Otonowa Fundraiser for Japan Tour 2015, powered by San Jose Jazz
Sunday, July 12, 2015 7:30PM at Piedmont Piano in Oakland, CA
RSVP: +1-510-547-8188

Having toured Northern Japan in aid of the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts there, Otonowa (Sound Circle) is raising funds to return to Japan in 2015 in continuation of the group's relief mission. Otonowa will be performing jazz interpretations of Japanese folk and pop melodies, employing traditional Japanese instruments to compliment the standard jazz quartet orchestration as documented on their most recent recording, Otonowa. It will be an evening of music, discussion of the group's ongoing mission, light snacks and beverages highlighted by an "open cash sushi bar" by Ao of Sushi Zone with proceeds being donated to this endeavor.

Admission is free but donations are welcome. Please make your tax deductible checks payable to San Jose Jazz (a 501(c)(3) NPO). Please add "Otonowa" on the memo line.

Even if you cannot attend the fundraiser, please consider supporting the effort through our campaign on Indiegogo.

The Gene Bertoncini/Clay Jenkins Trio returns to Kitano (66 Park Avenue New York, NY 10016) on Saturday, June 13th for two sets beginning at 8PM. With Ike Strum on bass. Get Tickets here.

Friday, June 12th and Saturday, June 13th, Mike Holober will be conducting concerts with the HR Big Band and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. Mike wrote the arrangements for their first collaboration in October 2013.

The June 12th concert will be streamed live from Frankfurt, Germany at 8:00 PM local time (2:00 PM ET). Please tune in here.

Concert info:
June 12 HR Sendesaal, Frankfurt, Germany 8:00 PM
June 13 Halber Mond, Heppenheim, Germany 8:00 PM
For additional information, head to he HR web site.

The Jay Leonhart Trio at Birdland
featuring Tomoko Ohno on piano and Avi Rothbard on guitar
Saturday, April 11th at 6PM
Saturday, April 18th at 6PM
Saturday, April 25th at 6PM
Saturday, May 2nd at 6PM

Sons of Sound recording artist Jay Leonhart will appear with his trio in another of their Saturday early set appearances at Birdland. Jay's Birdland set is a perfect way to start off your Saturday evening, as Jay will perform his own light-hearted and often amusing songs accompanied by the brilliant Ms. Ohno and Mr. Rothbard.

Birdland
315 West 44th Street NYC 10036
between 8th and 9th Avenues on the west side of midtown Manhattan.
For phone reservations & information, please call (212) 581-3080

Bond girls Annie Sellick (vocals) and Akiko Tsuruga (organ) join Akira Tana (drums), James Mahone (saxophones) and Jeff Massanari (guitar) for three days of not-so-covert operations in northern California. Their mission: to perform music from the 007 songbook as captured on the recording Kiss Kiss Bang Bang:

Friday, May 15th at 8pm ($20)
The Sound Room, Oakland CA
2147 Broadway, Oakland CA 510-496-4180

Saturday, May 16th at 6:30 and 8:30pm ($10 plus food and beverage minimum)
The Sequoia Room at North Coast Brewery
444 North Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA 707-964-3400

Sunday, May 17th at 3pm
Satsuki Festival, Berkeley Buddhist Church, Berkeley, CA
2121 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 510-841-1356

Master guitarist Gene Bertoncini will perform a solo guitar recital on Sunday, April 12th, 2015 at Mezzrow, a Greenwich Village listening room and lounge. Please come out to discover this lyrical master of the American Songbook.

Mezzrow
163 West 10th Street – Basement
New York, NY 10014

Sets from 7:30 to 9PM
$15 advanced seats or $20 at the door

MARCH 2015
02 Dave Bendekigt and Keeper of the Flame 7 Mile House Brisbane, CA
06-08 Akiko Tsuruga and Mary Stallings Java Jazz Festival Jakarta, Indonesia
09 Dave Bendekigt and Keeper of the Flame 7 Mile House Brisbane, CA
12 Bob Kenmotsu Group 6p Hyatt Regency San Francisco, CA
14 James Gavin’s Lena Horne Stormy Weather w. Mary Wilson (The Supremes) University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM
16 Dave Bendekeigt and Keepers of the Flame 7 Mile House Brisbane, CA 7-10p
20 Dena Derose Trio Piedmont Piano Oakland, CA 8p
21 Dena DeRose Trio Monterey Jazz Festival Fund Raiser Private
22 Ayerto Presented by Art Jackson Angelicas 863 Main St, Redwood City, CA
23 Dave Bendekeigt and Keepers of the Flame 7 Mile House Brisbane, CA 7-10p
29 Atsuko Hashimoto Group and Big Band Osaka, Japan
30 Atsuko Hashimoto Quartet Oldies Club Kobe, Japan 7:30p
31 Midori Ono Trio Kyoto, Japan

APRIL 2015
02 Akira Tana Quartet Club Azul Osaka, Japan
03 Kazuhiko Takeda Trio Sub Club Osaka, Japan
04 Midori Ono Trio Royal Horse Osaka, Japan
05 Midori Ono Trio Organ Club Tokyo, Japan
08-09 Recording w. Kazuhiko Takeda Trio Osaka, Japan
10 Hisayuki Terai Trio Overseas Club, Osaka, Japan
11 Atsuko Hashimoto Quartet Kanazawa City, Japan

Sons of Sound remembers Lew Soloff with deepest respect. A consummate studio professional, we were privileged to work with Lew on Jodi Stevens' Girl Talk sessions and are forever grateful for his contributed energy and talent.

We offer our condolences to Lew's many friends and family.

Sons of Sound recording artist Jodi Stevens (Girl Talk) will present a one-woman show entitled "A Broad's Way" this weekend at the Music Theatre of Connecticut's MainStage, with music direction from Jerold Goldstein.

Star of Broadway’s Urban Cowboy, Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde — as well as MTC MainStage’s My Way and Love Letters­ — brings her critically-acclaimed cabaret act to MTC. Jodi shares colorful stories from her career as an actress and singer, as well as songs from some of Broadway and pop music’s favorite composers. Don’t miss this sparkling night of fun!

Saturday, March 7 at 8pm and Sunday, March 8 at 2pm
at Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC MainStage)
509 Westport Avenue (Route 1) in Norwalk (Click here for directions)
Tickets: $30-$40 include a complimentary glass of wine

Putting technology to work in jazz seems like a contradiction, but the future of the music depends on exploring new distribution channels. Leave it to one of our most established artists to do the experimentation:

In a live webcast, award winning bassist/songwriter Jay Leonhart will perform the second concert of his Concert Window series on Wednesday, February 25 at 7:30 PM. Viewers can interact with Jay in his home studio from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Tune in to watch, listen, and chat live with Jay as the show progresses and see him try to answer questions and remember his lyrics at the same time. Jay will perform his own songs, including some new works you have not heard. He is constantly writing poems and songs about what he sees, what he thinks he saw, or what he knows he didn't see. No matter. These songs will be full of imagination from this heralded jazz songwriter and master instrumentalist.

Click here to watch the show.