WATCH: John Santos plays the SFJAZZ Center staircase

Resident Artistic Director John Santos dropped by the SFJAZZ Center to talk about his upcoming Residency. Afterward, he grabbed some drum sticks and performed an improvised piece on the Center's staircase!

John Santos kicks off his SFJAZZ Residency on January 18th & 19th with "Un Danzón Pa' Cachao, Una Descarga Pa' Walfredo," a tribute to legendary Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez and living Cuban percussion master Walfredo de los Reyes, featuring quite a cast of musicians—saxophonist/clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, Walfredo de los Reyes himself, the great timbalero Orestes Vilató, percussionist Javier Navarrette and The Classical Revolution Trio—all joining his working Sextet!

For more information on John Santos' Residency, visit sfjazz.org. For more videos, subscribe to the SFJAZZ YouTube Channel.

New SFJAZZ Collective album now available on iTunes

The digital release of the SFJAZZ Collective’s ninth limited-edition set, Live at SFJAZZ Center: Music of Chick Corea and New Compositions was officially announced today! Recorded live March 28-31, 2013 at the new SFJAZZ Center, the digital release features new arrangements of the classic works of Chick Corea, such as "Spain," "La Fiesta" and "Crystal Silence," as well as new original compositions by Collective members. Available for download on iTunes, the new album is the definitive recording of the all-star jazz ensemble’s ninth year!

SFJAZZ Collective:

Miguel Zenón – Alto Saxophone
David Sánchez – Tenor Saxophone
Avishai Cohen – Trumpet
Robin Eubanks – Trombone
Stefon Harris – Vibraphone
Edward Simon – Piano
Matt Penman – Bass
Obed Calvaire – Drums


Get a digital copy of Live at SFJAZZ Center: Music of Chick Corea and New Compositions on iTunes today!

PHOTO: Resident Artistic Director Regina Carter at the SFJAZZ Center

Violinist and Resident Artistic Director Regina Carter capped her first residency of Season 2 at the SFJAZZ Center last night. Carter brought four diverse groups to Miner Auditorium over the weekend, from Thursday night's Violin Summit with fellow violinists Sara Caswell and Jenny Scheinman, to Friday's Tango Meets Jazz with the Pablo Ziegler Quartet. On Saturday evening, Carter joined the great pianist Kenny Barron in an intimate duo performance, before closing on Sunday with singer Carla Cook and the award-winning SFJAZZ High School All-Stars. Below are two photos from Carter's performance with Kenny Barron, which included a Pre-Concert Talk with Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón.

Regina Carter & Kenny Barron in conversation with Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón

Regina Carter performs with the great Kenny Barron

All photos courtesy of Ronald Davis. As always, you can find more photos at SFJAZZ Flickr.

If you missed out on Regina Carter's Residency, or want more, Carter returns to SFJAZZ with Southern Comfort on May 1st, 2014!