A list of musicians living and performing in the Bay Area. Select an artist's name for details.
| Name | Description |
| Bruce Ackley | Saxophonist, composer, Rova member, band leader |
Steve Adams | Saxophonist, composer, Rova member, band leader | Ashley Adams | bass | Carol Alban | Flutist and Composer | Liz Allbee | Trumpet | Josh Allen | Saxophones | Scott Amendola | drums, percussion, composer, band leader | Vijay Anderson | drums | Kristian Aspelin | Guitarist | Kattt Atchley | composes, sings, plays keyboard, reads text & combines
| Aurora | Voice (aka Aurora Rising, Aurora Josephson) | Tin/Bag | Bi-coastal duo of California trumpeter Kris Tiner and New York guitarist Mike Baggetta deals with a music that is spare, ethereal, and highly exploratory, "clearly cut from cloth that hasn't been designed yet..." (–Improvijazzation Nation). | Jen Baker | Trombone, Didgeridoo, Voice | Aaron Bennett | Winds | Tom Bickley | Recorder, Vocals, Electronics | Miko Biffle | Guitarist, composer | John Bischoff | Computer and Electronic Music | Blevin Blectum | Electronics | Jorge Boehringer | composer, sound artist | Myles Boisen | Guitarist, composer, band leader | C. J. Reaven Borosque | noise pedals, turntables, guitar,misc. electronics | Bob Boster/Mr. Meridies | Electronics | Brassiosaurus | Toyoji Tomita, Ron Heglin, Tom Djll | Admiral Ted Brinkley | Admiral Ted Brinkley (semi-ret.) directs the Verrugoso Vista Junior Junior College Grads of '77 | Christopher Brown | bass | Chris Brown | electronics and piano | Kyle Bruckmann | Oboe, English horn, analog electronics | Jon Brumit | drums, electronics, reconfigured salvage | Laurie Buenafe Krsmanovic | vox juke uke | Chris Burns | Composer | Alex Candelaria | San Francisco based guitarist/composer | Doug Carroll | Electric violin, cello | Amar Chaudhary | composer and performer specializing in contemporary and electronic music | Susan Chen Trio | Susan Chen, piano; Mark Kennedy, bass; Tom Hassett, drums | Jarrett Cherner | Pianist, Composer, and Educator | Merlin Coleman | composer, writer, performer and recording artist | C.O.M.A. | California Outside Music Associates | Cory Combs | Cory Combs Trio | Graham Connah | Piano | Michael Cooke | Composer, multi-reeds : flute, saxes, bass clarinet, and bassoon | India Cooke | Violin | George Cremaschi | contrabass, analog electronics, composition | Patrick Cress | saxophonist and composer | Eli Crews | Bass, guitar, recording engineer | Bill Crossman | pianist, composer, and educator | Beth Custer | Clarinetist, composer, performer, and teacher | André Custodio | Drummer | Educator | Improviser | Matt Davignon | Drum Machine, electronics | Solidad Decosta | spoken word artist, author, performer, pianist and composer | Danielle DeGruttola | Cello, Electric Cello, Composer | Ernesto Diaz-Infante | guitarist, composer and improviser | Thomas Dimuzio | composer, musician, mastering engineer and label proprietor | Tom Djll | Trumpet, electronics, composer, writer | Smith Dobson V | Drummer, vibraphonist, composer, bandleader | Doctor Bob | sonic snake oils for these dark & stormy times | Jack Curtis Dubowsky | composer | Industrial Jazz Group | LA-based large ensemble led by composer/pianist Andrew Durkin | Jack Duval | improvising drummer | Lisle Ellis | bassist/composer/improvisor | Dina Emerson | Voice | Marco Eneidi | musician/alto saxophonist | Cenk Ergün | Composer, Laptop Performer | Philip Everett | Drums | Thea Farhadian | Interdisciplinary artist and performer | John Finkbeiner | guitar | Tara Flandreau | violinist/violist/composer/improviser /educator | Christopher Fleeger | Computer | Stephen Flinn | drummer, percussionist | Forward Energy | Jim Ryan, Adam Lane, Damon Smith, Peter Valsamis, Danielle DeGruttola | Fred Frith | Guitarist, Composer | Eddie Gale | trumpet | Philip Gelb | Shakuhachi | Ghost In The House | A soundtrack for the subconscious | Jordan Glenn | Drums | Michael Gold Quartet | Michael Gold, saxophone; Paul Mindrup, piano, Matt Montgomery, bass; Sean Nelson, drums | Ben Goldberg | clarinet | Good for Cows | Devin Hoff, bass; Ches Smith, drums. | Matthew Goodheart | piano | Greg Goodman | improvising pianist | Lance Grabmiller | Electronic and Electroacoustic music | Phillip Greenlief | Woodwinds, Composer | Scot Gresham-Lancaster | Composer, Instrument Designer, Computer Musician | Morgan Guberman | Contrabass, Electric Bass, Voice, Composition | Sameer Gupta | DRUMSET, TABLA, PERCUSSION : jazz, world, avant-garde | Ross Hammond | guitarist | The Ni Project | Improvisations for Guitar & Tabla with overtones of Indian Classical Music | Ron Heglin | Trombone, tuba, voice | Herb Heinz | guitarist, electronicist, vocalist, producer, composer, improvisor | Jacob Felix Heule | drums, saxophone and electronics | Lars Hidde | Composer, Remixer, Performer, Producer/Engineer | Shoko Hikage | Koto | Devin Hoff | Bass | Nora Hoffmann | Composer, Violinist | Jason Hoopes | bassist, improviser | Bill Horvitz | Guitarist, composer | Bill Horvitz Band | Bill Horvitz, guitar; Steve Adams, reeds; Joe Sabella, drums | Matt Ingalls | Clarinet, Computer Music | John Ingle | Saxophonist/composer/improviser | Carrie Jahde | drums | Jettison Slinky | Graham Connah, Ben Goldberg, Marty Wehner, Rob Sudduth, Jewlia Eisenberg, Nancy Clarke, Lee Alexander, Smith Dobson Jr | Darren Johnston | Trumpet | Lewis Jordan | alto saxophone, poetry | Dan Joseph | composer/performer/multi-instrumentalist | Henry Kaiser | Guitarist, improviser | Kaolithic Music | Clayton Bailey, Bob Bassara, Linda Elvira Piedra, Jon Raskin | Carla Kihlstedt | Violinist | Richard Inkyu Kim | Viola/Violin | Alexander Kort | Cello | Henry Kuntz | tenor saxophone, musette, wood flutes, etc. | Matt Lebofsky | Keyboards, electric bass, guitar, Warr guitar, drums | John Lee | webmaster for bayimproviser.com | Dohee Lee | improvising Korean percussionist, dancer, vocalist | The Left Coast Improv Group | Doug Carroll, Ron Heglin, Jeff Hobbs, Scott R. Looney, Bob Marsh, Tom Nunn, Jim Ryan, Karen Stackpole | David Leikam a.k.a. Bug | Sense Artist, a . v . t . s . t . ( audio . visual . taste . smell . touch . ) who primarily creates his Art in the audio and visual fields respectively but not solely ... | Ike Levin | Reeds | Jacob Lindsay | Clarinets | Ezra Lipp | drums, percussion | Hugh Livingston | Cello | Sarah Lockhart | curator and video artist, drums | Scott R. Looney | piano, hyperpiano, electronics | Jessica Loos | Artist and poet | The Lost Trio | Phillip Greenlief, saxophones; Dan Seamans, bass; Tom Hassett, drums | Alicia Mangan | Saxophones | Bob Marsh | Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist | Miya Masaoka | koto | Silvia Matheus | Computer music composer | Marianne Tomita McDonald | Harp, Didjeridu | Ava Mendoza | Guitarist, composer, improviser | Lucio Menegon | guitarist, composer, collaborator, sonic artist | Lisa Mezzacappa | double bassist, improviser, composer | David Michalak | Filmmaker/Soundtracks/Lap steel guitar | Mills College Didjeridu Ensemble | Non-Traditional Applications of the Digjeridu | Kristin Miltner | Computer Music, Composition, Voice, Electronics, Video, Installation and
Sound Art | Miss Henry | Miss Henry, voice; Alex Candelaria, guitar; Calder Spaniel, saxophone; Michael Blustein, piano; Leo Boumeister, piano; Todd Sickafoose, bass; Tom Lyne, bass; Scott Amendola, drums; Eric Crystal, tenor sax | Mo’Fone | Larry de la Cruz, saxophone; Jim Peterson, saxophone; Jeremy Steinkoler, drums | Polly Moller | Flutist, bass flutist, spoken words, performance artist | Lisa Moskow | Sarod | Shaun Naidoo | Composer, Pianist | Amy X Neuburg | composer/performer, voice and electronics, chamber works, live looping | Bill Noertker | bassist/composer/educator | Kjell Nordeson | percussion | Aaron Novik | composer, clarinetist, bandleader | Tom Nunn | Original Instruments | Peter Nyboer | audio and video artist and programmer | Oakland Air | Kyle Bruckmann, Jacob Lindsay, Aurora Josephson | Larry Ochs | Saxophonist, composer, Rova member, band leader | Suki O'Kane | mallet percussionist, media ecologist, composer, sound designer and public artist | Opeye | Henry Kuntz, Brian Godchaux, John Kuntz, Esten Lindgren | Timothy Orr | drummer | Sam Ospovat | drums/percussion | Philip Perkins | Live recording and mixing; electronic and concrete sound works | Tim Perkis | Electronics | Mike Perlmutter | saxophones, clarinet, tiny instruments. | Dan Plonsey | Saxophonist, composer, band leader, webmaster | Edword (Word, Eddie) | Drums, drum machines, percussion, electronics, samples | Mika Pontecorvo | guitarist, flutist, live electronics, composer, improviser, process architect | Zen Widow | Improvising Trio, featuring Sicilian saxophone virtuoso Gianni Gebbia and SF Bay Area greats Matthew Goodheart & Garth Powell | Garth Powell | drums, percussion, composition | Suellen Primost | Cello | Jesse Quattro | Vocalist, Lyricist, Composer, Electronic Composer, Writer and Sleeper | Jon Raskin | Saxophonist, composer, Rova member, band leader | Reel Change | Plays live soundtracks | rob reich | Yes, I'm the one who eats the music. | Roger Riedlbauer | guitar player, audio criminal | Eric Glick Rieman | multi-instrumentalist performer and composer | Gino Robair | Percussionist, Splatter Trio | Donald Robinson | Drums | Rent Romus | saxophones, composer, curator | Rova Saxophone Quartet | Larry Ochs, Bruce Ackley, Jon Raskin, Steve Adams | Geoff Rowland | Composer,keyboardist, soundchaser | Jess Rowland | musician and composer | Lx Rudis | electronics | Jim Ryan | Saxophones, flute, spoken word | Thomas Scandura | Drums | John Schott | Guitarist, composer, band leader | Scrote | guitar exploiter & composer | Dan Seamans | Bassist and founding member of The Lost Trio, The New Klezmer Trio, and with bassist with Graham Connah's Jettison Slinky, Sonya Hunter, and many others | Jonathan Segel | composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist | Shirzad Sharif | Tonbak / Daf (Persian Percussion) | Aram Shelton | multi-instrumentalist on saxophones and clarinets, composer & improviser | John Shiurba | Guitarist | Todd Sickafoose | Bassist, Bandleader, Composer | David Slusser | Electronics, Woodwinds, Composer | Damon Smith | Double Bassist, Improviser. | Ches Smith | Drums, founding member of Good For Cows | Spirit | Percussion | Splatter Trio | Gino Robair, Dave Barrett, Myles Boisen | Karen Stackpole | Percussion | Moe! Staiano | Drums, percussion, composer, orchestra leader | Jeremy Steinkoler | Bandleader: J. Steinkoler Quartet & Mo'Fone | Colin Stetson | Saxophones | Jeffrey Stevenson | guitarist, composer | Jameson Swanagon | guitarist | thollem | pianist/composer/improviser/vocalist | Oluyemi Thomas | Saxophones, bass clarinet | Ijeoma Thomas | Spoken word artist, poet | Toyoji Tomita | Trombone, Didjeridu | Peter Valsamis | Percussion, electronics | Andrew Voigt | Saxophones, concert & Bass flutes, recording engineer | Weasel Walter | Multi-instrumentalist/composer/improviser | Edward Walter | trumpet | Luke Westbrook | guitarist, composer | What We Live | Lisle Ellis, Donald Robinson, Larry Ochs | Harry Whitney Trio | Composer/Pianist | Andrew Wilshusen | Drums | Sarah Wilson |
Sarah Wilson’s music is an “improviser’s dream,” says internationally acclaimed composer/pianist Myra Melford. Her music is “rich with suggestion and possibility: ebullient and tender, poignant and humorous.” | William Winant | Percussionist | Wobbly | Electronics | Francis Wong | Saxophone | Theresa Wong | Cellist, improviser and composer | Ian Yeager | electric guitar, electronics | Pamela Z | Composer/Performer | Damon Zick | Woodwinds, Bandleader, Composer | Joseph Zitt | Vocalist | |
