Events for March 2025

Kuumbwa Jazz Presents
Independently Produced Event
Education Event
Special Event

Calendar of Events

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1 event,

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Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley

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Gerald Clayton Trio

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1 event,

Kim Nalley

1 event,

Téada

1 event,

Master Class: Howard Paul & Matt Rollings – The Art of Musical Deference in Duets

1 event,

Mark Lettieri Group

1 event,

Smokin’ Bluegrass – Broken Compass and Mountain Drive

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1 event,

2 events,

Branford Marsalis Quartet – 7:00 PM

Branford Marsalis Quartet – 9:00 PM

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1 event,

Ted Nash Trio feat. Steve Cardenas & Ben Allison

1 event,

Dirty Cello

2 events,

Joshua Redman Group feat. Gabrielle Cavassa – 7:00 PM

Joshua Redman Group feat. Gabrielle Cavassa – 9:00 PM

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Sullivan Fortner Trio

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Bokani Dyer Trio

1 event,

DNA & Karin Babbitt Record Their First Comedy Albums

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2 events,

Christian McBride & Ursa Major – 7:00 PM

Christian McBride & Ursa Major – 9:00 PM

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1 event,

Joe Farnsworth Quartet

1 event,

Brandee Younger

1 event,

Legends Among Us: Samba Ngo and Mandjou Koné

1 event,

Lúnasa

1 event,

Bob James Quartet

1 event,

Sona Jobarteh

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1 event,

Spirit of ’75 Series: Ken Okada Group feat. YOYOKA

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Martha High’s Funky Divas with Fred Wesley & The New JBs

Get ready for a funky good time when Martha High's Funky Divas, backed by Fred Wesley and The New JBs, perform a power-packed show of hits from those played and sang with the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Fred Wesley Website Contact/info/tickets:  831-423-7970 | Pulse Productions

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley

Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Dobro Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy called “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene around the world. Known for their white-hot picking and world […]

Gerald Clayton Trio

Gerald Clayton searches for honest expression in every note. The six-time GRAMMY nominated pianist-composer and recent Blue Note Artist began formal studies at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music under the instruction of Billy Childs, following a year […]

Kim Nalley

Vocalist Kim Nalley has been heralded as “legendary” and a “San Francisco institution.” With an international reputation as one of world’s best jazz and blues vocalists, she has graced concert halls from Moscow to New York’s Lincoln Center. A true renaissance woman, Nalley has also been a featured writer for JazzWest and San Francisco Chronicle‘s ‘City Brights’, a produced playwright, a former jazz club […]

Téada

Téada returns to Santa Cruz, celebrating 24 years as one of Ireland's leading traditional bands. The band includes Oisín Mac Diarmada (fiddle), Paul Finn (button accordion), Damien Stenson (flute), Samantha Harvey (piano/dance),  Seán Mc Elwain (bouzouki/guitar), and Tristan Rosenstock (bodhrán). A leading exponent of Irish traditional music, Téada is driven by a fascination for the […]

Master Class: Howard Paul & Matt Rollings – The Art of Musical Deference in Duets

Join us for this class on The Art of Musical Deference in Duets, tailored for the pairing of piano and guitar. Steinway artist and multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning pianist, songwriter, educator, and studio legend Matt Rollings knows a thing or two about collaboration. Recently, he’s joined a musical adventure with renowned jazz guitarist/President of Benedetto Guitars […]

Mark Lettieri Group

Mark Lettieri is a five-time GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, composer, producer, and instructor based in Fort Worth, TX. He creates acclaimed guitar-based instrumental music and is a member of leading instrumental bands Snarky Puppy and The Fearless Flyers. As a session musician proficient in a multitude of styles, he has recorded and performed in virtually every […]

Smokin’ Bluegrass – Broken Compass and Mountain Drive

From the moment they take the stage, it's clear that Broken Compass Bluegrass is something different. Their energy is palpable as they weave intricate melodies with angelic harmonies, creating a wall of sound that transports fans to a place where tradition meets innovation. Whether you're a die-hard bluegrass aficionado or just looking for some foot-stomping fun, Broken Compass […]

Peter Asher: A Musical Memoir of the 60’s and Beyond

We first came to know Peter Asher through the global smash “World Without Love” as one half of the British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon. He returns--now a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire-- in “Peter Asher: A Musical Memoir of the 60s and Beyond” which brings a multimedia experience to […]

Branford Marsalis Quartet – 7:00 PM

New Orleans-born Branford Marsalis is an award-winning saxophonist, band leader, featured classical soloist, and a film and Broadway composer. In the process, he has become a multi-award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence. The Branford Marsalis Quartet, […]

Branford Marsalis Quartet – 9:00 PM

New Orleans-born Branford Marsalis is an award-winning saxophonist, band leader, featured classical soloist, and a film and Broadway composer. In the process, he has become a multi-award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence. The Branford Marsalis Quartet, […]

Ted Nash Trio feat. Steve Cardenas & Ben Allison

Together on this concert date, tenor saxophonist Ted Nash, guitarist Steve Cardenas, and bassist Ben Allison honor the music of oft-overlooked pianist/composer Herbie Nichols. Against the backdrop of over 25 years of creative collaboration Allison, Cardenas, and Nash weave musical conversations that are full of subtlety and surprise. They take turns arranging for the trio, […]

Dirty Cello

Cello like you've never heard before! Combine the virtuosic wail of Jimi Hendrix, the soul of BB King, and the fire of Bill Monroe, and add a whole lot of cello, and you get the Dirty Cello band. Dirty Cello performs all over the world, from Iceland to Israel, from Scottish castles to underground caves […]

Joshua Redman Group feat. Gabrielle Cavassa – 7:00 PM

Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley, and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police, and Led Zeppelin drew […]

Joshua Redman Group feat. Gabrielle Cavassa – 9:00 PM

Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley, and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police, and Led Zeppelin drew […]

Sullivan Fortner Trio

For more than a decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY Award-winning artist and educator out of New Orleans received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window, alongside Cecile McLorin Salvant, and earned a 2023 GRAMMY […]

Master Class: Marcie Chapa – Keep It in the Pocket

Led by renowned percussionist Marcie Chapa, this class – Keep It in the Pocket – will help improve your fluency with groove, rhythm, and a musical phrasing that is ‘in the pocket’. The term ‘in the pocket’ refers to playing with deep, consistent groove and tight rhythm that locks in with the rhythm section, especially […]

Bokani Dyer Trio

Bokani Dyer is an acclaimed pianist, composer, and bandleader who has stood as one of the most formidable and creative talents in South Africa. In the exploration of the musical tradition, and the music’s present role in culture and society, he has been a significant force of his generation diving deeply into the complex question […]

DNA & Karin Babbitt Record Their First Comedy Albums

The Bay Area's, micro-label, Punchline Records, working with Santa Cruz comics, Karin Babbitt and DNA, are bringing a celebratory night of comedy to the Kuumbwa Jazz Center.  Both comics will be recording their first comedy album for Punchline Records. With host Michael Booth. Comedian Karin Babbitt is the child of a Disney animator and an Auschwitz […]

Christian McBride & Ursa Major – 7:00 PM

Christian McBride is an eight-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic […]

Christian McBride & Ursa Major – 9:00 PM

Christian McBride is an eight-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic […]

Joe Farnsworth Quartet

One of the most highly regarded jazz drummers on the scene today, Joe Farnsworth is known for his blazing speed, precision, musical, and melodic playing. Born in South Hadley, Massachusetts in 1968, Joe grew up in a musical family. He studied with Alan Dawson and Arthur Taylor prior to attending and graduating from William Patterson […]

Brandee Younger

The sonically innovative harpist Brandee Younger is revolutionizing harp for the digital era. Over the past fifteen years, she has worked relentlessly to stretch boundaries and limitations for harpists.  In 2022, she made history by becoming the first black woman to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. That same year, she […]

Legends Among Us: Samba Ngo and Mandjou Koné

Experience an unforgettable night of music, cultural celebration, and extraordinary art with Samba Ngo, Mandjou Koné, and renowned visual artists from Santa Cruz. These world-class musicians unite to bring you a powerful fusion of African rhythms and soulful melodies. Samba Ngo, the internationally acclaimed guitarist, singer, and songwriter from the Congo, blends traditional African sounds […]

Lúnasa

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. Its members have helped form the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key […]

Bob James Quartet

The career of Bob James is long, varied and continues to evolve at every turn. From his first days in Marshall, Missouri, the music of Bob James has captivated audiences throughout the world. Discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963, James recorded his first solo album, Bold Conceptions, that year for […]

Sona Jobarteh

Preserving her musical past, Sona Jobarteh innovates to support a more humanitarian future. The spirit of Sona Jobarteh’s musical work stands on the mighty shoulders of the West African Griot Tradition; she is a living archive of the Gambian people. With one ear on the family’s historic reputation, one on the all-important future legacy, and […]

Spirit of ’75 Series: Ken Okada Group feat. YOYOKA

Kuumbwa Jazz's Spirit of '75 Series celebrates our 50th anniversary with performances by local/community artists and $19.75 tickets commemorating our founding year. San Jose, CA-based bassist Ken Okada began arranging big band charts during his college years in the '90s in Japan and has been composing music ever since. His work is heavily influenced by […]

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