Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band
July 14, 8pm, $15–$42; Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford
Fountain of Youth? Roy Haynes ain’t kidding. At 87, the ageless jazz legend is playing with as much power, presence and authority as ever. But mere longevity isn’t what sets Haynes apart. From early gigs with New Orleans patriarchs Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong through classic recordings with bebop progenitors Charlie Parker, Bud Powell and Sarah Vaughan to his late blooming emergence as a bandleader schooling some of the hippest young players on the scene today, Haynes has defined modern jazz drumming almost since its inception. The latest incarnation of his band, appearing as part of the Stanford Jazz Festival, features the fiery altoist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Martin Bejarano and South Bay bass stalwart John Shifflett.
Faye Carol
July 19, 6pm, free; Stanford Shopping Center
Nothing makes Faye Carol happier than frolicking through the riches of 20th-century African American music, casting new light on old treasures and delighting her audiences as she pauses to savor each soulful sound. One of the region’s most charismatic vocalists, Carol has been described as “dynamic” so often that the word has become a required part of her billing. She performs as part of SFJAZZ’s free Summer Series (every Thursday) at the Stanford Shopping Center with a gifted band featuring tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley, bassist Marcus Shelby, pianist Marco Casasola and drummer Geechi Taylor.
Jennifer Scott Sextet
July 23, 6pm, free; Jazz on Main series; downtown Redwood City
Jennifer Scott is a musical alchemist, a singer with a gift for transforming songs often dismissed as pop dross into jazz gold, like her angst-ridden arrangement of Lesley Gore’s 1963 lament “It’s My Party.” In Scott’s hands, the teenage tale of woe turns into a surprisingly taut musical melodrama advanced by an insinuating bass line. The Vancouver, B.C. singer, who collaborated extensively with the South Bay duo of saxophonist Kristen Strom and guitarist Scott Sorkin in the quartet Crossing Borders, is equally effective interpreting standards or reinventing gems by Joni Mitchell and Lennon and McCartney.
Charles McPherson featuring Tootie Heath
July 25, 7:30pm, $15–$36; Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford
Charles McPherson is still best known for his decade-long tenure with bass legend Charles Mingus, which is understandable but unfortunate as he’s just about the baddest alto saxophonist on the planet. A product of Detroit’s thriving post–World War II scene, where he soaked up bebop knowledge from pianist Barry Harris, he’s been based in San Diego since the early 1980s. He’s joined by the incomparable Tootie Heath, a drummer who’s credits include classic sessions by Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane and his older brother, saxophonist/composer Jimmy Heath. This concert is part of the Stanford Jazz Festival.
Gretchen Parlato and Sasha Dobson
Aug. 1, 8pm, $15–$36; Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford
Two ravishing California gals who have made good in New York City return to the West Coast for a luminous double bill. LA-raised Gretchen Parlato is the Cassandra Wilson of her generation, a singer who has redefined jazz singing with her affinity for Brazilian rhythms and love of transparent textures. Weaned on jazz, Santa Cruz’s Sasha Dobson has honed a singer/songwriter sensibility while never losing her improvisational chops. They’re sharing a superlative band featuring pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Alan Hampton, drummer Kendrick Scott, and guitarist Mike Moreno.
Terence Blanchard
Aug. 8, 6:30pm, free; Jazz on the Plazz, Los Gatos Town Plaza
Whether scoring a Hollywood film, running the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute, or leading his blazing band, New Orleans trumpeter Terence Blanchard is a creative force whose influence is almost as pervasive as the man he replaced in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (a guy named Wynton Marsalis). It’s rare indeed to catch him at a free performance, and he hits Los Gatos with his gifted young band featuring Cuban pianist Fabian Almazan, saxophonist Brice Winston, drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Joshua Crumbly.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest
Aug. 10–12; downtown San Jose
The centerpiece of the season, the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest takes over Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park and surrounding venues and environs to present a heaping helping of music, including blues, R&B, salsa and Latin jazz. San Jose Jazz announces the full schedule next week, but major acts include the Jazz Crusaders featuring Joe Sample, Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder, blues guitar great Coco Montoya, spellbinding vocalist Rene Marie, rising altoist Tia Fuller, Hammond B3 ace Tony Monaco, and drum maestro Jeff Hamilton’s trio.
Cyrus Chestnut Quartet
Aug. 26, 1:30pm, $50/$60; Filoli Gardens, Woodside
One of the most joyfully swinging pianists in jazz, Cyrus Chestnut plays unadulterated hard-bop modern jazz leavened with buoyant spirit of gospel. His quartet features tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, an incisive improviser with a pleasingly thick tone who’s been tearing up the New York scene for the past two decades. Chestnut performs as part of the popular Jazz at Filoli series, which always seems to sell out.
.Silicon Valley Summer Jazz Events Guide
