Sketching Miles Davis in New Colors
Night 2 of SFJAZZ’s Miles Davis centennial series shifted from argument to atmosphere, as Gil Goldstein, Keyon Harrold, and Lenny White revisited the Davis-Gil Evans songbook with orchestral color, historical feeling, and a chamber-like sense of scale.
Hugo de la Lune’s Architecture of Identity
At the Joe Henderson Lab, Hugo de la Lune turned his SFJAZZ debut into a meditation on lineage, faith, and self-reclamation, shaping voice and harmony into a living architecture of identity.
The Sculpted Grooves of SML @ JHL
SML transformed the Joe Henderson Lab into a pressure chamber of modular synthesis and percussive force during a 53-minute, unbroken set that fused Chicago experimentalism with West Coast grit.
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.
Five(ish) Finds Otherworldly Orbits in the Lab
In a raucous, high-voltage set at the SFJAZZ Joe Henderson Lab, Berkeley bassist and composer Lisa Mezzacappa led Five(ish) through the shifting biomes of a newly imagined cosmos.
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.
“A Better Inner World”: Tyreek McDole’s Call to Stay Human in Crazy Times
At the SFJAZZ Joe Henderson Lab, Tyreek McDole transformed a sold-out residency into a spiritual summons. Through the music of Horace Silver, Alice Coltrane, and Andre 3000, the 2023 Sarah Vaughan Competition winner explored how inner healing creates a better world.
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.
Trio Grande Turns Three Into Five at Joe Henderson Lab
In this iteration of Trio Grande, Nate Wood, Gilad Hekselman, and Will Vinson solve the sonic equation of a bass-less band in real time. Performing at a sold-out Joe Henderson Lab, the group achieved the density of a quintet while retaining the agile, conversational core of a trio.
Greg Osby Returns to SFJAZZ
Greg Osby returned to SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab for a focused, one-hour set that balanced standards, originals, and lineage material with clarity and restraint.
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.
Elipsis Opens Michael League’s SFJAZZ Residency
Elipsis opened Michael League’s SFJAZZ residency with a performance rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythm, collective authorship, and forward-moving tradition, setting the tone for the week ahead at Miner Auditorium.
Inside Elipsis at Soundcheck: Rhythm, Trust, and Preparation
At a public SFJAZZ soundcheck, Michael League and Elipsis revealed how rhythm, trust, and collective preparation shaped the music audiences would hear later that evening.
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead Bring Thunder to JHL
Jonathan Barber and Vision Ahead delivered a deeply unified, emotionally grounded performance at SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab, blending long-standing ensemble chemistry with new music from In Motion, including the forthcoming single “Dove” and the reflective ballad “When Love Calls.”
Marcus Machado Fills the Lab With Voltage
Marcus Machado and his Traces of Purple trio transform the Joe Henderson Lab into a study of density, sustain, and funk. From Hendrix-inspired soundscapes to pandemic-era anthems, Machado looms as a "guitar god" in this sold-out headline debut.
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.
Taylor Eigsti and Melissa Aldana at UpSwing, Filling the Space Differently
At SFJAZZ’s UpSwing series, Taylor Eigsti and Melissa Aldana approached Miner Auditorium from opposite directions, revealing how structure and restraint give contemporary jazz its shape in a large room.
Hamilton de Holanda Trio Debut Ignites Miner Auditorium
Hamilton de Holanda made a striking SFJAZZ debut at Miner Auditorium, reframing choro through modern jazz language with a virtuosic trio performance that bridged Brazilian, African, and post-bop traditions.
Edward Simon’s “Latin Heart” Beats with the Pulse of the Present
Edward Simon expanded his trio with Chris Potter and Del Sol Quartet at Presidio Theatre, shaping Venezuelan song, new commissions, and chamber-jazz textures into a single, living narrative.