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28th San Francisco Jazz Festival Lineup Announced

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Randall Kline, the Executive Artistic Director of SFJAZZ--the leading non-profit jazz organization on the West Coast--today announced the complete artist line-up for the 28th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. The Festival will begin on September 14 with a celebration of the jazz bass with SFJAZZ Collective member Matt Penman. Events continue through November 20, presenting some of the most illustrious names in music: Esperanza Spalding; Ravi Shankar & Anoushka Shankar; Chucho Valds; Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabat & Vieux Farka Tour; Yusef Lateef; Arturo Sandoval; Omara Portuondo; Roy Haynes; Lila Downs; Henry Threadgill's Zooid; Danilo Perez; Jon Jang; Vijay Iyer Trio; Ledisi; The Yellowjackets & The Jeff Lorber Fusion; Manhattan Transfer; Nikki Yanosky; Rosanne Cash; Asleep At The Wheel; Chris Potter Underground; Bitches Brew Revisited; Oludum; Anat Cohen & Avishai Cohen; Gretchen Parlato; Steve Lehman; Jos James Quartet; James Carter with John Medeski; Marcus Shelby; Stew & The Negro Problem; Natacha Atlas; Nellie McKay and more.

“At SFJAZZ we place importance on the idea of heritage--venerated artists connect us with the fabric of music history," says Kline. “We often say our festivals feature Living Legends and New Directions. This fall, we have assembled a collection of remarkable musical talent from every point on that vast continuum."

28th ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS & THEMES

STRING THINGS

These performances will showcase an astonishing assortment of fingerboard genius, including 25-year-old bass phenomenon Esperanza Spalding (10/10), the Western Swing revivalists Asleep at the Wheel celebrating 40 years (10/20), and the 90th Birthday celebration of sitar master Ravi Shankar with his daughter Anoushka Shankar (10/27).

MSICA CUBANA

The Festival will present this collection of Cuban masters: piano colossus Chucho Valds (10/11), Cubop trumpet master Arturo Sandoval (10/29) and vocal legend Omara Portuondo (10/30).

JAZZ GIANTS

These artists are larger than life, spanning genres and generations while upholding and bending the traditions of jazz: Yusef Lateef's 90th Birthday Celebration at Grace Cathedral (10/22), The Kenny Barron Trio with David Sanchez (10/24) and Roy Haynes' Fountain of Youth band (11/6).

GLOBAL VILLAGE

Exciting artists covering all corners of the globe and all facets of the musical spectrum, including Mexican-American singer Lila Downs (11/3), Brazilian Carnival collective Olodum (9/24), Arabic-European songstress Natacha Atlas (11/4), explosive Balkan band Slavic Soul Party! (11/13) and Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez, solo, celebrating Thelonious Monk's Birthday (10/10).

PIANISM

SFJAZZ presents a showcase of the piano's broad range of expression in the hands of virtuoso conceptualist Vijay Iyer (11/14), and the masterful Bay Area pianist and composer Jon Jang (10/24).

ROOTS & GROOVES

A collection of performers showcasing the traditional and modern elements of jazz, blues, funk world music with the Marcus Shelby Orchestra's MLK (10/8), the pan-cultural funk grooves of Garaj Mahal (10/15), a blues-meets-Africa “Salute to Ali Farka Tour" with Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabat & Vieux Farka Tour (10/23), the eclectic R&B group Stew & The Negro Problem (10/28), superstar vocalist Ledisi (11/6) and the jazz/funk fusion of Yellowjackets and The Jeff Lorber Fusion (11/7).

SOULFUL SINGERS

These melodic masters and spellbinding storytellers interpret the legacy of song with passion, grace and fire, including 16-year-old Canadian phenomenon Nikki Yanofsky (10/9), the legendary vocal ensemble Manhattan Transfer celebrating the Chick Corea songbook (10/14), local singer/songwriter Meklit Hadero (10/16), phenomenal newcomer Gretchen Parlato (10/22), a “Tribute to Doris Day" with Nellie McKay (10/30), the Hartman- esque vocals of Jos James (11/7) and Rosanne Cash, performing “The List," based on a list of 100 great American songs given to her by her father, Johnny Cash (11/14).

LEADING EDGE

With a strong sense of heritage, these sonic explorers are charting new directions in music, including funk heavyweight Chris Potter Underground (9/25), veteran experimentalist Henry Threadgill's Zooid (10/3), a double bill with siblings Anat Cohen & SFJAZZ Collective member Avishai Cohen (10/9), the visionary Steve Lehman Octet (10/28), the inspired pairing of James Carter with John Medeski (10/21) and Bitches Brew Revisited with Graham Haynes, Antoine Roney, James “Blood" Ulmer, Marco Benevento, Cindy Blackman and DJ Logic paying tribute to the Miles Davis fusion masterpiece (10/29).

SFJAZZ MEMBERS-ONLY EVENTS & DISCOUNTS

One of the many benefits of SFJAZZ Membership is unparalleled access to the music and musicians. The 28th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival continues this tradition with a variety of exciting SFJAZZ Members-only events and other special perks including a Listening Party with SFJAZZ Collective bassist Matt Penman (9/14) and a Thelonious Monk Birthday Party with Danilo Perez (10/10).

28th ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ FESTIVAL ARTIST LINE-UP Calendar Editors, Please Note: SFJAZZ is spelled as one word in all caps. This is not just a graphic treatment but also the name of the organization. All concerts are a production of SFJAZZ and are part of the 28th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. Please print San Francisco Jazz Festival when referring to the organization's fall programming. A complete lineup can also be found at www.sfjazz.org and a pdf of the 44-page Festival catalog can be downloaded here.



SFJAZZ EDUCATION

In addition to being the largest non-profit jazz presenter on the West Coast, SFJAZZ is a year-round education organization that offers a dynamic and innovative array of artistic and educational programs in the concert hall, classroom, and community.

Discover Jazz Series

African Spiritual Practices and Retentions in Latin Music Wednesdays, August 4--September 8, 7:00pm--9:00pm (6-class series) Museum of the African Diaspora 685 Mission St, San Francisco Full course: $100 general public; $75 for SFJAZZ and M.O.A.D. Members Individual classes: $20 general public; $15 for SFJAZZ and M.O.A.D. Members

SFJAZZ, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and The Museum of the African Diaspora present a unique and exclusive series from Bay Area lecturer, bandleader, percussionist and educator, John Santos. Discover Jazz classes can be enjoyed as a series, or on an individual basis. Musical practices throughout Latin America have preserved a wealth of African spiritual content. This six-part series will reveal several elements of African origin that form the basis of popular Latin music and Latin jazz, including instrumentation, rhythm, melody and more. During the series, participants will listen to and analyze a broad cross- section of recorded examples from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Republica Dominicana/Haiti, the United States and Brazil that span the last century.

From Ragtime to Rock & Roll: The Rise of American Popular Music Thursdays, September 30--October 28, 7:00pm--9:00pm (5-class series) Jewish Community Center of San Francisco 3200 California Street, San Francisco Full course: $100 general public; $75 for SFJAZZ and JCCSF Members Individual classes: $25 general public; $18 for SFJAZZ & JCCSF Members

Begun by visionaries like Scott Joplin and Fats Waller, popular music brought the sights and sounds of African American culture to the world's stage. In this fall Discover Jazz series, participants will learn about the interconnectedness of new and evolving popular musical styles, still reverberating today. Series taught by composer, bassist and SFJAZZ Director of Education Cory Combs.

September 30: Roots & The Blues

Popular music began in the American slave communities, where rich and complex African, Caribbean and European musical traditions birthed the first distinctly American musical sounds.

October 7: Ragtime

Ragtime is one of the most fascinating and inventive modern musical styles. Created by St. Louis pianists and composers like Scott Joplin, the sounds of Ragtime defined popular music for over a decade, from the speakeasy to the concert hall.

October 14: The Swing Craze

Bandleaders such as Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington fueled the international dance obsession with the infectious sounds of swing and boogie woogie.

October 21: Rhythm & Blues

Beginning in the '40s, the backbeat changed the sounds of blues and jazz, and launched a style of popular music that rapidly dominated all others.

October 28: Rock & Roll

The blues amplified, as scores of musicians embraced electric guitars, harder sounds, political messages and grappled with the meaning of musical and personal freedom.

PRE-CONCERT TALKS

During every Festival, SFJAZZ Education hosts intimate conversations with artists that take place one hour before curtain time at selected concerts, led by jazz artists, scholars, and industry professionals. Free to ticket holders, Pre-Concert Talks provide deep insight into the performer's music and creative process. Talks include Henry Threadgill (10/3), Marcus Shelby (10/8), Anat & Avishai Cohen (10/9), Garaj Mahal (10/15), Jon Jang (10/24), Steve Lehman, post-concert (10/28), Bitches Brew Revisited (10/29).

SFJAZZ FAMILY MATINEES

Beginning this fall, SFJAZZ Education expands our popular Family Matinee program! Fun and educational, Family Matinees provide a window into the exciting world of live jazz. One hour in length, each matinee features live performance, audience participation, Q&A and amazing music. Designed for elementary school students, our Family Matinees are open to music fans of all ages. This fall, the great Marcus Shelby Trio hosts our first Matinee series, showcasing the all-important rhythm section. Enjoyed individually or as a series, the rhythm section Family Matinees will change the way you hear jazz.

Matinee 1: The Drums, Saturday, September 25, 11:00AM. Straight from New Orleans, the drum set is designed to drive jazz and keep dancers moving. The drums matinee introduces families to the ebullient sounds of the swing rhythm.

Matinee 2: The Bass, Sunday, October 31, 11:00AM. Providing the heartbeat and outlining the harmony, the best bassists lift improvisers to unexpected heights. During the bass matinee, families see and hear the jazz bass in action, and learn the importance of the walking bass line.

Matinee 3: The Piano, Saturday, November 20, 11:00AM. Rhythm, melody, solo, the piano can do it all! The piano matinee introduces listeners to the rich tradition of the jazz piano, and explains the inventive conversations between the piano, bass and drums.

SFJAZZ HOTPLATE

In addition to the Festival performances, SFJAZZ presents Hotplate, a monthly series in which local artists are commissioned to approach and re-imagine the work of a music icon. Generously supported by The Wallace Foundation, Hotplate provides performance opportunities for local artists and is set to run continuously through 2011. Vinnie Esparza, voted “Best Local DJ" by the SF Bay Guardian, spins in tribute to the jazz legend of the night. Plus, people can enter to win SFJAZZ merchandise, including hoodies, t-shirts, CDs and tickets to the 28th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. SFJAZZ Hotplate takes place the second Thursday of each month at Amnesia, 853 Valencia Street, in San Francisco's Mission District. Upcoming SFJAZZ Hotplate shows include Jack Tone Riordan plays Grant Green (7/8), Horace-Scope plays Horace Silver (8/12), Michael Zilber plays Wayne Shorter (9/9), Kasey Knudsen plays Carla Bley (10/14), Dayna Stephens plays Eddie Harris (11/11) and Mike Abraham plays Charles Mingus (12/9). For more information visit sfjazzhotplate.org.

ABOUT SFJAZZ

Founded in 1983, SFJAZZ is the largest nonprofit presenter of jazz and education programs in the western United States. SFJAZZ presents over 100 concerts a year to over 100,000 fans and is dedicated to advancing the art form of jazz and cultivating new audiences through artistic and educational programming, including: The San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ Spring Season, SFJAZZ Collective, SFJAZZ Summerfest, SFJAZZ Education, SFJAZZ Membership and SFJAZZ Hotplate.

The organization has recently announced plans to build the SFJAZZ Center as a permanent home for SFJAZZ. This remarkable new facility, to be located in San Francisco's vibrant Hayes Valley neighborhood, will be a 35,000 square-foot transparent free-standing structure designed by renowned architect Mark Cavagnero. With the SFJAZZ Center, jazz will take its place alongside major arts institutions such as the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet in the Civic Center performing arts district. Visit sfjazz.org to learn more about this exciting new development.

The 28th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival is brought to you by: American Airlines. Major Sponsors include Northern Trust, KCSM Jazz 91, City Park, California Home & Design, 7x7 Magazine. Official Sponsors: Barefoot Wine and Bubbly, Best Western Americania Hotel, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, The Fairmont San Francisco, Foxxdance Productions, Hilton San Francisco, Hotel Carlton, Hotel Kabuki, Hotel Rex, JazzTimes, KBLX, KPFA, KXJZ, North Coast Brewing, Prescott Hotel, Smartwater, Stanford Shopping Center, St. Regis Hotel and Yamaha Piano.

SFJAZZ receives funding from the following corporations, foundations and government agencies: Confidence Foundation--Whittier Trust Company, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Fund, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, USArtists International Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The San Francisco Foundation, Surdna Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation and U.S. Bank.

In-Kind donors include Bruce De Benedictis, Jeremiah's Pick Coffee, Kabuki Spa, Seyfarth Shaw, Vintage Berkeley.

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