Ben Williams
Billy Childs; photo credit: Raj Naik
Alex Kautz; photo credit: Promo
Our annual fall series of Athenaeum Jazz will take place in the library’s Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room. Seating is limited, so early reservations are advised. Please join us for these three special evenings featuring internationally acclaimed jazz artists Ben Williams, Billy Childs, and Alex Kautz.
The fall series opens Saturday, November 2, with the Ben Williams Quartet, featuring bassist Williams with vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, guitarist Andrew Renfroe, and drummer John Davis. Since winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2009, Williams has made his mark as a producer, bandleader, arranger, and avidly sought-after accompanist for heavyweights in and beyond jazz, including Wynton Marsalis, Lauryn Hill, José James, and Pat Metheny (with whom he won a 2013 Grammy for the album Unity Band). As a bandleader, the Washington, D.C., native is a calmly charismatic presence whose music taps directly into the deepest wellsprings of African American culture. With his latest album, 2020’s I Am A Man, he extended his sonic purview with his captivating, soul-steeped vocals, establishing himself as a leading force in both straight-ahead acoustic jazz contexts and electric, R & B–infused settings. The New York Times wrote, “Ben Williams has a dark, righteous sound on an upright bass, and an almost liquid mobility through the fullness of his range.” DownBeat called him “one of his generation’s finest bassists.” He is joined by rising star vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, of whom All About Jazz wrote, “Berliner is in the firmament of the here and now in modern jazz and appears likely to occupy that upper stratosphere for some time to come.”
The series continues Sunday, December 1, with the Billy Childs Quartet, featuring Childs on piano, Matthew Stubbs on clarinet, Dan Chmielinski on bass, and Benjamin Ring on drums. Multi-Grammy-winner Billy Childs has been a favorite performer on the Athenaeum series going back to his debut at the library in 1996. He remains one of the most diversely prolific and acclaimed artists working in music today. As a composer, he has been commissioned by Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Kronos Quartet, the Dorian Wind Quintet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the American Brass Quintet, the Ying Quartet, the Lyris Quartet, and Anne Akiko Meyers. His canon of original compositions and arrangements has garnered him the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a composer’s award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Chamber Music America composer’s grant. Childs has received 17 Grammy nominations and 6 Grammy Awards (2 for Best Instrumental Jazz Album, 2 for Best Instrumental Composition, and 2 for Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist). The Los Angeles Times wrote, “As a pianist, he possesses the improvisatory skills and powerful sense of swing one associates with world-class artists … Childs is an inventive composer and arranger whose efforts in those areas consistently expand the dimension of the jazz genre—and beyond.”
The fall series concludes Thursday, January 16, with the Athenaeum debut of the Alex Kautz Quartet, featuring Kautz on drums, Chico Pinheiro on guitar, John Ellis on saxophone, and Joe Martin on bass. Renowned for his musicality, groove, and knowledge of various genres, Kautz stands out as a distinguished percussionist, educator, and composer. With an unwavering passion for jazz and world music, he has crafted a captivating and distinct musical voice. A Brazilian artist based in New York City, Kautz has been an important part of the city’s music scene for the last decade and has played and/or recorded with some of the top artists in the industry today, including Tim Ries, Magos Herrera, Nilson Matta, Chico Pinheiro, Steve Wilson, Lenny Andrade, Fabio Gouvea, Helio Alves, Victor Prieto, and Lionel Loueke. In addition to his work with various artists, Kautz has taken the lead in various projects in which he fuses the sounds of Brazilian music with jazz, most recently with his 2024 release, Where We Begin. He is joined by Chico Pinheiro, known to Athenaeum audiences from appearances with guitarists Romero Lubambo and Anthony Wilson and as the leader of his own quintet with saxophonist Bob Mintzer. Guitar giant Pat Metheny wrote, “There are many incredible guitarists out there. On the top of that list, I’d include Chico Pinheiro.” The Boston Globe called him “one of the brightest lights on today’s Brazilian jazz scene.”
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.