Red Poppy Art House

Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex, Series 4, Discussion 2 w/ Marcus Shelby & Jackie Ramos
2016-04-20 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

[DOUBLE BILL] Bastet w/ Blaine Billingsley: Grunge Jazz and Stravinsky-Style Guitar
2016-03-20 18:00 - 20:30
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.

The Cressman, Faquini and Kleinmann Trio: Homage to Guinga
2016-03-19 19:30 - 22:00
Paying homage to Brazilian guitarist/composer Guinga, musicians Sandy Cressman, Ian Faquini and Rebecca Kleinmann join together for an intimate evening of passionate and rhythmic music from Brazil. Having had the pleasure of studying with Guinga at California Brazil Camp for a number of years, the performance will feature a selection of his compositions in addition to originals by Faquini and Cressman.
Born in New York City and based in the SF Bay Area, vocalist/composer Sandy Cressman began her career recording and performing with the vocal jazz group Pastiche before focusing on her passion for Brazilian jazz. She has toured the US, Europe and Brazil performing with her group Homenagem Brasileira and collaborating with other Brazilian musicians and Brazilian music specialists. Most recently, Sandy performed as a special guest of SpokFrevo Orquestra on the Main Stage of Carnaval 2015 in Recife, Brazil. She has released two CDs of Brazilian jazz and will be releasing her third, Entre Amigos, in 2016.
Composer, guitarist and vocalist Ian Faquini is the protégé of Guinga, having studied throughout his youth directly with the artist. In 2014, Ian and long-time friend, flutist/vocalist Rebecca Kleinmann, released their first album together titled Brasiliense featuring all original compositions by Faquini. Ian utilizes a wide range of Brazilian rhythms and grooves while grasping strong melodic and harmonic influences from composers such as Guinga, Gershwin, Bach, Ravel, Duke Ellington and Tom Jobim. His brilliant guitar playing is natural, genuine, and inspired by Brazilian rhythms and jazz. Rebecca uses a lush tone palate to interpret Ian’s melodies in a storytelling fashion and improvises fluidly through the rich chord changes.

Featuring:
Sandy Cressman – vocals
Ian Faquini – guitar
Rebecca Kleinmann – flute

Guinga (nee Althier Carlos de Souza Lemos Escobar) was born in Madureira, a neighborhood in the north side of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began composing at age 16 and later began classical guitar studies under Jodacil Damasceno for five years. Guinga worked professionally as a guitarist, accompanying artists such as Clara Nunes, Beth Carvalho, Alaíde Costa, João Nogueira and Cartola. He had many of his songs recorded by musicians like Elis Regina, Michel Legrand, Sergio Mendes, Leila Pinheiro, Chico Buarque, Clara Nunes, Ivan Lins and many others. Revered by critics, Guinga is often considered “the largest and most important composer of Brazil today.”

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.

Jazz in the Neighborhood Presents: Schimscheimer Family Trio
2016-03-18 20:00 - 22:00
Jazz in the Neighborhood presents The Schimscheimer Family Trio and their new CD release, Broken Home. A creative collaboration with Kasey Knudsen on alto sax, Jon Arkin on drums, and Michael Coleman on keyboards, the trio’s music blends elements of tuneful composition, improvisation, and electro-acoustic manipulations shaped by all. For this event, Ben Goldberg, who plays on the album as well, will make a special guest appearance on Bb and contra-alto clarinets. Selections from the new album, as well as a variety of new and old compositions, are on the program for this kick-off CD release celebration. Broken Home, the trio’s long-awaited second album, was recorded at Figure 8 in Brooklyn, NY and released on Ben Goldberg’s BAG Production record label.
Featuring:
Kasey Knudsen – alto sax
Jon Arkin – drums
Michael Coleman – keyboards
Ben Goldberg – Bb & contra-alto clarinets

Check out the debut album, Family Fun Time, on Bandcamp.
Learn more about Ben Goldberg here.

More on Jazz in the Neighborhood:
Jazz in the Neighborhood‘s mission is to celebrate and invigorate the Bay Area’s rich, musical jazz heritage by creating more opportunities for established local musicians to perform, mentor aspiring players, and share this great American art form with the community. Through collaboration with school music programs and adult big bands, the project enables top-caliber artists to push creative boundaries while helping developing musicians “learn on the bandstand” according to the great jazz tradition. Performances in neighborhood venues not only showcase the wealth of local talent, but also create regular destinations for people to enjoy rich cultural and social experiences where they live.

Admission: $20 / Advance tickets: http://bit.ly/20RdLDb
Doors at 7:30pm. Show at 8:00pm. All ages welcome. 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 1 w/ Marcus Shelby & Jackie Ramos
2016-03-16 18:00 - 19:45
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 late July.
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 5:45pm. Discussion 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. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Gari Hegedus & Faisal Zedan: Instruments and Interpretations of Turkish, Arabic & Greek Traditions
2016-03-13 19:30 - 22:00
Multi-instrumentalist Gari Hegedus is joined by master percussionist Faisal Zedan and his ensemble for an evening of instrumental music rooted in Turkish, Arabic and Greek traditions.
Gari Hegedus began devoting his life to music 25 years ago with the study of early European, Celtic and Bretagne music. From there he was led east into the intense practice and performance of Turkish classical and Mevlevi ceremonial music. His repertoire and playing styles span outward from Turkey to Greece and the Arab lands as well as to Iran and India. He plays the oud, violin and saz, and has expressed his talent on many other instruments including the mandocello, sarod and setar. As a composer and musician, Gari utilizes the various Eastern modal systems called maqam and has developed the art of improvisation (taqsim) to a soulful level for which he has become highly recognized.
Born in Lebanon and raised in Syria, Faisal Zedan grew up impassioned with the derbakki (Arabic drum). At the age of 15, after intensive study with a local drummer, Faisal became exposed to a wide repertoire of Arabic classical and contemporary music. Upon arrival in California in 1992, he joined the acclaimed UCLA Near East Music Ensemble directed by Dr. Ali Jihad Racy. Faisal is affiliated with several groups including Kan Zaman, Qadim, Stellamara and Aswat Ensemble. In addition to his collaborations with local and international artists, Faisal has taught at music camps, conducted workshops around the world, and has produced instructional DVDs on derbakki fundamentals and Arabic percussion.
Featuring:
Gari Hegedus – various string instruments
Faisal Zedan – derbakki, riqq, frame drum
Sarah Zita Rosen – duhulla
Michael Huffman – frame drum
Josh Mellinger – riqq

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.

Will Bernard & Beth Custer: Melodic Chamber Jazz Duets
2016-03-12 19:30 - 22:00
Musicians Will Bernard and Beth Custer come together for an intimate evening of groove-filled duets.
Guitarist Will Bernard is a Grammy-nominated bandleader and founding member of all-star Bay Area jazz conglomerate T.J. Kirk, as well as Galactic drummer Stanton Moore’s rollicking trio. Bernard is a virtuosic performer whose bone-deep, groove-heavy playing was a vital part of Peter Apfelbaum’s Hieroglyphics Ensemble and the guitarist’s own funky quartet, Motherbug. Bernard’s latest Posi-Tone release, Just Like Downtown, is his most audacious to date, featuring originals and covers running the gamut from Richard Rogers to Led Zeppelin.
With a musical palette that seamlessly combines vivid shades of jazz, blues, Afro-Caribbean and contemporary classical music, clarinetist Beth Custer is one of the most vital and productive composers on the Bay Area scene, having recorded over 30 albums with her various ensembles. The New York native first gained attention in the early 1980s composing for Club Foot Orchestra, a San Francisco ensemble known for performing innovative scores for classic silent films. Custer pilots a series of bracing ensembles, including Clarinet Thing, Trance Mission, and Beth Custer Ensemble.
Featuring:
Will Bernard – guitar
Beth Custer – clarinets, vocals

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.

Jacqui Sutton with the Frontier Jazz String Trio: Jazz and Bluegrass Swing Together
2016-03-11 19:30 - 22:00
Imagine if Billie Holiday, Dolly Parton and Aaron Copland came together to create music for a night. This would be the sound of Jacqui Sutton described by music/arts critic C. Michael Bailey as “where jazz meets the American frontier.” Drawing on over 20 years of musical and stage experience, Jacqui interweaves jazz and bluegrass with orchestral, pop and Americana influences. In her ears, the banjo, mandolin and fiddle continually intermingled with jazz, eventually coalescing into her distinctive frontier jazz sound. She has recently been featured in Chris Becker’s Freedom of Expression: Interviews with Women in Jazz (November 2015), a book discussing the contributions made by women in the jazz world.
*This performance is proudly sponsored by Ifshin Violins.
Featuring:
Jacqui Sutton – vocals
Paul Chester – banjo, guitar
Anthony Sapp – bass
Max Dyer – cello

Follow Jacqui on Facebook.
Learn more about “frontier jazz” here and preview the music here.

“The latest one by Jacqui Sutton, vocalist extraordinaire, is a kind of giant leap forward into a realm of creative Americana. Notes from the Frontier (Toy Blue Typewriter 002) brings together Jacqui’s very fully enacted vocals with the unusual instrumentation and sonic mix of her Frontier Jazz Orchestra—including cello, banjo, electric bass, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, and so forth. … It’s a generally excellent selection of surprises that straddle jazz, roots, country and all kinds of American elements juxtaposed with rather extraordinary arrangements. And a vocal performance by Jacqui that does the same with the vocals that the arrangements do to the instrumental backdrop—she combines ways of singing that extend our heritage and make it very new. It’s the opposite of a ho-hum standards “jazz vocalist” release. It’s vivid, exciting and very innovative.”
– G. Edwards, Grego Applegate Edwards

Admission: $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.

The Mark Growden Quintet: Soulful Chamber Folk
2016-03-05 19:30 - 22:00
For a rare Bay Area performance, Mark Growden and his long-time collaborators bring to the Red Poppy a combination of soulful vocals with elements of chamber, folk, and jazz.
Mark Growden is a composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist and the director/founder of The Calling All Choir. Raised in a small mountain community in Northeast California, his work emanates earthy, soulful and poetic tones. Growden has ten years of experience teaching music in schools and currently leads singing workshops across the country. He has devoted his life to making music for other people and to helping other people make music for themselves.
Featuring:
Mark Growden – vocals, saxophones, accordion, banjo, sruti box, bicycle handlebars
Chris Grady – trumpet, cornet
Daniel Wood – cello
Myles Boisen – guitar
Schuyler Karr – upright bass

“Rich, haunting and personal song cycles that incorporate avant-garde, rock, cabaret, blues, country, contemporary classical and Tin Pan Alley.” – Tucson Weekly
Follow Mark 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.

Guarandinga: Latin Afro-Pop: Venezuela to Oakland
2016-03-04 19:30 - 22:00
With a sound described as Latin Afro-Pop, Guarandinga‘s music is propelled by heavy Afro-Caribbean beats from the central coast of Venezuela. The band hails from the San Francisco Bay, integrating these rhythms with the gritty East Bay funk that runs deep from Oakland to Richmond. Fronted by the dynamic and charismatic singer/percussionist Rowan Jimenez, Guarandinga plays high-energy music that is alluring and infectious.
Featuring:
Rowan Jimenez – vocals, cuatro, percussion
Jeremy Allen – bass, vocals, cuatro, percussion
Luis Rodrigues – percussion, vocals
Michael Teixeira – guitar
Kenya Moses – vocals
Brian Andres – drums
Henry Hung – trumpet/synth
Alan Williams – trombone

Follow Guarandinga 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. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Uxía & Narf: A Night of Galician Music
2016-03-03 19:30 - 22:00
Uxía & Narf unite for the first time to present a joint musical project that features reinterpretations of classics, including poems by Rosalía de Castro and García Lorca, original compositions, and adaptations of traditional alalás, the oldest and best-known form of Galician music. Building bridges across cultures through music, they create their respective repertoires after more than 20 years of traveling and exchanging experiences with artists from Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau. The duo unites harmonious vocals and intimate melodies through the shared pursuit of originality and cultural crossroads.
Featuring:
Uxía Domínguez Senlle – vocals, Galician tambourine
Francisco Xavier Pérez Vázquez – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
Preview their music here and here.

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

MoAD Stories Presents: Revolution: Exploring Black Femininity and Empowerment
2016-02-28 15:00 - 17:00
Join MoAD Stories in the exploration of black femininity and empowerment through a short film by a local female filmmaker, followed by an invigorating panel discussion. The journey will bear witness to the history and emerging identities of women artists from MoAD’s current exhibitions, featuring Alison Saar and Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle.
About Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD):
The Museum of the African Diaspora showcases the art, history, and cultural richness that resulted from the migration of people of African descent throughout the world. Through its mission and shared African heritage, MoAD connects all people.

Purchase tickets here ($10 / $11.49 including transaction fee).
Event at 3:00pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Allison Au Quartet: Traditional Jazz in Modern Times
2016-02-27 19:30 - 22:00
The Allison Au Quartet is a Toronto-based contemporary jazz ensemble. Since its formation in 2009, the group has performed at major jazz venues across Canada and have earned a JUNO award nomination for their debut release, The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey. The quartet was also awarded the TD Jazz Fellowship Scholarship (2011), The Alfred and Phyllis Balm Scholarship (2012), and The Margareta and Benno Nigg Scholarship (2013) to conduct artist residencies at the acclaimed Banff Centre. Celebrating the release of their latest album, Forest Grove, the quartet marks their debut performance at the Red Poppy.
Featuring:
Allison Au ‒ saxophone
Todd Pentney ‒ piano
Dan Fortin ‒ bass
Fabio Ragnelli ‒ drums

Learn more about Allison Au here, and follow her on Facebook.
Dive into her music on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and YouTube.

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.

The Sherri Roberts / Harvie S Quartet w/ Special Guest Sheryl Bailey: Spring is Just Around the Corner
2016-02-26 19:30 - 22:00
A rare live performance of two simpatico artists, Sherri Roberts reunites with longtime collaborator bassist Harvie S to preview songs from their upcoming recording ‒ a jazz tribute to springtime ‒ and to revisit material from their earlier acclaimed CDs. Sherri is heavily influenced by the West Coast cool vocal style of the 50’s, and Harvie first cut his musical teeth on the bandstand with countless East Coast jazz heavyweights ‒ most notably in his longstanding duo project with vocal legend, Sheila Jordan. New York guitarist Sheryl Bailey joins the quartet as a special guest to promote her new album with Harvie, Plucky Strum.
Featuring:
Harvie S – bass
Sherri Roberts – vocals
David Udolf – piano
Akira Tana – drums
Sheryl Bailey – guitar

Vocalist Sherri Roberts has been performing in the Bay Area for over 25 years and has toured jazz venues up and down the West Coast, as well as in New York and London. Locally, she surrounds herself with top Bay Area musicians including husband David Udolf, Bliss Rodriguez, Chris Amberger, Jim Zimmerman, and Akira Tana. Her past recordings with Harvie S have featured such luminaries as Phil Woods, Lew Soloff, Chris Potter, Mark Soskin and Danny Gottlieb.
“Stylistically, Roberts bears a significant resemblance to gin ’n’ satin seductress Julie London. But where London’s voice was distant as a winter moon, Roberts is all dappled sunshine…shimmering…Enchanting” ‒ JazzTimes
Award-winning bassist Harvie S is a veteran of the jazz and Latin music scenes. He has recorded and toured with the cream of the crop: Kenny Baron, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, John Scofield, James Weidman, Pat Martino, Mike Stern and Paul Motian. His decades-long creative partnership with Sheila Joran redefined bass/vocal performance.
“The bassist’s horn-like, bebop-based phrasing is as engaging as it is inventive…utilizing blistering runs, double stops and chords, leaving no doubt about his stature as one of the pre-eminent bass voices in jazz today.” ‒ All About Jazz
Guitarist/composer Sheryl Bailey has toured worldwide with her organ trio, her quartet (featuring Jim Ridl), and The Electric Ladyland Project (featuring Vic Juris). She is a professor at Berklee College of Music and was voted a “Rising Star” in 2013, 2014, and 2015 DownBeat Jazz Critics Poll.
“A sizzling guitar goddess” ‒ All About Jazz
“One of the most compelling tones of her generation” ‒ Guitar Player Magazine

Follow Sherri Roberts on Facebook and YouTube.
Subscribe to Harvie S on Facebook and YouTube.
Watch a video of Harvie and Sheryl performing together 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.

Big Strings, Small World: Strings Without Borders - ft. Maria Cleary, Diana Rowan, Winnie Wong & Colm Ó Riain
2016-02-21 19:30 - 22:00
A Welsh harp, an Irish harp, a guzheng and a violin. Four string virtuosos with their hands and feet in multiple worlds come together for an evening of musical exchange. Drawing threads and strings from a rich tapestry of histories and geographies – Chinese, Irish, period, classical, jazz, blues, Middle Eastern, Balkan – Maria Cleary, Diana Rowan, Winnie Wong and Colm Ó Riain, all expert improvisers in their fields, explore our world through music.
Featuring:
Colm Ó Riain – violin
Winnie Wong – guzheng
Diana Rowan – Irish harp, piano
Maria Cleary – Welsh harp
Harpist Maria Cleary is noted for her improvisatory skills and ingenious continuo playing, combined with a particular care to creating a beautiful sound on a perilous instrument. Specializing in historical harps, Maria performs on medieval harps, the Italian arpa doppia, the Spanish arpa de dos ordenes, and the 18th century harpe organisée. She promotes a pedal technique that was exclusively used on harps with a single-action pedal mechanism and has developed several innovative tunings for performing medieval and renaissance music. Maria regularly performs with Davide Monti under the name Arparla, a violin and harp duo specializing in repertoire from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Born in Ireland and raised the child of an Irish diplomat, Diana Rowan has traveled, lived and performed on six continents. As a natural outgrowth of this inspiration, her music interweaves global music, art, spirituality and mythology. Diana is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area and holds a PhD in Music Theory (world harp composition techniques), plus an MM in Piano Performance (classical). She presents rave-review workshops, lectures worldwide, and runs Bright Knowledge Academy, an online college for dedicated musicians.
Winnie Wong began her training on the guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither, in 1982 at the age of four and a half under the expertise of guzheng virtuoso, Ms. Weishan Liu. At the age of five, she had her first debut. Throughout her career, she has been invited to perform at various conventions and concerts in Reno, Miami, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Diego, and at concert halls such as Masonic Auditorium, Herbst Theatre, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Davies Symphony Hall.
Hailed as a “genius fiddler” by Mike Scott of The Waterboys, Irish-born violinist and composer Colm O’Riain is an accomplished improviser in multiple genres. In the USA, which he currently calls home, he has enthralled audiences on stages as diverse as CBGB’s in New York to Fillmore West and Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. He has performed at festivals and venues throughout the world from Alaska to Argentina, Sweden to Vietnam.

Admission: $20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.

*Additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door at 7:00pm the day of the event.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Jazz in the Neighborhood Presents: Guarneri Jazz Quartet
2016-02-20 20:00 - 22:00
In partnership with the Red Poppy Art House, Jazz in the Neighborhood presents the Guarneri Jazz Quartet. Led by trumpeter Mario Guarneri, the concert will feature his own works as well as the music of Thelonious Monk. The Bay Area quartet has been performing together since 2000 and has recorded three CDs, which are available on berp.com. Their first album, From My Heart, has been praised by Herb Alpert for its “wonderful sound, great heart and beautiful ideas.”
Featuring:
Mario Guarneri – trumpet
Randy Vincent – guitar
Robb Fisher – bass
Akira Tana – drums

About Mario Guarneri:
The founder of Jazz in the Neighborhood, Mario Guarneri has done everything from playing Dixieland with Louis Armstrong at the age of thirteen to performing in the Los Angeles Philharmonic for fifteen seasons under conductors Zubin Mehta and Carlo Maria Giulini. He was principal trumpet for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a decade, toured Europe with the Los Angeles Brass Quintet, and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and even the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Mario has taught trumpet for more than twenty-five years, including master classes in Asia and Europe, and is currently an instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory. He performs and records regularly with his jazz quartet in the San Francisco area, and has established a worldwide reputation as a creative musician of the highest level.
About Jazz in the Neighborhood:
Jazz in the Neighborhood‘s mission is to celebrate and invigorate the Bay Area’s rich, musical jazz heritage by creating more opportunities for established local musicians to perform, mentor aspiring players, and share this great American art form with the community. Through collaboration with school music programs and adult big bands, the project enables top-caliber artists to push creative boundaries while helping developing musicians “learn on the bandstand” according to the great jazz tradition. Performances in neighborhood venues not only showcase the wealth of local talent, but also create regular destinations for people to enjoy rich cultural and social experiences where they live.

Admission: $18 advance, $20 at the door, $5 students; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Advance tickets: click here
Doors at 7:30pm. Show at 8:00pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Rob Reich Quintet: Shadowbox: Accordion-Led Evocative Chamber Jazz
2016-02-19 19:30 - 22:00
Accordion player and pianist Rob Reich is quintessentially what makes the San Francisco music scene a vibrant and vital mecca for independent music; he’s become one of its stalwart underground artists. Shadowbox, the musician’s debut album, marks a fully-realized collection of original compositions. The tunes branch off from his work with revered Bay Area ensemble Tin Hat Trio, mixing improvisational romps with refined and melodic ensemble arrangements. Doses of wry humor and elements of spontaneous revelation keep the music characteristically Reich, whose idiosyncratic accordion prowess helps propel the instrument’s modern renaissance.
Featuring:
Rob Reich ‒ accordion, piano
Ila Cantor ‒ guitar
Ben Goldberg ‒ clarinets
Eric Garland ‒ drums
Colin McCuen ‒ bass

“Rob Reich has carved out a niche as a premier avant-roots voice.” … “Like a funhouse mirror, the merriment is refracted in odd, distorting ways, as the band keep the tones sharp and slightly askew. Like the best carnival attractions, it scares you just enough to make you want to visit it again.” …”like Nino Rota writing for a small jazz group.” ‒ JAZZIZ Magazine
“Reich creates soundscapes brimming with half-buried feelings and memories just out of reach.”
‒ Andrew Gilbert, KQED
Follow Rob Reich on Facebook and YouTube.

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.
