After two week of star-studded blowouts, the new SFJAZZ Center gets down to business this week with its new programming format: a long weekend each week devoted to a particular musician or theme.
First up is influential bassist/composer Dave Holland, one of the seminal artists of his generation and vitally important in forging an ongoing conversation between the fusion and acoustic jazz camps. He'll start off with a solo performance Thursday evening, add the great pianist Kenny Barron on Friday, ramp up to a quintet (featuring trombonist Robin Eubanks and vibist Steve Nelson) Saturday, and close out the week Sunday with Prism, his fusiony project featuring drummer Eric Harland and keyboardist Craig Taborn. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. (which turns out to be great for snagging the prime Hayes Valley dining tables before the symphony crowd), and tickets are $20-$70.
Also worth noting on the Bay Area jazz scene this week:
- Ultra World X-Tet, which uses jazz as just a part of its bold East-West fusion, plays 8 p.m. Tuesday at Yoshi's San Francisco. $15
- Ace keyboardist and perpetually busy session player David K. Mathews gets his kicks with the music of Ray Charles, 8 p.m. Wednesday at Yoshi's Oakland. $16
- Bay Area jazz heroes Larry Vokovich (piano), Noel Jewkes (sax) and Erik Jekabson (trumpet) focus on Dizzy, Monk and other foundations of the bop era, 8 p.m. Friday at Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland. $20
- Flautist and Bay Area jazz institution Gerald Beckett performs with his quartet, 8 p.m. Saturday at Berkeley's Jazzschool. $12-$15
- Tower of Power alumnus Chester Thompson returns to his original love, the irresistibly complex but funky sound of jazz organ, with his quartet, performing 8 p.m. Friday at Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley. $22.50-$24.50
- Pianist, composer and all-around New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint gets the Mardis Gras spirit flowing, 8 and 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday at Yoshi's Oakland. $35
- Guitarist George Cole and his band, Eurocana, mix gypsy jazz and modern influences, 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society near Half Moon Bay. $35
- Jazz harp innovator Destiny Muhammad performs with her trio, augmented by hard-blowing trumpeter Eddie Gale, 3 p.m. Sunday at the Bayview Opera House. $10-$20
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