Will Bernard & Beth Custer: Melodic Chamber Jazz Duets

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.

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