Shelly Berg
Virtuosic pianist and 5x-Grammy nominated composer and arranger Shelly Berg presents an exciting and highly informative 'History of Jazz Piano' concert that showcases and explains iconic styles such as stride, block-chord, and bebop by legendary pianists…
Cyrus Chestnut
A masterful jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut balances his lithe technical skill with a robust, soulful style that speaks to his deep gospel roots and love of swinging hard bop. Raised in the church, he learned how to infuse his swinging, classically trained style with a warm gospel sound. Every set he plays is unique, as he reads the audience and the space to create a singular musical experience.
Bill O’Connell Trio
A powerful voice in Latin jazz, Bill O'Connell always plays concerts of originals and re-imagined standards filled with energy and high spirits. O’Connell’s clever and sparkling rearrangements, exuberant chordal comping, and knotty solos, all imbued with lots of fun, transcend categorization and combine rhythmic complexities with glittering single note runs in a sort of Bud Powell-meets-Chick-Corea sound. He will be joined by Lincoln Goines (bass) and Jon Krosnick (drums).
Ali Ryerson Quartet
Internationally renowned jazz flutist Ali Ryerson celebrate the release of her latest CD, "The Ali Ryerson Quartet", recorded with Ali's east coast quartet and released on ACR Music (2026). For this special event, Ryerson will be joined her longtime colleagues, Steve Rudolph on piano, John Wiitala on bass, and Akira Tana on drums. The quartet comes to Oakland directly following their weeklong residency at Hidden Valley Music Seminars on the Monterey Peninsula, where Ryerson conducts her annual jazz flute masterclass.
Emily Day & Cosmo Alleycats
WAA SHOWCASE – The refreshingly old-fashioned Cosmo Alleycats present "Old Sweet Songs", a show celebrating enduring melodies, a bygone style of songwriting, and original songs that contend for placement in the Great American Canon. The group, led by jazz vocalist Emily Day, “one of the major singers in her field” (Scott Yanow), endears audiences with their inviting musicality and playful improvisation, making quick converts of the jazz-curious, while still nodding to the serious aficionados.
ELEW
WAA SHOWCASE – The innovative and virtuosic pianist ELEW will release his new album 'ELEW Plays Sting' in the summer of 2026, featuring Sting and other luminaries, including Ron Carter, and inspired by his tour as Sting’s opening act.
Jack West
Genre-bending acoustic guitarist, composer and bandleader Jack West creates highly rhythmic, modern acoustic music. With his innovative percussive approach known as “Acoustic Spank”, West simultaneously plays drums, bass and guitar parts, blending American folk, jazz, funk, and rock into a compelling new style of acoustic music. Together with tastefully shredding acoustic guitarist James Nash, this Percussive Guitar Duo celebrates the release of West's recent album 'Guitars on Life' (January 2026), praised as "deliciously funky" ( AllAboutJazz), and showcases material from West's upcoming "Spank Grass" album.
Allan Harris
Swingin' Love Songs features the timeless artistry of jazz vocalist Allan Harris and his swinging trio performing a collection of newly discovered songs by Ike Joseph, an original Brill Building songwriter whose compositions were never released. Harris brings warmth, sophistication, and soulful storytelling to these hidden gems, giving them the spotlight they deserve.
Alan Broadbent and Harvie S
With decades of musical collaboration between them, pianist Alan Broadbent and bassist Harvie S share a rare and intuitive connection that brings their performances to life. They recently finished a recording to be released in January 2027 on Savant Records, with Billy Mintz on drums, featuring four tunes with string quartet arranged by Alan. Don't miss this evening of jazz standards and original compositions, all delivered in their signature style with remarkable interplay.
Joey Alexander
GRAMMY-nominated pianist and composer Joey Alexander makes his debut at the piano store to share his newest album Celestial Keeper (July 2026, Mack Avenue Records). He reflects on creativity, faith, gratitude, and personal transformation, exploring the challenge of overcoming doubt and artist’s block.
Michael Wolff, solo
Pianist Michael Wolff returns to the piano store to present a solo set of his own compositions that hold deep meaning to him, offering insight into their history and how he came to compose them. He will also play some standards and Beatles songs, as well as share stories from his memoir, On That Note, recalling his days of growing up in Berkeley in the 60's, his experiences in the Bay Area music scene, and how they influenced him.
Dick Whittington, 90th Birthday
Dick Whittington celebrates his 90th birthday with his piano trio, featuring Robb Fisher on bass and Akira Tana on drums. Joining them will be Peck Allmond (trumpet, tenor sax, flute) and Jeff Cressman (trombone), both of whom were members of Berkeley School District’s Elementary School Jazz Band Program. The ensemble will play songs from the Great American Song Book, as well as bebop standards by Dizzy, Bird, Benny Golsen, and others.
Luther S. Allison Trio
Jazz pianist Luther S. Allison brings his trio for a debut performance at the piano store, featuring all new original works by Luther, exemplifying his compositional prowess and seamless blending of soul, swing, gospel, and the blues.
Charles Chen Quartet
The Long Way Home is pianist Charles Chen's upcoming album, recorded in New York with nonagenarians, bassist Bill Crow (98) and drummer Steve Little (91), along with guitarist Félix Lemerle. On the album, the band plays standards, and Charles interviews Bill and Steve about their legendary careers in jazz. Félix will be joining Charles this evening, as well as bassist Nico Martinez and drummer Brian Fishler.
Amendola Vs. Blades
Longtime musical associates Scott Amendola and Wil Blades have been playing as a duo for over 20 years as "Amendola Vs. Blades." They play a genre bending blend of Funk, Bebop, Afro Beat, Avant Garde and more. Their shows have been lauded for their ability to sound like a huge band, even though they are only two musicians. For this special one off Bay Area date, they will be joined by special guests Kasey Knudsen on sax and Ryan Schaeffer on guitar.