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FirstFriday_final

First Friday:
Celebrating Creativity

Friday, May 2

Cecile McLorin Salvant

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Monday, May 5

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Become a Kuumbwa Member Today!

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Hot Club of San Francisco_website

Hot Club of
San Francisco

Thursday, May 8

Jason Marsalis Quartet_website

Jason Marsalis Quartet

Monday, May 12

Upcoming Events

View All Events

Kuumbwa Jazz Presents

First Friday: Celebrating Creativity – 50th Anniversary Exhibit Premiere & Conversation

Friday, May 2 @ 5:00 PM

Sing Out For Pete’s Sake: a Singalong Concert Celebrating the Life of Pete Seeger

Saturday, May 3 @ 3:00 PM

John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band

Sunday, May 4 @ 7:00 PM

Kuumbwa Jazz Presents

Cécile McLorin Salvant – 7:00 PM

Monday, May 5 @ 7:00 PM

Kuumbwa Jazz Presents

Cécile McLorin Salvant – 9:00 PM

Monday, May 5 @ 9:00 PM

Kuumbwa Jazz Presents

Hot Club of San Francisco – "Original Gadjo" Album Release Show

Thursday, May 8 @ 7:00 PM

@kuumbwajazz

For over thirty years the Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band

For over thirty years the Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band has featured some of the most talented student musicians in our community.

Join us on International Jazz Day this Wednesday for our concert by the ‘24/‘25 Honor Band, where they’ll be joined by guitarist Rebecca Kachman and other special guest program alumni.

Get your tickets today at the link in our bio.
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#InternationalJazzDay #JazzDay @intljazzday #KuumbwaJazz #SantaCruz #LiveMusic

The Bad Plus – featuring Reid Anderson, Dave Kin

The Bad Plus – featuring Reid Anderson, Dave King, Ben Monder, and Chris Speed – bring their innovative and distinct sound to Kuumbwa on May 22.

Get tickets today at the link in our bio.
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#TheBadPlus #KuumbwaJazz #LiveMusic #SantaCruz

A sold-out party of a show with @ButcherBrown on S

A sold-out party of a show with @ButcherBrown on Sunday night. Thanks to everyone who joined us to send the weekend off in style.

📷: r.r. jones

We’re excited to share that our good friend and

We’re excited to share that our good friend and Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band alum Ben Flocks will be joining this year’s Honor Band as a special guest at their Wednesday show.

Join us for this International Jazz Day event celebrating over thirty years of the Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band! Get tickets today at the link in our bio.

We can’t wait to unveil treasures from our archi

We can’t wait to unveil treasures from our archives at the ‘Celebrating Creativity’ exhibit premiere on May 2.

Be sure to also swing by our friends and neighbors at @redwood.records.ca to check out some more vintage Kuumbwa posters, as well as live music by Full Court Press.

It’s going to be a great @FirstFridaySantaCruz at Cedar Square!

An honor to set the stage for the legendary Gary B

An honor to set the stage for the legendary Gary Bartz on Friday.

📷: @r._r._jones_photography

Kuumbwa’s Jazz Camp is back in 2025 from June 16

Kuumbwa’s Jazz Camp is back in 2025 from June 16 to June 27 – and registration is now open!

For over 25 years Kuumbwa’s Jazz Camp has been a destination for dedicated student musicians, grades 8-12, to learn about the thrilling creativity and limitless possibilities of jazz.

Register today to receive early-bird pricing! Scholarships and financial aid are available.

Get all the info and register today at the link in our bio.

Have questions about Jazz Camp or scholarship opportunities? Please email brian@kuumbwajazz.org.

@Kneebody blends explosive rock energy with nuance

@Kneebody blends explosive rock energy with nuanced chamber ensemble dynamics. Don’t miss their upcoming visit to Kuumbwa on May 21.

Get tickets today at the link in our bio 🎟️
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#KuumbwaJazz #Kneebody #LiveMusic #SantaCruz

San Lorenzo Park has been home to many Kuumbwa Jaz

San Lorenzo Park has been home to many Kuumbwa Jazz concerts over the years, and we’re thrilled to be returning for a free outdoor show as part of our 50th anniversary celebration!

Join us on May 18 for live music by SambaDá, Tony Lindsay with The Joint Chiefs, West Grand Brass Band, and the Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band, as well as food and drink from Roux Dat, Pana Food Truck, Woodhouse Brewing, and Alfaro Family Winery.

The celebration will start at 1 PM and we’ll have on-site bike valet by Bike Santa Cruz County.

Our thanks to West Coast Community Bank and Tom Ralston Concrete for sponsoring this event.

Spellbinding guitarist @Bill.Frisell leads an ense

Spellbinding guitarist @Bill.Frisell leads an ensemble of self-described “musical brothers” at Kuumbwa on May 16.

Featuring Greg Leisz, Tony Scherr, and Kenny Wollesen, the Good Dog ensemble will take the stage for two shows.

7 PM is already sold out, so get tickets to the 9 PM show today at the link in our bio.

Our thanks to Kenneth Koenig & Lisa Rose for sponsoring the evening.

Presented in Memory of Lana Weeks.

An awe-inspiring night of ‘Sonicwonder’ with H

An awe-inspiring night of ‘Sonicwonder’ with Hiromi. Thanks to all who joined us for two sold-out shows!

📷: @r._r._jones_photography

When it comes to Bilal’s multi-faceted artistry,

When it comes to Bilal’s multi-faceted artistry, as NPR puts it, “...there’s nothing he can’t do.”

Don’t miss the vocalist/songwriter/producer’s masterful blend of jazz, soul, R&B, and hip-hop at Kuumbwa on May 15 – get tickets at the link in our bio.
———
#KuumbwaJazz #Bilal #LiveMusic #SantaCruz

Low Ticket Alert! 🚨 Don’t miss @ButcherBrown

Low Ticket Alert! 🚨 Don’t miss @ButcherBrown on April 27 as they bring their new album ‘Letters From The Atlantic” to Kuumbwa.

Get your tickets today at the link in our bio 🎟️
———
#ButcherBrown #KuumbwaJazz #LiveMusic #SantaCruz

Join us on May 12 for the @JasonMarsalis Quartet – an evening of memorable tunes from an acclaimed bandleader and scion of a storied jazz legacy.

Get your tickets today at the link in our bio.

Our thanks to Cassidy Insurance Agency for sponsoring the evening.
———
#KuumbwaJazz #JasonMarsalis #LiveMusic #SantaCruz #Jazz

We can hardly wait to unveil ‘Celebrating Creati

We can hardly wait to unveil ‘Celebrating Creativity’ – an archival exhibit spanning 50 years of Kuumbwa Jazz!

Join us for First Friday Santa Cruz on May 2 to check out the exhibit and enjoy a conversation between Kuumbwa Co-Founder Tim Jackson and Bay Area vocalist Kim Nalley.

This free event will start at 5 PM, with the conversation at 6 PM. We’ll also have DJ sets curated by our friends and neighbors at Redwood Records. See you there!

‘Celebrating Creativity’ is sponsored in memory of Carolyn Hyatt.

@ButcherBrown makes their hotly-anticipated return

@ButcherBrown makes their hotly-anticipated return to Kuumbwa on April 27. Don’t miss this stop on their ‘Letters From The Atlantic’ tour. Tickets are going fast, so get yours today at the link in our bio!

Our thanks to Heit Family Dentistry for sponsoring the evening.
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#KuumbwaJazz #ButcherBrown #LiveMusic #SantaCruz

Mark your calendars for April 30th – Internation

Mark your calendars for April 30th – International Jazz Day – and join us to celebrate over 30 years of the Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band!

Enjoy a performance by the remarkable ‘24/‘25 Honor Band, spotlighting some of our community’s most talented student musicians and featuring special guest appearances by program alums.

Tickets and more info at the link in our bio.
———
#InternationalJazzDay #KuumbwaJazz #JazzDay #SantaCruz #LiveMusic

Always an honor to welcome NEA Jazz Master @KennyB

Always an honor to welcome NEA Jazz Master @KennyBarron back to our stage.

📷: @r._r._jones_photography

@ChebNasro1 is an iconic and beloved voice of Alge

@ChebNasro1 is an iconic and beloved voice of Algerian ‘Romantic Raï’ music, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the The Center for the Middle East and North Africa and The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz for his Kuumbwa debut on May 23.

Get your tickets today at the link in our bio.
———
#ChebNasro #KuumbwaJazz #LiveMusic #SantaCruz

April has been off to an action-packed start here

April has been off to an action-packed start here at Kuumbwa, with lots more incredible music ahead.

Get tickets, and listen to this month’s lineup, all at the link in our bio.

We are grateful to the following granting agencies and funders. Thank you!

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