Longtime South Bay music fans may remember when San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest boasted the title of the largest free jazz festival in the country. Those days are long gone, but Summer Fest still offers better musical value than any summer festival, with performances by some of the biggest jazz, blues, funk and Latin artists available via a day pass.
It’s easy to focus on main stage headliners like keyboard legend Herbie Hancock, vocalist Angelique Kidjo, Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles, and Ms. Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton, but most of the most exciting shows take place on smaller stages. Here are a few artists worth checking out.
Pascal Le Boeuf
Santa Cruz native pianist/composer Pascal Le Boeuf has won numerous prestigious commissions and awards for his work in jazz and beyond, including the 2020 Copland House residency and a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship. He presents music from his stunning 2023 chamber jazz album “Ritual Being” with violinist Kevin Rogers, cellist Evan Kahn, bassist Giulio Xavier Cetto, and drummer Michael W. Davis (and returns home on September 5 to accompany guitarist/vocalist Allen Harris in Kuumbwa). Details: 6:30 p.m. August 9, California Music Lounge at the Hammer Theatre Center.
Benny Green
Berkeley pianist Benny Green, with his irresistible swing, has focused on solo performances in recent years, but he never seems alone at the piano. Summoning a pantheon of dead masters, both famous and relatively unknown, his expertly curated sets offer an exhilarating dive into the tradition of modern jazz. Details: 7 p.m. August 9, Montgomery Theater.
Jahari Stampley
A winner of the 2023 Herbie Hancock Jazz Institute International Piano Competition, Stampley, 24, a Chicago native, is one of the most exciting new musicians in jazz, though he’s been turning heads since he was 17. His band features drummer Miguel Russell and his mother, revered music educator D’Erania Stampley, on electric bass, alto saxophone and synthesizer. Details: 1 p.m. August 10, Montgomery Theater.
Jorge Luis Pacheco
A winner of the Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition, Havana-born Jorge Luis Pacheco is more than just a dazzling pianist. He is also a singer, composer, percussionist and arranger whose music spans Afro-Cuban idioms, American jazz and European classical music, with a love of pop and soul. His trio, which will also play at the SJZ Break Room at 8pm on Saturday, includes Chilean bassist Gerson-Lazo Quiroga and Cuban drummer Reinier Mendoza. Details: 4:30 p.m. August 10, California Theatre.
Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini
Trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman and guitarist/vocalist Ian Faquini formed a unique duo born out of their mutual love of Brazilian song. A protégé of the great Brazilian guitarist/composer Guinga, Faquini has established himself as a composer of music in his own right, and the pair’s new album, “Guinga,” features several pieces written with the master. Details: 5:00 p.m. August 10, California Music Lounge
Sean Mason’s Quartet
Charlotte, North Carolina-born pianist Sean Mason made a brilliant first impression at last year’s Monterey Jazz Festival accompanying vocalist Catherine Russell, an image that was greatly reinforced by her captivating debut album “The Southern Suite.” As leader, he performs with his quartet of trumpeter Tony Glausi, bassist Felix Moseholm and drummer Dominick Branch. The group will also perform Friday, August 9, at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. Details: 6:30 p.m. August 10, California Theater.
Kristin Strom Quintet with Skylar Tang
Veteran San Jose saxophonist Kristin Strom, known for her passionate lyricism, performs with her quintet featuring her husband and creative partner Scott Sorkin on guitar and trumpeter Skylar Tang. Already a top-tier player and accomplished composer, the 18-year-old Tang seems destined to join the San Francisco Bay Area trumpet pantheon. Details: 7pm August 10; California Music Lounge.
Brian Ho Album Released
San Jose organist Brian Ho takes a career and creative leap forward with his sophomore album, “Bridges,” a still-sizzling trio session with rising guitar star Dan Wilson and drummer Byron “Wookie” Landham, who spent years touring and recording with Hammond B3 legend Joey DeFrancesco. The trio will also perform late Sunday afternoon at Keys Jazz Bistro in North Beach. Details: Noon on August 11; California Music Lounge.
Roberta Gambarini Quartet
Any opportunity to see Roberta Gambarini, a New York jazz singer who combines refined technique with bold improvisation, should be seized as soon as possible. Especially when she’s in the company of top-notch talent like this quartet with pianist Tamir Hendelman and the octogenarian Los Angeles rhythm section duo of bassist Chuck Berghofer, a member of the legendary Wrecking Crew with hundreds of albums, films and TV credits to his credit, and drummer Roy McCurdy, who has recorded classic albums with Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson. Details: 2:30 p.m. Aug. 11, California Theatre.
Nikara plays Black Wall Street
Brooklyn native Nikara Warren is part of a wave of talented young vibraphonists reinvigorating the New York jazz scene. She performs music from her debut album “Black Wall Street,” a project inspired by her love of hip-hop, neo-soul, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and jazz. Details: 4pm August 11 at California Music Lounge; 8pm August 11 at SJZ Break Room.
