Silicon Valley's premier music event returns to downtown San Jose with an electrifying lineup for one of the Bay Area's top music festivals.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, returns to San Jose, turning the heart of downtown into an immersive cultural mecca. With indoor and outdoor venues featuring artists representing the best in jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, salsa, soul, funk, bossa nova, blues, and a myriad of other idioms, SJZ Summer Fest 2025 also proudly presents the most stylistically diverse Latin music event on the West Coast. San Jose Jazz's eclectic programming reflects the city's longtime role as the epicenter of Latin culture in Northern California, while highlighting the deep rhythmic currents connecting California to the Caribbean and Central and South America.
~~~~~~~~~~
MUSIC SCHEDULE
~~~~~~~~~~
ADI OASIS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 5:45pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
JOE BATAAN
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Joe Bataan is the King of Latin Soul, the originator of the New York style that paralleled Latin Boogaloo, anticipated disco and helped give a record label its name. From street corner doo-wop in the 1950s to one of the first rap records to chart, his career spans more than six decades of genre-bending musical vision.
SYNCHRONICITY
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Synchronicity is a classical jazz ensemble of alumni from various Bay Area big bands led by Jerry Kroth, a retired professor from Santa Clara University. The band specializes in classic jazz standards including those of Kenton, Basie, Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones, with a few avant garde surprises thrown in.
ZYDECO FLAMES
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Hailing from the West Coast, the Zydeco Flames burst onto the scene with their 1993 debut Hot Offerings and have been a regional favorite ever since, bringing the sizzling roots rhythms of Louisiana masters like Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida to dancehalls and festivals across the country.
IRENE DIAZ
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Los Angeles singer-songwriter Irene Diaz blends folk, soul and Chicano/a influences into a sound that is both intimate and expansive. Her voice has drawn praise from NPR's Alt.Latino, which called her "simply immense."
INSUN PARK & THE GENERALS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Insun Park & Generals deliver a groundbreaking fusion of rock, Korean traditional music and mask dance rhythms. A master of the Gangnyeong Mask Dance, designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 34, Park is one of the few female masters of a tradition historically dominated by men.
THE SOUL REBELS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
New Orleans brass sensation The Soul Rebels built their sound on an idea -- blending the pop music they loved on the radio with their hometown brass tradition, weaving in funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create something wholly electrifying and modern.
THEE SINSEERS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Straight out of East LA, Thee Sinseers blend nostalgic soul with fresh innovation, led by multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones. Anchored by a full brass section, sweet harmonies and a tight rhythm section, they are bringing a unique sound to soul music with deep roots and a contemporary spirit.
SOJ BAND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The SOJ Big Band was formed almost 20 years ago in the south San Francisco Bay Area to play big band arrangements of gospel, swing, latin, R&B and jazz tunes. The band has performed steadily since its inception in front of enthusiastic audiences and fans of ball room dancing.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
HARRELL "YOUNG RELL" DAVENPORT
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
How does a 19-year-old from Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first Chicago gig and earn 165,000 Facebook views with 4,000 shares? If you're Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven, you're a rising star in the blues world.
CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Distinguished jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut brings over 30 years of masterful improvisation and dynamic compositions to his craft. The Berklee graduate has collaborated with Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Freddie Hubbard while performing at premier festivals including Montreux, North Sea and Montreal.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
ZAPP FT. TUXEDO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Zapp redefined funk with their innovative use of the talk box, dominating R&B charts with monster hits like "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Dance Floor" and "Computer Love." Joining them is Tuxedo, the duo bringing a fresh wave of gangster boogie to the dance floor.
TOP CHEFS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 10pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The Top Chefs are a San Francisco hip-hop fusion band blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and soul into a live experience that is both forward-thinking and rooted in tradition. With performances at the Barbican in London and the Vienna Hofburg Royal Palace, they command stages across four continents.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 11pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
JAZZ ON TAP
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
MIKE CLARK & HIS POST-BOPTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Legendary drummer Mike Clark brings together some of New York's most distinguished voices in post-bop and hard bop jazz, saxophonist Craig Handy, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, for a set rooted in deep tradition and spontaneous fire.
MARTIN LUTHER MCCOY SINGS RAY CHARLES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Bay Area neo-soul pioneer Martin Luther McCoy brings his enigmatic stage presence to a landmark celebration of Ray Charles. A former member of The Roots, McCoy's 2025 Gospel Choice Music Award-winning single "Peace of Mind" confirms his place among progressive soul's finest.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Now in its 27th season, the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars Big Band brings together the Bay Area's most talented high school musicians for pre-professional training in improvisation, theory, composition and jazz history. After HSAS opened for her concert, NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater said it best: "They were fantastic!"
M'SIPPI SLIDE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
San Jose's M'sippi Slide delivers a powerful revival of classic blues, R&B and soul, blending timeless tradition with a fresh contemporary edge. Fronted by vocalist Lijah, whose commanding voice draws inspiration from Aretha Franklin and Etta James, the band creates performances that are raw, emotional and deeply authentic.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
FOOTNOTES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2:25pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Footnotes Jazz is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble that showcases contemporary and original big band jazz. Its founding members once played together in the Foothill College jazz program, before going independent under the leadership of Lori Stotko.
NICOLE ZURAITIS QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Nicole Zuraitis has captivated audiences worldwide with her "heart as big as her remarkable voice." (Jazz Police) The trailblazing New York-based singer-songwriter recently won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for How Love Begins.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:15pm
ASML Next Gen Stage at SJMA
The SJZ High School All Stars is a regional, audition-based music education program for students interested in the study and performance of jazz. The program includes a large ensemble and a combo.
CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Louisiana native Curley Taylor began his professional career at 16 playing drums in his father's band, Jude Taylor and the Burning Flames, deep in Louisiana blues, soul and zydeco. By 25, he had played with Louisiana legends including CC Adcock, Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, son of the "King of Zydeco" Clifton Chenier.
LOS GATOS SARATOGA BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:50pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The musical focus of the LGS Band is dance, jazz, Latin and vocals in all styles. The classics from Miller, Basie, Brown, and Goodman are among the featured songs as well as more modern works by arrangers such as Nestico, Goodwin, Carter, Hefti, Wolpe and more.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FT. JAVON JACKSON WITH NNENNA FREELON
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson brings a lifetime of jazz mastery to Summer Fest -- forged in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy spanning straight-ahead tradition to wildly eclectic territory. He's joined by Nnenna Freelon and Charles McPherson for this extraordinary set.
PASATONO ORQUESTA
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pasatono Orquesta is a small ensemble devoted to the living musical culture of Oaxaca, Mexico. From Lincoln Center to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the group has brought the nearly extinct tradition of Oaxacan mixed-band music to some of the world's most prestigious stages.
SYLVIA CUENCA'S BRIDGING GENERATIONS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Drummer Sylvia Cuenca leads trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., saxophonist Rico Jones, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet and percussionist Will Martins in a program that lives up to its name, bridging generations of jazz tradition with the energy of today's most dynamic voices.
AMES JAZZ BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:15pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Ames Jazz Band is a big band rooted in the NASA Ames Research Center community. Drawing on classic jazz, blues and swing, the group has built a following across Bay Area clubs, dances and festivals -- including previous appearances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
MITCH POLZAK & THE ROYAL DEUCES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Guitarist, banjoist, singer and songwriter Mitch Polzak is a larger-than-life entertainer from the West Coast -- a Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee, twice-nominated Ameripolitan Music Awards artist and, not unsurprisingly, a relative of the notorious Ma Barker of the infamous Barker Gang. At 6'5´´, he commands a room.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Afro-Cuban All Stars is the legendary Cuban orchestra at the heart of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon -- and one of the most celebrated ensembles in the history of Cuban music. Founded by producer and bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the group has earned four Grammy nominations and made many of its members international stars.
LOS TOCAYOS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6:40pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Los Tocayos was born in a Santa Cruz garage during the pandemic -- two Stephens, a neighborhood full of collaborators and a shared obsession with Caribbean rhythm. Pianist Stephen Peterson and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Vahle draw on Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Puerto Rican and Yoruban traditions for music built to make you dance.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BRIA SKONBERG
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Juno Award-winning trumpeter, vocalist and composer Bria Skonberg has been called the "shining hope of hot jazz" by The New York Times and "one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation" by The Wall Street Journal. She has performed at hundreds of festivals worldwide including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Monterey, Newport and Montreal.
JUBU SMITH
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Raised in Oakland, California, guitarist Jubu Smith spent more than 25 years as lead guitarist for Maze featuring Frankie Beverly while also making his mark early on with Tony! Toni! Toné! His sound--warm, raw and spiritual--is rooted in the gospel church and polished on the world's biggest stages.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
PATTI LABELLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Patti LaBelle is one of American music's living legends; a two-time Grammy Award winner and 13-time nominee whose voice has left an indelible mark across six decades of R&B, pop and gospel. The Philadelphia native first charted in 1962 with The Bluebelles before rising to global acclaim with the genre-bending trio Labelle.
GREEN FEATHER
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Green Feather Jazz Society is a community band of tremendously talented musicians whose first priority is to bring jazz music back into our communities. They are a group of veteran players from the local jazz scene, performing as a full-size 18-member jazz orchestra.
ORQUESTA AKOKÁN
Sat, Aug 8 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene in 2018 with a no-holds-barred take on Cuban mambo, earning a Grammy Award nomination, a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Songlines Music Award along the way. Led by producer Jacob Plasse and pianist and arranger Michael Eckroth, the ensemble draws its name from a Cuban Yoruba word meaning "from the heart."
WESTERN STANDARD TIME SKA ORCHESTRA
Sun, Aug 9 @ Noon
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra is a massive, 20-piece all-star ensemble drawn from the fabled West Coast ska scene, with a horn section three times the size of most ska groups. Fifteen years in, they remain one of the most powerful live acts in traditional ska -- headlining festivals and iconic venues across the US and Europe.
VISIONARY-STEEL
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Visionary-Steel is a six-piece jazz ensemble from Western Melbourne blending musical references from around the world into the modern jazz idiom. Led by Berklee graduate and international composer Martin Case, the group features vocalist Emma Sidney, whose singing critic Leon Gettler called "joyous innovation."
MARCUS SHELBY NONET: "BIRTH OF THE COOL REVISITED"
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
In celebration of the Miles Davis centennial, bassist and composer Marcus Shelby leads his nine-piece Bay Area nonet in a performance of Birth of the Cool in its original instrumentation. Shelby's deep roots in socially conscious jazz composition make him a natural steward of Miles' landmark 1949 recording.
FULL SPECTRUM JAZZ BAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Full Spectrum Big Band has been delighting Bay Area audiences with traditional and modern big band sounds since 1996. Led by drummer and director Carlos Almeida, the group brings together seasoned musicians with a shared passion for keeping jazz vibrant and alive in the community.
LAKECIA BENJAMIN
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
To witness a live performance by alto saxophonist, MC and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is to never forget it. A five-time Grammy nominee, Benjamin brings a warm, resonant tone compared to Johnny Hodges and a unique meld of jazz, funk and R&B that spans straight-ahead tradition to social conscience.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS U19S
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The SJZ U19s are a select group from San Jose Jazz's audition-based High School All Stars big band and features some of the finest young musicians from Greater Silicon Valley in a small combo setting. It's a self-run, self curated group that allows promising young players at the pre-professional level an opportunity to truly express themselves.
KYLE ROWLAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Sacramento-bred harmonica player and vocalist Kyle Rowland honors the rich traditions of American blues, soul and gospel with a sound shaped by legends like James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy "Boy" Arnold and Hubert Sumlin -- masters who passed along not just technique but hard-won secrets of the craft.
SWING SOLUTION
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Swing Solution is a classic big band spanning eight decades of the form -- from the forties through the swing revival of the nineties and beyond. Expect vocals, dancing and jazz with the killer solos that brought the crowd to its feet at last year's Summer Fest.
DANI & DEBORA GURGEL QUARTETO
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Brazil's Dani & Debora Gurgel Quarteto, with 16 albums and three US tours in 2024 alone, including a stop at SXSW, joins forces with the Cressman family, a Bay Area musical dynasty with deep roots in Brazilian music, Latin jazz and beyond. Together they bring a decade-long creative friendship to a rare shared performance.
TOP SHELF W/ WAYNE BERGERON
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Top Shelf Big Band, a 17-piece South Bay ensemble, presents trumpet legend Wayne Bergeron in an exciting set of contemporary big band music. One of the most sought-after lead trumpet players in the world, Bergeron earned a Grammy Award nomination for his debut, You Call This a Living?
MCKINLEY JAMES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
McKinley James is equal parts old soul and modern man, breathing new life into classic sounds with his debut album Working Class Blues. Armed with an electric guitar and sharp songwriting chops, he creates a mix of American rock & roll, amplified soul and raw rhythm & blues alongside father Jason Smay.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
TAIMANE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Hapa Samoan virtuoso Taimane is known for her spellbinding concerts and fierce, inventive 'ukulele style that morphs from classical to rock to flamenco. The Hawai'i-born artist has earned four Na Hoku Hanohano awards, including Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2019 and 2023. She'll perform with a full band in her Summer Fest set.
BEAUFUNK FT. MICHAEL JEFFRIES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Founded in 2007 by bassist Timm Walker -- also a core member of the Elvin Bishop Band and appearing with the Zydeco Flames at Summer Fest on Friday, August 7 -- BeaufunK has built a reputation as one of the Bay Area's premier funk units, delivering a powerful groove rooted in the rich tradition of Bay Area funk and R&B.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. The most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music today, Troy Andrews first appeared at Jazz Fest at age four, performing impromptu with Bo Diddley. He has never stopped rising, including a memorable Summer Fest set in 2011 that is still being talked about.
INSTANT ALTER
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Instant Alter is a Future Fusion quartet led by New York saxophonist Emilio Modeste and Los Angeles vocalist Natasha Agrama, both alumni of Stanley Clarke's band. Fearlessly genre-bending, the group blends jazz, rock, soul, storytelling and the celebratory spirit of Brazilian Tropicália into one of the freshest sounds in contemporary music.
MASTERS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Masters of Hawaiian Music brings together four-time Grammy Award winner George Kahumoku, Jr., known as "Hawai'i's Renaissance Man," six-time Grammy winner Daniel Ho and two-time Grammy winner Tia Carrere. They share uniquely Hawai'ian slack key guitar, 'ukulele and traditional songs with audiences worldwide.
CHARLES BROWN PROJECT FT. NICHOLAS BEARDE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
A stellar ensemble led by vocalist Nicolas Bearde celebrates the music of singer and pianist Charles Brown, whose forties and fifties hits "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby" earned him places in the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame and influenced Ray Charles and Sam Cooke.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
show less
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, returns to San Jose, turning the heart of downtown into an immersive cultural mecca. With indoor and outdoor venues featuring artists representing the best in jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, salsa, soul, funk, bossa nova, blues, and a myriad of other idioms, SJZ Summer Fest 2025 also proudly presents the most stylistically diverse Latin music event on the West Coast. San Jose Jazz's eclectic programming reflects the city's longtime role as the epicenter of Latin culture in Northern California, while highlighting the deep rhythmic currents connecting California to the Caribbean and Central and South America.
~~~~~~~~~~
MUSIC SCHEDULE
~~~~~~~~~~
ADI OASIS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 5:45pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
JOE BATAAN
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Joe Bataan is the King of Latin Soul, the originator of the New York style that paralleled Latin Boogaloo, anticipated disco and helped give a record label its name. From street corner doo-wop in the 1950s to one of the first rap records to chart, his career spans more than six decades of genre-bending musical vision.
SYNCHRONICITY
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Synchronicity is a classical jazz ensemble of alumni from various Bay Area big bands led by Jerry Kroth, a retired professor from Santa Clara University. The band specializes in classic jazz standards including those of Kenton, Basie, Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones, with a few avant garde surprises thrown in.
ZYDECO FLAMES
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Hailing from the West Coast, the Zydeco Flames burst onto the scene with their 1993 debut Hot Offerings and have been a regional favorite ever since, bringing the sizzling roots rhythms of Louisiana masters like Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida to dancehalls and festivals across the country.
IRENE DIAZ
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Los Angeles singer-songwriter Irene Diaz blends folk, soul and Chicano/a influences into a sound that is both intimate and expansive. Her voice has drawn praise from NPR's Alt.Latino, which called her "simply immense."
INSUN PARK & THE GENERALS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Insun Park & Generals deliver a groundbreaking fusion of rock, Korean traditional music and mask dance rhythms. A master of the Gangnyeong Mask Dance, designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 34, Park is one of the few female masters of a tradition historically dominated by men.
THE SOUL REBELS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
New Orleans brass sensation The Soul Rebels built their sound on an idea -- blending the pop music they loved on the radio with their hometown brass tradition, weaving in funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create something wholly electrifying and modern.
THEE SINSEERS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Straight out of East LA, Thee Sinseers blend nostalgic soul with fresh innovation, led by multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones. Anchored by a full brass section, sweet harmonies and a tight rhythm section, they are bringing a unique sound to soul music with deep roots and a contemporary spirit.
SOJ BAND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The SOJ Big Band was formed almost 20 years ago in the south San Francisco Bay Area to play big band arrangements of gospel, swing, latin, R&B and jazz tunes. The band has performed steadily since its inception in front of enthusiastic audiences and fans of ball room dancing.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
HARRELL "YOUNG RELL" DAVENPORT
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
How does a 19-year-old from Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first Chicago gig and earn 165,000 Facebook views with 4,000 shares? If you're Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven, you're a rising star in the blues world.
CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Distinguished jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut brings over 30 years of masterful improvisation and dynamic compositions to his craft. The Berklee graduate has collaborated with Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Freddie Hubbard while performing at premier festivals including Montreux, North Sea and Montreal.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
ZAPP FT. TUXEDO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Zapp redefined funk with their innovative use of the talk box, dominating R&B charts with monster hits like "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Dance Floor" and "Computer Love." Joining them is Tuxedo, the duo bringing a fresh wave of gangster boogie to the dance floor.
TOP CHEFS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 10pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The Top Chefs are a San Francisco hip-hop fusion band blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and soul into a live experience that is both forward-thinking and rooted in tradition. With performances at the Barbican in London and the Vienna Hofburg Royal Palace, they command stages across four continents.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 11pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
JAZZ ON TAP
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
MIKE CLARK & HIS POST-BOPTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Legendary drummer Mike Clark brings together some of New York's most distinguished voices in post-bop and hard bop jazz, saxophonist Craig Handy, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, for a set rooted in deep tradition and spontaneous fire.
MARTIN LUTHER MCCOY SINGS RAY CHARLES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Bay Area neo-soul pioneer Martin Luther McCoy brings his enigmatic stage presence to a landmark celebration of Ray Charles. A former member of The Roots, McCoy's 2025 Gospel Choice Music Award-winning single "Peace of Mind" confirms his place among progressive soul's finest.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Now in its 27th season, the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars Big Band brings together the Bay Area's most talented high school musicians for pre-professional training in improvisation, theory, composition and jazz history. After HSAS opened for her concert, NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater said it best: "They were fantastic!"
M'SIPPI SLIDE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
San Jose's M'sippi Slide delivers a powerful revival of classic blues, R&B and soul, blending timeless tradition with a fresh contemporary edge. Fronted by vocalist Lijah, whose commanding voice draws inspiration from Aretha Franklin and Etta James, the band creates performances that are raw, emotional and deeply authentic.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
FOOTNOTES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2:25pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Footnotes Jazz is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble that showcases contemporary and original big band jazz. Its founding members once played together in the Foothill College jazz program, before going independent under the leadership of Lori Stotko.
NICOLE ZURAITIS QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Nicole Zuraitis has captivated audiences worldwide with her "heart as big as her remarkable voice." (Jazz Police) The trailblazing New York-based singer-songwriter recently won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for How Love Begins.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:15pm
ASML Next Gen Stage at SJMA
The SJZ High School All Stars is a regional, audition-based music education program for students interested in the study and performance of jazz. The program includes a large ensemble and a combo.
CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Louisiana native Curley Taylor began his professional career at 16 playing drums in his father's band, Jude Taylor and the Burning Flames, deep in Louisiana blues, soul and zydeco. By 25, he had played with Louisiana legends including CC Adcock, Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, son of the "King of Zydeco" Clifton Chenier.
LOS GATOS SARATOGA BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:50pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The musical focus of the LGS Band is dance, jazz, Latin and vocals in all styles. The classics from Miller, Basie, Brown, and Goodman are among the featured songs as well as more modern works by arrangers such as Nestico, Goodwin, Carter, Hefti, Wolpe and more.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FT. JAVON JACKSON WITH NNENNA FREELON
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson brings a lifetime of jazz mastery to Summer Fest -- forged in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy spanning straight-ahead tradition to wildly eclectic territory. He's joined by Nnenna Freelon and Charles McPherson for this extraordinary set.
PASATONO ORQUESTA
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pasatono Orquesta is a small ensemble devoted to the living musical culture of Oaxaca, Mexico. From Lincoln Center to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the group has brought the nearly extinct tradition of Oaxacan mixed-band music to some of the world's most prestigious stages.
SYLVIA CUENCA'S BRIDGING GENERATIONS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Drummer Sylvia Cuenca leads trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., saxophonist Rico Jones, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet and percussionist Will Martins in a program that lives up to its name, bridging generations of jazz tradition with the energy of today's most dynamic voices.
AMES JAZZ BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:15pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Ames Jazz Band is a big band rooted in the NASA Ames Research Center community. Drawing on classic jazz, blues and swing, the group has built a following across Bay Area clubs, dances and festivals -- including previous appearances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
MITCH POLZAK & THE ROYAL DEUCES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Guitarist, banjoist, singer and songwriter Mitch Polzak is a larger-than-life entertainer from the West Coast -- a Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee, twice-nominated Ameripolitan Music Awards artist and, not unsurprisingly, a relative of the notorious Ma Barker of the infamous Barker Gang. At 6'5´´, he commands a room.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Afro-Cuban All Stars is the legendary Cuban orchestra at the heart of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon -- and one of the most celebrated ensembles in the history of Cuban music. Founded by producer and bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the group has earned four Grammy nominations and made many of its members international stars.
LOS TOCAYOS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6:40pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Los Tocayos was born in a Santa Cruz garage during the pandemic -- two Stephens, a neighborhood full of collaborators and a shared obsession with Caribbean rhythm. Pianist Stephen Peterson and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Vahle draw on Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Puerto Rican and Yoruban traditions for music built to make you dance.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BRIA SKONBERG
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Juno Award-winning trumpeter, vocalist and composer Bria Skonberg has been called the "shining hope of hot jazz" by The New York Times and "one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation" by The Wall Street Journal. She has performed at hundreds of festivals worldwide including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Monterey, Newport and Montreal.
JUBU SMITH
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Raised in Oakland, California, guitarist Jubu Smith spent more than 25 years as lead guitarist for Maze featuring Frankie Beverly while also making his mark early on with Tony! Toni! Toné! His sound--warm, raw and spiritual--is rooted in the gospel church and polished on the world's biggest stages.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
PATTI LABELLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Patti LaBelle is one of American music's living legends; a two-time Grammy Award winner and 13-time nominee whose voice has left an indelible mark across six decades of R&B, pop and gospel. The Philadelphia native first charted in 1962 with The Bluebelles before rising to global acclaim with the genre-bending trio Labelle.
GREEN FEATHER
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Green Feather Jazz Society is a community band of tremendously talented musicians whose first priority is to bring jazz music back into our communities. They are a group of veteran players from the local jazz scene, performing as a full-size 18-member jazz orchestra.
ORQUESTA AKOKÁN
Sat, Aug 8 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene in 2018 with a no-holds-barred take on Cuban mambo, earning a Grammy Award nomination, a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Songlines Music Award along the way. Led by producer Jacob Plasse and pianist and arranger Michael Eckroth, the ensemble draws its name from a Cuban Yoruba word meaning "from the heart."
WESTERN STANDARD TIME SKA ORCHESTRA
Sun, Aug 9 @ Noon
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra is a massive, 20-piece all-star ensemble drawn from the fabled West Coast ska scene, with a horn section three times the size of most ska groups. Fifteen years in, they remain one of the most powerful live acts in traditional ska -- headlining festivals and iconic venues across the US and Europe.
VISIONARY-STEEL
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Visionary-Steel is a six-piece jazz ensemble from Western Melbourne blending musical references from around the world into the modern jazz idiom. Led by Berklee graduate and international composer Martin Case, the group features vocalist Emma Sidney, whose singing critic Leon Gettler called "joyous innovation."
MARCUS SHELBY NONET: "BIRTH OF THE COOL REVISITED"
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
In celebration of the Miles Davis centennial, bassist and composer Marcus Shelby leads his nine-piece Bay Area nonet in a performance of Birth of the Cool in its original instrumentation. Shelby's deep roots in socially conscious jazz composition make him a natural steward of Miles' landmark 1949 recording.
FULL SPECTRUM JAZZ BAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Full Spectrum Big Band has been delighting Bay Area audiences with traditional and modern big band sounds since 1996. Led by drummer and director Carlos Almeida, the group brings together seasoned musicians with a shared passion for keeping jazz vibrant and alive in the community.
LAKECIA BENJAMIN
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
To witness a live performance by alto saxophonist, MC and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is to never forget it. A five-time Grammy nominee, Benjamin brings a warm, resonant tone compared to Johnny Hodges and a unique meld of jazz, funk and R&B that spans straight-ahead tradition to social conscience.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS U19S
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The SJZ U19s are a select group from San Jose Jazz's audition-based High School All Stars big band and features some of the finest young musicians from Greater Silicon Valley in a small combo setting. It's a self-run, self curated group that allows promising young players at the pre-professional level an opportunity to truly express themselves.
KYLE ROWLAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Sacramento-bred harmonica player and vocalist Kyle Rowland honors the rich traditions of American blues, soul and gospel with a sound shaped by legends like James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy "Boy" Arnold and Hubert Sumlin -- masters who passed along not just technique but hard-won secrets of the craft.
SWING SOLUTION
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Swing Solution is a classic big band spanning eight decades of the form -- from the forties through the swing revival of the nineties and beyond. Expect vocals, dancing and jazz with the killer solos that brought the crowd to its feet at last year's Summer Fest.
DANI & DEBORA GURGEL QUARTETO
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Brazil's Dani & Debora Gurgel Quarteto, with 16 albums and three US tours in 2024 alone, including a stop at SXSW, joins forces with the Cressman family, a Bay Area musical dynasty with deep roots in Brazilian music, Latin jazz and beyond. Together they bring a decade-long creative friendship to a rare shared performance.
TOP SHELF W/ WAYNE BERGERON
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Top Shelf Big Band, a 17-piece South Bay ensemble, presents trumpet legend Wayne Bergeron in an exciting set of contemporary big band music. One of the most sought-after lead trumpet players in the world, Bergeron earned a Grammy Award nomination for his debut, You Call This a Living?
MCKINLEY JAMES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
McKinley James is equal parts old soul and modern man, breathing new life into classic sounds with his debut album Working Class Blues. Armed with an electric guitar and sharp songwriting chops, he creates a mix of American rock & roll, amplified soul and raw rhythm & blues alongside father Jason Smay.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
TAIMANE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Hapa Samoan virtuoso Taimane is known for her spellbinding concerts and fierce, inventive 'ukulele style that morphs from classical to rock to flamenco. The Hawai'i-born artist has earned four Na Hoku Hanohano awards, including Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2019 and 2023. She'll perform with a full band in her Summer Fest set.
BEAUFUNK FT. MICHAEL JEFFRIES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Founded in 2007 by bassist Timm Walker -- also a core member of the Elvin Bishop Band and appearing with the Zydeco Flames at Summer Fest on Friday, August 7 -- BeaufunK has built a reputation as one of the Bay Area's premier funk units, delivering a powerful groove rooted in the rich tradition of Bay Area funk and R&B.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. The most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music today, Troy Andrews first appeared at Jazz Fest at age four, performing impromptu with Bo Diddley. He has never stopped rising, including a memorable Summer Fest set in 2011 that is still being talked about.
INSTANT ALTER
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Instant Alter is a Future Fusion quartet led by New York saxophonist Emilio Modeste and Los Angeles vocalist Natasha Agrama, both alumni of Stanley Clarke's band. Fearlessly genre-bending, the group blends jazz, rock, soul, storytelling and the celebratory spirit of Brazilian Tropicália into one of the freshest sounds in contemporary music.
MASTERS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Masters of Hawaiian Music brings together four-time Grammy Award winner George Kahumoku, Jr., known as "Hawai'i's Renaissance Man," six-time Grammy winner Daniel Ho and two-time Grammy winner Tia Carrere. They share uniquely Hawai'ian slack key guitar, 'ukulele and traditional songs with audiences worldwide.
CHARLES BROWN PROJECT FT. NICHOLAS BEARDE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
A stellar ensemble led by vocalist Nicolas Bearde celebrates the music of singer and pianist Charles Brown, whose forties and fifties hits "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby" earned him places in the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame and influenced Ray Charles and Sam Cooke.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
Silicon Valley's premier music event returns to downtown San Jose with an electrifying lineup for one of the Bay Area's top music festivals.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, returns to San Jose, turning the heart of downtown into an immersive cultural mecca. With indoor and outdoor venues featuring artists representing the best in jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, salsa, soul, funk, bossa nova, blues, and a myriad of other idioms, SJZ Summer Fest 2025 also proudly presents the most stylistically diverse Latin music event on the West Coast. San Jose Jazz's eclectic programming reflects the city's longtime role as the epicenter of Latin culture in Northern California, while highlighting the deep rhythmic currents connecting California to the Caribbean and Central and South America.
~~~~~~~~~~
MUSIC SCHEDULE
~~~~~~~~~~
ADI OASIS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 5:45pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
JOE BATAAN
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Joe Bataan is the King of Latin Soul, the originator of the New York style that paralleled Latin Boogaloo, anticipated disco and helped give a record label its name. From street corner doo-wop in the 1950s to one of the first rap records to chart, his career spans more than six decades of genre-bending musical vision.
SYNCHRONICITY
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Synchronicity is a classical jazz ensemble of alumni from various Bay Area big bands led by Jerry Kroth, a retired professor from Santa Clara University. The band specializes in classic jazz standards including those of Kenton, Basie, Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones, with a few avant garde surprises thrown in.
ZYDECO FLAMES
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Hailing from the West Coast, the Zydeco Flames burst onto the scene with their 1993 debut Hot Offerings and have been a regional favorite ever since, bringing the sizzling roots rhythms of Louisiana masters like Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida to dancehalls and festivals across the country.
IRENE DIAZ
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Los Angeles singer-songwriter Irene Diaz blends folk, soul and Chicano/a influences into a sound that is both intimate and expansive. Her voice has drawn praise from NPR's Alt.Latino, which called her "simply immense."
INSUN PARK & THE GENERALS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Insun Park & Generals deliver a groundbreaking fusion of rock, Korean traditional music and mask dance rhythms. A master of the Gangnyeong Mask Dance, designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 34, Park is one of the few female masters of a tradition historically dominated by men.
THE SOUL REBELS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
New Orleans brass sensation The Soul Rebels built their sound on an idea -- blending the pop music they loved on the radio with their hometown brass tradition, weaving in funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create something wholly electrifying and modern.
THEE SINSEERS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Straight out of East LA, Thee Sinseers blend nostalgic soul with fresh innovation, led by multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones. Anchored by a full brass section, sweet harmonies and a tight rhythm section, they are bringing a unique sound to soul music with deep roots and a contemporary spirit.
SOJ BAND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The SOJ Big Band was formed almost 20 years ago in the south San Francisco Bay Area to play big band arrangements of gospel, swing, latin, R&B and jazz tunes. The band has performed steadily since its inception in front of enthusiastic audiences and fans of ball room dancing.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
HARRELL "YOUNG RELL" DAVENPORT
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
How does a 19-year-old from Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first Chicago gig and earn 165,000 Facebook views with 4,000 shares? If you're Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven, you're a rising star in the blues world.
CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Distinguished jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut brings over 30 years of masterful improvisation and dynamic compositions to his craft. The Berklee graduate has collaborated with Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Freddie Hubbard while performing at premier festivals including Montreux, North Sea and Montreal.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
ZAPP FT. TUXEDO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Zapp redefined funk with their innovative use of the talk box, dominating R&B charts with monster hits like "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Dance Floor" and "Computer Love." Joining them is Tuxedo, the duo bringing a fresh wave of gangster boogie to the dance floor.
TOP CHEFS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 10pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The Top Chefs are a San Francisco hip-hop fusion band blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and soul into a live experience that is both forward-thinking and rooted in tradition. With performances at the Barbican in London and the Vienna Hofburg Royal Palace, they command stages across four continents.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 11pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
JAZZ ON TAP
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
MIKE CLARK & HIS POST-BOPTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Legendary drummer Mike Clark brings together some of New York's most distinguished voices in post-bop and hard bop jazz, saxophonist Craig Handy, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, for a set rooted in deep tradition and spontaneous fire.
MARTIN LUTHER MCCOY SINGS RAY CHARLES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Bay Area neo-soul pioneer Martin Luther McCoy brings his enigmatic stage presence to a landmark celebration of Ray Charles. A former member of The Roots, McCoy's 2025 Gospel Choice Music Award-winning single "Peace of Mind" confirms his place among progressive soul's finest.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Now in its 27th season, the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars Big Band brings together the Bay Area's most talented high school musicians for pre-professional training in improvisation, theory, composition and jazz history. After HSAS opened for her concert, NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater said it best: "They were fantastic!"
M'SIPPI SLIDE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
San Jose's M'sippi Slide delivers a powerful revival of classic blues, R&B and soul, blending timeless tradition with a fresh contemporary edge. Fronted by vocalist Lijah, whose commanding voice draws inspiration from Aretha Franklin and Etta James, the band creates performances that are raw, emotional and deeply authentic.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
FOOTNOTES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2:25pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Footnotes Jazz is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble that showcases contemporary and original big band jazz. Its founding members once played together in the Foothill College jazz program, before going independent under the leadership of Lori Stotko.
NICOLE ZURAITIS QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Nicole Zuraitis has captivated audiences worldwide with her "heart as big as her remarkable voice." (Jazz Police) The trailblazing New York-based singer-songwriter recently won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for How Love Begins.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:15pm
ASML Next Gen Stage at SJMA
The SJZ High School All Stars is a regional, audition-based music education program for students interested in the study and performance of jazz. The program includes a large ensemble and a combo.
CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Louisiana native Curley Taylor began his professional career at 16 playing drums in his father's band, Jude Taylor and the Burning Flames, deep in Louisiana blues, soul and zydeco. By 25, he had played with Louisiana legends including CC Adcock, Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, son of the "King of Zydeco" Clifton Chenier.
LOS GATOS SARATOGA BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:50pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The musical focus of the LGS Band is dance, jazz, Latin and vocals in all styles. The classics from Miller, Basie, Brown, and Goodman are among the featured songs as well as more modern works by arrangers such as Nestico, Goodwin, Carter, Hefti, Wolpe and more.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FT. JAVON JACKSON WITH NNENNA FREELON
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson brings a lifetime of jazz mastery to Summer Fest -- forged in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy spanning straight-ahead tradition to wildly eclectic territory. He's joined by Nnenna Freelon and Charles McPherson for this extraordinary set.
PASATONO ORQUESTA
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pasatono Orquesta is a small ensemble devoted to the living musical culture of Oaxaca, Mexico. From Lincoln Center to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the group has brought the nearly extinct tradition of Oaxacan mixed-band music to some of the world's most prestigious stages.
SYLVIA CUENCA'S BRIDGING GENERATIONS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Drummer Sylvia Cuenca leads trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., saxophonist Rico Jones, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet and percussionist Will Martins in a program that lives up to its name, bridging generations of jazz tradition with the energy of today's most dynamic voices.
AMES JAZZ BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:15pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Ames Jazz Band is a big band rooted in the NASA Ames Research Center community. Drawing on classic jazz, blues and swing, the group has built a following across Bay Area clubs, dances and festivals -- including previous appearances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
MITCH POLZAK & THE ROYAL DEUCES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Guitarist, banjoist, singer and songwriter Mitch Polzak is a larger-than-life entertainer from the West Coast -- a Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee, twice-nominated Ameripolitan Music Awards artist and, not unsurprisingly, a relative of the notorious Ma Barker of the infamous Barker Gang. At 6'5´´, he commands a room.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Afro-Cuban All Stars is the legendary Cuban orchestra at the heart of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon -- and one of the most celebrated ensembles in the history of Cuban music. Founded by producer and bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the group has earned four Grammy nominations and made many of its members international stars.
LOS TOCAYOS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6:40pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Los Tocayos was born in a Santa Cruz garage during the pandemic -- two Stephens, a neighborhood full of collaborators and a shared obsession with Caribbean rhythm. Pianist Stephen Peterson and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Vahle draw on Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Puerto Rican and Yoruban traditions for music built to make you dance.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BRIA SKONBERG
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Juno Award-winning trumpeter, vocalist and composer Bria Skonberg has been called the "shining hope of hot jazz" by The New York Times and "one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation" by The Wall Street Journal. She has performed at hundreds of festivals worldwide including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Monterey, Newport and Montreal.
JUBU SMITH
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Raised in Oakland, California, guitarist Jubu Smith spent more than 25 years as lead guitarist for Maze featuring Frankie Beverly while also making his mark early on with Tony! Toni! Toné! His sound--warm, raw and spiritual--is rooted in the gospel church and polished on the world's biggest stages.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
PATTI LABELLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Patti LaBelle is one of American music's living legends; a two-time Grammy Award winner and 13-time nominee whose voice has left an indelible mark across six decades of R&B, pop and gospel. The Philadelphia native first charted in 1962 with The Bluebelles before rising to global acclaim with the genre-bending trio Labelle.
GREEN FEATHER
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Green Feather Jazz Society is a community band of tremendously talented musicians whose first priority is to bring jazz music back into our communities. They are a group of veteran players from the local jazz scene, performing as a full-size 18-member jazz orchestra.
ORQUESTA AKOKÁN
Sat, Aug 8 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene in 2018 with a no-holds-barred take on Cuban mambo, earning a Grammy Award nomination, a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Songlines Music Award along the way. Led by producer Jacob Plasse and pianist and arranger Michael Eckroth, the ensemble draws its name from a Cuban Yoruba word meaning "from the heart."
WESTERN STANDARD TIME SKA ORCHESTRA
Sun, Aug 9 @ Noon
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra is a massive, 20-piece all-star ensemble drawn from the fabled West Coast ska scene, with a horn section three times the size of most ska groups. Fifteen years in, they remain one of the most powerful live acts in traditional ska -- headlining festivals and iconic venues across the US and Europe.
VISIONARY-STEEL
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Visionary-Steel is a six-piece jazz ensemble from Western Melbourne blending musical references from around the world into the modern jazz idiom. Led by Berklee graduate and international composer Martin Case, the group features vocalist Emma Sidney, whose singing critic Leon Gettler called "joyous innovation."
MARCUS SHELBY NONET: "BIRTH OF THE COOL REVISITED"
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
In celebration of the Miles Davis centennial, bassist and composer Marcus Shelby leads his nine-piece Bay Area nonet in a performance of Birth of the Cool in its original instrumentation. Shelby's deep roots in socially conscious jazz composition make him a natural steward of Miles' landmark 1949 recording.
FULL SPECTRUM JAZZ BAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Full Spectrum Big Band has been delighting Bay Area audiences with traditional and modern big band sounds since 1996. Led by drummer and director Carlos Almeida, the group brings together seasoned musicians with a shared passion for keeping jazz vibrant and alive in the community.
LAKECIA BENJAMIN
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
To witness a live performance by alto saxophonist, MC and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is to never forget it. A five-time Grammy nominee, Benjamin brings a warm, resonant tone compared to Johnny Hodges and a unique meld of jazz, funk and R&B that spans straight-ahead tradition to social conscience.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS U19S
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The SJZ U19s are a select group from San Jose Jazz's audition-based High School All Stars big band and features some of the finest young musicians from Greater Silicon Valley in a small combo setting. It's a self-run, self curated group that allows promising young players at the pre-professional level an opportunity to truly express themselves.
KYLE ROWLAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Sacramento-bred harmonica player and vocalist Kyle Rowland honors the rich traditions of American blues, soul and gospel with a sound shaped by legends like James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy "Boy" Arnold and Hubert Sumlin -- masters who passed along not just technique but hard-won secrets of the craft.
SWING SOLUTION
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Swing Solution is a classic big band spanning eight decades of the form -- from the forties through the swing revival of the nineties and beyond. Expect vocals, dancing and jazz with the killer solos that brought the crowd to its feet at last year's Summer Fest.
DANI & DEBORA GURGEL QUARTETO
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Brazil's Dani & Debora Gurgel Quarteto, with 16 albums and three US tours in 2024 alone, including a stop at SXSW, joins forces with the Cressman family, a Bay Area musical dynasty with deep roots in Brazilian music, Latin jazz and beyond. Together they bring a decade-long creative friendship to a rare shared performance.
TOP SHELF W/ WAYNE BERGERON
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Top Shelf Big Band, a 17-piece South Bay ensemble, presents trumpet legend Wayne Bergeron in an exciting set of contemporary big band music. One of the most sought-after lead trumpet players in the world, Bergeron earned a Grammy Award nomination for his debut, You Call This a Living?
MCKINLEY JAMES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
McKinley James is equal parts old soul and modern man, breathing new life into classic sounds with his debut album Working Class Blues. Armed with an electric guitar and sharp songwriting chops, he creates a mix of American rock & roll, amplified soul and raw rhythm & blues alongside father Jason Smay.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
TAIMANE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Hapa Samoan virtuoso Taimane is known for her spellbinding concerts and fierce, inventive 'ukulele style that morphs from classical to rock to flamenco. The Hawai'i-born artist has earned four Na Hoku Hanohano awards, including Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2019 and 2023. She'll perform with a full band in her Summer Fest set.
BEAUFUNK FT. MICHAEL JEFFRIES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Founded in 2007 by bassist Timm Walker -- also a core member of the Elvin Bishop Band and appearing with the Zydeco Flames at Summer Fest on Friday, August 7 -- BeaufunK has built a reputation as one of the Bay Area's premier funk units, delivering a powerful groove rooted in the rich tradition of Bay Area funk and R&B.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. The most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music today, Troy Andrews first appeared at Jazz Fest at age four, performing impromptu with Bo Diddley. He has never stopped rising, including a memorable Summer Fest set in 2011 that is still being talked about.
INSTANT ALTER
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Instant Alter is a Future Fusion quartet led by New York saxophonist Emilio Modeste and Los Angeles vocalist Natasha Agrama, both alumni of Stanley Clarke's band. Fearlessly genre-bending, the group blends jazz, rock, soul, storytelling and the celebratory spirit of Brazilian Tropicália into one of the freshest sounds in contemporary music.
MASTERS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Masters of Hawaiian Music brings together four-time Grammy Award winner George Kahumoku, Jr., known as "Hawai'i's Renaissance Man," six-time Grammy winner Daniel Ho and two-time Grammy winner Tia Carrere. They share uniquely Hawai'ian slack key guitar, 'ukulele and traditional songs with audiences worldwide.
CHARLES BROWN PROJECT FT. NICHOLAS BEARDE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
A stellar ensemble led by vocalist Nicolas Bearde celebrates the music of singer and pianist Charles Brown, whose forties and fifties hits "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby" earned him places in the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame and influenced Ray Charles and Sam Cooke.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
read more
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, returns to San Jose, turning the heart of downtown into an immersive cultural mecca. With indoor and outdoor venues featuring artists representing the best in jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, salsa, soul, funk, bossa nova, blues, and a myriad of other idioms, SJZ Summer Fest 2025 also proudly presents the most stylistically diverse Latin music event on the West Coast. San Jose Jazz's eclectic programming reflects the city's longtime role as the epicenter of Latin culture in Northern California, while highlighting the deep rhythmic currents connecting California to the Caribbean and Central and South America.
~~~~~~~~~~
MUSIC SCHEDULE
~~~~~~~~~~
ADI OASIS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 5:45pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
JOE BATAAN
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Joe Bataan is the King of Latin Soul, the originator of the New York style that paralleled Latin Boogaloo, anticipated disco and helped give a record label its name. From street corner doo-wop in the 1950s to one of the first rap records to chart, his career spans more than six decades of genre-bending musical vision.
SYNCHRONICITY
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Synchronicity is a classical jazz ensemble of alumni from various Bay Area big bands led by Jerry Kroth, a retired professor from Santa Clara University. The band specializes in classic jazz standards including those of Kenton, Basie, Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones, with a few avant garde surprises thrown in.
ZYDECO FLAMES
Fri, Aug 7 @ 6:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Hailing from the West Coast, the Zydeco Flames burst onto the scene with their 1993 debut Hot Offerings and have been a regional favorite ever since, bringing the sizzling roots rhythms of Louisiana masters like Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida to dancehalls and festivals across the country.
IRENE DIAZ
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Los Angeles singer-songwriter Irene Diaz blends folk, soul and Chicano/a influences into a sound that is both intimate and expansive. Her voice has drawn praise from NPR's Alt.Latino, which called her "simply immense."
INSUN PARK & THE GENERALS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Insun Park & Generals deliver a groundbreaking fusion of rock, Korean traditional music and mask dance rhythms. A master of the Gangnyeong Mask Dance, designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 34, Park is one of the few female masters of a tradition historically dominated by men.
THE SOUL REBELS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
New Orleans brass sensation The Soul Rebels built their sound on an idea -- blending the pop music they loved on the radio with their hometown brass tradition, weaving in funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create something wholly electrifying and modern.
THEE SINSEERS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:30pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Straight out of East LA, Thee Sinseers blend nostalgic soul with fresh innovation, led by multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones. Anchored by a full brass section, sweet harmonies and a tight rhythm section, they are bringing a unique sound to soul music with deep roots and a contemporary spirit.
SOJ BAND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 7:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The SOJ Big Band was formed almost 20 years ago in the south San Francisco Bay Area to play big band arrangements of gospel, swing, latin, R&B and jazz tunes. The band has performed steadily since its inception in front of enthusiastic audiences and fans of ball room dancing.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
HARRELL "YOUNG RELL" DAVENPORT
Fri, Aug 7 @ 8:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
How does a 19-year-old from Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first Chicago gig and earn 165,000 Facebook views with 4,000 shares? If you're Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven, you're a rising star in the blues world.
CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Distinguished jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut brings over 30 years of masterful improvisation and dynamic compositions to his craft. The Berklee graduate has collaborated with Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Freddie Hubbard while performing at premier festivals including Montreux, North Sea and Montreal.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
ZAPP FT. TUXEDO
Fri, Aug 7 @ 9:30pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Zapp redefined funk with their innovative use of the talk box, dominating R&B charts with monster hits like "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Dance Floor" and "Computer Love." Joining them is Tuxedo, the duo bringing a fresh wave of gangster boogie to the dance floor.
TOP CHEFS
Fri, Aug 7 @ 10pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The Top Chefs are a San Francisco hip-hop fusion band blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and soul into a live experience that is both forward-thinking and rooted in tradition. With performances at the Barbican in London and the Vienna Hofburg Royal Palace, they command stages across four continents.
GRETCHEN PARLATO QUARTET
Fri, Aug 7 @ 11pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim.
NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND
Fri, Aug 7 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
New Jazz Underground is an innovative trio merging traditional jazz with hip-hop, pop and Afro-Latino influences. The Juilliard graduates went viral during lockdown with living room performances, building 100k+ YouTube subscribers and earning the 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner title.
JAZZ ON TAP
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
MIKE CLARK & HIS POST-BOPTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Legendary drummer Mike Clark brings together some of New York's most distinguished voices in post-bop and hard bop jazz, saxophonist Craig Handy, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, for a set rooted in deep tradition and spontaneous fire.
MARTIN LUTHER MCCOY SINGS RAY CHARLES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Bay Area neo-soul pioneer Martin Luther McCoy brings his enigmatic stage presence to a landmark celebration of Ray Charles. A former member of The Roots, McCoy's 2025 Gospel Choice Music Award-winning single "Peace of Mind" confirms his place among progressive soul's finest.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Now in its 27th season, the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars Big Band brings together the Bay Area's most talented high school musicians for pre-professional training in improvisation, theory, composition and jazz history. After HSAS opened for her concert, NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater said it best: "They were fantastic!"
M'SIPPI SLIDE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 1:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
San Jose's M'sippi Slide delivers a powerful revival of classic blues, R&B and soul, blending timeless tradition with a fresh contemporary edge. Fronted by vocalist Lijah, whose commanding voice draws inspiration from Aretha Franklin and Etta James, the band creates performances that are raw, emotional and deeply authentic.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
FOOTNOTES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 2:25pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Footnotes Jazz is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble that showcases contemporary and original big band jazz. Its founding members once played together in the Foothill College jazz program, before going independent under the leadership of Lori Stotko.
NICOLE ZURAITIS QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Nicole Zuraitis has captivated audiences worldwide with her "heart as big as her remarkable voice." (Jazz Police) The trailblazing New York-based singer-songwriter recently won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for How Love Begins.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:15pm
ASML Next Gen Stage at SJMA
The SJZ High School All Stars is a regional, audition-based music education program for students interested in the study and performance of jazz. The program includes a large ensemble and a combo.
CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Louisiana native Curley Taylor began his professional career at 16 playing drums in his father's band, Jude Taylor and the Burning Flames, deep in Louisiana blues, soul and zydeco. By 25, he had played with Louisiana legends including CC Adcock, Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, son of the "King of Zydeco" Clifton Chenier.
LOS GATOS SARATOGA BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 3:50pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The musical focus of the LGS Band is dance, jazz, Latin and vocals in all styles. The classics from Miller, Basie, Brown, and Goodman are among the featured songs as well as more modern works by arrangers such as Nestico, Goodwin, Carter, Hefti, Wolpe and more.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FT. JAVON JACKSON WITH NNENNA FREELON
Sat, Aug 8 @ 4pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson brings a lifetime of jazz mastery to Summer Fest -- forged in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy spanning straight-ahead tradition to wildly eclectic territory. He's joined by Nnenna Freelon and Charles McPherson for this extraordinary set.
PASATONO ORQUESTA
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pasatono Orquesta is a small ensemble devoted to the living musical culture of Oaxaca, Mexico. From Lincoln Center to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the group has brought the nearly extinct tradition of Oaxacan mixed-band music to some of the world's most prestigious stages.
SYLVIA CUENCA'S BRIDGING GENERATIONS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Drummer Sylvia Cuenca leads trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., saxophonist Rico Jones, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet and percussionist Will Martins in a program that lives up to its name, bridging generations of jazz tradition with the energy of today's most dynamic voices.
AMES JAZZ BAND
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:15pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Ames Jazz Band is a big band rooted in the NASA Ames Research Center community. Drawing on classic jazz, blues and swing, the group has built a following across Bay Area clubs, dances and festivals -- including previous appearances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
MITCH POLZAK & THE ROYAL DEUCES
Sat, Aug 8 @ 5:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Guitarist, banjoist, singer and songwriter Mitch Polzak is a larger-than-life entertainer from the West Coast -- a Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee, twice-nominated Ameripolitan Music Awards artist and, not unsurprisingly, a relative of the notorious Ma Barker of the infamous Barker Gang. At 6'5´´, he commands a room.
AJA MONET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Surrealist Blues Poet aja monet works in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. The youngest recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024 and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her poetry collection my mother was a freedom fighter.
AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Afro-Cuban All Stars is the legendary Cuban orchestra at the heart of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon -- and one of the most celebrated ensembles in the history of Cuban music. Founded by producer and bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the group has earned four Grammy nominations and made many of its members international stars.
LOS TOCAYOS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 6:40pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Los Tocayos was born in a Santa Cruz garage during the pandemic -- two Stephens, a neighborhood full of collaborators and a shared obsession with Caribbean rhythm. Pianist Stephen Peterson and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Vahle draw on Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Puerto Rican and Yoruban traditions for music built to make you dance.
DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ QUARTET
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Dayramir González began his professional career at 16 with former Irakere member Oscar Valdes' ensemble Diákara, winning Havana's JoJazz festival in 2004 and 2005. The Cuban pianist has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
BRIA SKONBERG
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Juno Award-winning trumpeter, vocalist and composer Bria Skonberg has been called the "shining hope of hot jazz" by The New York Times and "one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation" by The Wall Street Journal. She has performed at hundreds of festivals worldwide including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Monterey, Newport and Montreal.
JUBU SMITH
Sat, Aug 8 @ 7:30pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Raised in Oakland, California, guitarist Jubu Smith spent more than 25 years as lead guitarist for Maze featuring Frankie Beverly while also making his mark early on with Tony! Toni! Toné! His sound--warm, raw and spiritual--is rooted in the gospel church and polished on the world's biggest stages.
PARLOR GREENS
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.
PATTI LABELLE
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Patti LaBelle is one of American music's living legends; a two-time Grammy Award winner and 13-time nominee whose voice has left an indelible mark across six decades of R&B, pop and gospel. The Philadelphia native first charted in 1962 with The Bluebelles before rising to global acclaim with the genre-bending trio Labelle.
GREEN FEATHER
Sat, Aug 8 @ 8pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Green Feather Jazz Society is a community band of tremendously talented musicians whose first priority is to bring jazz music back into our communities. They are a group of veteran players from the local jazz scene, performing as a full-size 18-member jazz orchestra.
ORQUESTA AKOKÁN
Sat, Aug 8 at Midnight
SJZ Break Room Stage
Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene in 2018 with a no-holds-barred take on Cuban mambo, earning a Grammy Award nomination, a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Songlines Music Award along the way. Led by producer Jacob Plasse and pianist and arranger Michael Eckroth, the ensemble draws its name from a Cuban Yoruba word meaning "from the heart."
WESTERN STANDARD TIME SKA ORCHESTRA
Sun, Aug 9 @ Noon
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra is a massive, 20-piece all-star ensemble drawn from the fabled West Coast ska scene, with a horn section three times the size of most ska groups. Fifteen years in, they remain one of the most powerful live acts in traditional ska -- headlining festivals and iconic venues across the US and Europe.
VISIONARY-STEEL
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Visionary-Steel is a six-piece jazz ensemble from Western Melbourne blending musical references from around the world into the modern jazz idiom. Led by Berklee graduate and international composer Martin Case, the group features vocalist Emma Sidney, whose singing critic Leon Gettler called "joyous innovation."
MARCUS SHELBY NONET: "BIRTH OF THE COOL REVISITED"
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
In celebration of the Miles Davis centennial, bassist and composer Marcus Shelby leads his nine-piece Bay Area nonet in a performance of Birth of the Cool in its original instrumentation. Shelby's deep roots in socially conscious jazz composition make him a natural steward of Miles' landmark 1949 recording.
FULL SPECTRUM JAZZ BAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 1pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
Full Spectrum Big Band has been delighting Bay Area audiences with traditional and modern big band sounds since 1996. Led by drummer and director Carlos Almeida, the group brings together seasoned musicians with a shared passion for keeping jazz vibrant and alive in the community.
LAKECIA BENJAMIN
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
To witness a live performance by alto saxophonist, MC and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is to never forget it. A five-time Grammy nominee, Benjamin brings a warm, resonant tone compared to Johnny Hodges and a unique meld of jazz, funk and R&B that spans straight-ahead tradition to social conscience.
SJZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL STARS U19S
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
The SJZ U19s are a select group from San Jose Jazz's audition-based High School All Stars big band and features some of the finest young musicians from Greater Silicon Valley in a small combo setting. It's a self-run, self curated group that allows promising young players at the pre-professional level an opportunity to truly express themselves.
KYLE ROWLAND
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:15pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Sacramento-bred harmonica player and vocalist Kyle Rowland honors the rich traditions of American blues, soul and gospel with a sound shaped by legends like James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy "Boy" Arnold and Hubert Sumlin -- masters who passed along not just technique but hard-won secrets of the craft.
SWING SOLUTION
Sun, Aug 9 @ 2:45pm
Applied Materials Community Swing Stage
The Swing Solution is a classic big band spanning eight decades of the form -- from the forties through the swing revival of the nineties and beyond. Expect vocals, dancing and jazz with the killer solos that brought the crowd to its feet at last year's Summer Fest.
DANI & DEBORA GURGEL QUARTETO
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Brazil's Dani & Debora Gurgel Quarteto, with 16 albums and three US tours in 2024 alone, including a stop at SXSW, joins forces with the Cressman family, a Bay Area musical dynasty with deep roots in Brazilian music, Latin jazz and beyond. Together they bring a decade-long creative friendship to a rare shared performance.
TOP SHELF W/ WAYNE BERGERON
Sun, Aug 9 @ 3pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Top Shelf Big Band, a 17-piece South Bay ensemble, presents trumpet legend Wayne Bergeron in an exciting set of contemporary big band music. One of the most sought-after lead trumpet players in the world, Bergeron earned a Grammy Award nomination for his debut, You Call This a Living?
MCKINLEY JAMES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
McKinley James is equal parts old soul and modern man, breathing new life into classic sounds with his debut album Working Class Blues. Armed with an electric guitar and sharp songwriting chops, he creates a mix of American rock & roll, amplified soul and raw rhythm & blues alongside father Jason Smay.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 4pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
TAIMANE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Hapa Samoan virtuoso Taimane is known for her spellbinding concerts and fierce, inventive 'ukulele style that morphs from classical to rock to flamenco. The Hawai'i-born artist has earned four Na Hoku Hanohano awards, including Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2019 and 2023. She'll perform with a full band in her Summer Fest set.
BEAUFUNK FT. MICHAEL JEFFRIES
Sun, Aug 9 @ 5:45pm
Blues/Big Easy Stage
Founded in 2007 by bassist Timm Walker -- also a core member of the Elvin Bishop Band and appearing with the Zydeco Flames at Summer Fest on Friday, August 7 -- BeaufunK has built a reputation as one of the Bay Area's premier funk units, delivering a powerful groove rooted in the rich tradition of Bay Area funk and R&B.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
Jay Paul Company Main Stage
Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. The most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music today, Troy Andrews first appeared at Jazz Fest at age four, performing impromptu with Bo Diddley. He has never stopped rising, including a memorable Summer Fest set in 2011 that is still being talked about.
INSTANT ALTER
Sun, Aug 9 @ 6pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Instant Alter is a Future Fusion quartet led by New York saxophonist Emilio Modeste and Los Angeles vocalist Natasha Agrama, both alumni of Stanley Clarke's band. Fearlessly genre-bending, the group blends jazz, rock, soul, storytelling and the celebratory spirit of Brazilian Tropicália into one of the freshest sounds in contemporary music.
MASTERS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Montgomery Theater Stage
Masters of Hawaiian Music brings together four-time Grammy Award winner George Kahumoku, Jr., known as "Hawai'i's Renaissance Man," six-time Grammy winner Daniel Ho and two-time Grammy winner Tia Carrere. They share uniquely Hawai'ian slack key guitar, 'ukulele and traditional songs with audiences worldwide.
CHARLES BROWN PROJECT FT. NICHOLAS BEARDE
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
Signia Club Regent Stage
A stellar ensemble led by vocalist Nicolas Bearde celebrates the music of singer and pianist Charles Brown, whose forties and fifties hits "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby" earned him places in the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame and influenced Ray Charles and Sam Cooke.
COMBO CHIMBITA
Sun, Aug 9 @ 7pm
PG&E Latin Tropical Stage
Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City's music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group's sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.
PEDRO PASTOR Y LOS LOCOS DESCALZOS
Sun, Aug 9 @ 8pm
SJZ Break Room Stage
Pedro Pastor is at the forefront of Spain's new wave of singer-songwriters. With six albums and concerts in 17 countries, his music bridges Spain and Latin America through poetic lyrics and global rhythms including cumbia, flamenco, funk and African influences.
show less
Date/Times:
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox
From Our Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.