Steven Roby 12/28/25 Steven Roby 12/28/25

The Ghost in the Machine: Mayo and Berliner Re-Embody Jazz at Miner

At SFJAZZ, Michael Mayo and Sasha Berliner didn’t just play the standards—they refracted them through a new, post-digital architecture. Read our review of the UpSwing series finale, where vocal loops and percussive vibes reshaped the jazz tradition.

Steven Roby 12/22/25 Steven Roby 12/22/25

Marcus Shelby’s Orchestral Memory: Blues, Structure, and Community at SFJAZZ

On December 21, 2025, the Marcus Shelby New Orchestra brought Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite to Miner Auditorium, blending big band rigor with a deep meditation on Bay Area history and global resilience.

Steven Roby 12/19/25 Steven Roby 12/19/25

Arturo Sandoval at SFJAZZ: Bebop Lessons, Cuban Fire, and the Joy of Staying Alive

At 76, Arturo Sandoval transformed SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium into a masterclass of Afro-Cuban rhythm and bebop history. Far from a standard holiday recital, his "Swinging Holiday" show blended virtuosity with intimate storytelling—from his black sequined sneakers to a moving tribute to Charlie Chaplin. Read the full review of a night defined by "Cuban fire" and the joy of staying alive.

Steven Roby 12/16/25 Steven Roby 12/16/25

The Klezmatics at SFJAZZ: Improvisation, Memory, and the Politics of Joy

Approaching their 40th anniversary, Grammy-winning sextet The Klezmatics delivered a powerful sonic argument at SFJAZZ that joy, in the face of modern darkness, is a radical act of resistance. Read the full review of their "Happier Joyous Hanukkah" show.

Steven Roby 10/12/25 Steven Roby 10/12/25

Funk as a Commons: Dumpstaphunk’s Collective Groove

What if the beat were a social contract? That question lingered over a sold-out Saturday at Miner Auditorium, where Dumpstaphunk approached funk not as escapism but as a shared practice—an agreement to move, listen, and shape tension and release as a community. This thesis emerged in the music, in the crowd, and in the way bandleader Ivan Neville framed the evening: a collective body choosing the groove.

Steven Roby 9/13/23 Steven Roby 9/13/23

Herbie Hancock Turns Improvisation Into Communion at Chautauqua

At 83, Herbie Hancock fused funk, philosophy and fearless spontaneity in a sold-out Chautauqua Auditorium performance that felt both cosmic and deeply human.