SFJAZZ NOVEMBER 2025 PROGRAMMING
Bria Skonberg Photo: Shervin Lainez
SAN FRANCISCO (October 9, 2025)—In November 2025, SFJAZZ will continue its 2025/26 season with an eclectic mix of world-class artists. Tickets for all performances are on-sale now at sfjazz.org.
*** NOVEMBER 1–2, 2025 ***
SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE · MUSIC OF WAYNE SHORTER’S NATIVE DANCER
Saturday, November 1, 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 2, 3 & 7 PM
Miner Auditorium
Founded in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is our all-star resident ensemble and composer’s workshop that represents what’s happening now in jazz, featuring music director and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, tenor saxophonist David Sánchez, trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Kendrick Scott.
The concept behind the Collective’s yearly focus has been to perform newly commissioned pieces by each member and fresh arrangements of works by modern masters. Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring music’s greatest figures while championing jazz’s up-to-the-minute directions, the SFJAZZ Collective has embodied the organization’s commitment to jazz as a living, ever-relevant art form.
For the 2025-26 Season, the septet turns its attention back to the late saxophone genius Wayne Shorter, whose work was the focus of the 2008 season, celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of his landmark albums. Shorter’s 1975’s Native Dancer was a high watermark in his output — a hugely influential collaboration with Brazilian legend Milton Nascimento whose influence continues to resonate. The Collective bring their interpretive power to the material, along with a fresh batch of original compositions inspired by Shorter’s mid-decade masterpiece.
ESPIRALES PROJECT
Saturday, November 1, 7 & 8:30 PM
Sunday, November 2, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab
Formed in 2023, the fresh and dynamic Espirales Project brings together five remarkable musicians, each a graduate of Cuba’s renowned Instituto Superior de Arte, who represent the next generation of master Cuban instrumentalists.
The band weaves together vibrant threads of Cuban jazz, classical finesse, and the island’s pulsating rhythms—a fusion that’s both daring and elegant. The group’s founder, 19-year-old pianist Rodrigo García, was mentored by the virtuoso Aldo López-Gavilán and has amassed an impressive number of major awards from Stanford Jazz Workshop and Carnegie Hall. He anchors a superb lineup that includes violinist Tania Haase, double bassist Olivia Rodríguez, and the powerful percussion duo of Alejandro Aguiar and Jesús Estrada, whose dynamic interplay creates a soundscape bursting with soulful musicality and pure joy.
*** NOVEMBER 5–9, 2025 ***
BRIA SKONBERG QUINTET
Wednesday, November 5, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium
Juno award-winning trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg is, in the words of The Wall Street Journal, “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation.”
An artist deeply committed to the New Orleans “hot jazz” tradition filtered through contemporary influences, the Chilliwack, British Columbia native began her musical life as a big band vocalist (doubling on trumpet) at age sixteen and studying with trumpeter and swing veteran Warren Vaché. Skonberg traveled the world with veteran guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and Horward Alden, and since arriving in New York, her profile has risen steadily with a New York Bistro Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist and a Swing! Award bestowed by Jazz at Lincoln Center.
JOHN SCOFIELD COMBO 73 FEATURING GERALD CLAYTON, VICENTE ARCHER & BILL STEWART
Thursday, November 6, 7:30 PM
Friday, November 7, 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 8, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium
66 when he formed this multi-generational band and led its 2018 self-titled Verve album Combo 66, John Scofield is reaching the age when many of his contemporaries start thinking about retirement. Such an idea is the furthest thing from Scofield’s mind.
The guitarist is following in the footsteps of Jack DeJohnette, his bandmate in the all-star quartet Hudson, who continues to blaze new musical trails with musicians half his age. Rather than slowing down, Scofield goes from strength to strength, winning consecutive Best Jazz Album GRAMMY Awards for 2015’s Past Present and 2016’s Country For Old Men (both on Impulse!). One of the post-fusion era’s definitive guitarists, Scofield went from recording with jazz giants such as Miles, Mingus and Chet Baker to joining the pantheon himself.
Consisting of a team of established bandleaders whose ages span four decades, the band, now rebranded Combo 73 to reflect the leader’s current age, once again relies on Bill Stewart, a brilliant, melodically inventive drummer whose relationship with Scofield spans his influential early ‘90s Blue Note albums through his two recent GRAMMY winners. Vicente Archer, one of New York’s busiest bassists, is best known for anchoring the acclaimed trios of Robert Glasper and Nicholas Payton. And pianist Gerald Clayton is simply a monster, possessing virtuosic technique, a gorgeous touch, and boundless imagination.
CAITY GYORGY
Friday, November 7, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab
Caity Gyorgy is a dazzling force in contemporary jazz, celebrated for her virtuosic vocals, inventive songwriting, and irresistible swing. Hailing from Calgary, Canada, Gyorgy (pronounced “George”) has rapidly ascended the jazz world, earning three JUNO Awards for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year by age 24—a testament to her artistry and impact. Renowned for her mastery of bebop and swing, she brings a breezy, effortless quality to her singing, with improvisations that sparkle with wit and technical brilliance.
NICOLAS BEARDE WITH SPECIAL GUEST TAMMY L. HALL · TRIBUTE TO AL JARREAU
Saturday, November 8, 7 & 8:30 PM
Sunday, November 9, 6 & 7:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab
For this exclusive night, a pair of Bay Area jazz luminaries team for a heartfelt tribute to the beloved, innovative singer and 2006 NEA Jazz Master Al Jarreau.
“A richly impressive amalgam of Bill Withers and Billy Eckstine" (JazzTimes), vocalist Nicolas Bearde toured and recorded with Bobby McFerrin’s innovative vocal ensemble Voicestra and later its off-shoot SoVoSó for over a decade. He has released 6 albums as a leader and is also the vocalist and narrator for saxophone great Vincent Herring’s “Story of Jazz Orchestra” that chronicles 100 years of recorded jazz. He balances his music career with acting in stage productions, television and major feature films.
A native of Dallas, pianist, organist, and composer Tammy L. Hall began her life with the piano at age four and built a professional career that would find her warm and intuitive mix of jazz, classical, and gospel approaches in great demand. She has collaborated with a staggering roster of major artists including Mary Wilson, Kim Nalley, Marcus Shelby, Houston Person, David “Fathead” Newman, Pamela Rose, Queen Esther Marrow, Ernestine Anderson, Barbara Dane, Holly Near, and Regina Carter, among dozens of others.
*** NOVEMBER 13–16, 2025 ***
JUAN DE MARCOS & AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS
Thursday, November 13, 7:30 PM
Friday, November 14, 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 15, 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 16, 7 PM
Miner Auditorium
After gaining international fame for reviving the classic sound of Cuban son, tres master Juan de Marcos turned the Afro-Cuban All Stars into a sensational showcase for Cuba’s most prodigious young musicians.
While long revered in Latin America and Europe as a founding member of Cuba’s great son revival band Sierra Maestra, de Marcos first gained notice in the US as founder of the Buena Vista Social Club. It was de Marcos who assembled Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Ruben Gonzalez and the rest of the crew for Ry Cooder when he came to Havana looking for illustrious old timers. But de Marcos is just as interested in promoting Cuba’s brilliant young musicians as in highlighting Cuba’s senior talent. The Afro-Cuban All Stars not only features a multi-generational cast, but the group also draws on both classic Cuban styles like son and danzón and contemporary dance rhythms like timba. “What I’m trying to do is create a bridge between contemporary and traditional Cuban music,” de Marcos says. “I’m trying to mix both things so people can realize that Cuban music didn’t stop in time, that it developed in this long period when Cuban music disappeared from the market.”
MARIAM OF AMADOU & MARIAM
Thursday, November 13, 8 PM
Herbst Theatre
Celebrating her joyful 45-year marriage and career as one of the most famous ambassadors for Malian music, Mariam Doumbia performs in tribute to her late husband and musical partner Amadou with music from their remarkable career as well as material from their upcoming album L’Amour à la Folie (Mad Love) — their final release together.
The Bamako-born husband and wife met at while students at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind and found a shared interest in music and performing. Since that momentous meeting, the famed “blind couple from Mali” rose through the African and European music scenes with their mix of Malian pop and psychedelic blues to become one of the hottest world music acts in recent history, sharing the stage with artists including Coldplay, U2, Alicia Keys, Santigold, and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
KAMASI WASHINGTON
Saturday, November 15, 8 PM
Golden Gate Theatre
Saxophonist, bandleader and composer Kamasi Washington, who exploded out of the Los Angeles music scene to become one of the most celebrated and visible faces of jazz today, returns for his first SFJAZZ appearance in nearly a decade to bring his latest movement-inspired 2024 release Fearless Movement to his performance at the Golden Gate Theatre.
Born to saxophonist Rickey Washington, Kamasi was steeped in the jazz of John Coltrane from infancy and mentored by prominent jazz educator Reggie Andrews as well as drumming luminary Billy Higgins at the World Stage – the Leimert Park music mecca he created. Through this iconic creative hub Washington met many of the musicians he now performs with in the loose conglomeration called the West Coast Get-Down, including bassist Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner and saxophonist Terrace Martin.
Washington’s work on hip-hop megastar Kendrick Lamar’s GRAMMY-winning landmark To Pimp a Butterfly exposed a generation to his nascent genius, and his epochal 2015 debut The Epic made a sprawling statement of purpose that catapulted his profile to that of the biggest crossover jazz artist on the scene, earning Album of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll and selling out concert halls over the world.
Washington earned a GRAMMY nomination for his 2020 soundtrack to the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, and his newest album, Fearless Movement, is a small group session inspired by his recent fatherhood.
JONATHAN KREISBERG QUARTET
Saturday, November 15, 7 PM & 8:30 PM
Sunday, November 16, 6 PM & 7:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab
Over the past two decades New York City native Jonathan Kreisberg has truly become one of jazz’s most formidable guitarists. He returns to the Bay Area with his latest project, a classic organ trio that echoes his formative career with the legendary organist Dr. Lonnie Smith.
Kreisberg has certainly paid his dues, earning a vaunted reputation by accompanying a disparate array of masters such as Lee Konitz, Joe Henderson, Yosvany Terry, Joe Locke, Donald Edwards, and most importantly the late Smith (who featured Kreisberg on five of his last albums). “He is a passionate musician with great vision, and he is constantly in fiery pursuit of innovation,” said the late, great organist.
*** NOVEMBER 21–23, 2025 ***
THREE VISITORS FEATURING EDWARD SIMON, SCOTT COLLEY, AND BRIAN BLADE
Friday, November 21, 7 & 8:30 PM
Saturday, November 22, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab
Described as “the best of us all” by no less an authority than Cuban piano giant Chucho Valdés, pianist and SFJAZZ Collective member Edward Simon returns to the intimate environs of Joe Henderson Lab as part of a remarkable trio featuring fellow greats Scott Colley and Brian Blade, performing music from their new co-led release, Three Visitors.
A native of Punta Cardón, Venezuela, Simon moved to New York in 1989 and worked extensively as part of Bobby Watson’s Horizon and the Terence Blanchard Group while doing sideman work with artists including Greg Osby, Bobby Hutcherson, Paquito D’Rivera and Herbie Mann. A Guggenheim fellow, he joined the SFJAZZ Collective in 2010.
THE QUEEN’S CARTOONISTS
Saturday, November 22, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium
Joining the two longstanding American traditions of animation and jazz, the remarkable New York-based ensemble The Queen’s Cartoonists performs the indelible music from animation’s golden age synchronized to screenings of classic cartoons from the 1930s-50s as well as gems from the present day.
SMARTBOMB PRESENTS LOW LEAF
Sunday, November 23, 6 & 7:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab
Low Leaf, the artistic moniker of Angelica Lopez, is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and producer whose music defies conventional genres, blending elements of folk, electronica, jazz, and hip-hop into a unique, ethereal soundscape. Since debuting in 2011, Low Leaf has evolved from the LA beat scene into a deeply spiritual artist whose work reflects her Filipino heritage and her exploration of sound healing and plant consciousness. Her music often features her self-taught harp, trained piano skills, and electronic beats that create soothing yet dynamic melodies, with vocals that sometimes take on an otherworldly texture.
*** NOVEMBER 28–30, 2025 ***
JOHN SANTOS SEXTET
Friday, November 28, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium
“The Latin music Renaissance man”(San Francisco Chronicle), percussionist and composer John Santos celebrates his 70th birthday with a magic evening of Latin jazz based around his telepathic Sextet and an array of special guests including vocalists Destani Wolf and Zoe Ellis, percussionist Orestes Vilató, trumpeter Skylar Tang, vibraphonist Kyle Athayde, and more.
STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT / THEO CROKER
Saturday, November 29, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium
A rising star and a veteran master share this double bill as part of Terence Blanchard’s UpSwing series. A disciple of Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, Stefon Harris belongs to the grand lineage of vibraphonists in jazz. A member of the SFJAZZ Collective from 2007-13, Harris has performed with Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Buster Williams, Kenny Barron, Cassandra Wilson and many other legends, and made his recording debut as a leader on Blue Note Records in 1998, when he was only 25. His ongoing Blackout project pays tribute to the jazz pantheon while exploring closely related territories: pop, R&B, hip-hop. His forthcoming album, LEGACY DANCES, is his fifth with the band.
Easily among the most exciting and innovative musicians on the scene, trumpeter Theo Croker is an artist who “exemplifies this moment in jazz” (DownBeat). Grandson of trumpet legend Doc Cheatham, the Florida native was mentored by the great Donald Byrd at Oberlin Conservatory. Championed by iconic vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, Croker released his self-produced debut in 2006 and has collaborated with artists including Common, J. Cole, Kassa Overall, and Kamaal Williams. He gained worldwide acclaim for his 2014 major label debut Afro Physicist, and his expansive upcoming album, Dream Manifest, is highly anticipated.
DJANGO FESTIVAL ALLSTARS
Sunday, November 30, 7 PM
Miner Auditorium
Pioneering Romani jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt lamented that he might be neglected by history, but today the ebulliently swinging “jazz manouche” sound he created with French violinist Stéphane Grappelli is more pervasive than ever. For this very special night the leading purveyors of the style, the Django Festival Allstars, return to the Miner stage with the sublime vocalist Veronica Swift for a magical evening of hot jazz.
Featuring the guitar-playing of Samson Schmitt, scion of the first family of jazz manouche, the Django Festival Allstars also includes accordionist Ludovic Beier who gained fame as part of the original band led by family patriarch Dorado Schmitt. The loose assemblage of masters in the Roma jazz style are regular performers at the annual Django Reinhart Festival in Samois-sur-Seine, France and New York’s celebration at Birdland, which celebrates 25 years of music.
A finalist in the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition, Veronica Swift made her recording debut at age 9 with saxophonist Richie Cole and has followed her muse ever since, making her debut at Jazz at Lincoln Center at age 11. Now 30, she’s performed with Chris Botti, Wynton Marsalis, and Benny Green, and has released six albums including her latest, a self-tilted 2023 session for Mack Avenue.
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ABOUT SFJAZZ
SFJAZZ is a nonprofit organization that presents the finest jazz artists from around the world through concerts, educational programs, and community outreach. Its mission is to promote jazz as a living art form and to inspire and engage audiences through dynamic programming and performances. For more information, visit sfjazz.org.
