With a financial assist from Jazz in the Neighborhood’s Guaranteed Fair Wage Fund,

the Jazz Philanthropists Union presents…

The Five Spot Jazz Quintet

Five musicians beyond description, together propelling a sweet little juggernaut of jazz feeling!

Hailing from Dursley, England, pianist Mike Greensill might be best known in the Bay Area as resident piano player on Sedge Thomson’s weekly Public Radio show, “West Coast Live,” as well as his role as musical director to vocalist Wesla Whitfield, with whom he’s recorded more then twenty albums. Not just a superlative pianist, he’s also a gifted composer. The band showcases Mike’s compositions and some tasty vocals too.

Saxophonist Charlie McCarthy comes from a musical family — his father was an accomplished trombone player in the Bay Area. His playing experience includes many of the greats in jazz including Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, George Shearing, Stan Getz, Joe Williams, and many others. He’s contributed some adventurous arrangements to the repertoire. He’s featured on both tenor saxophone and flute.

Joe Cohen, featured on alto saxophone, is one of the most in demand players in the Bay Area with a busy schedule performing locally and on tour as well as studio work. Always the right note at the right time with an impeccable rhythmic feel. In addition to playing soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, Joe plays piano, flute and clarinet. A partial list of notable players he’s worked with includes Bobby McFerrin, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Idris Muhammad and Lavay Smith. As well as a distinctive voice on saxophone, Joe contributes to the repertoire.

John Clark, on bass, studied with Ray Brown and Buster Williams and has extensive performing and recording experience both locally and nationally, working with such luminaries as Denise Perrier, Jackie Ryan and Frank Jackson as well as Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks and the Hot Club of San Francisco, among many others.

Drummer Akira Tana has worked with Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Hubert Laws, Milt Jackson, Jim Hall, Art Farmer, The Paul Winter Consort, Paquito D’Rivera, James Moody, J. J. Johnson, Lena Horne, the Manhattan Transfer, Ruth Brown, Charles Aznavour, Maurice Hines and Van Dyke Parks. He has appeared on over 150 recordings. Need we say more?

The band has put together a program of original tunes that you won’t hear anywhere else and new arrangements of jazz standards for the moment. The essence of jazz is originality no matter what the style. The joy of belonging to an ensemble peopled as generously as the Five Spot Quintet is to luxury of being able to write original material and have it performed with soul and wit.

Mike Greensill and Charlie McCarthy, both of whom write for the group, are steeped in the jazz tradition and can’t help but swing!

Nor can any of ’em!

Do come!