Results for "San Francisco Bay Area"

Elana Sasson: In Between

by Katchie Cartwright
October 19, 2025

Elana Sasson's work is singularly intersectional and intercultural, by heritage, training and aesthetic preference. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she was naturally steeped in American music of various sorts and learned fundamentals of Western classical music in school. At home, though, especially with her grandfather and through years of private lessons with ...

Lazy Californians

Lazy Californians are a jazz and brass band, that mixes San Francisco funk and soul with New Orleans inspired grooves. 

Kyle Finley

I'm Kyle Finley, a.k.a. The Bass Dude. I play straight ahead jazz with a heavy emphasis on swing. I tap my feet on 2 & 4 and I believe in the Big 4. Brought up being taught the proper role of a bass player in a jazz group under Jeff Madlock. I also play trombone as a secondary and guitar casually.

Currently running jazz jams in the Bay Area with The Dirty Works Jazz Band. I run 4 jams around town.

• Monday Weekly Open Jam @ Waystone
• Thursday Weekly Invite & Open Jam @ Persona
• 3rd, 4th, 5th Wed. Open Jam @ The Lucky Horseshoe
• Monthly Open Jam @ Delores Deluxe

Jenny Maybee

Jenny Maybee is “equally talented as a vocalist and pianist.” Her “piano playing and vocals…are altogether eloquent and heart-stopping…her voicing is expertly balanced…and her phrasing sings wonderfully throughout the repertoire.” Her vocals have been described as “exquisite,” “hauntingly beautiful,” and “in the same league” with Billie Holiday—music that “you could close your eyes to and nod out blissfully in a deep groove…”

Her piano style has been compared to Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, and Cecil Taylor. Jenny “make(s) beautiful music expressing the sheer joy of being alive. You sense it in the augmented chords that Maybee plays on her piano, then leaping like a mad gazelle to catch its essence with her voice.” As a classically trained jazz pianist and vocalist, Jenny’s “unique style seems fairly sedate on the surface, but is capable of sudden intensity whenever the music demands.” This mixture of sensitivity and boldness weaves through her original compositions and interpretations of jazz standards.

Dave Salvator

Dave is a multi-instrumentalist (reeds, keys) who has been making music for over 40 years who makes his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Today, Dave’s musical endeavors are focused on two groups. The Grease Traps is a hard-groovin’ funk band based in Oakland. And his own new Brazilian jazz quartet, Saravá, which combines the Brazilian songbook with an American jazz sensibility. This group visits different corners of Brazilian music, including bossa nova and samba, as well as styles from the Brazilian Northeast.

Rebecca Hass

Born: 1983

Rebecca Hass is a pianist and composer in the San Francisco Bay Area whose work has “a witty sensibility, lyricism, and joy.” Her debut Brazilian album, Florescer (Bloom), was described as “thoughtful as it is clever and original” and “a delightful 43 minutes of musical sunshine”, and includes guests Tim O’Keefe, Jenny Klukken, and Laura Harada. 

Her new album of original piano music, Bright Little Worlds, is an imaginative, heart-filled collection of 22 compositions in various styles (Brazilian, jazz, impressionistic, neo-classical, and more) and is arranged in a hero’s journey-style narrative trajectory where each one is its own character or little world - something for every mood. It features guest musicians Debbie Gold (flute) and Brian Rice (pandeiro), and is inspired by influences as diverse as Hermeto Pascoal, Laercio de Freitas, Claude Debussy, Aaron Copland, Vince Guaraldi, and Thelonious Monk.

Caleb Dillon-Murray

Born: October 26, 1988

Caleb Dillon-Murray is a saxophonist and composer presiding in the San Francisco Bay Area. While in school, he primarily studied both jazz and classical saxophone, though he has played with all sorts of different ensembles, including blues bands, gospel, Latin, Reggae, hip-hop groups, and Arabic music. Caleb has a Bachelor's Degree from Hope College under direction of Brian Coyle and has a Master's Degree in Jazz Composition from the University of South Florida under direction of Charles Owen.

After working on cruise lines for a while after school, he came back to the Bay Area and released his first album, "Jammin' Through December" with a band he formed called Blue Horizon. He also joined a variety of bands, including the California-Reggae band, "Coast Tribe",  where he recorded 2 albums, and the Blue Band "The Delta Wires", where he recorded 1 album.

Ken Stout

Born: April 26, 1962

Ken Stout is a veteran jazz/rock musician, director, educator, and studio musician performing Jazz, Blues, Rock, Classical, Latin, and all musical styles of music for over 43 years.  Ken founded Live Music Center in Vacaville in 1987, promoting,  advocating, and saving music arts education in the local public schools in Northern California until 2005.  Ken has toured, performed on stage and recorded with many legendary Jazz, Motown, and Rock Music artists and groups: The Live Lawrence Welk Show, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Bobby Short Jazz Orchestra, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Mary Wilson and The Supremes, The Platters, The Contours, Jackie King(Willie Nelson guitarist), Pete Christilieb(Saxophonist, Natalie Cole), Mark Little(grammy nominee Pianist), Stan Marks(Trumpet, Stan Kentons Big Band), Mic Gillette(Tower of Power)and many others

Russ Lorenson

Born: July 5, 1963

A terrific voice. Charisma to spare. A delightful raconteur. Impeccable musical taste and vocal phrasing. Unassuming nice guy. They all apply to Russ Lorenson, whose burnished tenor has thrilled audiences throughout the US and Europe.

Since his breakout club debut in 2005, Russ Lorenson has established a reputation as one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading interpreters of jazz standards.  As a singer, he is equally at home whether entertaining a concert hall audience or performing in the more intimate cabaret setting.  With comparisons to Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé, and Chet Baker, Lorenson has a voice one savors and remembers. It's no wonder he's called "San Francisco's Favorite Crooner."

Kenya Moses

Kenya Moses is an Afro-Brazilian American vocalist who came to Bossa Nova after 15 years performing on opera stages around the world, simultaneously toggling a career as a professional contemporary ballet dancer. Kenya has performed throughout the United States and Europe performing Bossa Nova, Opera and Classical Early Music. Kenya shares her love for Brazil and Bossa Nova with her Quartet and in her duo. Featuring award-winning musicians, including pianist Tammy Hall, bassist, Aaron Germain, drummer, Brian Andres and guitarist, Paride Pignotti.