SONGS & STORIES SERIES
Vocalist, multi-faceted musician, and new music champion Sidney Chen shares his journey through the pandemic with his DIY hand-crank music boxes, as well as his perspective on ensemble music-making as essential practice for empathetic and compassionate living with others. Followed by audience Q & A. Hosted by vocalist Sharmila G. Lash.
"Poetry of Jazz" is where the spoken word gets its groove. Allan Harris, Harlem’s own modern-day troubadour, takes classic poetry — from Shakespeare’s sonnets to Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance — and drops it into the deep pocket of jazz. With his velvet vocals and magnetic presence, he flows between swinging rhythms and soulful recitations, backed by a razor-sharp jazz trio: Freddie Bryant (guitar), John Wiitala (bass), and Sylvia Cuenca (drums). This concert is a vibe, a conversation between past and present, where jazz and poetry riff, improvise, and redefine cool.
JAZZ PIANO MASTERS SERIES
Internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti returns to the piano store for a rare solo performance, just off the heels of winning a 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his latest album Plot Armor.
While touring the US with a trio, Bokani Dyer embarks on a solo performance – on the West Coast presented exclusively at Piedmont Piano Company – playing reimagined works from previous albums, unheard material, and some covers of songs he enjoys performing. Dyer will explore a soundscape featuring the piano, vocals, and electronics, build the songs from nothing, then deconstruct to silence. Expect the unexpected, infectious rhythms, melodic explorations hailing back to the rich and various African traditions, groove, and virtuosic, innovative piano playing.
TWO SHOWS 5:30pm & 8pm
9-time Grammy Nominee Tierney Sutton returns with pianist Tamir Hendelman for an intimate and swinging evening of songs about SPRING. Sutton is heralded for her abilities as a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Hendelman is known for his sense of swing, imaginative arranging, sensitive touch and his work with vocalists from Natalie Cole to Barbra Streisand.
This 13th annual free chamber music event will include movements from Schubert’s Iconic “Trout Quintet", Mozart’s elegant Flute Quartet, a rarely heard Piano Trio by Amy Beach as well an original oboe quartet by Vincent Russo. We are pleased to announce that Britt Day will be taking part in this performance.
JAZZ PIANO MASTERS SERIES
with Jeremy Cohen and Quartet San Francisco
This concert is a world premiere of a number of works written by Bill Cunliffe for violinist Jeremy Cohen and the Quartet San Francisco. Bill has had a long relationship with Jeremy, having performed with him a number of times at the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles in the ’90’s and ’00’s. These new pieces are for string quartet and piano, and all feature jazz improvisation, both by Bill and members of the quartet. Works performed include pieces composed by Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, two of Bill’s main musical influences.
Featuring Alexandra Ridout
In his "Ode To The Piano," Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman presents his arrangements of some of the most moving yet chronically underplayed masterpieces of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Thelonious Monk, Dr. Don Shirley, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and more. Joining him is an all-star band consisting of his identical twin brother Eytan Schillinger-Hyman (bass), Alexandra Ridout (trumpet), and Michael Mitchel (drums).
Thembi Dunjana, a jazz pianist from South Africa, draws inspiration from her musical heroes McCoy Tyner and Moses Molelekwa in a solo piano set that explores her own compositions and reimagined jazz standards. This solo performance explores the parallels between African and American jazz music through rhythm and harmony. Expect infectious rhythms and familiar yet reinterpreted melodies.
Pioneers in the use of four-hands piano in jazz, Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi have earned widespread success with their original arrangements of classics from the stride piano, ragtime, and boogie woogie traditions, as well as from the Swing Era. In recent projects, they have focused on the repertoire of the Golden Age of Broadway and Hollywood. They will present their arrangements on two pianos and on one piano four-hands.
The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (OPC) is thrilled to announce an exclusive Valentine's Day Jazz Masterclass featuring the talented duo, vocalist/saxophonist Camille Thurman and drummer Darrell Green. The masterclass will provide an engaging educational opportunity for music enthusiasts and aspiring musicians alike. This event is an essential part of OPC's "Brick by Brick, Note by Note" campaign, which aims to build a state-of-the-art music facility in Old Oakland. All proceeds from the event will contribute to the campaign, supporting the creation of a vibrant hub for music education, performance, and community engagement.
This once in a blue moon experience will be unforgettable with Pamela Parker stripped down acoustic with just a piano! She will share songs from previous albums Beautiful Day, Evolutionary Process, The Fantastic Machine as well as her album MotherStar, plus songs never heard before. Few people know piano was Pamela’s first instrument at the age of 5 and she often writes many of her songs starting on piano. This concert will be the life & journey of music through the piano with Pamela Parker.
Don’t miss this rare evening with three legendary jazz masters: Steve Turre on trombone and shells, Jon Faddis on trumpet, and drummer Roy McCurdy. These celebrated jazz musicians come together for an exclusive appearance in the Bay Area, providing a unique chance for jazz enthusiasts and historians to witness the collaboration of these iconic artists. The event marks the inaugural performance of OPC’s "Catch the Vibe Concert Series," which aims to raise funds for the “Brick by Brick, Note by Note” campaign to construct a new state-of-the-art facility in Old Oakland.
SONGS & STORIES SERIES
Vocalist and poet Amy Fogerson sings songs that represent the different hats she has worn as a singer: student, chorister, soloist, teacher, lyricist. There will be music by Alan Chapman, Reena Esmail, and Dante de Silva, as well as songs composed by 5th graders and women experiencing houselessness in Los Angeles, accompanied by pianist Paul McCurdy. She’ll share stories about making a living as a non-famous singer, her work with LA-based nonprofit organization Street Symphony, and collaborating with composers as a poet. Followed by audience Q & A. Hosted by vocalist Sharmila G. Lash.
The Brian Charette Organ Trio plays modern Jazz/Funk music with Charette's memorable compositions and Jazz Organ classics from Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Larry Young. Charette is currently #2 on the Downbeat Critic's Poll for Organ and #6 for Keyboards. The trio has been called "The future of organ trios" by the Huffington Post. Joining him are Jeff Burr on guitar and Smith Dobson on drums.
Hearing the Chester CT Thompson Organ Quartet is an experience like no other. With over twenty-six years playing with the Carlos Santana Band, preceded by ten years with the great Tower of Power, CT brings pure excitement and an unleashed groove to the bandstand. His sound is deep in the pocket and can range from smooth to thunderous in a matter of minutes, always with the incomparable bass work coming from his left hand and left foot. With Howard Wiley (sax), Drew Zingg (guitar), and Deszon Claiborne (drums).
Critically-acclaimed vocalist Ben Jones and Grammy® Award-winning pianist, composer, and arranger Laurence Hobgood come together for an unforgettable evening that celebrates their shared love of music ranging across the Great American Songbook: Broadway, Classic Jazz, Pop, and Classic and Prog Rock. Their shared backgrounds and passions ignite a thrilling musical chemistry, infusing every song with vibrant, innovative interpretations. Jones and Hobgood will deliver fresh takes on genre-spanning classics – songs by Billy Strayhorn, Joni Mitchell, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stevie Wonder, Adam Guettel, Carole King, and even the Bee Gees – with unexpected twists and turns. Together, they create an evening of unparalleled artistry.
JAZZ PIANO MASTERS SERIES
Celebrate the release of Dust (E2/ Edition Records), the new solo piano album by Grammy®-nominated pianist and composer Romain Collin. Collin, who has been praised by NPR as a "visionary composer" and hailed by the Boston Globe as one of the "leading lights of a new breed of jazz players", will perform originals, as well as covers, with his unique and emotive pianistic approach. This special live performance coincides with the opening of an art exhibition at Oakland's Fourth Wall Gallery. This art show, conceived in collaboration with filmmaker Matthew Palmer, was created as a complement to the music of Dust. While the gallery show features 11 music films shot in the California desert, this intimate solo piano concert focuses on the music. Limited-edition vinyl copies of Dust will be available for purchase at the event.
Otonowa, led by Akira Tana, was founded in 2013 to tour and raise funds for the communities devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. The project pays homage to the victims of the natural disaster by presenting traditional and pop Japanese songs that Tana and Otonowa completely transform into modern American jazz instrumentals. Otonowa is Akira Tana (leader/drums), Masaru Koga (reeds and shakuhachi), Art Hirahara (piano), Ken Okada (bass), and special guest artist Jimi Nakagawa (taiko).
