LIVE at Piedmont Piano Company
Bill Ortiz
Points of View Album Release
Bill Ortiz, one of Bay Area’s most in demand trumpet players brings his 6 piece band to celebrate the release of his album Points Of View. This record’s blend of jazz, afro-cuban, R&B, gospel and blues reflects the broad stylistic approach he brings with his playing. Rounding out the ensemble is a true all-star cast, with vocalist Terrie Odabi, saxophonist Howard Wiley, pianist Matt Clark, bassist Gary Brown, and drummer Lorca Hart.
$25 General Admission
We are offering a limited number of tickets to attend this performance in person. Advance purchase is required. COVID-19 SAFETY: All ticket holders must show proof of full vaccination (including a booster, if eligible) and wear a mask while inside the piano store.
BILL ORTIZ
Bill Ortiz has spent decades playing music with some of music’s top artists. In addition to being a member of Santana for 16 years, Bill’s performing/recording credits include work with such diverse artists as Tito Puente, Tony Toni Tone’, Cachao, Herbie Hancock, Don Cherry, Cindy Blackman-Santana, Boz Scaggs, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, Pete Escovedo and Sheila E, Angelique Kidjo, John McLaughlin, Ravi Coltrane, Flora Purim And Airto, Buddy Guy, Bennie Maupin, Souls Of Mischief, Cecil Taylor and Steve Winwood.
As a member of Santana, Bill appeared on 7 CDs and 5 DVDs, including the Grammy Award winning singles “Smooth” and “The Game Of Love.” In addition, he has been very active as a studio musician, arranger, producer and composer, working in various genres of music, including Hip-Hop, Latin, R&B, African music, and jazz.
Bill brings in his group to celebrate the release of his new album titled “Points Of View, which features such musical luminaries as Dennis Chambers, Azar Lawrence, Brian Jackson. Marcus Shelby, Matt Clark, and Terry Odabi .” Johnathan Widran of The JW Vibe refers to his record as “a player’s album nonpareil.” Bruce Lindsay of London Jazz News writes- “Points Of View, an album even in its most reflective and meditative moments, presents a positive and optimistic message to the world.” billortiz.com
TERRIE ODABI
As an awarding winning singer, writer and bandleader, Terrie Odabi has rightfully been proclaimed Blues Royalty. Highly respected music journalist Lee Hildebrand referred to Ms. Odabi as “easily the most dynamic blues and soul woman to have emerged in the Bay Area since Etta James came out of San Francisco’s Fillmore District in the ’50’s.” Only a singer with Odabi’s combination of power and finesse could hold her own amid those kind of comparisons. What sets Terrie apart from so many of her peers are the different shades and depth she brings to the music. Terrie Odabi is one of today’s most respected talents in blues, jazz and soul. https://artistecard.com/Terrie
HOWARD WILEY
Having been mentored by Bay Area greats Jules Broussard, Bill Steward and Alan Smith, and sharing formative bandstand experiences with the likes of Clark Terry, Jason Moran, Orrin Evans, and Lauryn Hill, and fruitful associations with the Thelonious Monk Institute and GRAMMY All-American Jazz Band, Wiley established himself early on as a young talent on the rise, and his work as a professional has more than made good on his prodigious beginnings, leading to being proclaimed as “The most prodigious Bay Area saxophonist of his generation” (Berkeleyside),
Howard is a constant presence on SFJAZZ stages and venues around the country as both a bandleader and collaborator with former Tower of Power and Santana organist Chester Thompson, Ethio-folk vocalist Meklit, and as drummer with jump-blues chanteuse Lavay Smith’s Red Hot Skillet Lickers.
Wiley has released a trio of masterful solo recordings, including two that were inspired by Dr. Harry Orster’s famous field recordings of spirituals performed by Angola Penitentiary inmates in the 1950s, and performed SFJAZZ Hotplate tributes to Ornette Coleman and Coleman Hawkins.
MATT CLARK
Pianist Matt Clark is a masterful artist who evolved from a child prodigy into a pillar of the San Francisco jazz scene. After his formal education at Ohio’s prestigious Oberlin Conservatory, Clark planted roots in the Bay Area and quickly became a first-call rhythm section player, working steadily with an impressive list of jazz heavyweights including Bobby Hutcherson, Marcus Shelby, Joshua Redman, Steve Turre among others. In addition to his sparkling résumé as a sideman, he’s led a pair of sessions for the Elixir label that focus on the work of composer/arranger Ron Ermini, both featuring esteemed bassist John Shifflet and veteran drummer David Rokeach.
GARY BROWN
In the past 20 years bassist Gary Brown has toured extensively in the United States, Europe, Asia ,South America and the Middle East where he has recorded and shared the stage with Flora Purim & Airto, Pharaoh Sanders, Steve Winwood, Narada Michael Walden, Dianne Reeves, Lou Rawls, Ernie Watts, John Lucien, Torninho Horta , Eddie Henderson, Alex Acuna, George Duke, Roy Ayers, Lyle Mays, Giovanni Hidalgo, Mike Shrieve, Paul McCandles, Alphonse Mouzon, Andy Narrell, Pete Escovedo and Sheila E.
Currently dividing his time performing with Flora Purim & Airto, The Ana Mandara Trio and the Rebeca Mauleon Group, Gary continues to compose, perform and produce with various top artists.
LORCA HART
Lorca Hart, receiving a BFA from from the California Institute of the Arts in 1996 was deeply inspired by such teacher/mentors as Albert “Tootie” Heath, Joe La Barbera, Charlie Haden and Wadada Leo Smith. Lorca now an educator himself is a faculty member at UCLA, St. Mary’s College of California, Stanford Jazz Workshop, SF Jazz as well as teaching privately at his drum studio.
He regularly performs with a vast array of musical artists such as Billy Harper, Craig Handy, Bennie Maupin, Azar Lawrence, actor/musicians Jeff Goldblum and Peter Weller, Kyle Eastwood, Justo Almario, Kenny Washington, and Nicolas Bearde. He also leads his own quartet featuring Ralph Moore on sax, Josh Nelson on piano and Edwin Livingston on bass. lorcahart.com