Patrick Wolff is a saxophone and clarinet player with a long history in the jazz scenes of New York City and San Francisco. He has performed or recorded with Albert "Tootie" Heath, Matt Wilson, Grant Stewart, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Dena Derose, and many other jazz greats. Since moving to San Francisco in 2009, Wolff has played and recorded regularly in the bands of Marcus Shelby, Richard Sears, Graham Connah, Adam Shulman, and Diana Gameros. Outside of the jazz world, he has had an eclectic mix of work including long stints in West African pop/funk group Asiko, prog metal band Kayo Dot, and with fuji music legend Adewale Ayuba. With six albums released under his name, Wolff has made his mark as a bandleader with various groups playing his original compositions, and with classic jazz quartets and quintets focused on repertoire of the bebop and hard bop eras. His playing is characterized by a focus on lyricism and an embrace of the whole lineage of jazz styles.

Wolff is also a passionate jazz educator and advocate. For four years, he hosted and produced a weekly fearure show on KCSM 91.1FM ("Have You Heard"), exploring the work of emerging and underrated jazz artists, and continues to dj for the station on occasion. He was the Faculty Director at the Stanford Jazz Workshop from 2008-2013, and currently teaches jazz history, composition, and ensemble classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the College of San Mateo throughout the year, and at the Stanford Jazz Workshop in the summer.

Silver Bell Jazz Band inspires dancers and listeners all over the Bay Area. The band specializes in ragtime, blues, swing, and dixieland from the early 20th century. They’re known for their authenticity and dedication to the craft as well as their foot-tapping energy.

In a career that has spanned over 20 years, Victor Little has established himself as a consummate professional electric bassist, displaying impeccable time, taste, technique, and tone while playing in a wide spectrum of styles-from blues and jazz to Indian and flamenco music-with a long list of luminaries that includes Patti Austin, Billy Preston, Angela Bofill, James Carter, Charlie Musselwhite, and Booker T. Jones. 

Victor, a Chicago native, grew up surrounded by musicians and music. His father was a saxophonist, and Victor, like other members of his family, played in church. On the radio, icons such as Aretha, Sly, Coltrane, Miles, James Brown, the Jackson 5, Kool and the Gang, P-Funk, Elton John, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Rush gave him his first taste of pop music. Victor’s first instrument was trumpet, but by high school he had switched to electric bass and fallen under the spell of bass players such as James Jamerson, Bernand Edwards, Chuck Rainey, Verdine White, Stanley Clarke, Anthony Jackson, Jaco Pastorius, John Paul Jones, and Billy Cox. He continued his formal studies in college.

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

Introducing The Verve Quintet, The Bay Area’s hottest new jazz ensemble! Celebrating the effervescent sound of the 1960’s hard bop era. In addition to performing their own original compositions they honor the great jazz artists like Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Lee Morgan to name a few.  The Verve Quintet is led by Trumpeter Daniel Herrera and saxophonist Andrew Dixon, who’s dynamic pairing and complementary musical stylings create a unique and exciting sound that you will not want to miss!

Tomoko Funaki was born in Japan into a musical family. Following in the footsteps of her parents, both musicians, she studied classical violin and flute. A move to New York exposed her to a broad range of musical genres but she found herself increasingly drawn towards jazz. After moving to San Francisco in 2002, she began studying upright bass and quickly immersed herself into the San Francisco jazz scene, studying and performing with luminaries including Ray Drummond, Rodney Whitaker, Rufus Reid, the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, Andrew Speight, Vince Lateano, Mark Levine, Donald "Duck" Bailey, Allan Harris and Denise Perrier. She has also been involved in jazz education programs such as ‘Stanford Jazz Workshop’ and SFSU ICA ‘The Generations Jazz Project’ in recent years.

tomoko-funaki.com

The N. T. B. Collective is a Bay Area based jazz fusion group merging sounds and styles from all over the world.

The N.T.B. trio, which will be featured for this event, is comprised of drums, bass, and piano. Each musician is highly accomplished; coming together to generate a unique musical energy. N.T.B. has been playing various venue residencies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over 3 years.

"Gaea is quite a multi-talented pianist/flautist/vocalist/composer/arranger/bandleader, with a wonderfully compelling gift for jazz, ballads, and Brazilian-flavored music" -Benny Green

Gaea Schell is a graduate of both acclaimed McGill University in Montreal and Vermont College of Fine Arts and spent time in New York as a recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts grant studying with pianist/composer Richie Beirach. Accomplished and versatile, she - as drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath says, “is a triple threat and plays the heck out of the piano with them small hands".

Gaea Schell has three acclaimed CDs out, is a sideperson on multiple recordings, and has played with many notable names (Bob Sheppard, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Bobby Watson, Clare Fischer Big Band, Vince Lateano, Marcus Shelby and the late Stacy Rowles to name a few) in addition to often leading her own trio or quartet at venues regionally and internationally including Vibrato Grill & Jazz in Bel Air, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s, and Knickerbocker in New York City.

Gaea headlined twice at the San Jose Jazz festival.

Adam Klipple, who has been described as "a standout pianist who has gone to school on McCoy Tyner and Cecil Taylor and earned his degree," plays piano, Hammond organ, sampler, and a variety of vintage keyboards. He currently is a member of the legendary jazz rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears. He also currently performs and records with jazz phenom Veronica Swift.

Adam has recorded and performed onstage with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Lauryn Hill, Graham Haynes, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Craig Harris, Joe Bowie's Defunkt, Sekou Sundiata, Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Carla Cook, Dave Fiuczynski, David Gilmore, Josh Roseman, Peter Apfelbaum, Jay Rodriguez, Groove Collective, and Smokey Robinson. He has appeared at renowned venues including the Blue Note, Iridium, the Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, and the Knitting Factory, and at jazz festivals around the world.

Also a composer and arranger, Adam has earned grants from Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Arts International, Meet the Composer, and the U.S. Department of State, enabling him to tour and teach master classes in southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.  

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

Mike Olmos has become one the most in demand jazz musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area while maintaining a frequent national and international performance/touring schedule. In the Bay, Mike has been performing with various bands such as the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Pete Escovedo, Wil Blades, Eddie Roberts, Jubu and Legally Blynd. ​

When in town he can be found hosting and joining jam sessions at local clubs.

​He has had the privilege of performing with Rosemary Clooney, Etta James, Michael Buble and many other great talents.

He can be heard on late legendary Blues/R&B singer Etta James' Grammy nominated final album "The Dreamer" as well as many others.

Jinx Jones Biography (Jazz Trio)

"Jinx is a guitar virtuoso who seamlessly moves from rockabilly to jazz to twang and back again, sometimes in the same song. Those with a liner note obsession will remember Jinx’s playing on En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind.”

(San Francisco Chronicle)

Jinx Jones boasts a prolific career spanning from the 1990s, during which he has been a prominent figure in the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene. His musical journey, deeply rooted in R&B and Soul collaborations with luminaries such as Solomon Burke and En Vogue, has laid a solid groundwork for his ventures into the realms of soul jazz and hard bop. Jones' distinctive approach to jazz is deeply influenced by the venerable traditions set forth by iconic guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, and George Benson.

“You've heard fretboard prestidigitator Jinx before: he lent studio guitar and bass to En Vogue's hit, "Free Your Mind." Professionally impressive as it is, though, that credit does not represent his own chosen styling. Jinx's headlong endeavors draw freely and unto satiation from classic rocka-billy, vintage jazz, and spartan honky tonk….” D. C. Larson, Crackerjack Magazine, UK

In recent times, Jinx Jones has achieved international acclaim with the release of his latest solo jazz album, "Blue Gardenia." This album showcases his guitar artistry, striking a perfect balance between delicacy and energy, reminiscent of the soulful and profound styles of the genre's legendary masters.

“Jinx Jones is out there. Four or five nights a week, the great guitar player with the immaculate pompadour can be found at various Bay Area venues, working the stage, doing his thing. The Colorado native came up serving as a sideman to rock ’n’ roll royalty, playing with the likes of Chuck Berry and Solomon Burke.”

Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle

Lose yourself in Bay Area’s Tracy Cruz’s spirit filled, rich candied vocals; she is a full-time musical artist, songwriter and vocal coach, taking home over 40 prestigious music awards such as the 

 2022 Intercontinental Music Awards for “Best of North America in the R&B genre”, 2022 Josie Music Award for “Vocalist of the Year” (R&B/Soul), 2022 One Earth Award GOLD for “Best Jazz Single”, 2021 InterContinental Music Awards “Best of North America” in the R&B category, 2020 Gold International Singer Songwriters Association Award for “Female Emerging Artist of the Year”, World Songwriter Award for “Best R&B Song”, 2020 National Black Music Award for “Best Recorded Song” and 2020 Bay Area Black Music Award for “Best Female Neo Soul Performer”. She has also received over 80 nominations including seven Hollywood Music in Media nominations and five Soultracks.com Readers Choice Awards.

Her illustrative sophisticated sound of sultry hurdling breaths of piercingly clear verberating mezzo soprano melodies, will cleanse your soul in a dream-like wonder. Her soothing velvet tales of hope, love, beauty and reflection are enlightened anthems of personal discoveries and affirmations. She has an earnest sound that comes deep within her soul, enthralled by the playful melodic upbeat rhythmic Neo Soul, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop and Filipino fusions. It’s a soulful orchestra of percussion, guitar, pitched chimes, grooving bass lines, horns and angelic harp-like chords of originality and comfort with her band Instrumentali-T. 

Rooted in the industry for 17+ years Tracy Cruz has journeyed through sold out concerts, tours and openings for renowned artists such as Kenny Lattimore, Pete Escovedo, Miki Howard, Keke Wyatt, Sy Smith, Moonchild, Raheem Devaughn, Wes Felton, Sy Smith, Dee Dee Simon, Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas and more! 

As an active voting member and Chapter Governor (San Francisco Chapter) of the Recording Academy®, Tracy has also graced the stage, performing at prestigious venues and events such as Yoshi’s, Harlow’s, Tempe Center for the Arts, Roger Smith of Tower of Power - Bump City Winery, the San Jose Jazz Festival, the San Jose Center for the Performing Artists, San Francisco Giants Filipino Heritage Night, California Maritime Academy, Rockwood Music Hall, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Juneteenth Festivals across San Jose, Vallejo, Berkeley and San Francisco. She has worked with GRAMMY® Award Winner Kanetic Source and GRAMMY® Award nominated producer Brandon Williams. 

To be inspired by, and to collaborate with some of the greats, Tracy stays grounded by diligently working within her community for over 17 years, teaching and inspiring the youth at her celebrated Tracy Cruz Vocal Studio through singing, performing, writing, arranging, and mentorship. She encourages her students to stay steadfast about their dreams and to be enchanted with their musical world with full embodiment and freedom. Tracy is currently working on her new album "Sun After the Reign" which will be released in 2024.

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

Izze Stein is a singer-songwriter driven by a deep desire to connect the world and help others heal. Born on the stages and jazz clubs of New York City, Izze is an unsigned independent artist who has made frequent appearances at Birdland Jazz Club, the Apollo Theater, and Wallace Lounge while opening for many soul artists, including Adi Oasis at Palm Heights in the Cayman Islands. In addition, Izze is part of Hometowne Music Group, a Nashville-based writing & publishing company.

A musician, lyricist, pianist, and singer with a limitless vocal range, Izze is currently on an international tour promoting her debut solo album, Questions, which she released earlier this year. Rising Australian sensation EMEREE produced the album, as both artists build their momentum in the Jazz and R&B scenes. Follow Izze on all social media platforms @izzestein!

Bay Area Saxophonist Jesse Levit and trumpeter Joel Behrman have teamed up on an exciting new project introducing fresh and powerful original music to the stage. After playing together in various groups around town they discovered a shared interest in presenting repertoire sourced by themselves and by current musicians they’ve found incredibly inspiring. “The challenge that arises from this kind of endeavor is that this is music you can’t just throw it together in a sound check before the gig,” says Behrman, “we’ve committed to working this music outside of the club and coming in super tight”

Fault Line Trio is one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic and innovative crossover jazz projects! Swing, R&B, and sophisticated grooves. Featuring Jay Sanders - piano and keys, Lukas Vesely - bass, and Brian Fishler - drums.

At just 21 years of age, Graham is a young gun making a name for himself in the world of Jazz today. A dyed-in-the-wool bebop pianist, he seeks to uphold the tradition of Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke, Hank Jones, and Barry Harris, among others, and treats their music equally as soul food and as ground as fertile for intellectual exploration as any of the great European masters of the last 400 years. 

Armed with a rigorous classical training, he has to quote one local great, "made a substantive contribution towards raising the 'mean tempo' of the tunes played within this sector of the S.F. jazz scene", though he feels just as at home on a contemplative ballad or a slow blues.

You may find him performing under either one of his apt pseudonyms, Dud Powell or Barely Harris. (inside jazz joke!)

“Foot-tapping hip-shaking songs of love & loss. Based in San Fransisco, roots in Havana, Los Angeles, Mexico City & London.

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

Jinx Jones Biography (Jazz Trio)

"Jinx is a guitar virtuoso who seamlessly moves from rockabilly to jazz to twang and back again, sometimes in the same song. Those with a liner note obsession will remember Jinx’s playing on En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind.”

(San Francisco Chronicle)

Jinx Jones boasts a prolific career spanning from the 1990s, during which he has been a prominent figure in the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene. His musical journey, deeply rooted in R&B and Soul collaborations with luminaries such as Solomon Burke and En Vogue, has laid a solid groundwork for his ventures into the realms of soul jazz and hard bop. Jones' distinctive approach to jazz is deeply influenced by the venerable traditions set forth by iconic guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, and George Benson.

“You've heard fretboard prestidigitator Jinx before: he lent studio guitar and bass to En Vogue's hit, "Free Your Mind." Professionally impressive as it is, though, that credit does not represent his own chosen styling. Jinx's headlong endeavors draw freely and unto satiation from classic rocka-billy, vintage jazz, and spartan honky tonk….” D. C. Larson, Crackerjack Magazine, UK

In recent times, Jinx Jones has achieved international acclaim with the release of his latest solo jazz album, "Blue Gardenia." This album showcases his guitar artistry, striking a perfect balance between delicacy and energy, reminiscent of the soulful and profound styles of the genre's legendary masters.

“Jinx Jones is out there. Four or five nights a week, the great guitar player with the immaculate pompadour can be found at various Bay Area venues, working the stage, doing his thing. The Colorado native came up serving as a sideman to rock ’n’ roll royalty, playing with the likes of Chuck Berry and Solomon Burke.”

Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle