Blog entries

Portrait of an Artist - Pete Christlieb, jazz saxophonist

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:00:00 +0100

The great saxophonist Pete Christlieb - who performed at the Festival on Sunday, August 15 - answers to our five questions and tells us some memories he lived during his musical career that he could never forget .

"San Jose Jazz (SJJ): Tell us who you are.

Pete Christlieb (P.C): I’m Pete Christlieb. I came from a musical ...

San Jose Jazz Tune of the Month - by Dennis Broughton, Production Manager

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:33:00 +0100

Dennis Broughton, San Jose Jazz Festival Production Manager, picked with pep and excitation a Tower of Power's - a.k.a TOP or T.P - track for our San Jose Jazz Tune of the Month. It seems that T.P has never failed to entertain!

"During the 70's when I went to music school,we were all so into T.P... JAZZ MEETS FUNK-OAKLAND STYLE!!

All of the best players in the bay area were in the band, and they had some of the most funkest music for dancing and listening...

Jazz Minds - I'm looking forward to the Festival because...

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:57:19 +0100

Why should you go to the 21st AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival? What do you enjoy there? Would it be for the artists? Musical discoveries? Fun? Diversity? Dancing? Here, four music lovers decided to write a few words about it.

Arash Motamedi:

"I have lived in San Jose for a few ...

Portrait of an Artist - Pete Yellin, jazz saxophonist

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:00:00 +0100

San Jose Jazz chooses an artist, five questions (same ones each times) and five answers. Here, the jazz saxophonist Pete Yellin who leads his own group, the Pete Yellin Quintet, agreed to play by the rules!

San Jose Jazz (SJJ): Tell us who you are.

Pete Yellin (PY): I'm Pete Yellin, a saxophonist from New-York now living in the east Bay for years. I pl...

San Jose Jazz Tune of the Month - Bruce Labadie, Festival Director

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Bruce Labadie, Festival Director, chose our tune of the month! He tells us about his music crush, Ruthie Foster, how he discovered her and how she is such a powerful perfomer.

"I was travelling to Austin to attend the South By Southwest Music Festival in the late 1990's and s...

San Jose Jazz Tune of the Month - Geoff Roach, Executive Director

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Geoff Roach, San Jose Jazz Executive Director, picks our tune of the month! He presents the track, explains why he chose it and why, in a general way, it represents the San Jose Jazz Festival.

"Here is Tutu by Miles Davis:

Marcus Mi...

The art of Michael Rios

Mon, 24 May 2010 06:00:00 +0100

The art of Michael Rios -
A Career Retrospective and Tribute to Miles Davis & Carlos Santana

May 27-August 22, 2010
1320/1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco

The Jazz Heritage Center (JHC), San Francisco's only permanent complex dedicated to jazz art and jazz history, is pleased to host an exhibit of the fine art work of Michael Rios. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 27 from 6:30-9 pm with the artist.

Michael V. Rios is a native of O...

Modesto Briseno Quintet Three Flames - May 11, 2010

Tue, 11 May 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Modesto Briseno Quintet at the Three Flames - Tuesday, May 11, 2010
7:30-10:30
1547 Meridian Ave.
San Jose, Ca. 95125 408-269-3133

Come have a good time and listen to 'Real Music' played with 'Real Instruments'.

For more information call, 408-515-7397

Percussionist John Santos in Concert with the Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble

Fri, 07 May 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Concert and Lecture with John Santos at Stanford

Latin Jazz: Music of the Americas - Percussionist John Santos in Concert with the Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble

Monday, May 24, 2010, 8:00 PM
Campbell Recital Hall, Braun Music Center, Stanford University

$10 general / $9 senior / $5 student / Free for Stanford students w/ SUID
Ticket Info: Door or call Stanford Ticket Office 650.725.2787
Website: http://latinjazz.stanford.edu

Join...

Jazz for Life Concert - Benefit for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, May 7 at Fairmont San Jose

Mon, 03 May 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Jazz For Life Concert

A Great Way to Party with a Purpose

May 7th 6:00pm - 9:00pm - Club Regent - Fairmont San Jose

This memorable Jazz Concert for the cure features Octobop

No-Host Bar and a raffle to win exciting prices and getaways.

Pre-sale Concert Tickets: $15.00

Door Concert Tickets: $20.00

100% of the ticket sales proceeds will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

For reservations please call Spe...

PAJA Concert Remembering Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker

Mon, 03 May 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Sunday, May 23, 2010, 2:00 PM, Canada College, Main Theatre, 4200 Farm Hill Boulevard (near US 280 exit), Redwood City.

Remembering Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker and the "Revolutionary" Pianoless Quartet, GARY SMULYAN, baritone sax and RON STOUT, trumpet with Michael Zisman, bass and Akira Tana, drums.

Opening set by Menlo-Atherton High Jazz Ensemble.

Tickets $30 adults, $25 Palo Alto Jazz Alliance members, and $10 students.

In...

Interview of Lee Pardini, with San Jose's hottest jazz trio, playing this Saturday

Lucie Paye — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:00:00 +0100

The Lee Pardini Trio is set to play at San Jose Jazz Showcase this Saturday, April 24th at City Lights Theater and at Left Coast Live in June. They are known as one of the hottest bands in the San Jose area,...

A Mothers Day Treat: Wally Schnalle at Theatre on San Pedro, Sunday May 9th

Lucie Paye — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Thanks to South Bay Live Wally Schnalle's 4tet comes to San Jose's Theatre On San Pedro Square. This is his A-team featuring Jeff Massanari on guitar, Dann Zinn on sax and Jason Muscat on bass. This tight working group covered the West Coast from LA to Seattle last year. They will be previewing the material from their u...

How Will You Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month?

Lucie Paye — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:00:00 +0100

April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM)!

In honor of it, we've asked a few typical Silicon Valley jazz fans to answer the question: "What is Jazz?" You can see their responses on YouTube:

CLICK HERE!

Just as there are many ideas about how to define jazz, there are many ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Mon...

More Jazz Appreciation Month Events

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:00:00 +0100

From trumpet player, band leader, and great guy John Worley...

This Spring has ushered in some busy times here in Mountain View - with all of my booking duties for the "Wednesday Night Big Band" series (every Wed. night) and "Tuesday Jazz Jam" (2nd and 4th Tues/month) at Senzala Restaurant. Senzala in Sunnyvale is quickly becoming the place to see music in the Silicon Valley/South Bay area. As you can tell by the itinerary below, we've got quite a few events...

Swinging Jazz Party presented by Palo Alto Jazz Alliance

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Swinging Jazz Party
Sunday, April 25 2-5pm

The Modesto Briseno Septet, with Kenny Washington on vocals and featured guest, vibraphonist Christian Tamburr.

The Briseno Septet plays swinging, driving, listenable jazz classics from the 50's and 60's. Critic Andrew Gilbert wrote of Washington, after a week at Lincoln Center Dizzy's in NYC, "he walked away with the audience in his pocket." Tamburr is a young vibes master who has played with countless jazz greats and at festiva...

Musicians' Self-Help Healthcare Fundraiser

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0100

2nd Annual JAZZ FEST Bay Area Jazz Musicians' Self-Help Healthcare Fundraiser, headed by trumpeter Eddie Gale, San Jose's Ambassador of Jazz.

Jazz Fest will be held on Friday, April 23 and Saturday April 24, 2010.

JAZZ FEST FEATURED PERFORMANCES

Friday, April 23 (starting at 7:30 PM)

An opening performance by City College of San Francisco Advance Jazz Band, directed by David Hardiman, Jr.;

...

Yamaha and Kawai have recalled 20,000 pianos...

Lucie Paye — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Piano News from Japan

"Yamaha and Kawai have recalled 20,000 pianos due to a problem with the pedal sticking, causing pianists to play faster than they normally would, resulting in a dangerous number of accidentals.

The sticky pedal also makes it harder for pianists to come to a full stop at the end of a piece, making it extremely risky for audiences.

Although there have been a tremendous number of accidentals, fortunately it has s...

Like to Dance to Big Band Music?

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0100

American Legion Dinner Dance

Date: March 19th (Friday)

What better way to spend a Friday, end-of-the-work week, evening? A delicious, inexpensive dinner and dancing to the 17-piece Swing Solution big band. Drinks are available at the bar.

Time: Dancing: 7 to 9:30 p.m

Dinner: 5:30 p.m.

Doors Open: 5 p.m.

Location: 958 Homestead Rd. Santa Clara

Cost: $12 (dinner inc...

Fats Waller and the Golden Age of Jazz Featured in a Play Opening this Saturday at the Rep

Lucie Paye — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

A play about Fats Waller starts this Saturday at the Rep. There is a special discount on tickets available for San Jose Jazz members (become a member) - see details below.

The joint is jumpin' to the music of Thomas "Fats" Waller in this Tony® Award-winning musical revue...