Jane taught Jerry to sing. Just sing, she said, as loud as you can, and don’t stop. And lord if he didn’t! From the Meat Market Cafe to the Cafe Babar to the Noe Valley Writers’ Workshop, in one order or another, and countless living rooms along the way… Welcome home… An open mic follows, and you’d do well to read a poem in it for our pleasure. Do come.

Jinx Jones, guitar powerhouse well known to the crowds at the Saloon, Tupelo, Speisekammer and countless other spots around Northern California, is joined by the imperturbable Joe Kyle Jr. on bass and solid rocking Kenny Owen on drums for two sets of rockabilly classics with a jazz edge, and classic jazz with a rockabilly flavor. Here are some shots from the debut of this mighty little trio doing their surf thing at last month’s Surf-a-billy Swing Time show… Jinx called it the “Savage Surfer Stomp” and wasn’t it though!

Guitarist Ila Cantor, bassist John Wiitala and drummer Eric Garland join Rob Reich in a quartet formation to cover jazz standards, not-so-standards, and originals. Hear Rob, Ila and John’s take on “The Myth” with Hamir Atwal on drums and Ben Goldberg on clarinet in September 2015 by clicking here.  Rob just keeps going deeper. Thanks to Marty Bigos for helping underwrite this performance.  And thanks to Jean Conner, whose support through the years has made our entire “which way west?” Sunday concert series possible.  

Pianist Grant Levin plays with Chris Amberger on bass from 4-6 pm and returns at 7:30 with saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu, Chris on bass, and Jeff Minnieweather on drums. Bob has had a storied career, recording in 1992 with Billy Hart on drums; 1994 with Pat Martino on guitar and Jack McDuff on organ; in 1998 with Babatunde on percussion; in 1997 with Essiet Essiet on bass and Bill Stewart on drums; in 2002 with Ron Marabuto on drums; and in 2015 with David Hazeltine on piano and Billy Drummond on drums.  Born in Stockton, Bob hit NYC in the early 1990s and was a member of the Jack McDuff organ combo, and the Ruth Brown Band. He recorded ‘The Spark’, with Billy Hart and Ira Coleman, and ‘Bronx Tale’, with Pat Martino and Jack McDuff. Bob also played on Pat Martino’s ‘Nightwings’, with Bill Stewart and Marc Johnson. jazz club! when…

Food writer Jane Sigal presents her new book, and is joined for the Q&A by Paul Chutkow, author, journalist and publisher. bistronomy covers today’s bistro cooking in Paris – French food reimagined by a new generation of chefs. There’s a new movement afoot in Paris. Young chefs have turned their backs on stuffiness and are creating an experience that is more fun and a lot less formal. In tiny independent bistros, mostly on the outskirts of the city, they’re turning out fantastically inventive food that bypasses many of the old sauces and relies instead on the vibrancy of responsibly sourced ingredients. Because they’re working in tiny kitchens with little or no staff, advance preparation is esteemed. (Good news for the home cook looking to crib kitchen notes.) Among their tricks (which could fit easily into anyone’s repertoire) are finding inspired uses for humble root vegetables like rutabaga and parsnips, presenting a vegetable…

The Seducers have well earned a regular Second Sunday booking in Bird & Beckett’s new weekly “Canyon Moonlight Music” series.  The band features guitarist and vocalist Mitch Polzak, pedal steel guitarist Joe Goldmark, singer and bassist Eddie Kendrick and drummer Les James. Classic country music for a moonlit November night hard by Glen Canyon, where the coyotes howl and the cats fear for their lives. 7:30-10 pm. Suggested donation – $10.

A return engagement of San Francisco’s finest interpreters of early jazz, vaudeville, rural blues, ragtime and popular tunes!  Click here to listen to their duo guitar performance of Cold Mornin’ Shout. Craig Ventresco was lured out to San Francisco from Maine in 1987 by the promised riches of the musician’s life to be had here.  Like Rick with regard to Casablanca’s fabled waters, he was misinformed. Nonetheless, he has managed to ply his trade here for decades, and is known internationally as a virtuoso of the guitar and historian of early American popular music. He sings a bit as well, which is always a pleasure to hear. Craig is deeply familiar with all manner of turn-of-the-20th-century popular music, gleaned from years of collecting old cylinders and 78 rpm records after glomming onto the music as a toddler. “I love all kinds of music from the turn of the century–” he…

Surf, Italian Style! or is it, Italian, Surf Style? Click on the picture to ponder that.

EaR Candy digs into their deep repertoire with a relish that’ll set you grinning ear to ear. Eric Shifrin, piano Ralph Carney, reeds Bing Nathan, bass Scott Johnson, drums Some photos from last month’s date, with Joe Kyle, Jr. on bass:and Randy Lee Odell on drums: performance photos by Angela Bennett; group photo by Dennis Hearne.

Jordan Samuels – guitar Sam Grobe-Heintz – piano Josh Thurston-Milgrom – bass Austin Lee Harris – drums Jordan Samuels has been studying, performing and teaching in the Bay Area for 20 years, and gigging on the local jazz scene since 2010.  He has studied guitar with Randy Vincent and Bruce Forman, and is strongly influenced by Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Barney Kessel and Peter Bernstein.  He performs regularly with the Hot Club of San Francisco, the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra and Certified Organic, as well as his own trios and quartets. Pianist Sam Grobe-Heintz has been active in the Bay Area jazz scene for the past 13 years, playing with Andrew Speight, Akira Tana, Erik Jekabson, Marcus Belgrave, Donald “Duck” Bailey, Eric Alexander, Wycliffe Gordon, Alexander String Quartet, Mike Olmos, Eddie Marshall and others. He’s a member of several Bay Area bands, including Horace-Scope and the Fil Lorenz Orchestra, and has…

It’s the wolfman, Jack! Happy Halloween… jazz club! when lights are low… every Saturday night at Bird & Beckett! Tonight:  Tenor sax player Patrick Wolff leads the San Francisco Repertory Jazz Quartet with Adam Shulman on piano Eric Markowitz on bass and Jimmy Gallagher on drums $10 cover

AND SAW THE HEAVEN OPEN (UND SAH DIE HIMMEL OFFEN):  Spirituality here and beyond religion. Narratives, voices, contemplations Peter Erlenwein, Ph.D. will read from his book and engage in discussion with the audience. Dr. Erlenwein offers a fascinating approach towards the complex dynamics of spirituality, religion and society. The title of Dr. Erlenwein’s book, And saw the heaven open, is programmatic – prominent German/American and other voices of the global civil societies share their views; far reaching dimensions of spiritual experience, beyond mainstream stereotypes are hereby reflected, concerning their profound meaning for a secularized Western mind. Peter Erlenwein (PH.D.) is a sociopsychologist and transpersonal therapist from Germany.  His integral approach combines Jungian archetypal psychology, meditation and body mind work with dance, ritual  and role playing in the context of sacred text reflections of different religious traditions. (Hagio/Sacred-drama). His spiritual insight and life has been deeply inspired by his decades long…