Fred Hersch; photo credit: Roberto Cifarelli
Peter Bernstein (l), Bill Stewart (c), Larry Goldings (r)
Luciana Souza; photo credit: Arnaldo Pappalardo
We’re sorry, this concert series is sold out! Please call (858) 454-5872 to inquire about tickets at the door. Individual tickets are still available for March 23 and April 26.
Sunday, March 10, 2024—Fred Hersch
Saturday, March 23, 2024—Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Organ Trio
Friday, April 26, 2024—Luciana Souza and Trio Corrente
7:30 PM
Our annual spring series of Athenaeum Jazz will take place in the library’s Joan and 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 and Athenaeum favorites Fred Hersch, the all-star Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Trio, and Luciana Souza.
Sunday, March 10, 2024—Fred Hersch
The spring series opens on Sunday, March 10, with a long-awaited return by celebrated jazz pianist Fred Hersch, who last appeared on the Athenaeum series in 2016 with clarinetist Anat Cohen. A select member of jazz’s piano pantheon, Hersch is a pervasively influential creative force who has shaped jazz music’s course over more than three decades as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator, and recording artist. He has been proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair, “an elegant force of musical invention” by the Los Angeles Times, and “a living legend” by The New Yorker. A 15-time Grammy nominee, Hersch has regularly garnered jazz’s most prestigious awards, including recent distinctions as a 2016 Doris Duke Artist, 2016 and 2018 Jazz Pianist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association, and the 2017 Prix Honorem de Jazz from L’Acádemie Charles Cros for the totality of his career.
Nowhere is the boundless range and emotional diversity of Hersch’s artistry as evident as in his breathtaking solo performances. JazzTimes has hailed his unaccompanied playing as “a complete, self-sufficient, uniquely pure art form,” while All About Jazz has remarked that “when it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz, there are two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else.” Of his 2020 quarantine solo album, Songs from Home, NPR’s All Songs Considered called it “the week’s most necessary listen,” and it was named one of the Ten Best Jazz Albums of 2020 by Slate.
Saturday, March 23, 2024—Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Organ Trio
The series continues on Saturday, March 23, with the return of one of today’s leading Hammond B3 organ trios, Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart, featuring the combined genius of Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart. The New York Times called them, “the best organ trio of the last decade.” JazzTimes called them, “an authentic organ trio with all the size and scope of Mount Everest, and twice the cool.” The trio, which has been together for over 30 years, has been recognized for charting new ground with its synergistic playing and thoughtful music. They have over a dozen recordings to their credit, all of which display their distinctive sound, whether exploring the depths of jazz standards or playing their own original compositions.
Of their newest offering, Toy Tunes (Pirouet), DownBeat wrote, “The whole album subtly subverts organ-trio cliches, offering not chicken-shack party stomps but instead some hip after-hours atmospherics . . . 4 stars.” Larry Goldings can be heard on scores of albums and has been closely associated with John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Jim Hall, Maceo Parker, Madeleine Peyroux, Pat Metheny, and pop artists James Taylor and John Mayer. Peter Bernstein is known for his associations with Jimmy Cobb, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson, Etta Jones, and Nicholas Payton. Bill Stewart has been the rhythmic force behind guitarist John Scofield since 1990 and has also toured extensively with Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, Kevin Hays, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Charlie Haden, Joe Henderson, and many others.
Friday, April 26, 2024—Luciana Souza and Trio Corrente
The series concludes on Friday, April 26, with the return of brilliant vocalist, Luciana Souza, with the São Paulo–based musicians of Trio Corrente: drummer Edu Ribeiro, pianist Fabio Torres, and bassist Paulo Paulelli. An Athenaeum favorite since her local debut at the library in 2004 in her long-standing duo with guitarist Romero Lubambo, Souza’s most recent appearances on the Athenaeum series in spring 2016 and fall 2018 were each chosen by the San Diego Union-Tribune’s George Varga as the number one jazz concert in both years. One of jazz’s leading singers and interpreters, Souza has been releasing acclaimed recordings since 2002, including her six Grammy-nominated records Brazilian Duos, North and South, Duos II, Tide, Duos III, and The Book of Chet. Billboard magazine has said of Souza, “She continues her captivating journey as a uniquely talented vocalist who organically crosses genre borders. Her music soulfully reflects, wistfully regrets, romantically woos, joyfully celebrates.”
The members of Trio Corrente have performed together over the last two decades with a who’s who of Brazilian artists and have attracted a loyal following in Brazil and Europe. Trio Corrente is the group of choice for musicians such as Paquito de Rivera, Rosa Passos, and Ron Carter. With de Rivera, Trio Corrente won two Grammy Awards and toured the world. Souza and Trio Corrente’s collaborative album, Cometa, recorded live in São Paulo at the beginning of 2023, has been nominated for a Grammy as best Latin Jazz recording of 2024.
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.
Masks optional. If you have a fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms, please stay home.