The Bridges concept is a musical journey through the Americas with original compositions by Shanna Carlson (vocals) and Hugo Wainzinger (guitarist/composer/arranger), featuring songs from their latest CD Lost In Your Eyes. They’ll be joined by stellar musicians: Larry Dunlap (piano), Jeff Chambers (bass), and Raul Ramirez (drums/percussion).

FOR THE LOVE OF KELLYE
A Gathering, Celebration, & Musical Tribute to vocalist Kellye Gray

Adam Shulman, Peter Barshay, Greg Wyser-Pratte, Faye Carol, Kenny Washington, Nicolas Bearde, Allison Miller, Andrew Chaikin, Madeline Eastman, Terrance Kelly , Denise Perrier, Sandy Cressman, Trelawny Rose, Kyle Blase

JAZZ SEARCH WEST is an Annual Jazz Talent Search for instrumentalists and vocalists (adults/teens). Five exciting preliminaries, open to the public, are held February through April and culminate in a Semi-Final at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse and Grand Finale at renowned jazz club, Yoshi’s Oakland.

TWO SHOWS - 8pm & 10pm

Grammy-nominated pianist Geoffrey Keezer and Grammy-nominated pianist Taylor Eigsti return to the piano store for their first-time collaboration.

Pianist & Composer Helen Sung released Sung With Words: A Collaboration with Dana Gioia in 2018, a project and album made possible by a Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Charitable Foundation “New Jazz Works” grant. Sung utilizes jazz and poetry as catalysts to create new music, creating a multi-movement work exploring themes of the human condition: love, betrayal, wonder, melancholy and mystery. For their performance at Piedmont Piano, they will present selections from Sung With Words as well as jazz & poetry improvisations, showcasing an artistic partnership that continues to grow and evolve.

JAZZ SEARCH WEST is an Annual Jazz Talent Search for instrumentalists and vocalists (adults/teens). Five exciting preliminaries, open to the public, are held February through April and culminate in a Semi-Final at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse and Grand Finale at renowned jazz club, Yoshi’s Oakland.

Maxine Gordon, Nicolas Bearde, and Larry Vuckovich Trio
"Sophisticated Giant: The Life & Legacy of Dexter Gordon"

Maxine Gordon, Dexter Gordon's widow, will be showcasing her new book: Sophisticated Giant – The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon. Nicolas Bearde will read passage from the book. Larry Vuckovich (piano), Rob Roth (tenor sax), and Jeff Chambers (bass) will perform some of Dexter's originals, some of his hits and Larry’s composition "Dexter's Mode," which he recorded and dedicated to Dexter. 

Sings The Lady Legends of Jazz

Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday are all legendary women who blazed a trail within the Jazz genre. Denise King will pay tribute to these women, singing some of their most recognizable works.

This seventh annual free chamber music event will include the Poulenc Flute Sonata, Prokofiev's quixotic Quintet for Winds and Strings, a Horn Duet of Dvorak, Bach's majestic Brandenburg Concerto No.3 and more surprises! We are pleased to announce that pianist Roy Bogas will be taking part in this performance.

Mary Ellen Callahan is pleased to be back to sing at the piano store in a program of beautiful songs and arias with pianist Karen Rosenak. There will be wonderful music by Bach, Bernstein, and Barber.

The duo of pianist Frank Martin and guitarist Steve Erquiaga began in 1970’s, and first recorded together 1978 with alto saxophonist John Handy. The evenings musical menu will include the music of well known composers played in a fresh and interesting way, and will feature their original compositions, some funky, some etherial, some jazzy, some rhythmically complex, yet all palatable and full of unexpected surprises and fun.

Monica Chew plays Prokofiev, Kodaly, and Ginastera in her 5th appearance at Piedmont Piano. The program starts off with a bang, with Alberto Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas, followed by Zoltan Kodaly's folk-inspired pieces from op. 11. The second half is Prokofiev's 8th sonata (his last war sonata), an epic journey at times majestic, melancholy, sarcastic, and profoundly human.

Stride jazz pianist Mike Lipskin and ragtime impresario Terry Waldo perform original solos and duets with Dinah Lee, trad jazz vocalist.  Lipskin has his own sound and compositions. Waldo has wonderful instrumentals and original vocals. Dinah Lee, is inspired by Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald.  This is a stimulating evening of solos and Great American Song Book repertoire.

40th Anniversary Celebration:
Late Night Jam with Art Lande Trio & Special Guests

40th Anniversary Event:

Sharmila G. Lash presents a few a cappella ensemble pieces with fellow singers Yuhi Aizawa Combatti, Shauna Fallihee, and Colby Smith, followed by solo jazz tunes accompanied by pianist Art Lande. There will be music by Duruflé, Barber, Ellington, Jobim, and others, including a couple of Sharmila’s originals.

40th Anniversary Event:
Miracle in a Box screening and Classical Recital

40th Anniversary Event:
Ross Gualco Trio

40th Anniversary Event:
Ross Gualco Trio

40th Anniversary Event:
Late Night Jam with Art Lande Trio & Special Guests

40th Anniversary Event:
Norman Landsberg Quintet

Norman Landsberg - piano
Erik Jekabson - trumpet
Charlie Keagle - sax / flute
Peter Barshay - bass
Dave Rokeach - drums

40th Anniversary Event:
Socorro DeCastro Quartet

Socorro DeCastro - piano
Charlie Keagle - sax / flute
Peter Barshay - bass
Dave Rokeach - drums

40th Anniversary Event:
Frederick Hodges

40th Anniversary Event:
Late Night Jam with Art Lande Trio & Special Guests

40th Anniversary Event

A regular Bay Area presence since 2001, Anne Sajdera’s quintet performs original compositions, driving arrangements of traditional Roma melodies, as well as music of modern jazz masters like Herbie Hancock & Kenny Kirkland. She will be joined by Mike Olmos (trumpet & flugelhorn), Lyle Link (saxes), Gary Brown (bass), and Deszon Claiborne (drums).

40th Anniversary Event:
Welcome Reception with S.E. Willis & the Willing

S.E. Willis and his band, Ruth Davies on bass and Bobby Cochran on drums and vocals, present music (mostly originals by Willis) that draws on a wide base of American musical forms, including Country, Zydeco, Soul, R&B, and of course Blues. This is a band that delivers a solidly entertaining show of music, executed with superb musicianship, while never losing sight of the goal of providing a danceable good time!

40th Anniversary Event:
Piano Master Class with Emanuel Ax and Michael Morgan

Celebrated classical pianist and seven-time GRAMMY winner Emanuel Ax and Oakland Symphony Music Director Michael Morgan lead a master class with students from the Oakland School for the Arts. In collaboration with Piedmont Piano, celebrating its 40th anniversary, this event is free and open to the public.

Celebrated classical pianist and seven-time GRAMMY winner Emanuel Ax joins Oakland Symphony Music Director Michael Morgan in a discussion about the role of the arts in education and civic life, their remarkable careers and collaboration, as a kick-off event to a week-long residency in Oakland. Moderated by Roberto Bedoya, Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Oakland, this event is free and open to the public.

Join us for a special evening of music with Alvon Johnson, "The Ambassador of the Blues." He has become a highly respected international Singer, Musician, and Entertainer. Whether he sings with big bands performing the great material of the American Song Book or the Low Down Blues, Alvon Johnson is an artist whose act should not be missed.

Recording and performing jazz vocal artist Ed Reed invites you to join him in a musical celebration of his 90th birthday with his quartet, both swinging and sublime, featuring pianist Adam Shulman, bassist Carla Kaufman, and drummer Lorca Hart. Ed is also excited to welcome special guest and long-time musical collaborator and friend, tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz.