Internationally recognized chanteuse Lavay Smith and her world-class band come to the Red Poppy to pay tribute to the great Duke Ellington. Performing popular favorites, as well as obscure gems, Lavay and her band evoke an authentic feeling of classic blues and jazz. Featuring: Lavay Smith - vocals Jules Broussard - alto and tenor sax […]
Bay Area-based double bassist/composer/vocalist Jeff Denson performs a CD release show with his quartet at the Red Poppy Art House for his fifth album, Concentric Circles. Steeped in the jazz tradition, Denson’s music features uncommon instrumentation and a highly individual juxtaposition of composed and improvised material. Featuring: Jeff Denson - double bass, vocals Paul Hanson […]
Rumba music originated in the Afro-Cuban neighborhoods of Havana and Matanzas as the soundtrack to community, partnered dancing, and get-togethers as a means of cultural expression. Its global diaspora means rumba rhythms have found their way into other musical styles, such as country, rock, and blues, and continue to impact the genres of today. Rumberos de […]
Improvisations, originals, and an exploration of standards unite the four independent viewpoints of tenor saxophonists Jessica Jones, Tony Jones, Peter Apfelbaum, and Howard Wiley. With a deep respect for jazz history and rhythm, and a dedication to finding their own voices, these musicians meet with collective improvisation in its wildest, mercurial incarnation. Featuring: Jessica Jones, […]
Combining elements of rock, pop, jazz, folk, and classical, pianist/composer Marta Sanchez creates music that is rhythmically complex and spontaneously melodic. Her most recent release, Partenika, has been hailed as one of the best albums of 2015 by The New York Times, Downbeat, AllMusic and Jazz Journalist Association. Sanchez, a Madrid native who is currently […]
Mamadou and Vanessa perform original, poignant music from Mali. Their sound, influenced by West African rhythms and southern American blues, features the traditional 14-stringed kamele ngoni (hunter's harp) and the karinye, a traditional percussion instrument. Master kamele ngoni player Mamadou Sidibe is from the Wassoulou region of Mali, West Africa. He has toured with Malian […]
The Red Poppy Art House presents a monthly Rio-style pagode de mesa featuring a revolving cast of the finest players in the Bay Area. Pagode, meaning “party,” is the small group subgenre of samba that is played in samba schools, bars, cafes and backyards of Rio de Janeiro. From cavaquinho and guitar, to vocals and percussion, […]
Internationally recognized singer-songwriter Joanna Wallfisch comes to San Francisco as part of her West Coast album release tour, which she is doing by bicycle. Beginning in Portland, OR and concluding in Los Angeles, Joanna will celebrate the halfway point at the Red Poppy. She will perform solo, accompanying herself on ukulele, piano, and loop pedal, […]
With simple song structures and catchy melodies, Willow Steps features folky tunes of love and heartbreak by singer/songwriter Jesse Strickman and vocalist Leiya Mahoney. The duo’s introspective harmonies are accompanied by upright bassist Schuyler Karr for the celebration of their new community-funded EP, A Truth Too Big to See. Opening the evening is an acoustic […]
Master percussionist Faisal Zedan returns to the Red Poppy Art House alongside multi-instrumentalist Gari Hegedus for an evening of music rooted in Turkish, Arab, and Greek traditions. Displaying a dynamic approach to rhythm and melody, the duo enthusiastically rejuvenates classic styles of Middle Eastern drumming. Featuring: Gari Hegedus - Turkish and Arabic ouds, saz Faisal […]
In celebration of a one-night reunion show at the Red Poppy, local band Taraf de Locos performs traditional folk and contemporary tunes rooted in the Balkans, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Spain, Mexico, and Colombia. The evening will mark the group’s first performance together since the end of their last tour in 2015. Featuring: Tano Brock - […]
Join Ampersan in a sonic journey through the landscapes of Mexico and Latin America. Their music brings together the feelings of peasant songs, son, and psychedelica with rock, rap, and electronica. Featuring: Zindu Cano - jarana, acoustic guitar, vocals Kevin García - punteador, electric guitar, vocals Since its inception in 2007, Ampersan has rooted their […]
Ridgeway Arts presents vocalist and composer Tammy Scheffer as a featured artist in their National/International program, which brings high-profile artists from around the globe to the Bay Area. The Brooklyn-based Scheffer joins double bassist and vocalist Jeff Denson and special guests for a night of contemporary jazz at the Red Poppy. Featuring: Tammy Scheffer - […]
Crossover Collaborative Residencies provides a framework to support the exploration of collaborative processes between artists in dance and music disciplines. Pairing six choreographer/dancers and six composer/musicians, the program follows a four-stage development from preliminary artists gatherings and orientation workshops, to early-stage “raw” presentations of works-in-progress, a middle-stage free community-engaged presentation, and a final performance/presentation. With […]
Ya Layl presents “Mostly Middle Eastern,” a program of Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, and other music performed by Sarah Michael, Peter Maund, and Suellen Primost. Special guest Niko Bakulich joins the trio for an eclectic evening of lively dance numbers, modal improvisations, American standards, and medieval pilgrim songs. Featuring: Sarah Michael - kanun (Arabic zither) Suellen […]
Bay Area-based Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Peixoto returns to the Red Poppy alongside Rio de Janeiro-based guitarists Rogério Souza and Edinho Gerber (Duo Violão Brasil). Performing original compositions, as well as a traditional repertoire from composers like Pixinguinha, Baden Powell, and Tom Jobim, the trio will spend the evening exploring the many styles of 20th-century Brazilian […]
Gautam Tejas Ganeshan’s performances reflect his love and deep knowledge of Carnatic music. His elaborate structures, extensive improvisations, and utmost sincerity distinguish him as one of the great practitioners of the form. Performed with chamber ensembles, Ganeshan’s music prioritizes authenticity over ethnicity and immediacy over nostalgia. His concerts offer listeners a rare peek into the […]
Broun Fellinis present an evening of postmodern Afro-futurist jazz featuring improvisations and compositions that span their 25-year existence. Their sound, informed by the legacy of black American music, pays homage to the creative women and men who gave us this vast library of music. From field hollers to blues, jazz, funk, hip-hop, and the experimental, […]
Marcus Shelby presents Discussion 6 of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on Wednesday, September 21, 2016. Composer Marcus Shelby and special guests continue these interactive discussions at the Red Poppy Art House on issues about mass incarceration and combating the prison industrial complex. With a focus on dealing with police violence in […]
Steph Johnson brings her trio to the Red Poppy to celebrate the release of her new album, Music is Art, produced by Grammy Award-winner Kamau Kenyatta. Steph’s rich, fervent vocals and soothing guitar will be accompanied by double bassist Rob Thorsen and drummer Fernando Gomez for an evening of compassionate soul jazz. Featuring: Steph Johnson […]
Taking its name from the Southern California foothills, jazz pianist Richard Sears’ Altadena is a five-part suite that features drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath in a mostly free-form musical context, blurring the line between soloist and accompanist. Featuring: Steven Lugerner - alto saxophone, bass clarinet Patrick Wolff - tenor saxophone Richard Sears - piano, compositions Garret […]
The Red Poppy Art House presents a monthly Rio-style pagode de mesa featuring a revolving cast of the finest players in the Bay Area. Pagode, meaning “party,” is the small group subgenre of samba that is played in samba schools, bars, cafes and backyards of Rio de Janeiro. From cavaquinho and guitar, to vocals and […]
Using a modern and fluid approach to improvisation, oud player Dimitris Mahlis and frame drummer Chris Wabich explore Greek, Persian, and Indian sounds that date back to antiquity. Described by Digital Jazz News as “eclectic, organic, and unplugged in the truest sense of the word,” Wahid’s newest release, Inside Silence, synthesizes their cross-cultural music into […]
Fresh off the release of his debut album, Shadowbox, accordionist, pianist, and composer Rob Reich and his quintet return to the Red Poppy. Mixing improvisational romps with refined and melodic ensemble arrangements, Rob’s idiosyncratic accordion style mixes doses of wry humor and elements of spontaneous revelation that help propel the instrument’s modern renaissance. Rob Reich […]
Byb Kongo Bibene presents Nkisi Nkondi: A Divine Sculpture from Central Africa, a public talk which reveals the not so told functions of the nkisi nkondi, the sacred statues found in the great kingdom of Kongo in the 19th century. The Nkisis were power figures used by individuals, families, or whole communities to destroy or […]
With a deep musical connection they’ve nurtured since middle school, the bicoastal trio known as CHIVES specializes in a contemporary jazz sound. Sometimes playing inside themes and sometimes soaring far beyond, saxophonist/clarinetist Steven Lugerner accompanies bassist Matthew Wohl and drummer Max Jaffe in a performance that is both elastic and buoyant. Come see this trio […]
On their debut, self-titled album, Opaluna, Colombian vocalist Susana Pineda and Bay Area guitarist Luis Salcedo present a fresh approach to contemporary jazz and Latin music, exploring every facet of their instruments while incorporating electronic techniques to create new textures and effects. The duo, joined at the Red Poppy by bassist Jeff Denson and drummer […]
Rumba music originated in the Afro-Cuban neighborhoods of Havana and Matanzas as the soundtrack to community, partnered dancing and get-togethers as a means of cultural expression. Its global diaspora means rumba rhythms have found their way into other genres of music such as country, rock, and blues, and continue to impact the genres of today. […]
Patagonian singer/songwriters Fémina make a stop at the Red Poppy as a part of their first-ever tour of the United States. Commingling rap and funk with Latin genres such as cumbia, candombe, rumba, and bolero, the popular trio boasts a theatrical and potent sound that unites melodic harmonies with poetic hip-hop. Featuring: Sofia “Toti” Trucco […]
The six-piece pickPocket Ensemble returns to the Red Poppy to celebrate the release of the new album, Pepper Greenwald Presents Lounge Music for Spies. The pickPockets will play selections from the album, transporting listeners into the world of international espionage via European café music. The evening will also include remixes from the record and a […]
