Widely hailed as the greatest jazz vocalist of his generation, Kurt Elling has just won a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album. At SFJAZZ, he teams up with the Count Basie Orchestra to celebrate the music that the famed big band crafted with Frank Sinatra in the early '60s. This once-in-a-lifetime matchup will employ the original charts Quincy Jones arranged for the Basie/Sinatra collaboration. Learn more...
Sinatra/Basie Revisited: Kurt Elling with the Count Basie Orchestra
Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco, CA)
Bobby McFerrin presents VOCAbuLarieS
Nob Hill Masonic Center (San Francisco, CA)
Bobby McFerrin is a revolutionary musical force who exudes pure joy while reconfiguring the definitions of jazz, a cappella and classical music. McFerrin's signature is his performance of completely improvised solo concerts using only his voice and his body to create a multi-layered sound, leaving onlookers slack-jawed in disbelief. McFerrin has collaborated with jazz and classical musicians and scored an era-defining pop hit with "Don't Worry, Be Happy," as well as earning ten Grammy Awards. Learn more...
Pete Escovedo and His Orchestra: Latin Jazz Star at the Rrazz Room
Rrazz Room @ Hotel Nikko (San Francisco, CA)
Bay Area jazz legend Pete Escovedo brings his orchestra to the Rrazz Room. The master percussionist's music seamlessly flows between Latin jazz, salsa, funk and R&B styles. In addition to his many years as a bandleader, Pete also spent three years in Santana, and is the father of pop star Sheila E. Learn more...
Jewish Music Festival - Jazz, Klezmer and Tango Septet Diaspora Redux
The Freight and Salvage Coffee House (Berkeley, CA)
Diaspora Redux is a septet with musicians from New York, Berlin and Buenos Aires, cradles of contemporary jazz, klezmer, tango, and avant-garde music. The group was formed by director Alan Bern, of the world-renowned klezmer band Brave Old World, and their music ranges from whimsical to ecstatic, romantic to ironic and from shy to furious. Learn more...
Cabaret Star Maude Maggart Sings at the Rrazz Room
Rrazz Room @ Hotel Nikko (San Francisco, CA)
The Rrazz Room presents Maude Maggart. Known for her expressive vibrato, Maude is one of America's most acclaimed cabaret singers. A peerless interpreter of standards, her repertoire ranges from Kurt Weill to Jerome Kern and Harry Warren. Learn more...
Soweto Gospel Choir: Grammy-Winning South African Group at the Paramount Theatre
The Paramount Theatre (Oakland, CA)
Hailing from South Africa, the 25-member Soweto Gospel Choir blends traditional, tribal and modern African gospel with Western spiritual sounds. They've won two Grammy Awards, and had multiple no. 1 albums on the Billboard World Music charts. They sing their uplifting music at Oakland's Paramount Theatre. Learn more...
Linda Kosut: Jazz and Cabaret Singer in When I'm 64! A Birthday Celebration at the Rrazz Room
Rrazz Room @ Hotel Nikko (San Francisco, CA)
The Rrazz Room presents Linda Kosut in her new show, When I'm 64! The Bistro and BMI Award-winning singer blends cabaret and jazz styles in sparkling renditions of songs written by the Beatles, Randy Newman, Irving Berlin, Bob Dylan and more. Kosut, who started singing only a few years ago, explores her life and the music she's loved. Learn more...
The Tierney Sutton Band: Three-Time Grammy-Nominated Jazz Singer at the Rrazz Room
Rrazz Room @ Hotel Nikko (San Francisco, CA)
The Tierney Sutton Band plays the Rrazz Room. Sutton, a three-time Grammy nominee, is known for her bold reimaginings of classic jazz standards. She's backed by her band, a top-flight group which has collaborated with her for over a decade. Learn more...
Giants of Jazz on Film: The Great Jazz Singers at JCCSF
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (Kanbar Hall) (San Francisco, CA)
The popular Giants of Jazz on Film series features The Great Jazz Singers. Jazz scholar and collector Mark Cantor presents and narrates ultra-rare film clips from his private collection, featuring classic performances by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat "King" Cole, Sarah Vaughan and many more legendary vocalists. Learn more...
Jazz Without Borders: An Exciting Collaboration of Jazz, Israeli, and Middle Eastern Music
Temple Emanu-El (San Francisco, CA)
Jazz Without Borders is an exciting new collaboration between legendary jazz drummer Eddie Marshall and dynamic young Israeli saxophonist, Nir Naaman. A mixture of contemporary jazz, Israeli, and Middle Eastern music, the group has a uniquely compelling sound. Marshall and Naaman are of different generations and different cultures but together they produce music that is energetic and uplifting. Learn more...
This Is Freda Payne: Vocalist/Actor Freda Payne at the Rrazz Room
Rrazz Room @ Hotel Nikko (San Francisco, CA)
Freda Payne began her career as a vocalist in the 1960s, working with jazz greats such as Pearl Bailey, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Quincy ]ones and many others. She had two successful singles of her own as well: "Bring the Boys Home," and "Band of Gold." In the 1980s, she expanded her career to include appearing on her own television talk show. She never lost her love for music though, and continues to sing pop, jazz, and R&B. Learn more...
The Harlem Gospel Choir at Lincoln Theater
Lincoln Theater (Yountville, CA)
The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir comes to Lincoln Theater. Drawing its members from Harlem's finest church choirs, the choir has performed around the globe, and are beloved for their joyous and vibrant live shows. Learn more...