Jesse Levit, saxophone
Kai Lyons, guitar
Billy Edwards, bass
Elé Howell, drums

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Elé Howell, a prodigy from a young age born and raised in the Bay Area, names a set of early influences that include his father, the saxophonist Richard Howell, as well as teachers and mentors from the Oaktown Jazz Workshops and Bay Area jazz and African music communities, including Art Khu, Babatunde Lea, E.W. Wainwright, Khalil Shaheed, Larry Vann, James Henry, Jack Dorsey, Sly Randolph and Angela Wellman.

Still in his mid-twenties and now based in New York, he’s forged a vital career, touring internationally with Ravi Coltrane and Chief Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, and working along the way with Stanley Clarke, John Scofield, Gill Goldstein, Brandee Younger, Reggie Workman, John Santos, David Gilmore, Weedie Braimah, Mike Rodriguez, Jeff Chambers, Alex Sipiagan and countless other fantastic musicians.

“He’s a fabulous musician,” Coltrane says. “Just an excellent drummer who plays with a lot of heart and intensity. I love the way he rides the cymbal and plays the bass drum. You can hear a lot of the great modern drummers influencing him, and it’s important for older players to be around young players who have their own unique insights and takes on music.”

His close associates in tonight’s quartet are fully in tune with Elé and his musical conceptions and well up to the task.

Hear Elé’s thrilling work in this video from the 12/9/23 date at Bird & Beckett playing alongside his father and bassist Ravi Abcarian in the Billy Higgins Legacy Band, subbing for the ailing mentor Myron Cohen.

Tonight’s presentation enjoys the support of Jazz in the Neighborhood, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the economics of jazz performance in the Bay Area. One of the ways in which JitN pursues its mission is to underwrite venues on individual dates to help the venues meet a “guaranteed fair wage” standard without reliance on door revenue, tips and other approaches to compensation.

Bird & Beckett is very appreciative of JitN’s support this December!

Missed the show? Shame on you! But, seriously, all’s forgiven. Watch the show here and consider making a monthly sustaining donation to our nonprofit, which makes it all possible! https://birdbeckett.com/join/