Next weekend kicks off early, with a Thursday 4/18, 7:30pm live stream of Walker Brents III’s monthly excursion into topics in poetry, philosophy, mythology, literature and other areas of interest… this time out considering the poet Jack Spicer and “the Quest for Meaningful Speech,” a personal response to the compelling challenge of a cryptically precise poet.  No matter how austere, how stripped and futuristic the language of the poetry, Spicer had an appreciation for the human community that was prescient, astringent, dangerously rich, and generous.  The sources of his fascination are hydra-headed.  Understanding him is akin to defending ancient springs.

Jazz music ensues!

Scott Foster invites Darren Johnston and Heshima Mark Williams back to the Bird & Beckett stage for a further musical excursion on Friday, April 19 at 6pm — building on a date a few months back. It’s our Friday-after-work jazz happy hour, the one that started in 2008 and has never stopped. Bring a twenty for the band, if you’re able. If you’re not, bring what you can. And byob, ’cause we have only water.

(NOTE: The late show Friday is postponed, date tba, due to illness. Watch for a new date for pianist Brett Carson’s Substandard Quartet.)

Saturday’s jazz club date, 7:30-9:30 pm, features a superb quartet on the Latin side under the leadership of Marco Diaz, trumpet & piano, with bassist Steve Senft-Herrera and percussionists Julio Perez and Akheel Mestayer. Top players doing what they do so well. Bassist Saúl Sierra was set to lead this group, but air travel delays have him stuck in Dallas, arriving too late to make the date. We’ll get him back on the schedule down the line apiece.

And we finish out the weekend with the Vince Lateano Trio on Sunday, from 5-7pm. Vince is a gem in the crown of the San Francisco jazz scene, a key player since he rousted out of the Army in ’65 and insinuated him into the local ecosystem. His trio plays the third Sunday of every month, and is not to be missed.

Such music is why we want to stay in San Francisco, so join us at Bird & Beckett! You won’t be sorry!