John Santos Celebrates 70 Years of Groove and Community at SFJAZZ

A warm, familial feeling filled the Miner Auditorium this Thanksgiving weekend, creating a noticeable shift from its usual formal reverence. When John Santos stepped onto the stage—tall, slim, and dressed in a crisp white suit and pork-pie hat—the sold-out audience welcomed him not just as a performer, but as a familiar relative. However, the superficial excitement of the birthday celebration was quickly tempered by a sobering truth. Santos, marking his 70th birthday, shared that had the venue been open on his actual birthday, November 1st, the concert wouldn't have taken place at all. He had undergone major surgery that very morning. The audible gasp from the audience underscored the evening's fundamental importance: this was more than just a celebration; it was a matter of survival and legacy.

Santos has long been celebrated as a guardian of the Afro-Caribbean tradition, but this performance avoided the usual "greatest hits" victory lap often linked to such milestones. Instead, he traced the living history of the diaspora through a "Roots and Branches" approach, emphasizing a dialogue between the tradition’s creators and its inheritors. He made this clear from the start, skipping his own catalog to open with "La Bailarina Eterea," a piece by guest vibraphonist Kyle Athayde. When introducing Athayde—whose father founded the workshop where Santos has taught for years—Santos presented the night not as a tribute to himself, but as a platform for the next generation in the chain.

Zoe Ellis. Photo: Steve Roby

The core sextet—bassist Saul Sierra, pianist/trumpeter Marco Diaz, flutist Dr. John Calloway, saxophonist Charlie Gurke, and drummer David Flores—displayed the kind of telepathic interplay that only comes from decades of experience. The set reached an early intellectual peak with a medley of Larry Willis’s "To Wisdom the Prize" and Gonzalo Asencio’s "Taurema." The arrangement was a high-wire act, blending the angular, post-bop harmonies of Willis with a deep, folkloric rumba foundation. Marco Diaz navigated these shifts with a piano solo that moved from jagged dissonance to percussive swing, grounding abstract jazz elements in an unmistakable groove.

If the medley was the head, the "Roots" segment was the heart. The energy in the room surged as the legendary Orestes Vilató took the stage for "Mucho Humo," a classic descarga by Israel "Cachao" López. Vilató, a titan of the genre, engaged Santos in an intimate percussion dialogue that felt more like a private conversation overheard by hundreds. As Vilató unleashed a flurry of rimshots, Santos smiled, locking eyes with his mentor during the climactic break. With guests Javier Navarette and Pedro Rosales fleshing out the rhythm section, the stage transformed into a dense polyrhythmic engine, reminding everyone that this music is fundamentally social, physical, and joyous.

Christelle Durandy. Photo: Steve Roby

The "Branches" of Santos’s legacy were vividly showcased by up-and-coming trumpeter Skylar Tang during the ensemble’s performance of "Stardust," arranged by the Fort Apache Band. Emulating the specific, melancholy toughness of the Jerry Gonzalez sound, Tang’s trumpet was sharp and soulful, piercing through the intricate percussion with a clear, lyrical line. With her foot firmly planted one step ahead, she delivered a highlight for the jazz purists in attendance, demonstrating that the "Latin tinge" remains a vital, evolving part of the genre's DNA.

Rico Pabón. Photo: Steve Roby

The evening’s narrative arc took a somber, necessary detour with Oakland hip-hop poet Rico Pabón. His solo spoken-word piece, "Until The Walls Fall," pierced the celebratory mood with a tribute to a mother grieving her son, murdered by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. It served as a stark reminder of the pain that often fuels the blues at the core of this music. Santos then returned and shifted focus to local ground with "Bernal Heights," his heartfelt ode to the San Francisco neighborhood that nurtured this artistic community. Accompanied by projected aerial footage of the district, the melodic, nostalgic arrangement anchored the global rhythms in the city’s immediate geography.

Destani Wolf. Photo: Steve Roby

The "Roots and Branches" theme was clearly reflected in the evening’s most touching moment: the appearance of Santos’s son, MJ Santos, on piano. Clearly emotional, the elder Santos introduced his son, and their duet afterward showed a tender musical bond—a real symbol that preserving this culture is a personal and family matter for him.

The ensemble concluded the night with a soulful rendition of "You Don't Know What Love Is," highlighted by Destani Wolf's powerful vocal performance. Wolf’s singing silenced the room, blending bluesy phrasing with a bolero rhythm that transformed the atmosphere into something intimate and sacred. The audience rose to applaud and sang a heartfelt “Happy Birthday” to Santos.

As Santos gathered his 18-piece ensemble for final bows and blew kisses to the standing crowd, the message was clear. At 70, John Santos isn't just keeping a tradition alive; he's actively shaping its future, ensuring the fire he tends burns brighter than ever.

Setlist (composer, arrangement, and solos):

“La Bailarina Eterea” (Kyle Athayde, duet, vibes, bongo); “To Wisdom the Prize” (Larry Willis Taurema Gonzalo Asencio arr. Germán Velazco, Andrés Alén, piano and trumpet solos); “Taurema” (Gonzalo Asencio arr. Germán Velazco, Andrés Alén, flute/baritone sax piano solos); “Going Home Tomorrow” (John Santos, flute solo); “Until The Walls Fall” (Rico Pabón, vocal a Capella); “Mucho Humo” (Israel López Cachao', bass, tenor, flute timbales solos); “Stardust” (Hoagy Carmichael arr. Fort Apache Band); “Está Sabroso” (Freddy Lobatón arr. Felipe Pumarada); “Stardust” (Hoagy Carmichael arr. Fort Apache Band); “Brazos Abiertos” (John Santos arr. Saúl Sierra, trumpet, sax, piano and percussions trades); “Bernal Heights” (John Santos arr. Saúl Sierra, violin, flute, bass solos); “You Don't Know What Love Is” (Gene de Paul, Don Raye arr., Destani Wolf, The Machete Ensemble, flute, sax, piano solos).

Personnel

John Santos: percussion

Charlie Gurke: saxophones

Dr. John Calloway: flute, percussion

Marco Diaz: piano, trumpet

Saul Sierra: bass

David Flores: drums

Special Guests

Destani Wolf: vocals

Zoe Ellis: vocals

Marina Lavalle: vocals

Christelle Durandy: vocals

Lakiba Pittman: vocals

Juan Luis Pérez: vocals

Rico Pabón: vocals

Skylar Tang: trumpet

Kyle Athayde: vibraphone, trumpet

MJ Santos: piano

Anthony Blea: violin

Orestes Vilató: percussion

Javier Navarette: percussion

Pedro Rosales: percussion