Red Poppy Art House

[DOUBLE BILL] Bastet w/ Blaine Billingsley: Grunge Jazz and Stravinsky-Style Guitar
2016-03-20 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
From grunge jazz to Americana-meets-Stravinsky guitar instrumentals, Bastet and guitarist/composer Blaine Billingsley come together for a special double bill at the Red Poppy Art House.
Led by guitarist Justin Rock, Bastet takes the art of improvisation and the art of the trio to fresh new levels. The group’s chemistry on stage is contagious, and their music creates a thought-provoking and exploratory ambiance as if time is being bent or stretched, like an elastic galaxy, dripping down the wall like melted wax. Fresh off a west coast tour w/ The Madeline Tasquin Trading Company and on the verge of their third full-length studio release, Bastet is artistically potent and brimming with passion.
Featuring:
Justin Rock – guitar
Mike Quigg – drums
Giulio Cetto – bass
Dive into Bastet’s music on Bandcamp and SoundCloud.

Blaine Billingsley is a guitarist and composer originally from Houston, Texas. His rough-hewn approach to American traditional music incorporates the sophistication of Stravinsky with the grit of Mississippi John Hurt. Blaine has played in the Austin music scene with Gary Clark Jr. and local legends like Ephraim Owens, as well as recorded with members of The Bad Plus. His most recent release is 2015’s Sticks, a solo guitar instrumental tour de force comprised of deviant takes on music of the American West.
Featuring:
Blaine Billingsley – guitar
Get a feel for Blaine’s music on Bandcamp and YouTube.

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 5:30pm. Show at 6:00pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Evening Session in Community Engaged Arts Presenting ft. Guest Speaker Katie Fahey
2016-03-21 19:00 - 21:00
This session provides an overview of local institutional funders of the arts and tips for approaching them. How does one identify opportunities for support? What makes an application more competitive than others? What else does one need to consider? Katie shares her insights from both sides of the grants process in this increasingly challenging landscape for Bay Area artists.
About Our Guest:
Katie Fahey is Program Officer in the Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s Arts program. She is responsible for managing grantmaking activities, supporting new and experimental performances and programs, capacity building for arts organizations, and other strategic initiatives. Previously, Katie was managing director of the Red Poppy Art House. Prior to relocating to California, she held positions with the Art Institute of Chicago, the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. She has also worked in galleries and as an arts consultant. Katie holds an MA in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in Political Science and English from Acadia University.

About the Professional Development Track Program:
On the 3rd Monday of every other month, the Red Poppy Art House invites guest artists, arts leaders, community organizers, and other creative thinkers, to share their experience and ideas on the work they are doing and the questions that we are exploring at the Red Poppy Art House. We like to open these presentation-discussions to artists, arts professionals, and others seeking to develop their skills and understanding of the arts ecosystem in relation to socially engaged arts presenting.
Focused on “community engaged arts presenting,” the Poppy’s Professional Development program centers around inquiry in:
– How can we best facilitate a space of encounter, an environment that connects both artists and people from different communities?
– What is the relationship/tension between art as a force for social transformation and art as a form of cultural entertainment that follows a consumer relationship (i.e. you buy a ticket and consume a show)?
– What are the different practical needs in different disciplines (i.e. dance as opposed to a music production), and how can we familiarize ourselves with them to better anticipate the needs of a particular collaboration? In other words, how do we become cross-disciplinary in our thinking?
– Seeing that social/professional relationships in the arts tend to fall along the dividing lines between artistic disciplines and genres, what are some strategies that can help intersect and cross-pollinate respective communities?
– How do we find new and creative ways of addressing issues around equity and access, particularly as we see them play out in our immediate community?
To learn more about the program, please click here.

This session is free and open to the public.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Rachel Efron with Mirissa Neff: A Pop-Up Music Box - “Angel No More” EP Release
2016-03-25 19:30 - 22:00
For the release of her latest EP, Angel No More, Bay Area chanteuse and pianist Rachel Efron brings to the Red Poppy a special evening of music and art. Transforming the space into a virtual music box, with Efron and bassist Aaron Germain at its heart, the audience members will be transported to an alternate reality set to the dreamy soundtrack of Efron’s art-pop melodies. Filmmaker and audio artist Mirissa Neff joins the duo through a presentation of her new multimedia work steeped in soundscapes and images she’s recorded around the world.
Featuring:
Rachel Efron – piano, vocals, songwriting
Aaron Germain – upright bass
Mirissa Neff – film

Oakland singer-songwriter/pianist Rachel Efron offers captivating melodies and chord progressions rooted from deep-seated classical and jazz sensibilities. Her lyrics offer an intimate access to a divergent and distinct experience of the world. Rachel’s latest recording, Angel No More, is her boldest statement to date and features musicians Jon Evans (Tori Amos, Sarah MacLachlan), Matthias Bossi (Rabbit Rabbit), and Julie Wolf (Ani Difranco) and Erik Jekabson.
Mirissa Neff is a New York-based documentary filmmaker/audio artist and the director of the upcoming feature, This is National Wake, which tells the moving story of inter-racial South African Afro-rock pioneers who risked everything during apartheid for their music. She is driven to tell human stories that help us better understand our world.
“Balancing fragility and strength, introspection and unblinking observation, Oakland singer, songwriter, and pianist Rachel Efron sets her lambent, poetically charged lyrics to soft, caressing melodies” – Andrew Gilbert, SF Chronicle
“Efron has forged a distinct ‘art-pop’ sound for herself at the corner of jazz and pop with poetic lyrics and persuasive piano” — Aimsel Ponti, Portland Press Herald
Follow Rachel on Facebook.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Diana Gameros: I Am Home: A Musical Reflection on Love, Migration and Identity
2016-03-26 19:30 - 22:00
For an evening of Latin-influenced indie pop and folk, Diana Gameros shares original compositions inspired by her life as an immigrant, her constant search for “home” and by the stories of others she met along her journey.
Originally from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Diana Gameros is a singer, songwriter, and music instructor. Gameros creates authentic, inspiring music that reflects the 21st century experiences of a young indie artist at the borderlands between cultures, languages, and genres. Now living in the Bay Area, Diana has played with many local favorites, including the Oakland East Bay Symphony, and has opened concerts for Bebel Gilberto, Latin Grammy winner La Santa Cecilia, Latin Grammy nominee Ximena Sariñana, and many others. In 2013, Diana released her first album Eterno Retorno, a soulful retrospective of her journey as an immigrant. In October of 2014, she received the Emerging Leader Award from the Chicana/Latina Foundation for her work in music and her support for social justice movements. Diana is currently working on writing music for her second album, which will be produced by Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade.
Featuring:
Diana Gameros – vocals, guitar
Patrick Wolff – clarinet, saxophone
Thomas Edler – upright bass

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Monica María & Soul y Agua: Entre Tierra y Cielo
2016-03-31 19:30 - 21:45
With influences of modern pop, R&B and folk, Monica María’s Soul y Agua reflects her Californian roots mixed with traditional, earthly and contemporary sounds of Latin America. Her compositions paint the portrait of a soul that illuminates the space around it with love, faith and warmth. Monica’s sound is both innovative and expressive of a world where cultures coexist, where fear is transformed by compassion, where we learn to truly love ourselves, and where we view the world from an empathetic and blissful state of mind.
Featuring:
Monica María Fimbrez – vocals, jarana, guitar
Angelica Rodriguez – vocals
Sergio Duran – percussion
Michael Shiono – bass

Monica Fimbrez is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist (guitarist, bassist, percussionist) and composer. She moved to San Francisco from her hometown of Lodi, CA, and graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in vocal jazz and world music. She has been a member of various Bay Area bands such as Tarimba (son jarocho), Rumbaché (salsa & timba), Jesus Diaz y Su QBA (Cuban salsa/timba), The Hitsville Soul Sisters (motown), Santos Perdidos and Sol Tevél. Monica has also had the privilege of studying and performing with esteemed musicians including John Calloway, John Santos, Jesus Diaz, Michael Spiro, Sandy Perez, Anthony Blea, Andres Flores, Patricio Hidalgo and Liche Oseguera Rueda.

Admission: $10-25. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

SOLO: Her - Three Women Playing Unaccompanied: West Coast Edition
2016-04-01 19:30 - 22:00
From group improvisations to contemporary arrangements of standards, SOLO: Her is an intimate evening of music celebrating the individual voice of three women. Marika Hughes, Fay Victor and Mazz Swift bring together their varying musical styles and influences that extend across jazz, soul, folk, rock, and beyond.
Featuring:
Marika Hughes – vocals, cello
Fay Victor – vocals
Mazz Swift – vocals, violin
Based in New York, Marika Hughes is a cellist, singer, actress, storyteller, and occasional radio host on the classical station WQXR. She has collaborated with artists such as Whitney Houston, Lou Reed, Anthony Braxton and D’Angelo, and has performed on Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Saturday Night Live. Rooted in groove and Marika’s classical upbringing, her band Bottom Heavy is set to release their debut album, New York Nostalgia, this March.
Starting from the jazz tradition, vocalist/composer Fay Victor has gone on to encompass a multi-genre approach to improvised vocal music which she refers to as “freesong.” She continues to perform across the world as well as run workshops focused on improvisation and jazz vocal techniques. Her eight critically-acclaimed recordings as a leader have been praised in outlets such as Downbeat, The New York Times, The Wire, The Chicago Reader, and San Francisco Chronicle.
Mazz Swift is a singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and Juilliard-trained violinist. Her musical style draws on elements of classical, folk, rock, jazz and electronica. Over the years, she has performed and recorded with a diverse accumulation of artists including Whitney Houston, Dee Snider, Vernon Reid, William Parker, and Kanye West among many others. In addition to freelancing as a side person, Mazz performs as both a solo artist and with her own experimental rock band, MazzMuse.

Admission: $10. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

April 2nd MAPP: "My Heart, Your Sleeve" and the Porch Performance Festival
2016-04-02 18:00 - 22:00
For the April 2nd MAPP, the Red Poppy Art House has invited theater artist/playwright Mia Paschal to curate an evening of 7 solo theater performances titled My Heart, Your Sleeve. While this program is happening inside the Poppy, we will simultaneously be launching the the second test run of the Porch Performance Festival, done in partnership with independent artists and community members. PORCH is an in-progress initiative centered around transforming the stoops of local residences into sites of story sharing (oral histories) and performance.
April 2nd MAPP Schedule:
6:00–6:20pm: Ben Baker (solo performer, poetry)
Love poems and other work: This evening’s selected poems are loosely tied together by the rhetorical question: Isn’t all poetry about love?
7:00–7:02pm: Introduction to My Heart, Your Sleeve
In her theatrical work, Mia Paschal explores different ways to connect with a theatrical audience, expanding and upending expectations and assumptions about identity and social conventions through text, the use of the theatrical space, and the relationship between performer and spectator. For this evening at the Red Poppy for the MAPP, Mia also wanted to present different facets of emotionally-charged communication, and to that end, she invited five artists who, by doing this in very personal and original ways, have expanded the way she approaches her art.
7:02–7:12pm: Aideed Medina (spoken word poet)
7:15–7:25pm: Dulce Maria Peña (spoken word poet)
7:35–7:47pm: Stan Stone (solo performer, theater)
Johnny and Scrap: Bowling becomes a poignant lover’s lane for two southerners in a league of their own.
7:50–8:07pm: Eliza Gibson (solo performer, theater)
Bravo 25: Tension is escalating in the group, no one is using “I” statements. Amber, the AI avatar therapist intervenes: “I think it’s time to return to our breath. Is everyone ready?” Jeremy thinks some breathing would be pretty great right about now. Marsha will do whatever Amber says because Amber never asks her to talk about her mother. Tony doesn’t want to breathe…EVER. Amber, the AI avatar therapist, won’t be returning to her breath. She’s a robot, on a t.v. screen. And robots, well, they can’t breathe.
8:15–8:52pm: Abby Schachner (solo performer, theater)
Abby loves letters. And she loves U! For 37 minutes (give or take), watch Abby share her heArt and her passions with reckless abandon. Come awaken your inner child, even if it’s orphaned and malnourished! If you like words and worlds, 37 minutes (give or take) with Abby will go down like porridge, but it’s a whole lot tastier and more artful. Note: Abby’s work is not scientifically proven to be good for your heArt, but there’s a 72% chance your head might spin for awhile.
9:05–9:20pm: Aideed Medina (spoken word poet)
9:30–10:00pm: Mia Paschal (solo performer, theater)
Heartbreak Velocity: Does the language with which you say “I love you” change the way you love? Can heartbreak really kill you? Is that death, or is it Marvin Gaye? And the only question that really matters: Cake, or more cake? Heartbreak Velocity is a darkly sweet and sweetly sexy show about diving into the downfalls of love, armed with a Finnish dictionary and a dessert fork.
More on the MAPP:
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural happening that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses, into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
Learn more about the MAPP program here and here.

About the Artists:
Mia Paschal moved to SF from Milan, Italy to study with Ed Hooks. She also studied acting with David Wheeler while an undergraduate at Harvard and with Bill Hickey at HB Studios in NYC. Along with her ensemble theater and film work, she has written and performed three award-winning solo shows: some life, This Lily Was (Fontana), and Along the Path of Larks and Swallows. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Oakland Museum of California have also commissioned her to write site-specific works (My Jim Dine Valentine and Trevlig). Her latest solo performance project, Heartbreak Velocity, is an extension of work commissioned by The Marsh. (PC: Rita Cigolini)
Ben Baker holds an MA in Drama from San Francisco State and an MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University. He is a Performance Artist that assumes many roles in theatre as a writer, director, actor, dancer and choreographer. He presently teaches improvisation, movement meditation, and ecstatic voice workshops in SF.
Aideed Medina describes her writing as illustrations of singular moments and calls her work “momentary poetry.” She creates in English and Spanish, as dictated by the inspiration of each individual poem. Aideed writes about the sacredness of the human experience in relation to nature, love and family, as well as social justice issues that are close to her heart. She is currently working on a yearlong collaboration between the Inner Ear Poets and The Fresno Grand Opera. You can catch her live spoken word performances throughout the year at Arte Americas, The Inner Ear Poetry Slam, The Loud Mouth Poetry Slam, and cultural events sponsored by the Dulce Up Front Collaborative, AMX Productions and The Fresno Grand Opera.
Stan Stone is an actor, writer and director based in San Francisco. He is a member of Barewitness Films, a group which strives to challenge the conventional and hierarchical nature of motion picture production with spontaneous, improv-based films. Stan recently wrote and directed The City, a film about a friendship at odds with gentrification, and is also featured in Christopher De Santis’s indie film, The Ides of Man. (PC: William Salit)
Trained as a drummer and classical pianist, Eliza Gibson wrote and performed her first solo show, Dialogues with Madwomen, in 1995 after returning to the US from the former Yugoslavia, where she had been a humanitarian aid worker. She also wrote the narrative for Memories Do Not Burn, a documentary about war orphans and refugees featuring the voice of Sarah Jessica Parker. And Now, No Flip Flops?!, directed by David Ford, premiered in Fresno, California at the Rogue Festival in February 2015 and in San Francisco at the LGBT Center in July 2015. Eliza is currently developing her next solo show, Bravo 25, starring an A.I. avatar therapist.
Abby Schachner loves hearts, but she’s not so into sleeves. She has created and performed in nearly a dozen solo shows, most recently being awarded Best Solo Show at the 2015 San Francisco Fringe. She toured the country with Second City, has taught hundreds of kids yoga, and now she makes adorable, cool dolls.

Initiated by the Red Poppy Art House, PORCH is a new project in-the-making that looks specifically to the stoops (“porches”) of Mission resident homes as intimate sites of encounter for artists and community members to trade stories, cultural/artistic experiences and performance. Two summer’s ago we did it at the Pigeon Palace on Folsom St. This time around, our esteemed friend, colleague, and community member, Roberto Hernandez, has offered up his ‘porch’ for the event.
April 2nd PORCH Program @ 1333 Florida Street
Curated by Adrian Arias, Roberto Hernandez, Marguerite Muñoz, and Todd Thomas Brown
5:30-5:40pm: Todd Thomas Brown (Welcome)
5:43-5:53pm: Roberto Hernandez (Neighborhood Stories)
5:56-6:01pm: Adrian Arias (Abuela’s Sopa)
6:04-6:14pm: Amelia Uzategui (El Mito de la Manta)
6:17-6:22pm: Vecino (neighborhood stories)
6:25-6:40pm: La Cura Trio (acoustic music)
6:43-6:48pm: Vecino (Neighborhood Stories)
6:51-7:06pm: La Tania with Ryan Garcia, guitar & Maria Sanchez, dancer (Storytelling/Flamenco Dance & Music)
7:09-7:19pm: Ariel Vargas (Poetry)
7:22-7:27pm: Astu (Afro-Electric Soul)
7:30-7:35pm: Vecino (Neighborhood Stories)
7:38-7:48pm: Byb Chanel Bibene (Contemporary Dance)
7:51-8:01pm: Erika Oba/Marcus Shelby/Aaron Keirbel (Flute, Bass, Percussion)
8:04-8:16pm: Stephanie Sherman (Poetry)
8:19-8:29pm: Amalia Alvarez (Poetry)
8:32-8:42pm: Daniel Riera/Camille Mai/Marcus Shelby (Jazz/Soul Music Trio)
8:45-8:50pm: Vero Majano (Poetry)
8:53-8:58pm: Vecino (Neighborhood Stories)
9:01-9:11pm: Norman Zelaya (Neighborhood Stories)
9:14-9:24pm: Aideed Medina (Spoken Word Poetry)
9:27-9:37pm: Lake Stovall, Guitarist/Vocalist & Justin Hawkins, Lead Guitar (Acoustic Soul)
9:40-9:50pm: Susana Aragon (Neighborhood Stories)
9:50-10:00pm: Closing Poems by Marguerite Muñoz
More on PORCH:
PORCH is a community arts experiment that situates itself within the bi-monthly MAPP platform to create a neighborhood festival that transpires on the front stoops of local residences, where traditional and contemporary artists perform and local residents share their stories/histories. The front stoop represents a literal threshold between the public and private spheres, and is a historic site of spontaneous community interaction and exchange. We use the word ‘porch’ to underscore history and continuity that is central to the festival. Before arriving to urban centers, it was traditionally the porches of smaller communities where neighbor interaction took place. This unique space now becomes increasingly significant and symbolic in neighborhoods undergoing rapid processes of gentrification that result in the breakdown of social fabric and the loss of communal/neighborhood memory.

Admission: Free. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Soup SF Presents: SOUP #9 - Share a Meal and Fund an Awesome Project in Our Community
2016-04-03 18:00 - 20:30
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to host Soup SF’s SOUP #9 – share a meal and fund an inspiring project in San Francisco.
Soup SF is like Kickstarter, only in real-life. Come together with great folks over a delicious meal and fund a creative, community-benefit project with your vote! You will deepen in relationships in your community while supporting the greater good.
How It Works:
1) $15-25 donation gets you soup and a vote (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
2) Three teams present projects to benefit the community
3) We vote to grant the proceeds from the meal to the most inspiring project
Submit a Proposal:
Working on a project that could be supported by a Soup grant?
Apply here! –> http://bit.ly/1PMbfWf (Deadline: Friday, March 19)
Submissions are judged for:
1) creativity
2) value to community
3) ability to execute
Three projects will be selected to present. One will be granted all of the proceeds from the meal ($500-$700).

More About Soup SF:
Soup SF is a volunteer effort and exercise in community, food, creativity and good times. The SF edition was instigated by a group of folks that were wanting for more chances to be with and participate in their community. Inspired by stories of FEAST in Brooklyn and InCUBATE’s original Sunday Soup in Chicago, they decided to bring the goodness to SF (with blessings).
Read about Soup SF’s previous projects here.
Join the Facebook event here.

Make a donation! http://bit.ly/21FyI0D

Therianthrope: Tabla, Nylon String Guitar & Live Looping
2016-04-07 19:30 - 22:00
A duo consisting of nylon string guitarist Dusty Brough and tabla percussionist Miles Shrewsbery, Therianthrope draws from various musical influences and traditions including jazz, flamenco, classical Indian and Romani music.
Featuring:
Dusty Brough – nylon guitar
Miles Shrewsbery – tabla, percussion
Based in San Diego, guitarist Dusty Brough brilliantly integrates his roots in flamenco with jazz, folk, Romani, Brazilian, Balkan music. His nylon string guitar playing is marked by an agile technique that supports a buoyant aesthetic. As a composer, Dusty seamlessly combines harmonies, intricate rhythms and improvisation with a fluidity that can be compared to the rolling waves of the ocean.
Miles Shrewsbery is an American tabla artist and co-owner of Avaaz Records. A student of Sri Abhiman Kaushal and Pandit Nandkumar Bhatlouande of Hyderabad, India, Miles is trained in the Farukhabad Gharana, a prominent playing style of North Indian tabla drums. He has performed all over the world in prestigious venues such as Symphony Space, the Smithsonian Museum (Washington D.C.), Tokyo Museum of Modern Art, The Royal Horticultural Halls, and St. Paul Cathedral (NYC). Currently, Miles is an artist/teacher-in-residence for the Center for World Music in San Diego, CA.
Follow Therianthrope on Facebook and preview their music here.

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The Danny Green Trio: Converging Classical, Jazz and Brazilian Music
2016-04-08 19:30 - 22:00
On tour promoting their upcoming release, Altered Narratives, The Danny Green Trio brings together elements of Brazilian, jazz, and classical music.
A rising creative force on the national jazz scene, pianist/composer Danny Green has distinguished himself with his beautifully articulated touch and deep affinity for Brazilian music. The San Diego native has wowed critics and audiences alike with a growing portfolio of fresh and engaging jazz piano melodies. His trio, featuring bassist Justin Grinnell and drummer Julien Cantelm, recorded their latest album at New York City’s famed Sear Sound studio with award-winning producer Matt Pierson. Consisting of eleven original compositions by Green, Altered Narratives is set to be released in March 2016 on OA2 Records. The trio’s 2014 album, After the Calm, recently won Best Jazz Album at the San Diego Music Awards and was nominated for Album of the Year.
Featuring:
Danny Green – piano
Justin Grinnell – bass
Julien Cantelm – drums

“From zigzagging, post-bop romps, lush ballads and urbane blues to Argentine tango and Brazilian choro, Green and his trio(space)perform with poise and verve.” – San Diego Union-Tribune
Follow Danny on Facebook and YouTube.

Admission: $12. Doors at 7:00pm. Event at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Dream #1: Live Painting by Adrian with Amaranth Quartet and Special Guest La Tania
2016-04-09 19:30 - 22:00
Adrián Arias’ studio will move for one night to the Red Poppy Art House to show the painter and poet in his creative process. With the atmosphere of a dream, this multidisciplinary event features a live painting by Adrian and a presentation of his famous ceviche to be shared with the audience. Accompanying his art is a performance by Amaranth Quartet and the music of Phillip Glass, Debussy and more. Flamenco dancer La Tania joins Adrian as a special guest, performing two pieces inspired by the creative moments of the night. The artist and his muses constantly feed back on this dream where the end result is unknown.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2000, Adrian Arias is an American-Peruvian prize-winning poet, visual artist, curator and cultural promoter. His visual art, like his poetry, explores the absurd, the sensuality of elements, and the connection between reality and dreams. Arias has participated in several international exhibitions showing his video-installations and visual poetry objects and drawings.
With a love of tackling the string quartet canon and as fierce a passion for discovering newly composed works, Amaranth Quartet was founded in 2013 and proudly calls the Bay Area home. Members Emily Botel, Abigail Shiman, Erica Zappia, and Helen Newby strive to present classical music to divergent audiences in a variety of locales. Over the past year, the quartet performed at the historic Fillmore West as part of the venue’s first all-female lineup and has also appeared at Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the late Viracocha. Projects this season include appearances on Switchboard Presents, The Legion Listening Series, and Seventh Avenue Performances. Amaranth Quartet is fiscally sponsored by the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music.
La Tania has been recognized worldwide as a dancer, choreographer and master teacher. She is currently based in Oakland, CA where she has founded La Tania Baile Flamenco Company and School. Active in the community, she imparts her knowledge and creates many events to enrichen the Bay Area cultural landscape. As part of her teaching program, La Tania presents Punta y Tacon, a yearly student showcase at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts designed to give performance experience to her students and upcoming dancers. (PC: Maite Klein)

Admission: $15 online / $20 at the door. Doors at 7:00pm. Event at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.

*Additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door the day of the event.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Steven Lugerner’s JACKNIFE ft. Piano Legend Larry Willis: Exploring the Music of Jackie McLean
2016-04-15 19:30 - 22:00
San Francisco-based saxophonist Steven Lugerner continues his explorations of the music by jazz legend Jackie McLean with JACKNIFE, a hard-hitting post-bop quintet.
Paying homage to the late American jazz alto saxophonist Jackie McLean and his seminal Blue Note albums, JACKNIFE brings together a formidable cast of rising talent. This CD release performance will feature the virtuoso pianist and McLean’s former sideman, Larry Willis. Willis made his recording debut on McLean’s 1965 release, Right Now, and appeared on the original Jacknife album. Each member of the quintet has collaborated with their fair share of jazz masters, such as drum legend Albert “Tootie” Heath, pianist Fred Hersch, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.
Featuring:
Steven Lugerner – alto saxophone
JJ Kirkpatrick – trumpet
Larry Willis – piano
Garret Lang – bass
Michael Mitchell – drumset

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Steven Lugerner maintains musical ties between multiple scenes including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. As a bandleader, Lugerner has released several albums to critical acclaim – Gravitations Vol 2 (2015), Gravitations Vol 1 (2013), For We Have Heard (2013), Narratives (2010), and These Are The Words (2010).
Follow Steven on Facebook and Bandcamp.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Joe Warner Trio: Jazz and Blues Piano From Then to Now
2016-04-16 19:30 - 22:00
The Joe Warner Trio plays music that is creative and grooving, drawing from such diverse influences as Ray Charles, Ahmad Jamal and Professor Longhair. Expect to hear many familiar and beloved songs as well as tunes that will become new favorites.
Featuring:
Joe Warner – piano
Sly Randolph – drums
Schuyler Karr – bass
Pianist Joe Warner is one of the Bay Area’s brightest young talents. He frequently works with The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol and bassist/composer Marcus Shelby and has also performed with Johnny Talbot, The California Honeydrops, John Handy, Valerie Troutt, Denise Perrier, and Stephanie Crawford among others.
Preview his music on YouTube.

Admission: $15-25. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Abbos Kosimov & Sirojiddin Juraev: Instrumental Masterworks of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
2016-04-17 19:30 - 22:00
Master percussionist Abbos Kosimov is joined by dutar and tanbur virtuoso Sirojiddin Juraev for a rare performance of instrumental masterworks of folk and classic traditions. Spanning musical geographies from the remote mountain highlands of Tajikistan, to the ancient urban centers of Bukhara and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, this special evening will highlight the musicians’ technical mastery and innovative virtuosity in the rhythms of timeless Central Asian music.
Featuring:
Abbos Kosimov – doira drum
Sirojiddin Juraev – dutar, tanbur
Abbos Kosimov is widely acknowledged as an international percussion phenomenon, particularly for his many innovative techniques of the Uzbek doira, an ancient frame drum. Having recognized his percussive talents at a young age, he studied under doira masters Mamurjon Vahbov, Tuychi Inogomov, and the Brothers Islamov. Abbos went on to establish his own school of doira playing in Uzbekistan and later taught at the Tashkent State Institute of Culture. Among his many accolades, he was given the prestigious title of Honored Artist of Uzbekistan by the country’s president in 2001. Currently residing in Sacramento, CA, Abbos continues to tour and explore the boundaries of tradition and innovation in rhythmic cross-cultural collaborations worldwide.
A prominent virtuoso of the dutar and tanbur (traditional stringed instruments), Sirojiddin Juraev is considered among the top masters of both the folk and classic tradition of shashmaqom. He comes from a lineage of dutar players in his native region of northern Tajikistan. In addition to performing at many prestigious concert halls, he has participated in various cross-cultural collaborations with other world-class masters of traditional music including Wu Man, Humayoun Sakhi, Mukhtar Muborakqadamov, Abduvali Abdurashidov, and Abbos Kosimov. Sirojiddin is currently an artist-in-residence in Harvard University’s music department where he teaches dutar and tanbur performance.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex, Series 4, Discussion 2 w/ Marcus Shelby & Jackie Ramos
2016-04-20 19:30 - 21:30
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the fourth series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on March 16, April 20, May 18, June 8, and July 6. Marcus Shelby and Jackie Ramos return to delve into our justice system, its flaws, and show how music and the arts can be used as agencies for reform and change—both in front and behind bars. These interactive discussions explore the blues, the prison industrial complex, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, restorative justice, public health, families impacted by incarceration, immigration, and more.
The discussions will feature guest speakers/artists, readings, recorded and live music, poetry, and videos. These events are open to anyone interested in reforming our criminal justice system and understanding how the arts can be part of that process. A special performance by Marcus Shelby and other musicians will close the series in early August.
Series 4 Discussion Schedule:
Mar 16 – Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System: A Call for Reform (Guest speakers: Jeff Adachi and Cesar R. Gomez)
Apr 20 – Incarceration and Its Connection to Immigration (Guest speakers TBA)
May 18 – Ending the Death Penalty (Guest speakers TBA)
June 8 – Protecting the Community: Principles and Philosophies of Restorative Justice (Guest speakers TBA)
July 6 – Music and the Arts as Weapons of Critical Resistance (Guest speakers TBA)
The Beyond the Blues series is supported by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.

Marcus Shelby is an accomplished teacher, composer, arranger, and bassist who currently lives in San Francisco, California. Shelby was awarded a 2009 Black Metropolis Research Consortium Fellowship in Chicago to conduct research for his commission to compose “Soul of the Movement”—a 12 part musical suite on MLK and the Civil Rights Movement—and received the City Flight Magazine 2005 award as one of the “Top Ten Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area”. As the 1991 winner of the Charles Mingus Scholarship, Shelby’s studies include work under the tutelage of composer James Newton and legendary bassist Charlie Haden. Marcus is also very active in music education and currently teaches at The Community Music Center and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. In addition to leading many of the San Francisco Jazz Festival Family Matinee Concerts, Marcus is the artistic director/leader of The Marcus Shelby Orchestra, the music director of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival Freedom Jazz Choir, and an artist-in-residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. He is currently working with playwright and actress Anna Deveare Smith on her new work, Pipeline to Prison. In March 2013, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee appointed Shelby to the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Jackie Ramos is a womanist warrior integrating public health with expressive arts to break down walls of oppression and inhumane fear targeted at communities of color. While pursuing a career as a poetess and actress, she has extensive research background in HIV/AIDS and substance use prevention working with people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Jackie also teaches poetry to the youth at San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall and the Young Women’s Freedom Center. With every breath in her, she will not stop fighting for the people—for their right to shine, live, and thrive.

Admission: $10 suggested donation. Doors at 7:00pm. Discussion at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Flying Under the Radar, in Collaboration with Kiandanda Dance Theater & Bahiya Movement, Presents: Symbiosis
2016-04-21 19:30 - 22:00
Flying Under the Radar, in collaboration with the Red Poppy Art House, presents three nights of international performance featuring Symbiosis (directed by Kiandanda Dance Theater & Bahiya Movement) on April 21, The Supplicants – Celestial Frequencies on April 22, and As Três Meninas (curated by Derek Lassiter) on April 23.
Kiandanda Dance Theater (directed by Byb Chanel Bibene) and Bahiya Movement (directed by Afia Thompson) present Symbiosis, a shared evening of performance featuring recent dance projects: Weighted Acceptance and Nkisi Nkondi. Each choreographer presents work that speaks about a part of their identity, a self-reconnection to their past and present stories. Both pieces will be presented, followed by a Q&A and the sharing of soup. Come join this wonderful evening of food, dance, and insightful discussion.

About the Pieces:
Nkisi Nkondi by Kiandanda Dance Theater
The body memory of the myths, facts and stories behind the Nkisi Nkondi statue, a medium between the visible and the invisible world, between humans and divinities in the culture of the Kongo people. This project examines the lost values of justice, healing, sacred medicines and divine protection and human connection that the Nkisi Nkondi represented in the central African society.
Watch a clip of Nkisi Nkondi here.
Weighted Acceptance by Bahiya Movement
Collectively we all carry our own and each other’s weight(s). Through words and movement, we learn to accept the weight of who we are as we move through the world.
Preview a performance by Bahiya Movement here.
About the Directors:
Byb Chanel Bibene is a choreographer and performer working in theater and contemporary dance. His own technical and aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the culture and dances of his country of origin, the Republic of Congo. He has toured the world and performed internationally with companies and choreographers from Africa, England, France and the USA. Artistic Director of Kiandanda Dance Theater, Bibene launched Mbongui Square, a multidisciplinary arts event that gathers artists from the Bay Area and around the world. Outside of his professional careers of theater and dance, Bibene holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics/Finance and has a passion for writing. He is pursuing his MFA in Dance at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Afia “Beautiful 1” Thompson has been performing professionally since the age of 11 with her dance roots in West African traditions. Over the past 20 years, she has performed both nationally and internationally in genres such as jazz, hip-hop, lindy hop, freestyle, and modern dance. She is constantly refining her skills and versatility as a performer through yearly conferences, workshops, and performances. Ms. Thompson continues to expose herself to different forms of dance, drama and musical theatre, which adds a more finished touch to her skill and choreography level.
*Photo credits: Kaveri Seth (KDT) & Chani Bockwinkel (BM)

About Flying Under the Radar Festival of the Arts:
Flying Under the Radar Festival of the Arts dedicates itself to the creation of artistic bridges between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the San Francisco Bay Area, USA. Working in concert with organizational and artistic partners in Rio and San Francisco, the festival aims to illuminate and invigorate the discourse between these two cultural centers by highlighting their distinctive artistic languages and processes of cultural investigation.
Follow FUTR on Facebook.

Admission: $12-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Flying Under the Radar Presents: The Supplicants - Celestial Frequencies
2016-04-22 19:30 - 22:00
Flying Under the Radar, in collaboration with the Red Poppy Art House, presents three nights of international performance featuring Symbiosis (directed by Kiandanda Dance Theater & Bahiya Movement) on April 21, The Supplicants – Celestial Frequencies on April 22, and As Três Meninas (curated by Derek Lassiter) on April 23.
Sameer Gupta and David Boyce invite you to embark on a journey across the universe with their duo project, Celestial Frequencies. They offer a glimpse into their sound alchemy of new worlds, ideas and meanings. Through organic improvisations and the pursuit of divine duality, Celestial Frequencies pays sonic homage to the goddess ideal ‒ one of the main tenets of cosmic spiritual music. This is jazz from an unknown planet.
Featuring:
Sameer Gupta – drumset, tabla
David Boyce – tenor/soprano sax, moog synth, efx, beats, basslines

About the Artists:
Sameer Gupta is known as one of the few percussionists simultaneously representing the traditions of American jazz on a drumset and Indian classical music on tabla. He has held workshops on Indian music and cross-over drumming styles at Carnegie Hall Global Encounters, the Jazzschool in Berkeley, and Berklee College of Music in Boston. From bebop to avant-garde jazz, European classical percussion to North Indian classical tabla, Gupta continues to compose and perform music from a multicultural perspective that now bridges several continents.
David Boyce spent his formative years in NYC soaking up the city’s vast multicultural offerings. After being bitten by the jazz bug in elementary school, David began his studies of the saxophone. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations and taught junior high school in the Bronx before moving to San Francisco. Living in the Bay Area inspired him to pursue music as a full-time obsession. He is a co-founder of his avant jazz group, Broun Fellinis, and is an active freelance musician involved in many musical pursuits that include jazz, post-rock, hip-hop, electronic, improv, and more. David currently performs with Broun Fellinis, 6Roses, The Afro Funk Experience, Black Quarterback, David Mihaly’s Shimmering Leaves Ensemble, The Supplicants, and Black Edgar’s Musik Box.

About Flying Under the Radar Festival of the Arts:
Flying Under the Radar Festival of the Arts dedicates itself to the creation of artistic bridges between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the San Francisco Bay Area, USA. Working in concert with organizational and artistic partners in Rio and San Francisco, the festival aims to illuminate and invigorate the discourse between these two cultural centers by highlighting their distinctive artistic languages and processes of cultural investigation.
Follow FUTR on Facebook.

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Flying Under the Radar, in Collaboration with Derek Lassiter, Presents: As Três Meninas
2016-04-23 19:30 - 22:00
Flying Under the Radar, in collaboration with the Red Poppy Art House, presents three nights of international performance featuring Symbiosis (directed by Kiandanda Dance Theater & Bahiya Movement) on April 21, The Supplicants – Celestial Frequencies on April 22, and As Três Meninas (curated by Derek Lassiter) on April 23.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, As Três Meninas (The Three Girls) is a musical project formed by three bandleaders: Fabiana Passoni, Stephanie Ozer, and Ami Molinelli. Their repertoire consists of original compositions and timeless Brazilian standards, enriching the ever-expanding American music lexicon. From bossa nova and samba to odd meters and contemporary arrangements, As Três Meninas explores the wide spectrum of Brazilian jazz.
Featuring:
Fabiana Passoni – vocals
Stephanie Ozer – keyboard
Ami Molinelli – percussion

About the Artists:
Brazilian vocalist Fabiana Passoni has spent her career living in New York and Los Angeles as a recording artist of nu jazz, samba, bossa nova, and northeastern styles. Now calling the Bay Area home, she has graced the smooth jazz independent charts (Top 30) with several singles and EPs. Fabiana was awarded the 2012 Brazilian International Press Award for Best Brazilian Singer Living in the U.S.
Pianist Stephanie Ozer performs throughout the nation — solo to sextet — with musical styles ranging between Brazilian jazz, folk and klezmer. Her album, O Começo: New Beginnings in Brazilian Jazz, was recorded in Rio de Janeiro with Grammy-winning vocalist Leny Andrade. Nominated twice as Best Jazz Musician in the North Bay, Stephanie holds a Piano Performance degree from the University of Michigan School of Music.
Ami Molinelli is a professional percussionist and educator specializing in Brazilian and Latin percussion, particularly the pandeiro. Her extensive performance and recording credits include theater, television (NBC) and live performances with artists such as Luciana Souza, Jovino Santos-Neto, George Duke, Alessandro Penezzi, Mike Marshall, and John Santos among many others. Ami is the co-leader of the Brazilian choro and jazz group Grupo Falso Baiano.

About the Curator:
Derek Lassiter, a mainstay on the San Francisco arts scene, has received accolades for both his recordings and live performances featuring Bay Area notables such as pianist/composer Tammy Hall, producer/percussionist PC Muñoz, and composer/pianist Art Khu. Lassiter is profiled in Julian C. R. Okwu’s book, Face Forward: Young African American Men in a Critical Age.

About Flying Under the Radar Festival of the Arts:
Flying Under the Radar Festival of the Arts dedicates itself to the creation of artistic bridges between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the San Francisco Bay Area, USA. Working in concert with organizational and artistic partners in Rio and San Francisco, the festival aims to illuminate and invigorate the discourse between these two cultural centers by highlighting their distinctive artistic languages and processes of cultural investigation.
Follow FUTR on Facebook.

Admission: $10-15 student, $15-25 general. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Bay Area Dance Week: Congolese Rumba Workshop with Byb Bibene & Chris Babingui
2016-04-24 10:00 - 12:00
For the 18th annual Bay Area Dance Week, dancers Byb Bibene and Chris Babingui offer a special class, the Rumba Congo. The Congolese rumba (not related to Cuban rumba) is a social dance that is very prominent throughout the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every bar and club offers a selection of rumba music en vogue or in retro. The music is soft, slow, lyrical, and intimate. With variations in music and body rhythms, the dance is performed between couples. This is not a fitness dance. Couples can wear everyday attire, including jeans!
Byb Chanel Bibene is a choreographer and performer working in theater and contemporary dance. His own technical and aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the culture and dances of his country of origin, the Republic of Congo. He has toured the world and performed internationally with companies and choreographers from Africa, England, France and the USA. Artistic Director of Kiandanda Dance Theater, Bibene launched Mbongui Square, a multidisciplinary arts event that gathers artists from the Bay Area and around the world. Outside of his professional careers of theater and dance, Bibene holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics/Finance and has a passion for writing. He is pursuing his MFA in Dance at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Chris Babingui was born in Enyelle, Congo. At the age of five, he learned the ndombolo and other traditional dances of Congo through the imitation of his elders. After completing his secondary education in 2006, Babingui began his artistic career in hip-hop with the group Boom Danger de Massamba Flash. He has since toured internationally in Africa and Europe. In 2012, Chris participated in Gregory Makoma and Florent Mahoukou’s creation of a piece titled Wake Up. His other works include the choreography for Nibo Nabo (2014) and a collaboration with Zora Snak on The News Territories (2015).
About Bay Area Dance Week:
Presented by Dancers’ Group, Bay Area Dance Week is a 10-day celebration of dance featuring hundreds of free classes, performances, open rehearsals, lecture demonstrations, and the return of the wildly popular Kick-Off at Union Square Park, SF.
The Bay Area has one of the largest, most active and thriving dance communities in the country. BADW invites participants and volunteers to celebrate dance, offering hundreds of free events representing the diversity of dance forms practiced in the region. From established company programs to one-time events, BADW provides an opportunity for dance-lovers of all ages and experience-levels to take a grand tour of the many movement styles, including Argentine tango, classical Indian, jazz, hip hop, ballet, traditional hula, fire dance, Samba, modern, Chinese classical, belly dance, aerial dance, West African, contact improvisation, and more.

Admission: Free. Workshop at 10:00am. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Brooklyn Raga Massive Presents: A Night of Cross-Coastal Raga-Inspired Music
2016-04-24 17:00 - 22:00
Ranging from collaboration and impromptu performances to casual musical appreciation, Brooklyn Raga Massive presents an evening inspired around Indian classical ‘raga’ music. The NYC-based collective of artists, alongside several raga-influenced musicians in the Bay Area, join together to perform multiple showcase-style sets as well as to facilitate group discussions with the community. Through Q&A and networking, fellow raga musicians and appreciators can learn how to build their audience and networks for further sustainability and fair practices among individual artists.
Featuring:
Sameer Gupta (Brooklyn Raga Massive) – drumset, tabla
Parag Chordia – sarod
Gautam Tejas – vocals
Rohan Krishnamurthy – mridangam
Prasant Radhakrishnan – saxophone
Ferhan Qureshi – tabla
Arun Ramamurthy – violin
Jim Santi Owen – percussion
Amali Premawardhana – cello
Trina Basu – violin
Perry Wortman – bass

Brooklyn Raga Massive is a cooperative alliance between Indian classical musicians in the Brooklyn, NYC area. The Massive is dedicated to representing raga-inspired music and expanding its audience through diversity and by breaking conventional formalities. Through BRM, artists can network and find a platform to present their work influenced by Indian Classical music as well as get involved with presenting concerts, lecture demonstrations, festivals, and educational outreach to all ages.
Follow BRM on Facebook.

Admission: $20. Doors at 5:00pm. Show at 5:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Ross Hammond and Sameer Gupta: Improvisations for 12-String Guitar and Tabla
2016-04-29 19:30 - 22:00
Having shared a musical partnership for nearly twenty years, Ross Hammond and Sameer Gupta come together as a duo through the combination of jazz improvisations and global elements rooted from their respective cultures. This most recent project finds them stripping away layers and presenting music for acoustic 12-string guitar and tabla.
Featuring:
Ross Hammond – guitar
Sameer Gupta – tabla
Sameer Gupta is known as one of the few percussionists simultaneously representing the traditions of American jazz on drumset and Indian classical music on tabla. He has held workshops on Indian music and cross-over drumming styles at Carnegie Hall Global Encounters, the Jazzschool in Berkeley, and Berklee College of Music in Boston. From bebop to avant-garde jazz, European classical percussion to North Indian classical tabla, Gupta continues to compose and perform music from a multicultural perspective that now bridges several continents.
Sacramento guitarist Ross Hammond has played on large stages and in small corners throughout the United States. His sound is equal parts jazz, folk, blues, spirituals and world music. His latest solo release, Flight, is a record of originals and spirituals for 6-string, 12-string and acoustic slide guitar. The Sacramento News and Review called Hammond “one of Sacramento’s greatest jazz generators and arguably its most accessible.”

“Guitarist Hammond and tablaist Gupta have made a record, Upward, that is a dazzling set of songs and improvisations that get at the global, human roots of the blues… New, ancient, unclassifiable, powerful, fantastic.” – George Grella, Brooklyn Rail
Listen to their latest track, Upward, here.

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Amelia Romano: "New Perspectives" Album Release
2016-04-30 19:30 - 22:00
Performing arrangements as dynamic and diverse as Bach and blues to Mexican boleros, Amelia Romano combines Latin rhythms and personal lyrics to produce an intimate and energizing musical experience. With her signature blue electric lever harp, she experiments with various rhythms, tones and textures that demand the listener to re-think the lever harp’s role in today’s music.
Amelia Romano takes the path less traveled. A composer and arranger, she draws on life experience and inspiration to inform her work, using the harp as her vehicle of artistic expression. Her time living and working in South Africa from 2010-2011 has been woven into the fabric of her latest release, New Perspectives. The music for the album is inspired by the heart of a South African township, the American South, Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela.
Featuring:
Amelia Romano – harp, vocals
Josh Mellinger – percussion (cajon, congas, frame drum, cymbal)
Misha Khalikulov – cello
Schuyler Karr – bass
Pablo Davila – guitar
Paul Bertin – saxophone
Rebecca Kleinmann – flute

Follow Amelia on Facebook and YouTube.

Admission: $20-25. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

San Francisco Youth Theatre Presents: HAMLET: The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune. San Francisco 2016.
2016-05-05 19:30 - 2016-05-07 22:00
The Poppy’s youth arts partner, San Francisco Youth Theatre is proud to present SFYT DREAM Ensemble in William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, Hamlet. Directed by Cliff Mayotte, SFYT’s production is set against the backdrop of present day San Francisco with Shakespeare’s Danish monarchy transformed into tech giant Elsinore.com. This shortened version focuses on the domestic tragedy of Hamlet: power, love, violence and loss. The Red Poppy Art House is the perfect setting for this intimate production, representing a contemporary art-filled Mission District tech hub. The live musical score, composed by Schuyler Rhodes, adds a distinctly cinematic feel, complementing the play’s evocative language, beauty, and imminent dread.
San Francisco Youth Theatre creates cutting-edge theater that speaks to the unique sensibilities of youth. SFYT’s DREAM Ensemble consists of high school and college-aged actors dedicated to creating and performing works of art that tell the compelling stories of their community. Hamlet is co-produced by MAPA@Brava, (Mission Academy of Performing Arts), a consortium of youth arts organizations serving San Francisco’s Mission District, and the Red Poppy Art House. Additional support by the Henry Newhall Foundation.

Date: May 5-7, 2016
Time: 7:30pm (2:00pm showcase on May 7th)
Admission: $8/18 advance / $10/20 door (pay as you can for May 7th showcase)

Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Vadalma: Hungarian Folk Songs in Handmade Arrangements
2016-05-12 19:30 - 22:00
Vadalma (“Wild Apple”) is a collaborative project led by Zina Bozzay with Matthew Szemela and Misha Khalikulov that explores vibrant, intimate arrangements of old Hungarian folk songs. Singing songs directly from village traditions of Transylvania, Moldavia, Transdanubia and other parts of the Carpathian Basin, the musicians integrate both traditional and original accompaniment to frame these rich melodies.
Trained in Hungary, Zina Bozzay has performed at the Táncháztalálkozó, Hungarian Heritage House, and National Theatre in Budapest. She has been a soloist at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the Golden Festival in New York, and for Hungarian community events. Zina holds a Masters in Music Composition, and with her ensemble Vadalma, she creates historically-informed, innovative chamber arrangements using both traditional and non-traditional accompaniment. As the founder and leader of the Hungarian Folk Singing Circle (Népdalkör), her work also involves teaching, research, lecturing, and community-building.
Featuring:
Zina Bozzay – vocals
Matthew Szemela – violin
Misha Khalikulov – cello
Follow Vadalma on Facebook.

Admission: $10-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Dusty Brough Trio: Surf Jazz
2016-05-13 19:30 - 22:00
Guitarist Dusty Brough steps out front to lead his own trio of fine jazz instrumentals, featuring Paul Bertin on saxophone and Julien Cantelm on drums.
Based in San Diego, Dusty Brough brilliantly integrates his roots in flamenco with jazz, folk, Romani, Brazilian, Balkan music. His nylon string guitar playing is marked by an agile technique that supports a buoyant aesthetic. As a composer, Dusty seamlessly combines harmonies, intricate rhythms and improvisation with a fluidity that can be compared to the rolling waves of the ocean.
Featuring:
Dusty Brough – nylon guitar
Paul Bertin – saxophone
Julien Cantelm – drums
Listen to the trio’s track The Forest and the Giant Mechanical Saw here.
Follow Dusty on Facebook.

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Brian Andres & The Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel ft. Sandra Garcia Rivera: Latin Jazz Meets Spoken Word
2016-05-14 19:30 - 22:00
Performing together for the third time at the Red Poppy, poet/vocalist Sandra Garcia Rivera joins Brian Andres & The Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel for an evening of hard-hitting Latin jazz and spoken word.
Featuring:
Christian Tumalan – piano
Javier Cabanillas – congas
Steffen Kuehn – trumpet
Aaron Germain – bass
Brian Andres – drum set
Sandra Garcia Rivera – spoken word, vocals

Led by drummer Brian Andres, The Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel was formed in 2007 with its roots in Latin jazz, a tradition which has thrived historically in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the past decade, the Cartel has earned a sterling reputation as a turbo-charged vehicle for interpreting challenging material with confidence, poise, and rhythmic imagination. Their latest recording, This Could Be That, includes compositions and arrangements by top-shelf writing talent from within and outside the band’s rank. Featuring a core octet comprised of prominent local players, the album includes guest appearances by Cuban-American vocalist Venissa Santi, Fania All-Stars timbalero Louie Romero, bata master Michael Spiro, Peruvian percussionist Alex Acuña, and percussion maestro John Santos.
Sandra Garcia Rivera has captured audiences throughout the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe as a spoken word poet, vocalist and percussionist. She has published two chapbooks, Divination of the Mistress and Shoulder High, and her work has been printed in numerous anthologies and journals. As a vocalist, she has performed and recorded with international Latin jazz and Caribbean roots music artists and ensembles in NY, Puerto Rico, and the Bay Area. Sandra is currently Host & Curator of Lunada Literary Lounge, a monthly literary series at Galeria de la Raza, and is a teaching artist of creative writing and performance with WritersCorps and SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco.
Check out the track Limite here.
Follow the group on Facebook.

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

David Tanenbaum Presents: Antoniy Kakamakov - Classical Guitar: From Baroque to Contemporary
2016-05-15 19:30 - 22:00
Curated by David Tanenbaum, join prize-winning guitarist Antoniy Kakamakov for a night of powerfully emotional and virtuosic classical guitar music. From Bach, Weiss and Mertz to Latin Grammy-winning guitarist/composer Sérgio Assad, the program will explore major works from the Baroque repertoire as well as more recent compositions influenced by early musical form.
Antoniy Kakamakov is a professional classical guitarist, chamber musician, and educator. He attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he received his Bachelors, Masters, and Professional Studies Degrees. He has received awards from guitar festivals including the Sierra Nevada and the Wesley Day Classical Guitar Recording Competition as well as the Portland, Louisville, Tennessee, and SFCM Guitar Concerto Competitions. Kakamakov actively performs both as a soloist and with the Pacific Guitar Ensemble, a group consisting of SFCM guitar faculty and selected alumni. With a passion for teaching, Antoniy is currently the classical guitar faculty at Oakland School for the Arts.
“Tony Kakamakov is a terrific young guitar player. Having come to the U.S. to study guitar at age 14, he was one of the hardest workers in the San Francisco Conservatory Guitar Department. He tackles the most difficult repertoire with aplomb, and his interpretations have intensity as well as beauty.” ‒ David Tanenbaum, San Francisco Conservatory of Music Guitar Department Chair

Preview Antoniy’s music here.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex, Series 4, Discussion 3 w/ Marcus Shelby & Jackie Ramos
2016-05-18 19:30 - 21:30
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the fourth series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on March 16, April 20, May 18, June 8, and July 6. Marcus Shelby and Jackie Ramos return to delve into our justice system, its flaws, and show how music and the arts can be used as agencies for reform and change—both in front and behind bars. These interactive discussions explore the blues, the prison industrial complex, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, restorative justice, public health, families impacted by incarceration, immigration, and more.
The discussions will feature guest speakers/artists, readings, recorded and live music, poetry, and videos. These events are open to anyone interested in reforming our criminal justice system and understanding how the arts can be part of that process. A special performance by Marcus Shelby and other musicians will close the series in early August.
Series 4 Discussion Schedule:
Mar 16 – Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System: A Call for Reform (Guest speakers: Jeff Adachi and Cesar R. Gomez)
Apr 20 – Incarceration and Its Connection to Immigration (Guest speakers TBA)
May 18 – Ending the Death Penalty (Guest speakers TBA)
June 8 – Protecting the Community: Principles and Philosophies of Restorative Justice (Guest speakers TBA)
July 6 – Music and the Arts as Weapons of Critical Resistance (Guest speakers TBA)
The Beyond the Blues series is supported by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.

Marcus Shelby is an accomplished teacher, composer, arranger, and bassist who currently lives in San Francisco, California. Shelby was awarded a 2009 Black Metropolis Research Consortium Fellowship in Chicago to conduct research for his commission to compose “Soul of the Movement”—a 12 part musical suite on MLK and the Civil Rights Movement—and received the City Flight Magazine 2005 award as one of the “Top Ten Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area”. Marcus is also very active in music education and currently teaches at The Community Music Center and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. In addition to leading many of the San Francisco Jazz Festival Family Matinee Concerts, Marcus is the artistic director/leader of The Marcus Shelby Orchestra, the music director of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival Freedom Jazz Choir, and an artist-in-residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. He is currently working with playwright and actress Anna Deveare Smith on her new work, Pipeline to Prison. In March 2013, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee appointed Shelby to the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Jackie Ramos is a womanist warrior integrating public health with expressive arts to break down walls of oppression and inhumane fear targeted at communities of color. While pursuing a career as a poetess and actress, she has extensive research background in HIV/AIDS and substance use prevention working with people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Jackie also teaches poetry to the youth at San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall and the Young Women’s Freedom Center. With every breath in her, she will not stop fighting for the people—for their right to shine, live, and thrive.

Admission: $10 suggested donation. Doors at 7:00pm. Discussion at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Rent Romus’ Life’s Blood Ensemble: An Exploration in Contemporary Jazz - "Rising Colossus" Album Release
2016-05-20 19:30 - 22:00
Saxophonist Rent Romus’ visionary group Life’s Blood Ensemble presents the album release performance of Rising Colossus, a milestone project of musical exploration of emergence and multiple movements. Featuring original compositions and a reprise of work written for Romus by late saxophonist legend John Tchicai, the ensemble will also perform a version of Anthony Braxton’s Composition 23J provided by Tri-Centric Foundation.
Featuring:
Rent Romus – alto saxophone
Timothy Orr – drums
Max Judelson – double bass
Safa Shokrai – double bass
Joshua Marshall – tenor saxophone
Mark Clifford – vibes
Heikki “Mike” Koskinen – e-trumpet

Rent Romus is a saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, music producer, and community leader hailed by DownBeat as having “…a bold sound, unmistakable sincerity and conviction.” Born in upper Michigan and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, his work on the saxophone has been dubbed “ferocious” by SF Weekly and “central to the creative music world of the West Coast” by jazz critic Frank Rubolino. Romus has recorded over 40 albums exploring music in a variety of musical settings working with musicians such as Chico Freeman, John Tchicai, and Vinny Golia.
Follow Rent on Facebook and preview Life’s Blood Ensemble on SoundCloud.
Pre-order for the LP can be found here.

Admission: $10-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

CANCELLED - Trio Balkan Strings: Balkan Swing
2016-05-21 20:00 - 22:00
*Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

On tour throughout the US and Canada, Trio Balkan Strings performs at the Poppy for a night of virtuosic Balkan instrumental music. From asymmetrical rhythms to original guitar interpretations, the ensemble’s melodies are rich with elements of jazz, swing, classical, and a combination of cultural influences.
Trio Balkan Strings is a Belgrade, Serbia-based family project formed by guitarist/composer Zoran Starcevic and sons Nikola and Zeljko. Spontaneous and brimming with energy, the trio is known for their trademark of having six hands playing one guitar. They have performed in many festivals around the globe and have taught master classes for classical and jazz guitar students in Europe and the US.
Featuring:
Zoran Starcevic – guitar
Nikola Starcevic – guitar
Zeljko Starcevic – guitar
Follow the trio on Facebook and YouTube.
