This year’s Blues/Big Easy Stage lineup is one for the books. After a year away, Friday night is back, kicking off the weekend with the zydeco-fueled West Coast groove of the Zydeco Flames and the raw, Mississippi-bred firepower of Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport — a 19-year-old prodigy from Vicksburg who went viral on his very first Chicago gig. Catch…

Summer Fest 2026 delivers one of the richest lineups of straight-ahead and modern jazz in recent memory across all three festival days. On Saturday’s Jay Paul Company Main Stage, the “Birds of a Feather” project unites tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson—forged in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy—with seven-time Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon,…

 Jon Dryden: pianist, composer, and professor of Jazz Studies at SJSU, is one of the grantees of the 2025 Jazz Aid Fund, playing at New Works Fest on March 7 in the SJZ Break Room. We had the chance to pick his artistic brain on topics like from what inspires him, how he balances the…

 To discover the music of Stephanie Chou feels much like first discovering one of the greats, like Bessie Smith or Ella Fitzgerald—the music produces a tingle down the spine as our ears fill with the sounds of genius that will live on far into the future.Saxophonist, chanteuse, storyteller and mathematician Chou caught up with SJZ…

 Sat, Oct 197:30pm; doors 6:30 pm // $37.40SJZ Break RoomCharged Particles with saxophonist Tod Dickow, will join forces with Randy Brecker for a tribute to the late, great American saxophonist and Randy’s brother, Michael Brecker.The Brecker Brothers occupy their own special place in jazz history; Michael and Randy Brecker, from Pennsylvania, frequently played together, in…

 SJZ Summer Fest 2024 continued a longstanding tradition of bringing a rich catalog of sound from diverse genres and cultures to Northern California. This raises awareness of our interconnectedness, creates a more robust industry and culture, and fosters academic and creative ties between musicians around the world. The resulting creative output is that which only…

 A conversation with Jahari Stampley is a lot like listening to his music—uplifting, inspiring, and ultimately, mind-blowing. He describes piano arpeggios as shapes, compares musical genres to types of cuisine, and even listens to music that he doesn’t like as a type of desensitization-therapy immersion exercise.Jahari’s luminous talent is oddly complemented by his humble presence.…

 Young drum virtuosa Yoyoka calmly tells SJZ that she took up drums at the age of one and a half, and had her first drum lesson at two, but then quit because she “didn’t know numbers or language yet. “Lucky for us, she picked it back up at three and never looked back. Now at…

 Legendary Soul Singer Will Retire and Pass The Torch to Tony Lindsay Before I Let Go: Get Out Your Summer Whites and Say Farewell to a Soul LegendIf you’re anything like us, you grew up listening to Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly. You heard their effortless hits that sang of collective life experiences, like Joy and Pain,…

 Summer Fest 2024 promises a breakout Friday night with international stars, regional gems and exciting new discoveries. Whether you’re a GA attendee planning to hang at the Jay Paul Company Main Stage or an All Stages or above ticket holder seeking concerts by great jazz artists in intimate indoor stages, Friday Night starts off the…

 “So, do you know what we’re doing here?” John Hollenbeck asked with a laugh at the start of his Zoom call with Jeremy Darrow, pianist for San Jose Jazz’s High School All Stars (HSAS), in late December 2022. “Not quite,” responded Darrow, adding a brief chuckle of his own. In truth, they were in the midst…

August 6, 2020Last month, San Jose lost its dedicated Ambassador of Jazz.Eddie Gale, the celebrated musician Sun Ra once called “the first avant garde trumpeter,” succumbed to cancer on July 10. Friends and family will take part in an online musical tribute for Gale on Saturday, August 8 from 2-4pm.In a recent column dedicated to…