$20 cover charge; $10 for students / musicians / low income

Ian Carey, trumpet
Keith Saunders, piano
Robb Fisher, bass
Ron Marabuto, drums

[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlTxPby7eaQ” /]

The North Berkeley Jazz Quartet comprises veteran professionals drawn together about five years ago by geographic proximity, common long experience in top-level gigging on the national and international stage, plenty of bandstand associations in a variety of situations over the years, and a shared affinity for latin, bebop and straight ahead jazz.

Bassist Robb Fisher came to prominence in the mid-1970s working with Cal Tjader and Pancho Sanchez as well as Art Pepper, Carmen McCrae, Clare Fischer, Tania Maria and Anita O’Day. Locally, he’s worked extensively with the likes of Akira Tana, Eddie Marshall, Peter Horvath, Vince Lateano, Mark Levine, Mel Martin and George Cotsirilos.  Robb says he finds it very inspiring to play with this group. All, including mainstay player Bob Kenmotsu, who’s off in Japan at the moment,  have been able to bring in some original material. Robb has played gigs together with Ron since the early 70s; Ron’s mom, Dee, and his dad, John (a wonderful jazz pianist), turned Robb on to the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band which included Roland Hanna, George Marz and all the other great musicians  And so it goes!

Drummer Ron Marabuto had a long run on the New York jazz scene working with Pepper Adams, Roland Hanna, Tommy Flanagan, Rufus Reid, Steve Grossman before returning to the Bay Area and gigging with the likes of Bruce Forman, Buddy Montgomery, Mark Levine, John Wiitala and countless others.

Pianist Keith Saunders, an Angeleno by birth, had a 26-year run in New York, working with Richie Cole, Hank Crawford, Mickey Roker, Frank Wess and many more, and led the NY HardBop Quintet for eight years, producing four CDs. He moved to the Bay Area in 2010 and gigs 6-7 times a week around the area as one of a handful of first-call pianists.

Trumpeter Ian Carey, the youngster on the bandstand tonight, is no stranger to the direct-transmission-from-the-elders college of jazz knowledge (B. J. Papa , Bishop Norman Williams and others were professors to the young pup), though he’s had ample academic training as well. Singer Kim Nalley points to the inestimable value of intergenerational bandstand interplay when she says “There are many of us that graduated from the University of BJ. We never paid tuition, but we received the best jazz education that can be had, on the bandstand and at the jam session.” Ian is particularly focused on writing for his own groups, including the Ian Carey Quartet & Quintet+1, Wood/Metal/Plastic and the Takoyaki 3 & 4, while gigging assiduously with the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, 8-Legged Monster, Realistic Orchestra, Circus Bella All-Star Band, Kasey Knudsen, Ben Stolorow, Don Alberts — anywhere his nimble musicality can be put to good use. He’s a frequent sub in the NBJQ when needed, and as can be seen in the video above is sometimes brought in as an adjunct professor even when core NBJQ reed player Bob Kenmotsu is on hand.