Take 6 and the Architecture of Harmony
Four decades into their career, Take 6 still builds its singular sound on disciplined arranging, close listening, and melody. A San Francisco masterclass, an interview with Claude McKnight, and the closing night of the group’s SFJAZZ residency revealed how that architecture continues to evolve.
Lettuce Turned SFJAZZ into Funk Church
Lettuce capped its four-night SFJAZZ residency by turning Miner Auditorium into a joyous funk revival. Steve Roby reviews a night of deep grooves, fearless improvisation, and a dance floor that refused to stay seated.
Honoring Miles and Coltrane on Their Own Terms
Trumpeter Terence Blanchard and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane closed SFJAZZ's 2025–26 season with a centennial celebration of Miles Davis and John Coltrane that played entirely by its own rules—electric, unruly, and occasionally at odds with its own billing.
Meshell Ndegeocello’s “People’s Playlist” Drifts From Its Own Premise
A promised tribute to Bay Area radio pioneers gives way to a slow, meditative evening that finds its footing only in flashes.
Aaron Diehl Trio Finds Focus and Flow at Miner Auditorium
At SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium, Aaron Diehl led his trio through a measured, deeply focused set that balanced originals, standards, and seven Roland Hanna preludes, all shaped by precision, space, and attentive interplay.
Fortner and Owens Set Divergent Courses at Miner
Endea Owens’ performance centered groove as a social language, with Sullivan Fortner’s pianism sharpening the ensemble’s focus. The set balanced compositional clarity with fluid interaction, revealing a band attuned to both lineage and forward motion.
Gerald Clayton Trio Reunites at Miner
Gerald Clayton closed his reunion tour at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown, delivering a set that balanced space, precision, and trio interplay. The performance traced a shared musical language shaped over decades and still evolving in real time.
Lee Ritenour Revisits the Road to Fusion at Miner
Lee Ritenour brought a refined quartet to SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium, balancing fusion-era precision with a controlled, groove-centered approach shaped by tone, phrasing, and ensemble interplay.
Stewart Copeland Tests The Police at Orchestral Scale
Stewart Copeland brings Police Deranged for Orchestra to Miner Auditorium, reworking the Police catalog with symphonic scale and raising questions about how much bite survives the expansion.
Emmet Cohen Keeps Miles and Coltrane Moving
Emmet Cohen’s sold-out SFJAZZ performance approached Miles Davis and John Coltrane’s centennial as a living tradition, balancing high-velocity interplay, atmospheric depth, and a forward-looking original suite.
Keb' Mo' Opens Four-Night SFJAZZ Run
Keb’ Mo’ opened his sold-out four-night SFJAZZ run with an intimate, story-rich set at Miner Auditorium, joined by his son K. Roosevelt on drums and percussion. The evening balanced warmth, humor, political resonance, and the lived authority of a musician fully at home in his own sound.
Pasquale & Benjamin: An Unusual Pairing
At SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium, Pasquale Grasso opened with elegance and finely controlled swing, but Lakecia Benjamin’s blazing second set supplied the night’s real dramatic center. The contrast made for an intriguing double bill, even if the programming never fully found its arc.
José James: Exit The Dragon
At Miner Auditorium, José James closed his 1978: Revenge of the Dragon tour with a set that moved through soul, fusion, disco, hip-hop, and jazz, turning Friday night into a charged, flirtatious, high-volume celebration.
Immanuel Wilkins’ World Premiere of “Recitations” at SFJAZZ
Immanuel Wilkins’s March 2026 SFJAZZ residency moves from conversation to premiere to performance, tracing a four-day arc that includes a listening party, the debut of his commissioned work Recitations, and intimate Joe Henderson Lab sets with special guest David Murray.
Madeleine Peyroux’s Multicultural Tapestry
On the second night of her two-night run at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium, Madeleine Peyroux delivered a socially conscious, intimate performance that transformed the room into a global neighborhood.
Dianne Reeves Shapes an Evening of Grace
ransforming the Miner Auditorium into a velvet-draped sanctuary, the vocalist commanded 50 years of jazz history with industrial precision and domestic warmth.
Marsalis’ Mardi Gras Mayhem at Miner Auditorium
A brass-heavy New Orleans collective transformed the SFJAZZ Center into a technicolor street parade.
Joss Stone: Soulful and Seated
An intimate, narrative-driven review of Joss Stone’s "Less is More" residency at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium, featuring stripped-back arrangements and candid storytelling.
Becca Stevens and The Secret Trio at Miner Auditorium
Becca Stevens and The Secret Trio brought an inward-focused, story-driven performance to Miner Auditorium on the third night of Michael League’s SFJAZZ residency, emphasizing restraint, deep listening, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Radical Remix: How Braxton Cook and SMARTBOMB Turned SFJAZZ into an Oakland Block Party
If you typically associate the SFJAZZ Center with polite applause and established traditions, the scene on Franklin Street this past Sunday offered a radical remix of those expectations. Read our review of the Braxton Cook and SMARTBOMB takeover.