“For over 100 years, jazz music has reflected and served as a catalyst for social change and cultural upheaval,” said Kline. “The 26th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival honors that spirit with a carefully selected roster of artists that have taken stands, crossed boundaries, defied expectations, and fundamentally altered the way we look at the world.” In each Festival show, this transformative power is made manifest with artists like Randy Newman, whose song “Louisiana, 1927” was reborn as an anthem in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; Cecil Taylor, who spurred an artistic revolution with his dense, percussive “free” jazz; Mavis Staples, whose voice was a beacon for the civil rights movement; and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, whose powerful Vietnam-era protest music has echoed down for over 40 years.

Over the years, SFJAZZ has been known for its unique musical and thematic presentations.  This Festival is no exception with offerings that include the cross-cultural explorations of Miles From India (10/3), Randy Newman, solo, at Davies Symphony Hall (10/17), the German vocalist Max Raabe & Palast Orchester at the Paramount in Oakland (10/18), Mitch Woods and the Zydeco Flames on the San Francisco Spirit for a brunch cruise (10/19), Jimmy Scott and Melody Gardot (10/22), Cecil Taylor, solo, at Grace Cathedral (10/24), “Bay Area Sax Summit” with Dave Ellis, Dayna Stephens, and Mitch Marcus (10/30), “Masters of the Oud” with Le Trio Joubran and Rahim Alhaj (11/6), and “Cuban Dance Party” with Issac Delgado (11/7-8.)

The New Groove Lounge, an informal nightclub at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, offers a bar, limited seating, and the best new music with performances by Peter Apfelbaum’s New York Hieroglyphics (10/29) and a Latin-tinged Halloween party with Forro In The Dark (10/31).

Always on the lookout for new talent, this Festival presents up-and-coming artists on the national and international scene including vocalist Melody Gardot (10/22), Sophie Milman and Eldar (10/25), Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski’s Trio (11/2), and ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro (11/9).

Each fall, SFJAZZ honors a member of our community who has played a vital role in preserving the traditions and fostering the growth of jazz in the Bay Area. The 2008 honoree, legendary pianist Rebeca Mauleón, exemplifies everything the Beacon award stands for.  She will lead her own group with special guests at the SFJAZZ Beacon Award concert on October 16 at the Palace of Fine Arts.

SFJAZZ MEMBERS-ONLY EVENTS & DISCOUNTS
One of the many benefits of SFJAZZ Membership is unparalleled access to the music and musicians. The 26th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival continues this tradition with a variety of exciting SFJAZZ Members–only events and other special perks including a Members-only Listening Party with Stefon Harris (10/7) and an Open Soundcheck with Ravi Coltrane (11/1).

26th 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 the name of the organization. All concerts are a production of SFJAZZ and are part of the 26th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. Please print San Francisco Jazz Festival when referring to the organizations fall programming.

A complete list of the 26TH Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival can also be found at www.sfjazz.org.

 
“Miles from India”
Wallace Roney, Badal Roy, Lenny White, Dave Liebman, Rudresh  Mahanthappa, Kala Ramnath and more
Friday, October 3, 8 p.m.
Davies Symphony Hall
$20/$30/$45/$60/Premium $80
Members:$15/$23/$34/$45/Premium $60

Sweet Honey In The Rock
Saturday, October 4, 8:30 p.m.
Davies Symphony Hall
$20/$30/$45/$60/Premium $80

“Soul Survivor”
Mavis Staples
Wednesday, October 15, 7:30 p.m.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60

“SFJAZZ Beacon Award”
Rebeca Mauleón
Thursday, October 16, 7:30 p.m.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60
Members: $15/$23/$30/Premium $45

“The New American Songbook”
Randy Newman, Solo
Friday, October 17, 8:00 p.m.s
Davies Symphony Hall
$20/$30/$40/ $60 / Premium $80

Max Raabe And Palast Orchester
Saturday, October 18, 8:00 p.m.
Paramount Theatre, Oakland
$25/$40/$55/Premium $75

“Jazz Cruise: NOLA on the Bay”
Zydeco Flames;
Mitch Woods’ Big Easy Boogie
Sunday, October 19, 11:00 a.m.
San Francisco Spirit, Pier 9
$90 GA With Brunch Included

SFJAZZ High School All-Stars
Sunday, October 19, 7:00 p.m.
Great American Music Hall
GA: $15 Adult
$5 Youth (18 yrs & under)
Members: $10

“Vocal Vanguard”
Jimmy Scott; Melody Gardot
Wednesday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60



“Jazz Master”
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Wednesday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.
Davies Symphony Hall
$25/$40/$50/$65/Premium $85

Archie Shepp
Thursday, October 23, 7:30 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$25/$35/$45/Premium $65
Pre-concert Talk with Archie Shepp

“Sacred Space: Solo Piano”
Cecil Taylor, solo
Friday, October 24, 8:00 p.m.
Grace Cathedral
$30 GA/$50 Premium GA

“Russian Roots”
Sophie Milman; Eldar Trio
Saturday, October 25, 8:00 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60

“Solo Piano”
Marilyn Crispell
Sunday, October 26, 2:00 p.m.
Gould Theatre, Legion of Honor
$30 GA

“Make it Funky, Maceo!”
Maceo Parker
Sunday, October 26, 7:00 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60

“New Grooves: Avant Global”
Peter Apfelbaum’s NY Hieroglyphics
Wednesday, October 29, 7:30 p.m.
YBCA Forum
GA: $20 Public; $15 Members
Pre-concert talk with Peter Apfelbaum

“Bay Area Sax Summit”
Dave Ellis Quintet;
Dayna Stephens Quintet;
Mitch Marcus Quintet
Thursday, October 30, 8:00 p.m.
Great American Music Hall
$20 GA/$35 Premium GA
Pre-concert talk with Dave Ellis, Dayna Stephens, Mitch Marcus

“New Grooves: Halloween Party”
Forro in the Dark
Friday, October 31, 8:00 p.m.
YBCA Forum
GA: $20 Public; $15 Members

Ravi Coltrane
Saturday, November 1, 8:00 p.m.
YBCA Forum
GA: $30 Public; $22 Members  

Arturo Sandoval
Saturday, November 1, 8:00 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$25/$35/$45/Premium $65

“Art of the Trio”
Marcin Wasilewski
Sunday, November 2, 2:00 p.m.
Gould Theatre, Legion of Honor
$30 General Admission

“State of the Union”
Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra with Carla Bley
Sunday, November 2,
4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
4 p.m.: $20/$30/$40/Premium $60
4 p.m.: Members: $15/$23/$30/Premium $45
7 p.m.: $25/$35/$45/Premium $65
Pre-concert talk with Charlie Haden

“Malian Maestro”
Toumani Diabaté
Wednesday, November 5, 7:30 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$25/$35/$45/Premium $65  

“Masters of the Oud”
Le Trio Joubran;
Rahim Alhaj
Thursday, November 6, 7:30pm
Herbst Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60  

“Soul Jazz Summit”
Dr. Lonnie Smith Feat. Donald Harrison
Godfathers of Groove: Reuben Wilson, Bernard Purdie & Grant Green Jr.
Friday, November 7, 8 p.m.
Herbst Theatre
$20/$30/$40/Premium $60  

“Cuban Dance Party”
Issac Delgado
Friday & Saturday, November 7 & 8
8:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
Bimbo’s 365 Club
$30 GA (Friday shows)
$35 GA (Saturday shows)

“Modern Alchemy”
Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet
Sunday, November 9, 2:00 p.m.
Gould Theatre, Legion of Honor
$30 GA

FAMILY MATINEE
“Ukelele Phenom”
Jake Shimabukuro
Sunday, November 9, 3:00 p.m.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
GA: $15 adult/$10 adult w/child or senior/$5 child or senior
 
“Ukelele Phenom”
Jake Shimabukuro
Sunday, November 9, 7:00 p.m.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
$20/$25/$30/Premium $50
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Tickets go on sale to SFJAZZ Members on Sunday, June 28 and on sale to the public Sunday, July 13. Schedule and artists are subject to change.
There are three ways for the public to purchase tickets:
•  Visit www.sfjazz.org, service charge applied
•  Call 866.920.JAZZ (5299), service charge applied
•  Go to SFJAZZ Box Office & Store, 3 Embarcadero Center, Lobby Level, no service charge

SFJAZZ EDUCATION
SFJAZZ, in addition to being the largest non-profit jazz presenter on the West Coast, 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 Classes The History of Jazz Piano  
Innovators, Improvisers & Legends
Thursdays, September 4 – October 2, 6 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
3200 California St, San Franicsco
Full course: $75; SFJAZZ and JCCSF Members;  $100 Public. Individual classes: $25.

This five-class series moves through the timeline of jazz history, focusing on the stylistic evolution of the piano, from ragtime to the modern pianists of today. Taught by SFJAZZ Director of education Cory Combs, each class features a notable Bay Area pianist giving live demonstrations of that evening’s style, as well as audio and video clips of legendary artists.

Ragtime and Stride: Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and Earl “Fatha” Hines.
Guest Artist Mike Lipskin, (9/4)

Boogie Woogie and the Blues: Pinetop Smith, Jay McShann and Gene Harris. Guest Artist Mitch Woods, (9/11).

Swing to Bebop:  Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Bud Powell.
Guest Artist Lee Bloom, (9/18).

The Unclassifiable Innovators: Art Tatum, Jaki Byard and Thelonious Monk.
Guest Artist Mark Levine, (9/25).

The Modernists:  Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett.
Guest Artist Taylor Eigsti, (10/2).

PRE-CONCERT TALKS take place one hour before curtain time at selected concerts. They are led by jazz artists, scholars, and industry professionals and are free to ticket holders for the event to follow and offer insight and appreciation of selected concerts and films.
SFJAZZ FAMILY MATINEES are discount-priced afternoon performances featuring artists in shorter programs that give families with children a chance to experience world class music first-hand. See ticket order form for pricing.

ABOUT SFJAZZ
SFJAZZ, now in its 26th year, is the largest non-profit presenter of jazz 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 jazz audiences through artistic and education programming, including: The San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ Spring Season, SFJAZZ Collective, SFJAZZ Summerfest, SFJAZZ Education and SFJAZZ Membership.

The 26th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival is a project of SFJAZZ, a non-profit presenter of jazz music and education programs. Brought to you by: American Airlines. Major Sponsors: Northern Trust, KCSM Jazz 91, California Home & Design, 7x7 Magazine, KPIX Channel 5, KKSF 103.7, Sibelius. Official Sponsors: City Park, Foxxdance Productions, Galleria Park Hotel, Hilton San Francisco, Hotel Carlton, Hotel Majestic, Hotel Rex, JazzTimes, JW Marriott San Francisco, KBLX, Kendall-Jackson, KPFA, Miyako Hotel, North Coast Brewing Company, Personality Hotels, Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Smartwater, SOMA Hotels, Stanford Shopping Center, Virgin Megastore San Francisco, Yamaha Pianos.

SFJAZZ receives funding from the following corporations, foundations and government agencies: The Herb Alpert Foundation, American Express Foundation, Amgen Foundation, California Bank & Trust, Chamber Music America, Cisco Systems Foundation, Creative Work Fund, First Republic Bank, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, David B. Gold Foundation, Bill Graham Foundation, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, Walter and Elise Haas Fund, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Stanley Langendorf Foundation, The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, Louis R. Lurie Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Surdna Foundation, Inc., U.S. Bank Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, Western States Arts Federation, Yahoo! Employee Fund.