…..69 years on, Thursday, June 19th, 7:30-9pm: Walker Talks! In his monthly live stream, Walker Brents III plumbs a sliver of Jaime De Angulo—cowpoke, daemonic scholar, gatherer of mystic word-lore among the Achumawi around Alturas, legendary bohemian bay area presence, he-who-rolled-in-ditches-with-shamans, Big Sur hermit and socialite. Inspirer of free-thinkers, anthropologists and poets across generations. Aged Chinatown cross dresser & secretary to Robert Duncan.

Gary Snyder commends him as “a lavengro, a language-spirit-master.” His linguistic writings are primary sources of a great deal of material that would otherwise be long lost. He is also one of the greatest storytellers, so far, who has ever lived. His recitations of spoken tales, on KPFA radio in the late 1940s, are classics of their kind, gifting the American vernacular with mythic figures of archaic vitality.

No audience in the shop for these talks, though if you tap on the window we’ll likely let you in and find you a seat in the half-light to watch Walker spin his tale and hear him make his magic. At the least, do please tune in via YouTube or Facebook, where Bird & Beckett has a channel and a page, respectively. Donate something to Walker’s care and feeding, if you’d be so kind and if you think keeping culture alive in these times is a worthy sport, via Venmo (where you’ll find us @birdandbeckett).

In fact, most all of our shows can be caught in the live stream or viewed after the fact on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. But nothing beats being in the room with the talent! Live performances are a gift from the still liberated heavens that you’d do best not to take for granted. Treat yourself to the real deal, and help us pay the talent. It’s really up to all of us to resist through culture. Call it highbrow; we call it survival.

…..Friday, June 20th, 6-8pm: The Scott Foster Quartet channels the Jim Hall/Art Farmer collaborations, with Scott on guitar joined by Henry Hung on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Wiitala on bass and Dan Foltz on drums. When not entranced by John Scofield, Scott is helpless before the mastery of Jim Hall, and just as a few dates back he explored the Jim Hall/Sonny Rollins collaborations with the same bass/drums rhythm section and Bob Kenmotsu on tenor, this month he turns his attention to another intuitively perfect and perfectly worked out pairing of Jim Hall with a master of the flugelhorn and trumpet, Art Farmer. Henry Hung digs in to the art of Art, manor born to the task.

With Steve Swallow on bass, and Walter Perkins & later Pete La Roca on drums, the Hall/Farmer quartet laid down three albums in 1963 and 1964. For a deep dive into their work, take the time to read the extensive essay by Thomas Cuniffe on his site, “Jazz History Online” at this link. Come hear the quartet explore the territory and then read it again. Then listen to the show again from our YouTube/Facebook archive. $20 for the show; byob. Students, $10. Kids, free. Consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project, a 501(c)3, to help us continue to present this fabulous music, these fabulous musicians.

…..Friday, June 20th, 8:30-10pm: The Fred Randolph Quintet! Bassist Fred Randolph summons the troops to occupy your jazz head: Ian Carey, trumpet; Sheldon Brown, saxes/flute; Murray Low, piano; Brian Fishler, drums. 90 high octane minutes of jazz from a clever & nimble composer & first-call bassist cum bandleader! $25, byob. Reservations, 415-586-3733, as always.

 

…..Saturday, June 21st, 5-6pm: Art Goodtimes, American poet, farmer and Colorado politician celebrates his 80th birthday with a reading. No charge; just good will and high spirits.

 

…..Saturday, June 21st, 7:30-9:30pm: The Jinx Jones Trio. Jinx plays a lot of guitar! He’s a rockabilly guy, Colorado born, and a keen aficionado of soulful jazz virtuosos from Charlie Christian to Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel to Grant Green, whose solid trio relies on the double KO talents of Kenan O’Brien and Ken Owen. You’ll be charmed and mesmerized and more than a little delighted. $20, byob.

 

…..Sunday, June 22nd, 5-6pm: Julie Rogers, Sarah Menefee, Lisbet Bailey, Cathleen Williams – four revolutionary-sassy-sage-activist-service-blessed poets, goils who’ve been around the block and back, who meet to write on a regular basis and will finally meet to read, rant, chant, weep & laugh with you. No charge, donations welcome. Books will be available.

…..and finally, Sunday, June 22nd from 7-9pm, the seventh show in four days, the Autonomous Region, house band of the Club Mandalay at the I-Hotel Manilatown Center, led by singer and writer Caroline Cabading, with Raymond Bambao on bass, Harold Ohashi on drums, Chris Planas on guitar, Roy Brown on piano.

Autonomous Region plumbs the jazz, blues and
kulintang soul of Filipino culture in America.

$25 cover; byob.

Reservations, as always, can be made by calling the bookshop at
415-586-3733 during store hours, noon to six, Tuesday to Sunday.

fly in, get a room, join us!