Matteo Montanari and Rocco Malagoli are two passionate musicians from Italy with worldwide performing experience; seeking always to discover new musical ideas in the world and new environments to convey the inspiration classical music gives us every day. Their travels have brought them through San Francisco, occasioning this impromptu addition to the bookshop’s concert schedule. Both Matteo and Rocco are also enthusiastic teachers, believing in the importance of sharing their experience and passion with the next generation of musicians. The Violin and the Cello offer a wide possibility of performances and a heterogeneous repertoire. Sample program J.S. Bach – Sonata BWV 1021 A. Vivaldi – The 4 Seasons W.A. Mozart – Duet KV 423 L.V. Beethoven – Duet WoO 27 n.1 F. Schubert – Serenade J. Brahms – Hungarian Dances J. Massenet – Meditation from “Thais” F. Tarrega – Recuerdos de la Alhambra S. Joplin – Ragtimes J. Williams – Music…

Poet David Watts reads his work. Joined by members of the “Poets on Parnassus” workshop: Jenny Qi - Bill Vlach - Sarah Paris - Laura Moore. An open mic follows. POETS! every first and third Monday night Jerry Ferraz, m.c.

Ed Ivey hit town in the punk era with the Rhythm Pigs out of Austin, Texas. Now he’s a bandleader and padrone of the North Beach scene and its satellites… as well as a booker, erstwhile club owner (50 Mason Social Club), jam session leader (Swig and the Lucky Horseshoe) and restauranteur (Soluna across from the Asian Art Museum), and all around favorite human person. Wonderful musician, too– did we mention? The Ed Ivey Orchestra covers a lot of ground in a big little package! Rootsy, bluesy, a little Tex Mex, a little Blue Note jazz… Dylan, Hank Williams, Mexican songs, the occasional Nina Simone song… and of course some Chicano vibe in the L.A. style. Ed Ivey on guitar and vocals, Blake Ritterman on drums, Andrew Couttie on bass and Derek Fairchild on dobro.

Dmitri Matheny, flugelhorn Matt Clark, piano Perry Thoorsell, bass Mark Lee, drums On April 15th, Dmitri Matheny concludes a five-date swing through major Bay Area venues with a performance at Bird & Beckett of material from his 2016 release JAZZ NOIR. Dmitri Matheny, born in Nashville in 1965, became proficient on trumpet during his teens in Tucson and carried his studies further at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and Berklee College of Music in Boston. On reaching Boston, Matheny’s development on trumpet was shaped by the noted New York brass teacher Carmine Caruso, but in 1988-89, his final year at Berklee, he switched his focus from trumpet to flugelhorn under the tutelage of the great Art Farmer (1928-1999). Farmer, a key figure on trumpet beginning in the early 1950s, became the defining voice on flugelhorn after taking up the horn in about 1960. Farmer’s warmth and lyricism on that instrument…

Delta blues juggernaut! Joshua Howell, guitar, harmonica, vocals Joe Kyle, Jr., bass Pete Devine, drums  

Tenor titan Joe Cohen leads dates all over town with a revolving cast of spectacularly talented local jazz musicians — it’s The Joe Cohen Show!  At Bird & Beckett this Friday, it’ll be Jeremy Lieber on piano, Ollie Dudek on bass and Mark Lee on drums. Lucky us!

Joe Goldmark , pedal steel guitar; Mitch Polzak, lead guitar and vocals; Hank Maninger, bass guitar and vocals; Kenny Owens, drums. The Seducers play Bird & Beckett on the second Sunday of April and May, and then move to the first Sunday in June. Classic songs by the likes of Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams plus originals and a few from left field. It all makes for a lovely way to spend a Sunday evening before returning to the working grind.      

Karina Denike, vocals Tom Griesser, sax Michael McIntosh, piano Ari Munkres, bass Randy Lee Odell, drums Swingin’ jazz that evokes the best of the cocktail world from the ’20s to the ’50s. This outfit held down the third Sunday slot at the Riptide bar out on Taraval until fire destroyed the place a couple of years ago.  Since then, they’ve been all over town — Bimbo’s 365 Club last New Year’s Eve, weekly bookings at the Club Deluxe and at Reed & Greenough, The Rite Spot, Le Colonial… and now, at last, at Bird & Beckett! Here’s a report from before the Riptide was burned out:  ” ……..We are ready to stop in at the historic Riptide to see what could be described, without (m)any accusations of hyperbole, as one of the best jazz bands in the world – The Cottontails. The Cottontails are the freewheeling, day-off super-group of several…