecture—oh yes, and stiff pours: these are the hallmarks of San Francisco’s Legacy Bars. High Spirits leads readers on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood pub crawl in search…