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Germany probably isn't the first place that pops into mind at the suggestion of wild, adventurous jazz cultures. Yet the land of oompah music and Kraftwerk has had its moments, most notably during the pre-Nazi Weimar Era...
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You can be impressed with pianist Hiromi Uehara (who usually goes just by her first name) on any number of levels: The speed and sheer athleticism of her playing, her seemingly instinctual grasp of disparate musical idioms, her lavish gift...
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Most cities are lucky to have a reasonably well-rehearsed college or high school jazz orchestra. We, however, have the SFJAZZ Collective, a supergroup of some of the world's best musicians making contemporary jazz. The current edition includes...
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If you follow Bay Area jazz with any regularity, you've probably heard master percussionist John Santos in one of the many contexts in which he is beyond fluent. What you may not be aware of, however, is ...
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It's no great workout to make an intellectual argument against Wynton Marsalis. His personality can be on the prickly side; his vision of jazz is not the most expansive; his artistic signature is frustratingly elusive.Yet such arguments...
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The San Jose Winter Fest kicks off Wednesday with performances at a half-dozen venues spread around downtown San Jose. Highlights include hip-hop-friendly pianists Robert Glasper (Saturday) and Jose James (Friday), Hammond B3 organ dynamo Tony Monaco (Sunday...
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Jazz critics used to have a problem with Cassandra Wilson and her penchant for schmearing jazz, blues and pop influences into a delicious but hard-to-define mess. Which really was their problem, since Wilson's hypnotic, bourbon-and...
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I got my Valentine - tickets to Linda Eder this Saturday, Feb. 16 at Yoshi's. While I do not have romantic love in my life at this time, I do have the love of good friends and my...
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Jazz programmers love to pay homage to the music's golden past, a tendency that, if indulged too much or unwisely, can turn events into more museum pieces than concerts.One way to keep the "tribute to"...
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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...
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