"It's always exciting for me to sit down at the piano, and every time I do, something new happens, something surprises me, or I surprise myself...That's the reason there's no such thing as old music. The wonderful thing about music is that it's ageless."--Ahmad Jamal 

Ahmad Jamal © Andrea Canter

At 82, pianist Ahmad Jamal remeains one of the most influential pianist in jazz. Mr. Jamal was named an American Jazz Master by the NEA in 1994, in June of 2007 the French Government inducted Mr. Jamal into the prestigious Order of the Arts and Letters, naming him Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the French Jazz Academy named his Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions 1956-62 (Mosaic) Best Reissue of the Year, and the readers of DownBeat voted him into the Hall of Fame in late 2011. Last year he released Blue Moon on Jazz Village [click here for a Jazz Police review] Ahmad Jamal will perform at Davies Symphony Hall on Tursday, June 13th with his quartet that includes drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Reginald Veal and Puerto Rican-born percussionist Manolo Badrena.

 

It’s no longer a well-kept secret that the northern California town of Healdsburg holds one of the finest small jazz festivals in the nation. Tucked into the picturesque vineyards of Dry Creek, Alexander Valley and Russian River in Sonoma County, Healdsburg welcomes a diverse array of internationally acclaimed and locally prominent musicians every summer, scattering performances around restaurants, hotel lobbies, small theaters and winery grounds, usually over the course of ten days. With two weekends of prime time performances and a week of engaging jazz related activities in-between, the 2013 festival gets underway May 31st, boasting some very special headliners including Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran in their only scheduled U.S. duo performance; the Fred Hersch Trio; Sweet Honey in the Rock; the Marcus Shelby Orchestra; and the opening two-day, multi-band tribute to NEA Jazz Master/Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winter Charlie Haden featuring Geri Allen, Chris Potter, Lee Konitz, Ravi Coltrane, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Bill Frisell and the Liberation Music Orchestra.

Dianne Reeves © Andrea Canter

Dianne Reeves is the pre-eminent female jazz vocalist in the world today. As a result of her virtuosity, improvisational prowess and unique jazz and R&B stylings, Reeves received the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for three consecutive recordings—a Grammy first in any vocal category. She will perform on Friday, May 24th through Sunday, May 27th at Miner Auditorium in the new SFJAZZ Center, which opened on MLK Day this year.