Live Jazz (& Blues) Meetup Group

SFJAM at SFJAZZ: O MEU BRASIL With Celso Alberti

▪︎ Doors open at 6:30
▪︎ This is the last SFJAM of the season.
▪︎ Complimentary glass of wine. (Please leave a generous tip!)

These monthly open jam sessions provide a space for all Bay Area musicians to come together and perform in an inclusive, multigenerational setting. Each session features a musical director and curated repertoire. (The core band's professional musicians are listed below. They will be joined by students -- teenaged and up -- who are currently studying and playing jazz.)

▪︎ Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
▪︎ Each session is free and open to the public - no reservations or tickets needed to attend.
▪︎ IMPORTANT NOTE: This is currently an UNHOSTED event, which means it's up to Meetup members to figure out among themselves when & where to rendezvous at SF Jazz, or if they want to eat together somewhere nearby beforehand. RSVPers: Please use the Meetup Event Page Comments section to coordinate with each other on that.

Celso Alberti drums & musical director
Harvey Wainapel sax & clarinet
Ricardo Peixoto guitar
Gary Brown bass
(And community musicians)

High-energy Latin band Bululu, which draws on rhythms from Venezuela, the Caribbean and beyond, is the headliner at this free outdoor event at the Oakland Museum, part of the museum's Friday night series. I've seen this band in action a couple times over the years at different venues (indoors and outdoors) and really enjoyed them. The band will be performing a 75-minute set, from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., at the museum's GARDEN STAGE.

COST: Admission to this event is FREE. However, I ask Meetup attendees for $1.00 donations to defray the hefty fees that Meetup charges me as head organizer.

WHEN/WHERE TO MEET: Meet near the Garden Stage by 6:00 p.m., prior to the band coming on stage. (If you want to fit in a salsa lesson, that's happening from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the museum amphitheater. There's also a DJ segment after the band's performance, but I'm only staying for Bululu.)

HOW TO FIND ME: I'm WF, 5 feet tall, with salt-and-pepper hair and glasses. See photo with Meetup profile. I'll send my mobile number to RSVPers prior to the event. I'll post a Comment on the Meetup Event Page saying where I'm situated near the stage. PLEASE TEXT ME IF YOU DON'T SPOT ME.

IMPORTANT: Unless you intend to stand or dance throughout the performance, you should bring a beach towel or low-backed chair to sit on.

TRANSIT: The museum is located less than two blocks from Lake Merritt BART station.

ADDITIONAL LOGISTICS AND PARKING INFO:

There is $10 flat-rate parking in the Oakland Museum garage until 10:00 p.m. It looks as though there will be food trucks from Off the Grid parked near the museum for this event, but I've found the lines for those at Oakland First Friday events to be incredibly long, so you might want to bring your own water and snacks instead.

MORE EVENT DETAILS:

https://museumca.org/event/friday-nights-at-omca-with-bululu-2/

MORE INFO:
https://www.bululusf.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@bululusf

The Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet, who thrilled audiences at prior sold-out Live Jazz (& Blues) Meetup events in recent years, returns to the Bay Area with a different lineup, consisting of:

composer/arranger Charles Gorczynski on bandoneon
Devan Moran on violin
Alex Woods on piano
and Sascha Jacobsen (well known to Bay Area music fans from Trio Garufa, Tangueros del Oeste, film festivals, and other endeavors) on bass

EVENT COST: Ticket prices for this show are normally about $28 to $34, but I just learned this weekend that, until midnight THIS Monday, May 5th, the Hillside Club is offering a special TWO-FOR-ONE deal, which means tickets will cost only $17.85 per person if you buy two tickets by that deadline.

SEATING is general admission.

TICKET LINK: Buy your tickets at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hillside-echoes-presents-charles-gorczynski-tango-quartet-tickets-1339250567499?

Again, please note that you must buy two tickets to get the discounted rate. This is your opportunity to bring a plus-one or to coordinate with other Meetup members on ticket purchases. (I suggest that co-ticket holders promptly reimburse each other via PayPal or other means soon after a pair of tickets has been bought.)

NOTE that this event is on a Thursday night.

WHEN/WHERE TO MEET: Meet near the Will Call desk by 7:00 p.m. or in the seating area shortly after that, so we can get seats together. (The show goes from 7:30 p.m.. to 9:30 p.m.)

HOW TO FIND ME: I'm 5 feet tall, in my 60s, with short, salt & pepper hair and glasses (see my photo with my Meetup profile). I'll send my cellphone number to RSVPers beforehand.

PARKING/TRANSIT: Parking is available on side streets. The venue is located between the North Berkeley and downtown Berkeley BART stations. Allow extra time to find parking or for the walk from BART.

ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS:
https://www.hillsideclub.org/getting-to-the-club

MORE INFO and LINK to YouTube videos:
https://www.charlesgorczynski.com/