Guitarist Eddie Duran leads the date. 92 years old and a San Franciscan by birth and upbringing, he released his debut album on Fantasy in 1956, a gorgeous and swinging quartet outing that epitomized the small combo jazz of the day.  Howie Dudune played reeds on the date, Dean Reilly played bass, and Johnny Markham, a local hero of the first order, played drums.

Dean Reilly is on bass for tonight’s Bird & Beckett date under Eddie’s leadership. Saxophone duties are handled by two consummate musicians — Noel Jewkes and Madaline Duran. Drums are the purview of the casually impeccable and completely imperturbable Vince Lateano.

Howie Dudune was supposed to be on this date… we’ll dedicate it to Howie, may he rest in peace. A brilliant musician on clarinet and tenor saxophone, and a wonderful human being. Funny, sincere, and humble beneath a bravado that was only for kicks. We lost him just a few weeks ago, and we’ll feel the loss for a long, long time.

Jazz as it is played in San Francisco and environs in 2016… with deep, deep roots in the 1950s, when jazz was America’s popular music as well as its classical music.