It’s true that come March many jazz venues consciously look to book female instrumentalists in celebration of Women’s History Month. But it’s also true that presenters don’t have to search hard to find the requisite talent, as the contemporary American jazz scene brims with world-class women players, bandleaders and composers.
Women have contributed to jazz since its inception (see: Hardin, Lil Armstrong) but when I started writing about music in the early 1990s there was only a handful of female jazz artists with a national profile playing horns, drums or bass. Three decades later, any venue that isn’t regularly booking female instrumentalists is neglecting some of the most exciting music being made.
Sasha Berliner: Now dividing her time between Los Angeles and New York, San Francisco-reared Sasha Berliner is part of a wave of exceptional young vibraphonists who’ve made the instrument an essential part of the jazz landscape. Using four-mallet technique to coax startling voicings from the instrument, she’s a commanding improviser with an exquisite harmonic palette. For her four-night run she’s joined by a top-shelf L.A. rhythm section with pianist Javier Santiago, bassist Jermaine Paul, and drummer Jonathan Pinson.
Details: Feb. 29-March 3; Black Cat, San Francisco; $25-$55; blackcatsf.com.
Anat Cohen Tentet: Despite juggling at least half a dozen working projects, Israeli clarinet and tenor saxophone star Anat Cohen has managed to keep her orchestral 10-piece ensemble supplied with an array of exhilarating material. Directed by Oded Lev-Ari, the group has recorded two superb albums and features a bevy of brilliant soloists.
Details: Feb. 29; Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek; $30-$60; www.lesherartscenter.org.
Brandee Younger: In her first stint as an SFJAZZ resident artistic director, New York harpist Brandee Younger is celebrating the women who pioneered her instrument in jazz. The first two nights focus on music performed by the late jazz harp pioneer Dorothy Ashby, with special guest Meshell Ndegeocello (March 8). The second half of Young’s four-night run features a tribute to Alice Coltrane with special guests Ravi Coltrane, Alice’s son, on saxophones, and flutist Nicole Mitchell.
Details: March 7-10; SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco; $25-$95; www.sfjazz.org.
Mara Fox Foxtet: A sought-after player in jazz, salsa and symphonic settings, Oakland trombonist Mara Fox leads a powerhouse quintet that includes saxophonist Kasey Knudsen and bassist Carla Kaufman.
Details: March 7; Mr. Tipple’s, San Francisco; $12-$25; mrtipplessf.com.
Akiko Tsuruga Trio: Osaka-born, New York-based Hammond B3 organ expert Akiko Tsuruga has earned props from heavyweights like B3 maestro Dr. Lonnie Smith and altoist Lou Donaldson. She performs a series of gigs with guitar great Bruce Forman and veteran drummer Akira Tana, starting with a San Jose Jazz concert co-presented by the Jazz Organ Fellowship.
Details: March 8 at San Jose Jazz Break Room, San Jose; $28; sanjosejazz.org; March 9 at Piedmont Piano Company, Oakland; $25; piedmontpiano.com; March 10 at Peace Lutheran Church, Danville; free; peacejourney.org.
Lisa Mezzacappa Quartet: A major force on the Bay Area creative music scene for two decades as bandleader, curator and torch-bearer, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and her pianoless quartet play originals and under-covered gems by Herbie Nichols, Charles Mingus, Carla Bley, Ornette Coleman and others.
Details: March 9; Mr. Tipple’s, San Francisco; $12-$25; mrtipplessf.com.
Melba’s Kitchen: An all-women big band devoted to the music of legendary trombonist/arranger Melba Liston, Melba’s Kitchen makes its SFJAZZ Center debut as part of a series programmed by pianist Tammy Hall showcasing Bay Area women in jazz. The talent-packed 14-piece ensemble will be joined by special guests, including rising trumpet star Skylar Tang, drummer Jayla Hernandez, and tenor saxophonist Jessica Jones.
Details: March 13; SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco; $30; www.sfjazz.org.
Beth Schenck Quartet and Sundra Manning Organ Trio: With lithe-toned alto saxophonist Beth Schenck’s band playing two early shows and soul-steeped organist Sundra Manning’s combo delivering two late shows, Mr. Tipple’s continues to set a high standard for presenting the Bay Area’s finest players.
Details: March 15; Mr. Tipple’s, San Francisco; $12-$25; mrtipplessf.com.
Rhonda Benin’s “Just Like a Woman”: Produced by jazz/blues vocalist Rhonda Benin, this annual wide-angle celebration of Bay Area women in music completes its first decade with a packed revue focusing on keys and vocals. The roster includes jazz pianist Susan Muscarella, organist Sundra Manning and boogie-woogie pianist Wendy DeWitt, as well as vocalists Benin, Tammi Brown, and Nikita Germaine. Led by pianist Tammy Hall, the Lillian Armstrong Tribute Band features bassist Ruth Davies, drummer Ruth Price; saxophonist, saxophonist Kristen Strom, and special guest trumpeter Skylar Tang.
Details: March 23; Freight & Salvage, Berkeley; $30-$35; thefreight.org.
Celebrating Linda Tillery: Tammy Hall’s SFJAZZ series devoted to spotlighting Bay Area women in jazz and beyond concludes with an evening dedicated to vocalist Linda Tillery, whose Cultural Heritage Choir brought a full-spectrum repertoire of African American music to international stages. With some two dozen musicians, the program includes many former CHC members, as well as Vicki Randle and Jackeline Rago on percussion and vocals, pianist Rebeca Mauleón, bassist Kofy Brown and many others.
Details: March 27; SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco; $30; www.sfjazz.org.
Contact Andrew Gilbert at jazzscribe@aol.com
