FREE! Brown Bag Jazz Hangs: Mara Fox — on J.J. Johnson

Join us for casual daytime talks and listening sessions with leading lights of the Bay Area jazz community. Bring your own lunch or order ahead from the JazzCaffè. Wednesdays at lunchtime! Free, drop-ins welcome.

Our summer series is presented in collaboration with The Freight.

Mara Fox is a trombonist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 25 years of experience, she is praised for her versatility across the genres of jazz, R&B, Latin, and classical music. Internationally, Fox has recorded and toured with the renowned musical groups Conjunto Cespedes and the Klezmorim. Locally, she collaborates with celebrated ensembles, including the Grammy-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra, the Purple Ones, the Montclair Women’s Big Band, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. She is also dedicated to sharing her passion for music through education, inspiring the next generation of young musicians.

To order lunch from the JazzCaffè, call 510-654-0148 to place your order before 10:30am the day of the program.

Scan this QR code for the menu or visit actcatering.com/jazzcaffe.

RSVP: https://jazzschool.org/concerts/free-brown-bag-jazz-hangs-mara-fox-on-j-j-johnson/
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NEW! Fridays in August: After Hours Vinyl Lounge

The performance may be over, but the evening doesn’t have to end.

Located in the heart of Downtown Berkeley’s Arts District, the Jazzschool invites theatergoers, concert attendees, arts patrons, and curious night owls to gather for After Hours Vinyl Lounge—a new late-night community hang inspired by the energy that follows a great live arts experience.

Stop by and settle in with tea, sweets, and conversation. Jazzschool faculty and staff will spin favorite jazz records from our vinyl collection, providing the perfect soundtrack for reflection, connection, and discovery.

Discuss the show you just saw. Share what inspired you. Meet fellow arts lovers from across Berkeley’s vibrant creative community. Or simply enjoy a cozy place to unwind before heading home.

Part listening room, part living room, part community gathering space, After Hours Vinyl Lounge is a welcoming space for anyone who wants to keep the conversation and the creative spirit of the evening going a little longer.

Free and open to the community.
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Jaimeo Brown Transcendence featuring Howard Wiley

Doors 7pm / Pre-Concert Talk 7:30pm
Jaimeo Brown, drums & electronics
Howard Wiley, saxophone
Fashion design by Frumiesha Brown

“Brown creates a music that sounds like the past, present and future all at once.” — DownBeat Magazine
In-demand Bay Area drummer and bandleader Jaimeo Brown brings a new duo version of his innovative multi-year project Transcendence to the Jazzschool, an immersive multimedia performance inspired by the remarkable quilts and culture of Gee’s Bend. Gee’s Bend is an African American hamlet in Alabama with a rich quilting and singing tradition that dates to the 19th century. The project reimagines African American spirituals and work songs for percussion, electronics, and saxophone, interwoven with archival field recordings from the Smithsonian.

Brown is an educator, activist, and artist who has performed and collaborated with Liberty Ellman, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Q-Tip, Bobby Hutcherson, Greg Osby, Joe Locke, and David Murray, among others. Inspired equally by the hip-hop beats and samples of J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and DJ Premier, and the visionary jazz of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Art Blakey, Brown’s Transcendence project weaves together elements of both traditions into a powerful musical tapestry where jazz history meets its digital future.

August concert series programmed by Oakland saxophonist/composer Howard Wiley.

Buy Tickets: https://jazzschool.org/concerts/jaimeo-brown-transcendence-featuring-howard-wiley/
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FREE! Brown Bag Jazz Hangs: Marcus Stephens — on Electr(on)ic Jazz

Join us for casual daytime talks and listening sessions with leading lights of the Bay Area jazz community. Bring your own lunch or order ahead from the JazzCaffè. Wednesdays at lunchtime! Free, drop-ins welcome.

Our summer series is presented in collaboration with The Freight.

Marcus Stephens has been an active performer and educator in the San Francisco Bay Area music community for more than two decades. He holds a teaching artist position with SFJAZZ, and he has lent his talent and versatility to innovative, award-winning ensembles including the Evan Francis Group, the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, the Mitch Marcus Quintet +15, and the Jazz Mafia. Marcus has performed with Lyrics Born, Latyrx, Blackalicious, the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, Bourbon Kings Brass Band, the Souls of Mischief, and Metallica side project the Wedding Band, as well as maintaining a longtime membership in Bay Area rock n’ soul ensemble, Con Brio.

To order lunch from the JazzCaffè, call 510-654-0148 to place your order before 10:30am the day of the program.

Scan this QR code for the menu or visit actcatering.com/jazzcaffe.

https://jazzschool.org/concerts/free-brown-bag-jazz-hangs-marcus-stephens-on-electronic-jazz/
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LJ Holoman Trio

Doors 7pm / Pre-Concert Talk 7:30pm
LJ Holoman, Hammond B3 organ
Elijah Green III, bass
Qyu Jackson, drums

Multiple Grammy-winning organist LJ Holoman draws from his deep roots in Oakland’s gospel tradition and his experiences in soul and R&B to craft an eclectic sound that is both grooving and lush. Holoman has performed and recorded with artists including Tony! Toni! Toné!, Fantastic Negrito, Dr. Dre, and many others.

He brings his masterful trio to the Jazzschool for an evening of electrifying jazz, soul, funk, and blues.

August concert series programmed by Oakland saxophonist/composer Howard Wiley.

Buy Tickets: https://jazzschool.org/concerts/lj-holoman-trio/
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