An early music celebration of Christmas, with a joyous nod to the swinging 1960s. Vocals and instrumental performances on lute and harp by Doris Williams, a valued musician on the Bay Area early music scene since the late 1980s. Doris is joined on the program by  viola da gamba player Kit Robberson and classical guitarist Steve Stein. Ring in your season with Bach, Mozart and Christmas carols classic and new — even some jazzy Nina Simone Christmas ballads! Bring your own eggnog!

Hey, where’s the snare?! Jaz & Giulio make it happen. Grant sets the stage. The music at Bird & Beckett doesn’t stop.

Drummer Greg Gotelli brings in his merry six piece Chicago-style jazz band with vocalist Darlene Langston for two sets of chesnuts to roast on your open fire!    

Wendy DeWitt is the Queen of Boogie Woogie! and Blues & You Name It! You ain’t heard nothing, ’til you’ve heard Wendy rip it up! Wendy DeWitt, piano Takezo Takeda, guitar Kirk Harwood, drums The boogie woogie notes that fly out of Wendy DeWitt’s fingers connect you so passionately with her that you walk out of her performance feeling like you are close, personal friends.  – Tall City Blues Fest program notes Bay Area pianist/vocalist Wendy DeWitt (who was part of Hank Ballard’s band) sure knows how to boogie. Teamed with nifty Norton Buffalo drummer Kirk Harwood, she delivers a rousing set of blues and boogie-woogie. DeWitt wrote eight of the 11 numbers here (on DEJA RE-VU). They’re impressive – authentically emotive lyrics and strong, stirring melodies… Throughout, DeWitt’s earthy, soul-fueled vocals excite, as does her rollicking work on the keys. – Paul Freeman, Pop Culture Classics’ Recommended CDs, DVDs and Books Read…

Smith Dobson, saxophones Jeffrey Burr, guitar Doug Stuart, bass Jon Arkin, drums Some Ellington, some Monk, some more… through the lens of the work of the great saxophonist Paul Desmond, a long-time associate of Dave Brubeck and a player known for a tone that evokes a fine dry martini… interpreted by some of San Francisco’s greatest young jazz artists.

Jill Tracy is a San Francisco-based singer/pianist, storyteller, and “sonic archeologist” who has garnered multiple awards and a passionate following for her beautifully haunting, cinematic music, sophisticated lyrics, old-world glamour—and curious passion for strange tales. Hailed a “femme fatale for the thinking man” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Jill Tracy was described by NPR’s All Things Considered as “utterly intriguing, transporting you into a magical world solely of her creation.” LA Weekly has deemed her “the cult darling of the Underworld.” Her music has appeared in film and television, including Showtime’s Dexter, CBS-TV hit Navy NCIS, and the motion picture Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  With master percussionist Randy Odell, this intimate evening of stories and music will include dark holiday carols from her album “Silver Smoke, Star at Night,” rarely performed live. Come celebrate the season and the grand finale, and coda, of the Canyon Moonlight Series!

On tour out of Ann Arbor, Mr. B is renowned. We’re pleased and honored to present him here, brought to us and hosted by Joe Cunningham, at this magnificent juncture in boogie woogie time!

Joe Goldmark! The wham of that steel guitar man makes this band! Kenny Owen on the pots drives it home! Mitch Polzak and Hank Maninger, center stage, on lead and bass guitars and trading vocals, seal the deal! You like your Waylon & Willie & Hank & Buck & George & Merle? Well, then, you’ll like this!

Recorded live at Bird & Beckett this past June, the brand spankin’ new Jinx Jones Trio cd is a fantastic addition to the growing passel of recordings to emanate from your favorite neighborhood literary and jazz juke joint! Jinx is a virtuoso of his instrument, and though he’s known far and wide for his rockabilly leanings, he digs jazz and he digs deep! Nothing says “live music” like live music! So c’mon down to Glen Park’s haven of musical excellence, as Jinx takes his trio through its paces — from “Stompin’ at the Savoy” to “Flying Home” to “So What” to his own exquisite original “Alyse” its a lovely romp. John Clark on bass and Ken Owen on drum kit and bongos! Hear ’em here, and hear ’em on the cd. You shouldn’t miss it!

Bird and Beckett Books and Records Presents A Three on a Match Production KLIPSCHUTZ & FRIENDS Poetry & Music Sunday, December 3rd – 2 pm Hosted by Paul Fericano   KLIPSCHUTZ (pen name of Kurt Lipschutz) has been recognized by writers as diverse as Sharon Doubiago, Barry Hannah, Bill Knott, Antler, Robert Sward, and Carl Rakosi. He left high school to travel the U.S. by thumb, and after a brief stint at Naropa moved to San Francisco, where he took Gallup polls door-to-door and put down roots. His books include This Drawn & Quartered Moon and The Erection of Scaffolding for the Re-Painting of Heaven by the Lowest Bidder. He also writes songs with Chuck Prophet and co-edits the magazine FOUR BY TWO. His latest book is A Visit to the Ranch & other poems. He lives in the Tendernob with Colette Jappy and two tuxedo cats. klipschutz will be accompanied by Joel Hamilton on bass and accordion.…

Last chance to hear Oop Bop Sh’ Bam in 2017! Five cats who swing like nobody’s business and navigate the bop changes like it’s second nature. A Jazz in the Neighborhood Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund date! This  means Jazz in the Neighborhood will help us reach a guarantee of $150 per musician for this show. That’s a $750 payout–$450 of which is on us! So we’ve got some heavy lifting to do to get there. That being the case, we’re asking you to dig deep in your pockets and put an extra $5 or $10 in the donation buckets tonight! They’re playing for you, after all! Since it’s BYOB at B&B these days, it’ll still be a cheap night out for you, and these musicians deserve it! This is a great band of seasoned professionals, and we’re pleased to be part of a movement that recognizes they should be decently compensated…

The In Crowd this time around will feature Grammy-awarded Pete Cornell on sax and Joe McKinley on bass, reunited with pianist Eric Shifrin almost 30 years after helping him with his debut piano recording “BLOOD SUGAR.” It was that legendary album that revealed the fool-proof formula which became the blueprint for later Shifrin-led groups:  Swing, Blues, Latin, ballads and novelty numbers. Unbeatable, and so hip! Eric’s monthly booking at Bird & Beckett is just the thing to lift you out of another trying month in America! Just two chances left to catch him at Bird & Beckett in 2017 — this Thursday and the last Thursday in December. So get on down here! 7:30-9:30 pm $10 suggested donation per solvent adult More if you can manage it never hurts! BYOB!  The State in its wisdom has forbade the dispensing of alcohol by management to our patrons. Arcane licensing laws and…