Vocal great Kurt Elling and the iconic fusion band The Yellowjackets bring a powerful new dimension to Wayne Shorter’s composition “Palladium” from Weather Report’s landmark 1977 album “Heavy Weather.” Recorded on October 9, 2026 and broadcast on Fridays Live.

Vocal great Kurt Ellington and the ...

In the latest Jazz Minute, we explore the legacy of Strata-East Records, the groundbreaking artist-run label founded by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell. Created at a time when support for jazz musicians was dwindling, Strata-East became a pioneering artist-owned platform tha...

For this historic concert, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis returned for his final Bay Area appearance with the greatest large group in jazz, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, before he steps down as director after the 2026-27 Season.

A 2011 NEA Jazz Master and arguably the most famous jazz musici...

Kiefer

At SFJAZZ as part of our full-venue activation with the SMARTBOMB arts collective in January 2026, keyboardist, composer, and producer Kiefer offers his thoughts on AI music, his favorite production tools, the state of music education, the influence of J Dilla, and more.

ABOUT KIEFER:

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While at SFJAZZ to honor the work of Miles Davis and John Coltrane for their centennials in 2026, pianist and composer Emmet Cohen gives us his unvarnished takes on subjects including institutional jazz education versus learning on the bandstand, young jazz audiences, his favorite Miles and Coltr...

Bebop lives with pianist Emmet Cohen’s hard driving quintet on this rendition of Dizzy Gillespie and John Lewis’s “Two Bass Hit” recorded live at SFJAZZ on 4/9/26.

SFJAZZ At Home and Emmet Cohen teamed up for a special episode of Emmet’s Place, live from SFJAZZ in San Francisco. Filmed on April ...

Saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins weighs in on a huge range of subjects for this Jazz Takes episode, from his favorite clubs and seated versus standing audiences to vintage saxophones, jazz fashion, and the enduring power of “Careless Whisper.”

His week as Resident Artistic Director dur...

Celebrate the centennial of legendary bassist Ray Brown in this SFJAZZ Jazz Minute. A pioneering force in bebop and one of the most influential bassists in jazz history, Brown helped shape the music through his work with Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and many others. Known for...

SFJAZZ Collective plays Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow”

In honor of the 35th anniversary of Pearl Jam’s Ten (released August 27, 1991), we challenged a trio of SFJAZZ Collective members including vibraphonist Warren Wolf, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Kendrick Scott to listen to Pearl Jam’s 1991 gru...

Celebrating the Miles Davis centennial during a week of tribute performances at SFJAZZ, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and Miles’s nephew, Vince Wilburn Jr., share their takes on aspects of Miles’s career, from his best musical eras and albums to written biographies and the integration of hip-hop into h...

As we approach what would have been Mal Waldron’s 101st birthday on August 16, this Jazz Minute celebrates the enduring legacy of a visionary pianist and composer whose music helped shape the evolution of modern jazz. A pioneering artist who bridged hard bop, free jazz, and the avant-garde, Waldr...

Tag along as Monsieur Periné explores San Francisco during their four-night residency at the SFJAZZ Center. The band’s two leaders Catalina García and Santiago Prieto walk us through their favorite Colombian cuisine at Pacifico at B-Side, take their first-ever robo taxi, go crate digging at Disco...

Single line description: Virtuoso pianist Aaron Diehl and his trio take to the sky with this performance of the Hoagy Carmichael classic “Stardust.”

VOD description: An artist who “gracefully melds two worlds, merging the improvisational spirit of jazz with the compositional intricacies of West...

The greatest artists in jazz and beyond share their in-the-moment reactions to various topics relating to music and much more.

Terence Blanchard is a GRAMMY-winning trumpeter, composer, NEA Jazz Master, and the SFJAZZ Executive Artistic Director. He shares his thoughts about getting called for g...

Bassist Endea Owens and her band The Cookout make sure the audience is feeling no pain with this performance of her composition “Feel Good” during their concert on April 25, 2026 — part of the SFJAZZ 2025-26 Season and broadcast on Fridays Live.

About this concert:

A Juilliard grad best known a...

For this first episode of Jazz Takes, GRAMMY-winning trumpeter and bandleader Chris Botti gives his off-the-cuff thoughts on a wide range of subjects, including his pre-show rituals, his favorite jazz ballads, the artistry of the late, great Roy Hargrove, and more.

Chris Botti and his band retu...

Using Terence Blanchard’s arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s classic “Footprints” as a canvas, Terence and a band made up of SFJAZZ staff demonstrates the interactive capabilities of Miner Auditorium’s Immersive Media System. This demonstration uses the system’s audio reactive interface to “paint” th...

The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars bring focus, energy, and emotional depth to “Resolution,” John Coltrane’s powerful piece from A Love Supreme. Experience this iconic work, performed by the next generation of jazz artists.
ABOUT THE SFJAZZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STARS

A pre-professional training program...

The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars bring precision, speed, and fearless creativity to “Donna Lee,” Charlie Parker’s iconic bebop showcase. Experience this high-velocity classic, performed by the next generation of jazz artists.

ABOUT THE SFJAZZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STARS
A pre-professional training pro...

Narrated by East Bay Yesterday host Liam O’Donoghue, this special Jazz Minute is a collaboration celebrating the legacy of Black Jazz Records, the groundbreaking Black-owned label founded in Oakland in 1969 during the height of the Black Power movement. Created by pianist Gene Russell and percuss...

In this Jazz Minute, we continue tracing the evolution of Afro-Cuban jazz following the Cuban Revolution of 1959. As life on the island changed, jazz was discouraged and musicians were steered toward classical training—but outside influences persisted through radio and recordings. By the late 196...

SFJAZZ staff pick 10 artists you should keep an eye out for in 2026. These young artists are already making waves but you should expect big things from them throughout the year. The list includes Snarky Puppy leader Michael League, rising vibraphonist and SF native Sasha Berliner, keyboardist and...

Our Alone Together series is a celebration of spontaneous creation, presenting exclusive and unrehearsed duo performances captured live in the intimacy of the SFJAZZ Center. Whether they’re longtime collaborators or meeting on stage for the first time, these world class artists are improvisors of...

An all-star band including Isaiah Sharkey, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, Randy Waldman, Edward Simon, and Kendrick Scott perform Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade” during SFJAZZ Gala 2026 honoring Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George Benson.