Backstage Bay Area

05/09/2026

Hiromi brought Sonicwonder to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre for an SFJAZZ-presented concert that felt built for a larger room.
Our review of the May 8 performance is now published on Backstage Bay Area:
“Hiromi Makes Golden Gate Theatre Lift Off”
The concert centered on the 47-minute Out There suite, with Hiromi moving between piano, keyboards, and synthesizer with remarkable speed, precision, and theatrical command. Adam O’Farrill, Hadrien Feraud, and Gene Coye gave the music its lift, muscle, and rhythmic drive.
Read the full review here: https://www.backstagebayarea.com/reviews/hiromi-golden-gate-theatre-sfjazz-review

Review: Hiromi Uehara and Sonicwonder brought Out There to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre in an SFJAZZ-presented concert of dazzling jazz fusion, theatrical motion, and standing ovations.

05/04/2026

With a new album dropping on May 8 and an all-star Miles Davis centennial concert scheduled for May 14 at the Presidio Theatre, pianist, composer, and arranger John Beasley balances inward reflection with large-scale tribute while keeping the piano at the heart of both projects. Listen to the John Beasley interview here:

John Beasley discusses his new album Invisible Piano and previews Unlimited Miles, his all-star Miles Davis centennial concert at the Presidio Theatre.

05/03/2026

Meshell Ndegeocello's "The People's Playlist" debuted at SFJAZZ with a strong premise — a tribute to Bay Area radio pioneers like KPFA Radio's Davey D and Sly Stone — but a delivery that drifted into a quieter, more meditative place than promised. The most alive moment of the night came from guest Josh Lane (Thee Sacred Souls), playing protest songs he'd only ever performed in his bedroom.

Full review at Backstage Bay Area — link in comments. If you caught one of her four residency shows, I'd love to hear how it landed for you.

04/26/2026

Now up on Backstage Bay Area: my new article and podcast interview with Daniel Ho.

We talk about his Hawaiian roots, the musical path that has taken him from Honolulu to Los Angeles and beyond, and what audiences can look forward to at his upcoming SFJAZZ Joe Henderson Lab show. It’s a thoughtful conversation about craft, growth, and a lifetime in music.

Read and listen here: https://www.backstagebayarea.com/interviews/daniel-hos-many-roads-to-sfjazz

Daniel Ho discusses his musical roots, creative philosophy, and upcoming Joe Henderson Lab performance at SFJAZZ in this new Backstage Bay Area preview.

04/25/2026

Gerald Clayton closed his reunion tour at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium with a trio that felt completely in sync.

With Joe Sanders on bass and Justin Brown on drums, the set moved between quiet, spacious moments and bursts of forward motion. The ballads drew the room in; the encore—Bud Powell’s “Celia”—brought a surge of energy to close the night.

This was the final stop on the tour, with each musician heading into separate projects. What came through clearly was how strong their shared musical language remains.

The full review is now live on Backstage Bay Area:
👉 https://www.backstagebayarea.com/reviews/gerald-clayton-trio-sfjazz-review-2026

📍 SFJAZZ Center, Miner Auditorium
📅 April 23, 2026

Gerald Clayton reunites with Joe Sanders and Justin Brown at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium, closing their tour with a performance defined by space, precision, and deep trio interplay.

04/20/2026

We just published our preview conversation with pianist Aaron Diehl, who brings his trio to SFJAZZ's Miner Auditorium this Sunday, April 26, at 7pm — and it's one of those interviews that reminded me why I started doing this.

Diehl grew up in Columbus, Ohio, listening to his grandfather play jazz standards on a baby grand in the living room. He went on to Juilliard, toured with Wynton Marsalis at seventeen, and recently completed a Grammy-nominated recording of Mary Lou Williams's Zodiac Suite — a work that had been largely dormant for decades. The through-line between that Columbus living room and that recording is a quality that's hard to teach: patient curiosity. He listens before he plays.
For the April 26 show, he'll be joined by bassist David Wong and drummer Aaron Kimmel — musicians he describes as "incredibly empathetic as artists." The program includes original compositions, new works in progress, and adapted preludes for the trio format. He said he hopes audiences leave with "a sense of peace, comfort, and serenity." Given everything going on right now, that sounds about right.

Miner Auditorium is a special room — Diehl called it one of the clearest halls he's performed in — and this is exactly the kind of concert it was built for.
Full interview at the link. Tickets at sfjazz.org.
👉 https://www.backstagebayarea.com/interviews/aaron-diehl-sfjazz-preview
🎹 Aaron Diehl Trio | Sunday, April 26 | 7pm | Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ

Pianist Aaron Diehl discusses early influences, Mary Lou Williams’s Zodiac Suite, and his upcoming April 26 performance at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium.

04/13/2026

Lee Ritenour brought his quartet to SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium with a focus on tone, phrasing, and a groove that stayed grounded throughout the set.

Our latest review is now live on Backstage Bay Area, taking a closer look at how the band’s precision and interplay shaped the night in the room.

Read the full review here:
https://www.backstagebayarea.com/reviews/lee-ritenour-sfjazz-review-miner-auditorium

Lee Ritenour’s quartet performance at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium highlighted precision, groove, and refined fusion-era musicianship in a tightly controlled live set.

04/10/2026

New Review: Emmet Cohen at SFJAZZ

Emmet Cohen’s Miles & Coltrane at 100 program at SFJAZZ approached the centennial of Miles Davis and John Coltrane as a living tradition.

The sold-out performance moved from the high-velocity interplay of “Two Bass Hit” to the darker, atmospheric textures of “Amandla,” before closing with Cohen’s original Universal Truth suite—music that engaged directly with the forward momentum both artists brought to their work.

“Part of celebrating their legacies is honoring our own artistry,” Cohen told the audience. That perspective shaped the entire evening.

Backed by Jeremy Pelt, Tivon Pennicott, Reuben Rogers, and Joe Farnsworth, the set emphasized interaction, pacing, and present-tense interpretation.

Read the full review here: https://www.backstagebayarea.com/reviews/emmet-cohen-sfjazz-review-miles-coltrane-2026

Emmet Cohen’s SFJAZZ tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane delivers high-energy interplay, atmospheric depth, and a forward-looking suite rooted in jazz tradition.

04/06/2026

Now live on Backstage Bay Area: my interview and show preview with T.K. Blue ahead of SFJAZZ’s Centennial Tribute to Randy Weston.

We talk about Weston’s legacy, the African Rhythms lineage, and the spirit behind the upcoming Joe Henderson Lab run. The piece also highlights the six shows this weekend and the musicians carrying that tradition forward.

T.K. Blue reflects on Randy Weston’s legacy and previews the African Rhythms Alumni Ensemble’s centennial tribute at SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab.

04/04/2026

Our new concert review is now live on Backstage Bay Area: Keb’ Mo’s opening-night performance at Miner Auditorium for SFJAZZ.

The sold-out show brought warmth, storytelling, family interplay, and a strong sense of artistic self-possession to the room. Joined by his son K. Roosevelt on drums and percussion, Keb’ Mo’ used the intimacy of his solo format to draw the audience in and hold them there.

One of the night’s most powerful moments came with “This Is My Home,” which drew a standing ovation and added emotional weight to the evening.

Read the review here: https://www.backstagebayarea.com/reviews/keb-mo-opens-four-night-sfjazz-run

Keb’ Mo’ opened his four-night SFJAZZ run at Miner Auditorium with an intimate set of blues, storytelling, and family interplay.

04/01/2026

New on Backstage Bay Area: my review of Monty Alexander’s recent performance at SFJAZZ.

Monty Alexander turned the evening into a musical memoir in motion, blending swing, reggae, humor, and personal history with the ease of a master storyteller. Backed by Lorin Cohen and Jason Brown, he gave the audience a set full of warmth, spontaneity, and deep musical connection.

One of the night’s defining lines came from Monty himself, who described his life as “one beautiful mistake after another.” That spirit carried through the whole performance.

Read the review here:

Monty Alexander brought swing, storytelling, reggae, and deep feeling to SFJAZZ in a concert that traced a lifetime of music through performance and memory.