Sylvia Cuenca has recruited magnificent players to join her in a quartet tonight, the late show on the first night of our eleven-day 20th anniversary celebration!

Andrew Speight, saxophone
Ben Stolorow, piano
Doug Miller,bass
Sylvia Cuenca,drums

Sylvia is a fabulous drummer, well traveled. She hails originally from San Jose — though she’s established her career from her base in New York, including four years in the Joe Henderson Quartet, eleven years in trumpeter Clark Terry’s band, and much much more. She’s well known and highly regarded on both coasts and internationally.

Sylvia played her first professional gig while still in her teens, hired for the job by the great San Francisco guitarist Eddie Duran — the one guy we know who played with Charlie Parker… That gig (Sylvia’s with Eddie, not Eddie’s with Bird) was at Pearl’s Jazz Joint, when Pearl’s was a basement club in the Great Eastern Restaurant in Chinatown. Remember Jazz at Pearl’s when it was on Columbus near Broadway? Same Pearl…

Same Sylvia! But a seasoned pro now who often swings through Bird & Beckett with great musicians when she’s out here visiting family.

That’s Sylvia in the picture here the first time she passed through Bird & Beckett, after a gig celebrating Eddie Duran’s 80th birthday, with trumpeter Al Molina, saxophonist Mad Duran and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet.

$20 cover charge tonight.
Sliding scale available to those of limited means.