Yoshi’s Free Jazz Month

Yoshi’s San Francisco may have the big out-of-town headliners in their main room, but for a peek at some of the Bay Area’s best local jazz talent, they’ve opened up their jazz lounge for free live music seven nights a week (usually 6:30p to 11p) as part of Yoshi’s Local Talent Series.

Yoshi’s Free Lounge Concerts
7 Nights a Week
March 2012 (6:30p to 11pm)
– Yoshi’s San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore, SF
– FREE

March 2012 Schedule
All concerts take place in the lounge and have no cover charge.

Thursday, March 15th
– NaJe
– 6:30pm – 11pm
NaJe curates the best of the great American songbook and beyond with a soulful, sultry voice heavily influenced by jazz greats – Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O’ Day, and Julie London. She currently resides in San Francisco and has performed at top music venues and festivals throughout the country: Coda Jazz Supperclub, Yoshi’s Jazz Club, The Sambucca Jazz Café, The Athens Music and Film Festival, The Athens Jazz Festival, Chicago’s New Music Festival, The Cotton Club, The Fabulous 40 Watt, The Tongue and Groove, The Georgia Theatre, The Atomic Music Hall, The Cat’s Cradle, The Covered Dish, and The Velvet Elvis.

Friday, March 16th
– The Ways & Means Committee
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Infused with the musical spirit of the Bay Area, this locally grown and educated septet delivers straight-ahead jazz influenced by Herbie Hancock, Jerry Gonazalez, Buster Williams, and Fort Apache Band.

Saturday, March 17th
– Judy Wexler
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Judy Wexler is a natural storyteller, with a distinctive voice full of shadings. She knows how to dig into a song and find its essence. She is also “one of the most focused, unpretentious, no-nonsense, bop-oriented jazz singers around” (JazzTimes), with an “instinctive ability to bring out the best in each song, often taking it into unfamiliar territory.” (All Music Guide)

Sunday, March 18th
– Broken Strings
– 6:30pm – 11pm
After nearly a year being apart, the Broken Strings will be playing Yoshi’s once again. In 2010 the Broken Strings preformed under the name “Ensemble Soulard” this time around they are back with old and new members, as well as a fresh set of gypsy jazz, classic swing and Latin tunes. The group features a rotating cast of – Nicholas Boots (lead guitar) Andrew Grant (guitar) Craig Jacobs (drums, washboard, clanky stuff) Tyden Binsted (upright boss), Mark Davis (accordion, mixed martial arts), and Conrad Seto (rhythm guitar, vocals).

Monday, March 19th
– Yoshi’s Jazz Supper Club: Cava Menzies Quintet
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Music Producer, Pianist, and Singer-Songwriter Cava Menzies hails from a long line of musical talents; her grandmother, a pioneer in the New York Jazz scene as a dancer at the Cotton Club, her father, Eddie Henderson, an accomplished jazz trumpeter and early member of the Herbie Hancock sextet, and her mother a classically trained flautist. Cava is a classically trained jazz pianist, culminating a total of 20 years of formal study. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Cava has performed around the country and internationally.

Tuesday, March 20th
– Charles Unger Experience
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Saxophonist, band leader, composer, and painter. A major force in the music scene of the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 40 years, saxophonist Charles Unger is a musical institution. He is known for his exuberant style and talent, and for a stage show that is unforgettable.

Wednesday, March 21st
– Chris Amberger Trio & Jazz Jam
– 6:30pm – 9pm (Dinner Show), 9:30m – 12am (Jam Session)
Chris Amberger’s dexterity on the bass has traveled wide and deep. Many remember him as the house bassist at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco, ferociously pushing the limits of his instrument while maintaining a strong groove with the likes of Sam Rivers, Art Pepper, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Elvin Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, and Horace Silver. After his dinner set, if you’re a musician, come on out and jam with the band!

Thursday, March 22nd
– Grant Levin
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Grant Levin is a dynamic and dedicated jazz pianist based in Northern California. No style of jazz left untouched, “the list” always a length in progress, and improvisation at its most vibrant, his style is well appreciated both by listener and musician alike.

Friday, March 23rd
– Broken Strings
– 6:30pm – 11pm
After nearly a year being apart, the Broken Strings will be playing Yoshi’s once again. In 2010 the Broken Strings preformed under the name “Ensemble Soulard” this time around they are back with old and new members, as well as a fresh set of gypsy jazz, classic swing and Latin tunes. The group features a rotating cast of – Nicholas Boots (lead guitar) Andrew Grant (guitar) Craig Jacobs (drums, washboard, clanky stuff) Tyden Binsted (upright boss), Mark Davis (accordion, mixed martial arts), and Conrad Seto (rhythm guitar, vocals).

Sunday, March 25th
– Carl Lockett and Vicky
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Guitar legend, Carl Lockett and Vicky the Bassplayer Grossi have been playing grooves around the San Francisco Bay Area for twelve years. They play with chemistry and virtuosity while keeping the feelin’ great! They play everything from jazz standards to the latest pop hits. Sometimes a quiet, yet still thrilling duo, and adding phenomenal drummer, Rob Rhodes when expanded to trio form.

Monday, March 26th
– Yoshi’s Jazz Supper Club: Jaz Sawyer
– 6:30pm – 11pm
Jaz Sawyer was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. A one time New Orleans resident and well known around town, Jaz has performed and recorded with some of its’ hometown Masters including Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Ellis Marsalis, Aaron Nevelli and Kermit Ruffins. For these engagements he brings together All-Star players from the Bay Area familiar and experienced in the New Orleans music traditions. Come party and celebrate the spirit of “Mardi Gras” with music including originals, traditional and classic New Orleans repertoire.

Tuesday, March 27th
– Citizens Jazz
– 6:30pm – 11pm
A collective of some of the most talented & passionate jazz musicians in the Bay Area led by bassist Caroline Chung.

Wednesday, March 28th
– Chris Amberger Trio & Jazz Jam
– 6:30pm – 9pm (Dinner Show), 9:30m – 12am (Jam Session)
Chris Amberger’s dexterity on the bass has traveled wide and deep. Many remember him as the house bassist at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco, ferociously pushing the limits of his instrument while maintaining a strong groove with the likes of Sam Rivers, Art Pepper, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Elvin Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, and Horace Silver. After his dinner set, if you’re a musician, come on out and jam with the band.

>> See the full Yoshi’s schedule for March 2012 – Most lounge shows are free, but check calendar for full details.