BIRD & BECKETT CULTURAL LEGACY PROJECT
The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project presents twenty-odd events every month in the bookshop, including at least 3 live concerts each week, plus poetry readings, talks, and all manner of cultural happenings.
See below for info on our next several events, or click here to view our extended calendar for details on events a bit further out.
Seating is limited! For a reservation, call the shop at 415-586-3733. BYOB.
Krishna Parthasarathy, vocal & violin Ben Kunin, sarod Akshay Naresh, bansuri Ferhan Qureshi, tabla $20 cover charge (cash or venmo at the door, please); byob. Reservations can be made by calling the shop at 415-586-3733 during regular business hours, noon to six pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Doors open for the show 15 minutes before the concert. Reservations are held only until show time. This evening will feature a presentation of South Asian raga music led by Krishna Parthasarathy. Krishna is an accomplished Carnatic and Hindustani classical musician, displaying prowess over both musical formats via violin and vocal expositions. He has studied with eminent musicians representing both traditions and performs throughout the Bay Area with ensembles of accompanying artists that thrive on spontaneous creativity. For this first recital of his at Bird and Beckett, Krishna will be accompanied by Ben Kunin on sarode, Akshay Naresh on bansuri (flute), and Ferhan Qureshi…
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Empyrea travels the spaceways with thrilling improvisational forays that venture into uncharted sonic terrain. Listeners will experience instrumental combinations rarely heard on this planet. Empyrea is Ian Dogole – doumbek, African talking drum, udu, kalimba, maracas llaneras Richard Howell – saxophones, misc. aerophones & vocals Kash Killion – cello, double bass, sarangi, bolon, masenqo
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Every second Friday of the month, Eric Shifrin brings in a trio to have a little fun with tunes written by some of the master composers of popular music that have become standards played in piano bars, restaurants, clubs and concert halls through the decades throughout the land. This month, he’ll present tunes by the writers behind “Violets for Your Furs,” “Makin’ Whoopee” and “Autumn in New York” and many more. BYOB and a twenty for the band! Featuring tunes by Matt Dennis, Vernon Duke and Walter Donaldson this time out, you’re in for a packed show of wonderful music. Matt Dennis is familiar to you due to Sinatra and Billie Holiday, think Angel Eyes, Everything Happens to Me and Violets for Your Furs. Walter Donaldson was prolific between the two world wars, composing American Songbook chestnuts, often with lyricist Gus Kahn, like Makin’ Whoopee, My Baby Just Cares…
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Apply for your jazz passport this month on a visit to any one of four great San Francisco jazz clubs — Keys, Tipples, Black Cat or Dawn Club and patronize those wonderful joints! We wish them all great success, and we want their help keeping San Francisco jazzy and literary! You won’t need a passport to pay a visit to Bird & Beckett, the best cozy little listening room in town, heavy in jazz and ranging freely afield week after week after week. We’ve offered steady programming for 21 years and counting — and a twenty will be plenty to get you a wonderful couple of hours of music, with the books in all their profuse glory for your browsing & buying! Bring something to sip, bring your kids, bring your friends! We’re counting on you to come on in and to proselytize to your friends, relations & airbnb guests.…
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Litquake turns 25! Litquake’s 2024 festival kicked off with the Booksellers Ball on Thursday the 10th, an opening night bash at Club Fugazi in North Beach when the Litquake community came together to fête San Francisco’s independent bookstores. It was a catered event with abundant libations and a sizzling lineup of literature-themed drag performances hosted by Joe Wadlington of Happy Endings, a.k.a Jubilee! With festive grooves from Bff.fm DJ Lead Teddy and a reading nook curated by 17 of San Francisco’s best independent booksellers — including Glen Park’s own Bird & Beckett — folks kicked up your heels with local literati and celebrated 25 years of Litquake! Find the schedule for Litquake’s 10-day literary cavalcade of events here!
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Ava Koohbor is a poet, visual and sound artist. Through sound, words, and objects she seeks to find balance in everyday’s chaos. Her latest works have been exhibited and performed at Audium, APICC Festival 2023: Reimagine Horizons, and as a part of group exhibition at RootDivision: ME in a(ME)rica. Her latest publication, a collection of her poetry, Death Under Construction, has been published by Ugly Duckling Presse. She believes that each artist is a medium to transfer the world of possibilities to what is. She holds an MFA in Electronic Music from Mills College. avakoohborarts.com Evidence Trio is an improvisational group whose points of reference are free jazz, dark ambient, and radio emissions from the early universe. Andrew Joron, theremin; Kersti Abrams, sax and flute; Michael Wilcox, electric bass. $20 suggested donation; byob.
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Friday, October 4th, 8:30-10pm, Swerve: Darren Johnston, trumpet; Kai Lyons, guitar; Rob Ewing, electric bass; and Dillon Vado, drums. Darren says the combo, Swerve, is “not a swing thing, more a collective groove band doing each others originals.” It’s always a thrill to hear what Darren and his cohorts cook up. At a simmer or a rolling boil, it’ll be delicious. _________________ Saturday, October 5th, 7:30-9:30pm, pianist Larry Dunlap’s trio with Ken Miller on bass and Akira Tana on drums. Larry Dunlap’s tenure on the San Francisco jazz scene and internationally over six decades has included memorable work in long associations with singers Bobbe Norris and Amandio Cabral. As a pianist, composer, arranger and music director, he’s among the best in the business, with wonderful stories to relate. ___________________ Sunday, October 6th, 7-8pm, Mamboléo, a six-piece latin jazz band out of Ruth Asawa School or the Arts up at the…
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Come out to the neighborhood for the Art Walk! Merchants and cafes up and down Diamond Street between Bosworth and Chenery will feature fine and graphic art for your pleasure, perusal & purchase from noon to five on Saturday. Take a leisurely stroll in the canyon after you’ve stowed your treasures in your trunk, enjoy a leisurely drink at Glen Park Station and catch dinner in one of the neighborhood’s pleasing dining establishments, then trail up to the bookshop to browse awhile and catch the great Larry Dunlap Trio from 7:30-9:30pm. BYOB and a twenty for the musicians! You’ll be pleased that you did. We’ll keep the shop open for you past our usual 6pm closing time, so you can poke around while we set up for the trio. Then at 7:30 we’ll bring the lights down, and voilà, it’s jazz club at Bird & Beckett, a Saturday night tradition…
Read MoreSara Biel is a social worker and poet in Oakland, CA. She is an editor with Colossus Press and one of the founders of Oakland’s Starting Points open mic series. Her chapbook, Prescribed Burn was published in 2023. Daphne Gottlieb stitches together the ivory tower and the gutter just using her tongue. She is the author of 11 books in at least 5 genres. Daphne is the winner of the Acker, Audre Lorde and Firecracker Alternative Book Awards. She is currently at work on a new collection of poems and a novel about the ocean that features a shark who wants to wear lipstick. An open mic follows. Sign up at the reading. Time limit 3 minutes. Michael Koch hosts.
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https://www.facebook.com/bird.and.beckett/videos/563350992916034 sound starts at the 1:42 mark… fabulous to the end! The towering master of tenor saxophone (and many another instrument), Noel Jewkes brings his fine quartet that includes Grant Levin on piano, Chris Amberger on bass and Mark Lee on drums. Exceptional jazz beautifully played. We’re always grateful when any of these four fine musicians crosses the Bird & Beckett stage and most especially when Noel Jewkes, aka Dr. Legato, is leading the charge. $20 cover charge, cash or venmo at the door. byob. reservations, call the shop at 415-586-3733.
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Led by bassist Safa Shokrai, with Max Miller-Loran on trumpet, Beth Schenck on saxophone, Mark Clifford on vibes and Jason Levis on drums, the Lost Shapes is a supergroup of players with a taste for jazz on the “out” side. Superb music guaranteed. You’re gonna have a good time with this one. $20 cover charge; byob. Reservations, call the shop at 415-586-3733.
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Pianist James Mitchell, with his trio that includes Curtis Aikens on bass and Evan Williams on drums, pays tribute to Bud Powell, born September 27, 1924. Bud Powell was one of the true geniuses who spurred the evolution of modern jazz in the 1940s and ’50s. $20 cover charge, cash or venmo at the door, byob. For a reservation, call the shop at 415-586-3733.
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Drummer Tony Johnson’s quartet takes the stage at 6pm with Smith Dobson on saxophone. Keith Saunders on piano and Eric Markowitz on bass. Count on two sets of hard swinging bop and beyond. This was Smith’s quartet in the halcyon, much missed days of the Club Deluxe on Haight Street. Tony leads the charge now at Bird & Beckett. $20 cover charge; byob. For a reservation, call the shop at 415-586-3733. Tony has a residency at Bird & Beckett on the fourth Friday of every month, alternating month to month between his quartet and the combo called the 230 Jones Street Band.
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Drummer Elé Salif Howell, a Bay Area native, plays Monterey in Chief Adjuah’s band on the Jimmy Lyons Stage Friday the 27th… but you can catch this young lion of jazz close to home at Bird & Beckett on Tuesday the 24th and Wednesday the 25th! We first heard Eli here on two dates in 2015/2016 when he was about 14 years old and he’s been here four more times since last December. We were pretty darned impressed by him in those early dates and have been absolutely floored now that he’s fully matured as one of the great drummers working in jazz today — touring for some years now with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and also the past couple of years with the New Orleans based trumpeter Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah; he was recently on tour with vocalist Jaqui Naylor and pianist Art Khu. He’s a busy fella, and for…
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Tuesday: The Elé Salif Howell Trio feat. Ryoma Takenaga, bass; Cecil Alexander, guitar – 7:30pm – $20___ Wednesday: The Art Khu Trio feat. Elé Salif Howell, drums, Ryoma Takenaga, bass – 7:30pm – $20___ Thursday: The James Mitchell Trio salutes Bud Powell – 7:30pm – $20___ Friday: The Tony Johnson Quartet – 6pm – $20___ Friday: The Lost Shapes – 8:30pm – $20___ Saturday: The Noel Jewkes Quartet – 7:30pm – $20___ Details follow! Read on! ___________________________________ Drummer Elé Salif Howell, a Bay Area native, plays Monterey in Chief Adjuah’s band on the Jimmy Lyons Stage Friday the 27th… but you can catch this young lion of jazz close to home at Bird & Beckett on Tuesday the 24th and Wednesday the 25th! We first heard Eli here on two dates in 2015/2016 when he was about 14 years old and he’s been here four more times since last December. We…
Read MoreLive Streaming every show!
Refresh your browser to catch a show in progress, or visit our Facebook page or YouTube channel!
Better yet, come on down to the shop and join the performers in our one-of-a-kind space!
Help us keep the arts alive and thriving!
Donate!
Your tax-deductible donations to the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project help us pay the performers and cover a myriad of operating expenses necessary to present, promote and preserve local music, poetry, and more.
Make a one-time or recurring donation via Paypal, by clicking below, or make a check out to the “Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project” and drop it off or mail it to:
Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
653 Chenery Street
San Francisco, CA 94131
