Chris Potter first appeared playing saxophone at age 18 with Red Rodney. He has played with many top artists and currently leads his band Underground. His most recent recording, Ultrahang, is the culmination of five years’ work with his Underground quartet. This group consists of Adam Rogers on guitar, Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes, and Nate Smith on drums. Currently Chris is touring Europe and will be back in the US at the Monterey Jazz Festival this fall.

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Curtis Fuller has had a long and rich jazz career playing trombone. He has been a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Dizzy Gillespie’s band, Count Basie’s band and more. Now in his 70’s he leads his own group and is releasing his new CD “I Will Tell Her”, a tribute to his late wife.

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Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra presents “India & Africa: A Tribute to John Coltrane”, recorded at Yoshi’s in Oakland On April 21st, 2010. Dr. Brown arranged these pieces and others for the Asian American Orchestra, augmented with local guest musicians performing on instruments from North Indian and West African musical traditions.

Miles Davis performing with the Gil Evans orchestra with John Coltrane. This video was shot in 1952.

Terry Disley is the regular piano player at SF’s Washington Bar and Grill, famous as one of the haunts of the late SF columnist Herb Caen. Terry describes the place as a fabulous listening room where he can play anything from Bach to Pink Floyd to bebop. Listen to him chat with Chris Cortez on Sunday 20 June at 8am.

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Jazz pianist, composer and educate Michele Rosewoman is known for her mixing of jazz and Cuban music. Critics describe her music as a fusion of Afro-Cuban folkloric and post-bop jazz. Listen to her discuss her music with host Chris Cortez this Sunday.

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Anthony Brown is best known for creating the Asian American Jazz Orchestra back in the early 1980s. Anthony continues to be active today with his Anthony Brown’s Orchestra group. Last year he celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Asian American Jazz Orchestra at Yoshi’s. His current project is called “India and Africa: A tribute to John Coltrane”. On July 4th Jim Bennet’s In the Moment will broadcast this performance.

Anthony’s group mix western and asian instruments. In his music you can hear kotos, shakahatchi flute, saxaphones, guitar and of course his drumming.

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Join us at the College of San Mateo Theater for the KCSM Jazz Fest. For two nights, Fri June 11^th and Sat June 12^th come here top Bay Area jazz musicians. Ticket proceeds will be used to close the gap and complete our Spring 2010 pledge drive. Come support your local jazz radio.

On Friday, June 11th starting at 7pm, hear jazz songstress Wesla Whitfield accompanied by pianist/arranger Mike Greensill, the beautiful rich contralto stylings of Denise Perrier and ever popular jazz singer Madeline Eastman accompanied by her trio, who will all pay tribute to our very own John Rogers who is retiring after 70 years in Jazz Radio.

On Saturday, June 12th it’s a night of Global Guitars with The V-Note Ensemble, Le Jazz Hot Trio of the Hot Club of San Francisco and Organ-ized Guitars with Wil Blades, Terrence Brewer and Calvin Keys.

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SF Jazz High School All-Stars

I joined the SF Jazz High School All-Stars Jazz Ensemble last fall as a junior.

I’ve always loved playing the trombone, and after the Stanford Jazz Residency I participated in during summer, I was really in jazz mode. Usually I’m more of a classical person: I’m the principal trombonist in my youth symphony group, my teacher is classical-based, and my sister’s a classical violinist. Read the rest of this entry »

Ahmad Jamal has been playing jazz piano for almost 70 years. His work has been sampled by Kanye West, DJ Premier from Gangstarr, and Jay-Z for their hip-hop compositions. He recently release a new album “A Quiet Time”. This album is a collection of original compositions and standards. Ahmad runs non-stop. He is currently touring in Australia and will be back in September for the Monterey Jazz Festival. Come listen to KCSM’s Chris Cortez chat with him about his music and what he is up to next.

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