Pianist Grant Levin has been heard at Bird & Beckett time and again, in many formations– as leader, as sideman… in duos, trios, quartets, quintets… Tonight, he’s leading a trio with two players making big waves– bassist Giulio Xavier Cetto, out of Stockton, and drummer Louis Sweatt, out of Brentwood. Grant himself was born in San Diego and raised there and in Humboldt… went to University of Nevada in Reno, joined the faculty in Chico, then found San Francisco irresistible as the locus for jazz in the modern day. He’s plying his trade practically in the shadows, but he’s been acclaimed everywhere he’s played. He’s just the most amazing pianist we’ve yet heard, and that’s in a town with scads of incredible pianists. Don’t miss this date!

Like all great songwriters/storytellers, Maurice uses humor, pathos, and metaphor…to spin tales of sometimes heroic, sometimes conniving, seductive and/or hapless characters. Characters deep in the throes of urban/country angst, unrequited love, love affairs gone wrong—in a nutshell—country noir. A master of clever lyrics and gorgeous melodies…Maurice’s warm powerful voice animates the songs into a kind of technicolor experience. – Kathryne Cassis

The voice with a heart! Denise Perrier is known for her elegant contralto, for her phrasing and swing, for her unparalleled interpretation of tunes drawn from the “Great American Songbook” — the timeless popular music that poured out of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and the little offices and garrets of songwriters across the land from the teens and ’20s through the 1950s. Her place among the top rank of San Francisco’s jazz vocalists has been unquestioned. And fortunately for us, her affection for the Bird & Beckett stage and audience brings her on occasion out to Glen Park, to our intimate room with 35 seats and space for a dozen more avid standing room guests… Tonight, Denise performs with saxophonist Jerry Logas, pianist Alan Steger, bassist Adam Gay and drummer Tony Johnson, fine and seasoned musicians all, with ample experience in her company.

Don Prell captains the ship of jazz for another evening of bebop and standards. Don’s been keeping this thing afloat at Bird & Beckett since late 2002, when he joined the Friday night crew. His career in jazz reaches back to the 1950s, however, when he was a key participant in the Los Angeles jazz scene – touring and recording with Bud Shank, playing constantly at clubs including the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach and the Haig in downtown L.A. Tours with Shank took him across the country and to the Netherlands, France and South Africa. This pianoless quartet echoes the Gerry Mulligan / Chet Baker unit that made waves in early 1950s. Don was there at its birth.

Mad Mama and The Bona Fide Few came together in San Francisco in 2011 with its current lineup — Mad Mama, herself, on uke and vocals; Steve Egelman on guitar and vocals, Tony Velour on bass and Paul Monteiro on drums. They played their own mix of whiskey-soaked Americana music at the Glen Park Festival four years running, as well as clubs throughout the Bay Area from 19 Broadway in Fairfax to Sweetwater in Mill Valley to Thee Parkside, The Knockout and Driftwood in San Francisco, to Alameda’s Fireside Lounge and many more. Featuring original music by Mad Mama, live shows also feature songs by artists like Johnny Cash, Social Distortion and Hank Williams. Regarding the personnel: Mad Mama (vocals and ukulele): Dr. Black once said…”[she’s] the perfect balance of smart and crazy – that makes [her] both desirable and dangerous.” Steve Egelman (guitar, vocals): Steve cut his teeth in the…

Reprising a great match up from last year, drummer/producer PC Muñoz meets madcap aleatoric classical/free jazz pianist Ira Kamin for another afternoon of exploratory duet. Click here for a taste of their July 12, 2015 outing at Bird & Beckett. Ira Kamin got his start in Chicago, making his mark on keyboards with the great blues guitarist Michael Bloomfield. Kamin and Bloomfield came out to California together in the late 1960s, and Ira has been here since. Early on, he explored blues and country styles on records like as Brewer and Shipley’s “One Toke Over the Line” while “honing his singular avant-garde /aleatoric classical piano style.” Along the way, his piano and organ work was also featured on albums by Bloomfield, Nick Gravenitis and Otis Rush, He’s traveled many miles since those storied beginnings. In 2013, San Francisco-based drummer and producer PC Muñoz released a recording of Ira and himself…

Walker considers the work and life of César Vallejo: Elemental Peruvian surrealist, whose book Trilce is one of the unacknowledged masterpieces of modern poetic speech, whose thematic background encompasses indigenous Andean villages, metropolitan Paris, and the Spanish Civil War.

“Broken Shadows” – Darren Johnston – trumpet/voice; Jordan Samuels – guitar/voice; David Phillips – pedal-steel/voice; Miles Wick – upright bass/voice. With songs that place an emphasis on lyrics and story-telling, and with world class instrumental playing that prizes spontaneity and dialogue, this highly adaptable collection of musicians under the leadership of trumpeter/composer Darren Johnston brings poetry, interplay, vocal harmonies, and a cross section of musical interests into a curious new blend of roots/art/dance music that defies category.

For several years until his untimely death last month, Howard Dudune shared the front line in the Chuck Peterson Quintet each fourth Friday at Bird & Beckett. Chuck and Howie both played tenor sax, with Howie doubling on clarinet and Chuck doubling on flute. Their friendship, mutual respect and musical collaboration dates back to the 1950s or early 1960s. They last played together on September 23rd, the regular monthly bookshop booking for the quintet, with long-time associates Glen Deardorff (guitar), Dean Reilly (bass) and Tony Johnson (drums). Howie died unexpectedly the next day — probably from a heart attack. He had a few ailments as you might expect of a man in his ’80s, but basically he was in great shape and sported a terrific outlook on life. Howie was a gracious and funny guy and one of the best musicians we’ve ever encountered, and we can’t understate how much…