Returning to Keys Jazz Bistro, Suzanna Smith fronts another stellar ensemble to work her magic around the Peggy Lee songbook. “There are relatively few contemporary female vocalists who evoke Peggy Lee, at least not genuinely. Suzanna Smith numbers among that rare ilk. That Smith sounds like Lee — slightly breathy and warmly sensual with a...
Irish-born virtuoso violinist and composer Colm Ó Riain and his Ensemble return to Keys with their soulful exploration of the connection between Ireland and a host of other musical cultures. West African percussion underpinning plaintive Middle Eastern melodies, Flamenco duende driving jazz improvisations, and all topped by fiery Irish fiddling. “Ó Riain’s fireworks display...
Irish-born virtuoso violinist and composer Colm Ó Riain and his Ensemble return to Keys with their soulful exploration of the connection between Ireland and a host of other musical cultures. West African percussion underpinning plaintive Middle Eastern melodies, Flamenco duende driving jazz improvisations, and all topped by fiery Irish fiddling. “Ó Riain’s fireworks display...
Patrick Wolff-saxophones Edward Simon- piano Marcos Varela- bass Jerome Gillespie- drums Patrick Wolff is a saxophone and clarinet player with a long history in the jazz scenes of New York City and San Francisco. His playing has been characterized by a focus on lyricism and an embrace of the whole lineage of jazz styles. For this special...
Patrick Wolff-saxophones Edward Simon- piano Marcos Varela- bass Jerome Gillespie- drums Patrick Wolff is a saxophone and clarinet player with a long history in the jazz scenes of New York City and San Francisco. His playing has been characterized by a focus on lyricism and an embrace of the whole lineage of jazz styles. For this special...
Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson continues the Horns of SF series at Keys Jazz Bistro on the saxophone, with his long-running quartet, featuring Keith Saunders on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass, and Tony Johnson on drums. The quartet, which held court every Tuesday for nearly a decade at the now defunct Club Deluxe, will be...
Erik and his quartet (Adam Shulman, Marcus Shelby and Jeff Marrs) play some of Miles’ music from his early years, going back to his collaborations with Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver. Erik Jekabson is a freelance trumpet player, composer, arranger and educator who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is equally...
Now entering its second year, Jazz Mafia’s Monthly Residency has become a laboratory for magic—unexpected collaborations, long-awaited reunions, spontaneous experiments that somehow turn into fan favorites, and the kind of once-in-a-room moments that help define the Bay Area scene. To launch 2026, we’re taking that spirit to the extreme by bringing in one of the...
Now entering its second year, Jazz Mafia’s Monthly Residency has become a laboratory for magic—unexpected collaborations, long-awaited reunions, spontaneous experiments that somehow turn into fan favorites, and the kind of once-in-a-room moments that help define the Bay Area scene. To launch 2026, we’re taking that spirit to the extreme by bringing in one of the...
Keeping folks up past 10 pm in SF is no easy feat, but Key’s owner Simon Rowe has been showcasing the best of the Bay Area’s organ trios in his late night Saturday sets. His ‘Transcendent Trio’, formed for a “Jazz on the Patio” residency during the pandemic will feature the dynamic Kai Lyons- guitar,...
Following their sold-out Stevie Wonder Reimagined and Prince Reimagined shows, Jazz Mafia returns with a new project exploring the music of The Beatles through a modern lens. Helmed by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Otis McDonald and featuring Jazz Mafia’s core acoustic ensemble, the show reframes the band’s legendary catalog with fresh grooves, inventive arrangements, and unexpected...
Following their sold-out Stevie Wonder Reimagined and Prince Reimagined shows, Jazz Mafia returns with a new project exploring the music of The Beatles through a modern lens. Helmed by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Otis McDonald and featuring Jazz Mafia’s core acoustic ensemble, the show reframes the band’s legendary catalog with fresh grooves, inventive arrangements, and unexpected...