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Avishai Cohen Quartet | Jazz at the Athenaeum
Mar
19
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Avishai Cohen Quartet | Jazz at the Athenaeum

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
7:30 PM

The series concludes on Wednesday, March 19, with the local debut of the Avishai Cohen Quartet, featuring Cohen on trumpet, Yonathan Avishai on piano, Barak Mori on bass, and Ziv Ravitz on drums. Cohen is globally recognized as a player-composer open to multiple strains of jazz and active as a leader, co-leader, and sideman. Aside from the acclaimed work with his quartet, he has also recorded and toured as part of the Mark Turner Quartet, the SFJAZZ Collective, and the 3 Cohens Sextet—with his sister, clarinetist-saxophonist Anat, and brother, saxophonist Yuval.

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Sullivan Fortner Trio | Jazz at the Athenaeum
Mar
12
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Sullivan Fortner Trio | Jazz at the Athenaeum

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
7:30 PM

Next up, on Wednesday, March 12, is a return visit by the remarkable Sullivan Fortner Trio, featuring Fortner on piano, Tyrone Allen on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums. New Orleans–native Sullivan Fortner has gained wide recognition as one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of his generation. His accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship, the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and, in 2020, the Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development. A Grammy Award–winner, he has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Polls, winning first place as both Rising Star Pianist and Rising Star Jazz Artist. His broad range of musical associations includes artists such as Roy Hargrove, Stefon Harris, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Wynton Marsalis.

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Allison, Cardenas & Nash | Jazz at the Athenaeum
Mar
7
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Allison, Cardenas & Nash | Jazz at the Athenaeum

Friday, March 7, 2025
7:30 PM

The series continues Friday, March 7, with a San Diego debut by Allison, Cardenas & Nash, a collective trio of top New York City–based artists bassist Ben Allison, guitarist Steve Cardenas, and saxophonist Ted Nash. The trio weave musical conversations that are full of subtlety and surprise. They have released four albums including their latest, Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols, which features previously unknown music by Nichols, an underpraised pianist-composer often compared to Thelonious Monk.

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Edward Simon Trio
Jan
26
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Edward Simon Trio

Sunday, January 26, 2025
7:30 PM

The winter series opens on Sunday, January 26, with the return of celebrated Venezuelan pianist-composer-arranger Edward Simon, joined by his longtime trio members bassist Reuben Rogers (also known for his work with Charles Lloyd) and drummer Adam Cruz (also known for his work with Danilo Pérez). Simon’s last Athenaeum performance as a leader was with his project Femeninas: Songs of Latin American Women, which featured vocalist Magos Herrera. He returns to the library to celebrate the release of a new trio album, Latin American Songbook, vol. 2, which has a special focus on the Afro-Caribbean musical traditions of his native Venezuela.

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Camila Meza Trio
Aug
4
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Camila Meza Trio

Sunday, August 4, 2024
7:30 PM

The series concludes Sunday, August 4, with Chilean-born guitarist-vocalist Camila Meza. She will be joined by Or Bareket on bass and Edward Simon on piano. NPR called Meza “one of the best-kept secrets in New York City,” commenting, “Camila Meza is poised to step into a broader spotlight.” DownBeat wrote, “Her impressive guitar playing serves the song as she seeks a perfect balance between poignant vocals and killer chops.”

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Peter Erskine Trio with Bob Mintzer
Jul
20
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Peter Erskine Trio with Bob Mintzer

Saturday, July 20, 2024
7:30 PM

Next up, on Saturday, July 20, is a special reunion of the Peter Erskine Trio with special guest Bob Mintzer, featuring Erskine on drums, Alan Pasqua on piano, Darek Oles on bass, and Bob Mintzer on tenor sax. The Athenaeum has a special relationship with Erskine, Pasqua, and Oles, going back to Oles’s 1998 appearance with Charles Lloyd, Erskine’s 1999 performance with trumpet master Kenny Wheeler, and many other stellar performances.

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Chris Potter Trio
Jun
30
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Chris Potter Trio

Sunday, June 30, 2024
7:30 PM

The series continues Sunday, June 30, with another all-star band, the Chris Potter Trio, featuring Potter on tenor sax, Matt Brewer on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums. Potter returns to the Athenaeum, having led an unforgettable set at the library in the summer of 2017 as well as prior appearances with the Dave Holland Quintet. A world-class soloist, accomplished composer, and formidable bandleader, Grammy-nominated Potter has emerged as a leading light of his generation.

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Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
Jun
19
6:00 PM18:00
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band

Wednesday, June 19, 2024
6 PM & 8:30 PM

The summer series opens Wednesday, June 19, with a special celebration of Juneteenth featuring Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band (note two separate shows at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.). One of the world’s leading jazz drummers, Blade brings The Fellowship Band to the Athenaeum for its first local appearance. The ensemble features Jon Cowherd on piano, Melvin Butler on tenor and soprano saxophone, Myron Walden on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, and Roland Guerin on bass.

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Benjamin Lackner Quartet
Feb
28
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Benjamin Lackner Quartet

Wednesday, February 28, 2024
7:30 PM

The series concludes Wednesday, February 28, with another local debut by the Berlin-based ECM Records artist, pianist Benjamin Lackner, with fellow ECM artist Oded Tzur on sax, Darek Oleszkiewicz on bass, and Mark Ferber on drums. Born in Berlin to an American father and a German mother, Lackner moved to California at age 13. He received a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts under the direction of Charlie Haden and David Roitstein, and from 1997 to 1998 he studied privately with his mentor, pianist Brad Mehldau. He has performed at numerous jazz festivals including North Sea, Montreux, and Monterey.

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James Francies Trio
Feb
4
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

James Francies Trio

Sunday, February 4, 2024
7:30 PM

Next up, on Sunday, February 4, is acclaimed pianist-keyboardist James Francies, making his San Diego debut as a leader with Mike Moreno on guitar and Damion Reid on drums. Since his debut album Flight on the legendary Blue Note Records label entranced listeners in 2018, Francies has expanded personal explorations of sound bending and orchestral approaches to the music. Collaborations across stylistic realms—including those with Childish Gambino, Pat Metheny, Chris Potter, Common, Eric Harland, Marcus Miller, DJ Dahi, and Lauryn Hill—have enhanced his development and refined his sound. In issuing Purest Form, his second Blue Note release, Francies accesses intimate chambers of his artistry, interpreting love, grief, frailty, and fortitude. Francies’ expression blooms across borders of genre and style. He nurtures a fascination with melody and texture.

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Gilad Hekselman Trio
Jan
28
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Gilad Hekselman Trio

Sunday, January 28, 2024
7:30 PM

The series continues Sunday, January 28, with the San Diego debut of NYC-based jazz guitar phenomenon Gilad Hekselman, with bassist David Robaire and drummer JK Kim. Israeli-born Hekselman has shared the stage with some of the greatest artists in jazz, including John Scofield, Danilo Perez, Anat Cohen, and Esperanza Spalding. He has played all the major clubs in New York and has toured the world’s most noteworthy jazz festivals. In 2005, Gilad won the Gibson Montreux International Guitar Competition, opening for guitar legend Paco de Lucia at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2017, Gilad placed first in the Rising Star guitarist category in DownBeat magazine. In 2018 another guitar legend, Pat Metheny, invited Gilad to perform for his NEA Jazz Master Award ceremony at the Kennedy Center. In 2019 he led his own quartet for a week’s run at NYC’s legendary Village Vanguard, the world’s most prestigious jazz venue.

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Linda May Han Oh Quintet
Jan
21
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Linda May Han Oh Quintet

Sunday, January 21, 2024
7:30 PM

The winter series opens on Sunday, January 21, with the return of one of the most remarkable bassists on today’s jazz scene, Linda May Han Oh, at the lead of her Glass Hours quintet, featuring Sara Serpa on vocals, Greg Ward on alto saxophone, Fabian Almazan on piano and keyboard, and Mark Whitfield, Jr., on drums. Oh’s past Athenaeum appearances have been with her own quartet (2017), with her husband Fabian Almazan’s trio (2019), and with the Dave Douglas-Joe Lovano Soundprints band (2014). In addition to her work with Lovano and Douglas, Oh has performed with the likes of Steve Wilson, Vijay Iyer, Kenny Barron, Geri Allen, and Terri Lyne Carrington. She is currently the bassist with guitarist Pat Metheny. She is the recipient of the 2023 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts.

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Harold López-Nussa
Jul
27
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Harold López-Nussa

Thursday, July 27, 2023
7:30 PM

The series concludes on Thursday, July 27, with Harold López-Nussa on piano and his brother, Ruy Adrián López-Nussa, on drums. Cuban pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa sets out to capture the stirring sensation of walking the streets of Havana with an exhilarating marriage of jazz and Cuban pop music. López-Nussa has built a global following in jazz and beyond, having burst upon the international scene when he won first prize in the solo piano competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005.

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Sullivan Fortner Trio
Jul
24
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Sullivan Fortner Trio

Monday, July 24, 2023
7:30 PM

Next up on Monday, July 24, brings an Athenaeum debut by the Sullivan Fortner Trio, featuring Fortner on piano, Tyrone Allen on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums. New Orleans-native Sullivan Fortner has gained wide recognition as one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of his generation. His accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and, in 2020, the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development. A Grammy Award-winner, he has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Polls, winning first place as both Rising Star Pianist and Rising Star Jazz Artist.

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Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke
Jun
16
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke

Friday, June 16, 2023
7:30 PM

The series continues on Friday, June 16, with a stellar duo of vocalist Gretchen Parlato and guitarist-vocalist Lionel Loueke. (Please note: at the artists’ request, audience members must be masked or provide proof of vaccination.) They will perform music from their forthcoming album, Lean In, which tells the story of 20 years of connection, inspiration, and friendship between two musical soulmates who first met while studying at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (now Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance) at UCLA.

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Edward Simon “Femeninas” featuring Magos Herrera
Jun
11
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Edward Simon “Femeninas” featuring Magos Herrera

Sunday, June 11, 2023
7:30 PM

The summer series opens on Sunday, June 11, with a special program created by celebrated Venezuelan pianist-composer-arranger Edward Simon, joined by his trio members, Reuben Rogers (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums), plus special guests Luis Quintero (percussion) and Grammy-nominated Mexican jazz vocalist Magos Herrera. Simon is known to Athenaeum audiences from his past performances as a leader, with the SFJAZZ Collective and in the Steel House trio with Scott Colley and Brian Blade.

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Geoffrey Keezer/Gillian Margot Duo
Mar
9
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Geoffrey Keezer/Gillian Margot Duo

Thursday, March 9, 2023
7:30 PM

The series concludes on Thursday, March 9, with the duo of pianist Geoffrey Keezer and vocalist Gillian Margot in their first local performance since moving from San Diego in 2018. The multiple Grammy-nominated Keezer is celebrated internationally for his highly regarded discography, unique compositions, and acclaimed performances in a variety of configurations.

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Kevin Hays Trio
Feb
26
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Kevin Hays Trio

Sunday, February 26, 2023
7:30 PM

Next up on Sunday, February 26, is the Kevin Hays Trio, featuring Hays on piano, Karl McComas-Reichl on bass, and Colin Stranahan on drums. Hays made his last appearance at the Athenaeum in 2015. A Grammy-winning jazz pianist, composer, and singer/songwriter, Hays is internationally recognized as one of the most original and compelling musicians of his generation.

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Tord Gustavsen Trio
Feb
19
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Tord Gustavsen Trio

Sunday, February 19, 2023
7:30 PM

The series continues on Sunday, February 19, with a long-awaited return of the Tord Gustavsen Trio from Norway, featuring Gustavsen on piano, Steinar Raknes on bass, and Jarle Vespestad on drums. Gustavsen made unforgettable prior appearances at the Athenaeum in 2008 and 2014, as well as a crystalline holiday program in 2010 with vocalist Solveig Slettahjell. A leading artist on the ECM Records label since the early 2000’s, Gustavsen’s musical vision draws together influences from Scandinavian folk music, gospel, Caribbean music, and cool jazz alike, presenting a unique universe of lyricism and subtle funkiness. His way of melding jazz history with ‘Nordic’ reflective moods and lyrical beauty has created a unique voice on today’s music scene.

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Charles McPherson/Ethan Iverson Duo
Feb
14
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Charles McPherson/Ethan Iverson Duo

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
7:30 PM

The winter series opens on Tuesday, February 14, a special Valentine’s Day performance and live recording session by legendary alto saxophonist Charles McPherson and acclaimed jazz pianist Ethan Iverson. The Athenaeum’s relationship with McPherson goes back to beginning of the library’s jazz series in the late 1980s.

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Miguel Zenón Quartet
Oct
26
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum, Jazz at Scripps Research

Miguel Zenón Quartet

Wednesday, October 26, 2022
7:30 PM

The series concludes on Wednesday, October 26, with the Miguel Zenón Quartet. Brilliant Puerto Rican–born alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón returns to San Diego with his stellar longtime quartet featuring pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Luca Alemanno, and Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole, playing the music from his forthcoming album.

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The Bad Plus
Oct
12
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum, Jazz at Scripps Research

The Bad Plus

Wednesday, October 12, 2022
7:30 PM

Wednesday, October 12, brings the latest incarnation of the renowned cooperative band, The Bad Plus, featuring original members, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King, plus guitarist Ben Monder and tenor saxophonist Chris Speed. The Bad Plus originally came together 21 years ago and has avoided easy categorization ever since, winning critical hosannas and a legion of fans worldwide with their creativity, unique sound, and flair for live performance. The intensely collaborative band has constantly searched for rules to break and boundaries to cross, bridging genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync.

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Willie Jones III Quintet
Sep
29
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum, Jazz at Scripps Research

Willie Jones III Quintet

Thursday, September 29, 2022
7:30 PM

The series opens on Thursday, September 29, with the Willie Jones III Quintet, an all-star ensemble featuring Jones on drums, past Tonight Show Band member Ralph Moore on tenor sax, San Diego’s own Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet, Sam Hirsh on piano, and Luca Alemanno on bass. Jones’ association with the Athenaeum goes back to 1995, when he first appeared at the library in the stellar collective Black Note alongside longtime friend Castellanos.

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Jenny Scheinman Quintet
Jul
30
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Jenny Scheinman Quintet

Saturday, July 30, 2022
7:30 PM

The series concludes with the Jenny Scheinman Quintet. Scheinman is a singer, fiddle player, and songwriter. She makes a return visit to Athenaeum, having performed in summer 2019 with Parlour Game, co-led with Allison Miller. She has been on numerous Grammy-winning recordings and has been one of the top violinists in the DownBeat Critics Poll for over a decade.

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Mike Wofford / Josh Nelson—Tribute to Erika Torri
Jul
24
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Mike Wofford / Josh Nelson—Tribute to Erika Torri

NEW DATE: Sunday, July 24, 2022
7:30 PM

The series continues with a two-piano performance by Mike Wofford and Josh Nelson. This concert is a special tribute to Athenaeum Executive Director Erika Torri on the eve of her retirement after 33 years at the library. Under her leadership the Athenaeum Jazz series has grown and flourished for the past three decades, beginning with the first concerts in the summer of 1989, which included Wofford.

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Joel Frahm Trio
Jul
16
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Joel Frahm Trio

Saturday, July 16, 2022
7:30 PM

The series continues with the Joel Frahm Trio, featuring Frahm on tenor saxophone, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ernesto Cervini on drums. For more than 30 years, Frahm lived in New York City, working in jazz clubs, collaborating with other musicians, and honing his craft. He now lives in Nashville, where he continues to play the music he loves. His bold, inventive tenor sound has won fans in the United States and across the world.

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Gregoire Maret / Kenny Werner—Toots Thielemans Centennial
Jun
15
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum

Gregoire Maret / Kenny Werner—Toots Thielemans Centennial

Wednesday, June 15, 2022
7:30 PM

The summer series opens with a return performance of “Between a Smile and a Tear”—A Celebration of Toots Thielemans’ 100th Birthday, featuring Thielemans's heir apparent on the harmonica, Gregoire Maret, and Thielemans's longtime pianist Kenny Werner.

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George Garzone/Peter Erskine/Alan Pasqua/Darek Oles
May
18
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum, Jazz at Scripps Research

George Garzone/Peter Erskine/Alan Pasqua/Darek Oles

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
7:30 PM

The series concludes on Wednesday, May 18, with the powerhouse collective band of George Garzone/Peter Erskine/Alan Pasqua/Darek Oles (tenor sax/drums/piano/bass). Athenaeum Jazz favorites Erskine, Pasqua and Oles, making up one of the most accomplished trios in jazz, joined in 2019 with legendary Boston-based saxophonist and jazz educator Garzone to record the extraordinary three-CD project, 3 Nights in L.A. DownBeat wrote, “Garzone is in rare form, radiating minor-key modal lyricism, emotionally charged balladry, angular up-tempo blues and straightahead bebop teeming with tenor toughness. Erskine is a consistently refreshing catalyst for this most fortunate meeting of monsters; Oles is pitch-perfect and rock-steady throughout; and Pasqua’s less-is-more approach to the keys provides contemporary harmonic and melodic context. This substantial offering of four jazz masters communicating in a highly evolved common language—and playing at the absolute top of their game—is one for the books.”

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Eubanks-Evans Experience
Apr
2
7:30 PM19:30
Jazz at the Athenaeum, Jazz at Scripps Research

Eubanks-Evans Experience

Saturday, April 2, 2022
7:30 PM

The series continues on Saturday, April 2, with the Eubanks-Evans Experience, featuring celebrated guitarist Kevin Eubanks and Grammy-nominated pianist Orrin Evans. Since 2010, when Eubanks’ 18-year tenure as guitarist and music director of TV’s The Tonight Show Band ended, the Philadelphia-born guitarist and composer has been on a creative roll. Considered among the top jazz guitarists of his generation, after graduating from Berklee College of Music, Eubanks kicked off his musical career with some of the jazz greats, including Art Blakey, Slide Hampton, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, and Ron Carter. The New York Times called him “a guitarist with an extravagant expressive palette and a technique that merges post-bop fluency with flamenco and classical fingerstyles as well as the lilt of West African blues.” He joins in this special project with fellow Philadelphian Evans, who has been featured in recent Athenaeum concerts with his own trio and The Bad Plus. The New York Times wrote, “Evans is a viable candidate for jazz’s most resourceful and invigorating contemporary pianist.”

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