Improvising/avant garde saxophonist Yoni Kretzmer has relocated to the Bay Area for a spell from his base in Brooklyn. He’s joined by renowned San Francisco bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and his frequent collaborator in Brooklyn, the drummer Kjell Nordeson. Kretzmer has two new recordings out now from OutNow Recordings — “Mis-Stake” by his 2Bass Quartet and “Bring” by his trio with Daniel Sarid and Michael Evans. It’s free jazz, but there’s a cover in the Velvet Lounge! $20 (sliding scale available).

Here’s a nice, rambling interview with Yoni from about a year ago that’ll give you a pretty good background going into tonight’s gig… https://www.jazzrightnow.com/interview-saxophonist-yoni-kretzmer/

And here’s a bit of audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0IH3DufrDQ

Before moving to NYC in 2010, Jerusalem born tenor saxophonist and composer Yoni Kretzmer was an active member in the growing Tel Aviv nu-music scene. Since relocating to Brookklyn, Kretzmer has led his own trio’s quartet’s, quintet and sextet, releasing ten albums under his own name and playing with the likes of William Parker, Roy Campbell, Chad Taylor, Steve Swell, Weasel Walter, John Hebert among many others.

Lisa Mezzacappa is a San Francisco Bay Area-based composer, bassist, bandleader, and producer. Called “one of the most imaginative figures on the Bay Area creative jazz scene” by The Mercury News and “a Bay Area treasure” by KQED public radio, she has been an active part of California’s vibrant music community for more than 18 years. Mezzacappa’s activities as a composer and bandleader include ethereal chamber music, electro-acoustic works, avant-garde jazz, music for groups from duo to large ensemble, and collaborations with film, dance and visual art.

Kjell Nordeson, PhD, is a Swedish percussionist and instructor currently living in San Francisco, Caifornia. In 1986 Nordeson formed AALY Trio, together with fellow Swede Mats Gustafsson. AALY Trio became one of the leading groups in the Swedish experimental scene in the 90’s.  Nordeson has toured extensively in Europe, North America, North Africa and Japan with various groups; altogether over 1200 performances in around 30 different countries, and recorded over 50 CDs. He has performed with Peter Brötzmann, Barry Guy, Ken Vandermark, Sten Sandell, Joe Morris, William Parker, Paul Rutherford, Martin Küchen, Gerry Hemingway, Christer Bothén, Frank Gratkowski, Stefano Scodanibbio, Mark Dresser and many others.