San Francisco Jazz Reviews & Interviews

Interviews
Instant Alter Brings Future Fusion to SFJAZZ
Instant Alter Brings Future Fusion to SFJAZZ

Ahead of Instant Alter’s April 19 shows at SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab, vocalist Natasha Agrama talks about the band’s roots, its stripped-down but harmonically rich sound, and the values driving music built for the present moment.

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Reviews
Lee Ritenour Revisits the Road to Fusion at Miner
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.

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Interviews
Instant Alter Brings Future Fusion to SFJAZZ
Instant Alter Brings Future Fusion to SFJAZZ
Ben Wendel on Improvisation and Yoshi’s
Ben Wendel on Improvisation and Yoshi’s
T.K. Blue Brings Randy Weston’s African Rhythms to SFJAZZ
T.K. Blue Brings Randy Weston’s African Rhythms to SFJAZZ
August Lee Stevens Brings Her Bay Area Voice to SFJAZZ
August Lee Stevens Brings Her Bay Area Voice to SFJAZZ
Monty Alexander Hears One Word: Music
Monty Alexander Hears One Word: Music
Lakecia Benjamin Keeps the Flame Burnin’
Lakecia Benjamin Keeps the Flame Burnin’
Lenny White on Miles Davis’s Lessons
Lenny White on Miles Davis’s Lessons
Eddie Henderson Carries Miles Davis Forward
Eddie Henderson Carries Miles Davis Forward
Javon Jackson: From Dylan’s Poetry to Miles’ Precision
Javon Jackson: From Dylan’s Poetry to Miles’ Precision
Flying High at the Presidio: Waldowski and Fulton Celebrate Swing’s Leading Women
Flying High at the Presidio: Waldowski and Fulton Celebrate Swing’s Leading Women
 Roger Glenn's 50-Year Journey to "My Latin Heart"
 Roger Glenn's 50-Year Journey to "My Latin Heart"
Jack West on Innovation, Invention, and the “Acoustic Spank
Jack West on Innovation, Invention, and the “Acoustic Spank
Sarah McKenzie: A Love Letter to San Francisco
Sarah McKenzie: A Love Letter to San Francisco
Omar Sosa: "SFJAZZ is the Best Place on the Planet to Play Jazz"
Omar Sosa: "SFJAZZ is the Best Place on the Planet to Play Jazz"
Lisa Mezzacappa and the Art of "Tight Looseness"
Lisa Mezzacappa and the Art of "Tight Looseness"
Oscar Peñas Revisits the Joe Henderson Lab
Oscar Peñas Revisits the Joe Henderson Lab
Tyreek McDole at SFJAZZ: Collective Dreaming in the Joe Henderson Lab
Tyreek McDole at SFJAZZ: Collective Dreaming in the Joe Henderson Lab
Cleo Reed Reimagines the American Folk Tradition at SFJAZZ
Cleo Reed Reimagines the American Folk Tradition at SFJAZZ
Delfeayo Marsalis Orchestrates a Crescent City Celebration at SFJAZZ
Delfeayo Marsalis Orchestrates a Crescent City Celebration at SFJAZZ
Trio Grande Makes a Big Sound at SFJAZZ
Trio Grande Makes a Big Sound at SFJAZZ
Greg Rahn Brings Side Hustle to Vallejo
Greg Rahn Brings Side Hustle to Vallejo
Greg Osby Brings Minimalism to the Joe Henderson Lab
Greg Osby Brings Minimalism to the Joe Henderson Lab
Simon Phillips Brings Protocol V to Yoshi’s
Simon Phillips Brings Protocol V to Yoshi’s
Michael League: A Prism of Sound at SFJAZZ
Michael League: A Prism of Sound at SFJAZZ
Marcus Machado Brings Electric Lineage to SFJAZZ
Marcus Machado Brings Electric Lineage to SFJAZZ
At SJAZZ Smartbomb, Braxton Cook Enters A New Era
At SJAZZ Smartbomb, Braxton Cook Enters A New Era
Ten Strings, One Voice: Hamilton de Holanda’s Modern Vision for the Bandolim
Ten Strings, One Voice: Hamilton de Holanda’s Modern Vision for the Bandolim
Chico Pinheiro and Vinicius Cantuária Bring Brazilian Guitar Dialogues to SFJAZZ
Chico Pinheiro and Vinicius Cantuária Bring Brazilian Guitar Dialogues to SFJAZZ
Taylor Eigsti Comes Home, Carrying the Fire Forward
Taylor Eigsti Comes Home, Carrying the Fire Forward
Echoes & Inspirations: Melissa Aldana’s Jazz Journey
Echoes & Inspirations: Melissa Aldana’s Jazz Journey
Reviews
Lee Ritenour Revisits the Road to Fusion at Miner
Lee Ritenour Revisits the Road to Fusion at Miner
Stewart Copeland Tests The Police at Orchestral Scale
Stewart Copeland Tests The Police at Orchestral Scale
Emmet Cohen Keeps Miles and Coltrane Moving
Emmet Cohen Keeps Miles and Coltrane Moving
Keb' Mo' Opens Four-Night SFJAZZ Run
Keb' Mo' Opens Four-Night SFJAZZ Run
Monty Alexander’s Musical Journey Live
Monty Alexander’s Musical Journey Live
Pasquale & Benjamin: An Unusual Pairing
Pasquale & Benjamin: An Unusual Pairing
José James: Exit The Dragon
José James: Exit The Dragon
Immanuel Wilkins’ World Premiere of “Recitations” at SFJAZZ
Immanuel Wilkins’ World Premiere of “Recitations” at SFJAZZ
At SFJAZZ, Miles Stayed in Motion
At SFJAZZ, Miles Stayed in Motion
SFJAZZ Recharged Miles’s Acoustic Years
SFJAZZ Recharged Miles’s Acoustic Years
Sketching Miles Davis in New Colors
Sketching Miles Davis in New Colors
Hugo de la Lune’s Architecture of Identity
Hugo de la Lune’s Architecture of Identity
The Sculpted Grooves of SML @ JHL
The Sculpted Grooves of SML @ JHL
Madeleine Peyroux’s Multicultural Tapestry
Madeleine Peyroux’s Multicultural Tapestry
Five(ish) Finds Otherworldly Orbits in the Lab
Five(ish) Finds Otherworldly Orbits in the Lab
Dianne Reeves Shapes an Evening of Grace
Dianne Reeves Shapes an Evening of Grace
Marsalis’ Mardi Gras Mayhem at Miner Auditorium
Marsalis’ Mardi Gras Mayhem at Miner Auditorium
“A Better Inner World”: Tyreek McDole’s Call to Stay Human in Crazy Times
“A Better Inner World”: Tyreek McDole’s Call to Stay Human in Crazy Times
Joss Stone: Soulful and Seated
Joss Stone: Soulful and Seated
Trio Grande Turns Three Into Five at Joe Henderson Lab
Trio Grande Turns Three Into Five at Joe Henderson Lab
Greg Osby Returns to SFJAZZ
Greg Osby Returns to SFJAZZ
Becca Stevens and The Secret Trio at Miner Auditorium
Becca Stevens and The Secret Trio at Miner Auditorium
Elipsis Opens Michael League’s SFJAZZ Residency
Elipsis Opens Michael League’s SFJAZZ Residency
Inside Elipsis at Soundcheck: Rhythm, Trust, and Preparation
Inside Elipsis at Soundcheck: Rhythm, Trust, and Preparation
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead Bring Thunder to JHL
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead Bring Thunder to JHL
Marcus Machado Fills the Lab With Voltage
Marcus Machado Fills the Lab With Voltage
Radical Remix: How Braxton Cook and SMARTBOMB Turned SFJAZZ into an Oakland Block Party
Radical Remix: How Braxton Cook and SMARTBOMB Turned SFJAZZ into an Oakland Block Party
Taylor Eigsti and Melissa Aldana at UpSwing, Filling the Space Differently
Taylor Eigsti and Melissa Aldana at UpSwing, Filling the Space Differently
Hamilton de Holanda Trio Debut Ignites Miner Auditorium
Hamilton de Holanda Trio Debut Ignites Miner Auditorium
Edward Simon’s “Latin Heart” Beats with the Pulse of the Present
Edward Simon’s “Latin Heart” Beats with the Pulse of the Present
Features
Inside Immanuel Wilkins’ SFJAZZ Residency
Inside Immanuel Wilkins’ SFJAZZ Residency
Miles Davis Heard Hip-Hop Coming
Miles Davis Heard Hip-Hop Coming
5 Miles Davis Albums to Listen to This Week
5 Miles Davis Albums to Listen to This Week
Night 4: Omar Sosa’s SUBA — A Bridge Across the Atlantic
Night 4: Omar Sosa’s SUBA — A Bridge Across the Atlantic
Night 3: Omar Sosa Reimagines the Quartet
Night 3: Omar Sosa Reimagines the Quartet
Night 2: Omar Sosa’s Sacred Aguas Trio
Night 2: Omar Sosa’s Sacred Aguas Trio
Night 1: Omar Sosa and the Vitality of the Next Generation
Night 1: Omar Sosa and the Vitality of the Next Generation