May

• 1-2 – Robin Eubanks & Mental Images. Trombonist Eubanks was impressive in his visit to Yoshi's with the Dave Holland Quintet.
• 9-13 – Chick Corea New Trio. Chick put on a great show at Yoshi’s last year with Origin and has recently released two excellent solo albums. When anyone discusses legendary jazz pianists of the past 40 years, Chick is usually in the top five, having played with Miles, led one of the best fusion bands, Return to Forever, been a prolific composer, and remains one of the most driving, interesting and influential of living pianists.
• 17-20 – Eliane Elias Quintet. This vibrant Brazilian pianist is joined by, among others, bassist Marc Johnson, who played with perhaps the greatest jazz pianist of them all, Bill Evans. Johnson and drummer Joe La Barbera are on Turn Out the Stars, the Final Village Vanguard Recordings (Warner Brothers, 1996), a six-CD set documenting the Bill Evans Trio over four nights in early June 1980, just three months before Evans died. It is one of the most exciting recordings I've heard. Amazingly, Evans' playing was more passionate and eloquent than ever. His death, at 51 after several decades of drug abuse, is one of the great tragedies in jazz. But Evans remains alive on disc and in the playing of Johnson and others who were lucky enough to perform with him.

SF Performances
April
28 – Violinist Regina Carter and percussionist Stefon Harris, Herbst Theatre. The violin, perhaps the most expressive of classical music instruments, has long been underutilized in jazz, especially by a woman. Carter, who was named number one in the Downbeat 46th Annual Critics Poll, is helping change that.

SFJAZZ
April

• 20 - Geri Allen, Florence Gould Theatre. A fine pianist who has played with such luminaries as Charlie Haden and Ron Carter, drummers Tony Williams and Paul Motian, and her husband, trumpeter Wallace Roney.
• 21 - Marcus Roberts, Florence Gould Theatre. Roberts is a living encyclopedia of jazz piano. He's well-versed in the jazz idiom Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson and Fats Waller as well as Tatum, Monk, the blues, and on and on. This could be one of the highlights of the Spring Season. Also performing April 22, 3 p.m., Herbst Theatre.
• 22, 8 p.m. - Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Herbst Theatre. A Cuban jazz pianist who's been making great music since being discovered by Dizzy Gillespie at the 1985 Havana Jazz Plaza Festival.

Bruno’s
April
25-26 – Peter Apfelbaum Sextet. Apfelbaum is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed with trailblazers such as Don Cherry and Cecil Taylor as he explores new avenues in jazz. Bassist John Shifflet is one of the best in the Bay Area on that instrument as well as a fine composer (check out the NLS Trio CD on which he plays with pianist Paul Nagel and drummer Jason Lewis).

Jazz at Pearl’s
April

• 13, 14 - Mike Mainieri Quartet. Vibes legend Mainieri, making his first Bay Area appearance in seven years, performs with three of the best musicians in the Bay Area: saxophonist Michael Zilber on sax, drummer Steve Smith and bassist John Shifflet.
• 27, 28 - Soul Sauce. An excellent Latin jazz group in the tuneful, swinging style of the late, great Latin jazz vibist Cal Tjader.

Barnes & Noble
April

• 14 - Campbell. Guitarist Terrence Brewer and bassist Chris Lujan.
• 19 - Fisherman's Wharf. Guitarist Terrence Brewer and bassist Chris Lujan.
• 22 - Berkeley. Guitarist Terrence Brewer and bassist Chris Lujan.

Circadia (2727 Mariposa St. SF)
April
27 - Vocalist Suzanne Pittson, whose recent CD Resolution: A Remembrance of John Coltrane, has received praise from many jazz critics, is joined by an excellent pianist, Bevan Manson, along with Peter Bashay on bass and Ted Moore on drums. Manson is well-known as a jazz pianist, particularly in New England, for his adventurous approach to mainstream and contemporary jazz. He's worked with Darol Anger, George Garzone, Gunther Schuller, and Cecil McBee among others. Peter Barshay, one of the most in-demand jazz bassists in the Bay Area, has worked with Freddie Hubbard, Bob Shepard, and Steps Ahead. Drummer Ted Moore has worked with Chuck Mangione, Paul Winter, Gene Bertoncini, and Marian McPartland. His own Brazilian jazz group, Brasilia, has performed throughout the United States.

Los Medanos College, Pittsburg
May
20, 11 a.m-7 p.m. - Jazz On the Lawn will bring some of the Bay Area's best jazz groups to perform on the lawn by the college's lake. The lineup includes vocalists extraordinare Brenda Boykin and Clairdee, the fiery Latin sounds of Que Calor with Mark Levine, the astonishing bass virtuosity of Kai Eckhardt (formerly with Mahavishnu John McLaughlin), and the rocking fusion of sons of Bitches Brew featuring Miles Davis guitarist Barry Finnerty. In addition, the college's finest student jazz groups will entertain, and a variety of food and drink will be available. The event is free.

Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz
April
20 - Mark Levine and the Latin Tinge

Dave Roberts has been a professional writer for more than a decade in newspapers, magazines and high-tech. He's a student of jazz piano, and writing a book, Tips From the Jazz Piano Pros, consisting of interviews with jazz pianists that focus on the art and craft of playing jazz piano.

If you are a professional jazz pianist or know of one who would be interested in participating, e-mail him at DaveRobertsJazz@cs.com. Also, if you are a Bay Area (or northern California) jazz musician, let him know what you're up to: CDs, shows, Web sites, etc.