Events for Tuesday, April 14 - Wednesday, April 29

Multi-faceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen has emerged as one of his generation's pivotal figures in music and the related arts. Downbeat observed that his "nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary indicate he's above any convoluted technical showmanship." In the same spirit, Cohen himself has noted that playing jazz is "about […]

Join teen poets from across the county. Celebrate the voices of the Youth Poet Laureate program, hear poems from the newly published Rising Voices Anthology, and meet the 2026-27 Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate. This is a joyful opportunity to appreciate the county's youth and let their unique voices shine. Santa Cruz County Youth […]

Known as “Hawai‘i’s Renaissance Man,” George Kahumoku Jr. is beloved for his soulful vocals, masterful slack key guitar playing, and warm storytelling rooted in Hawaiian tradition. Jim “Kimo” West—renowned both for his own award-winning slack key albums and decades of guitar work with “Weird Al” Yankovic—brings his signature melodic style and deep reverence for Hawaiian music. Together, the […]

NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz has been one of the best purveyors of what he calls “informal composition” (as opposed to improvisation) on alto saxophone since the 1960s, working with such luminaries as Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Miles Davis. He has released more than forty-five solo albums and appears on more than […]

Jane Monheit is a jazz and adult contemporary vocalist with a deep passion for the Great American Songbook. With many highly acclaimed solo albums, countless awards and accolades, and over two decades of international touring experience, Monheit has not only been an extremely successful bandleader, but has had the privilege of making music with some […]

Kuumbwa Jazz and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music present: A Change is Gonna Come featuring Palaver Strings and tenor Nicholas Phan in partnership with UC Santa Cruz Arts Division A Change is Gonna Come celebrates the rich legacy of American protest songs, from beloved anthems to new commissions. Arrangements of 1960s classics explore the sonic […]

Poi Rogers is back at Kuumbwa Jazz Center to celebrate the release of their second album. Santa Cruz locals and national award winning musicians Carolyn Sills and Gerard Egan's unique take on American roots music blends western swing, Hawaiian steel guitar and Americana. They are both inductees in the Sacramento Western Swing Hall of Fame […]

“His fundamentals as a player could hardly be stronger, and his instincts as a composer and bandleader are almost startlingly mature.” - The New York Times For more than a decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, bandleader, and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY Award-winning artist and recipient of the 2026 […]

Hailing from Cuba, the GRAMMY-winning and Latin GRAMMY-nominated drummer, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the music landscape – nationally and internationally. A gifted educator, Prieto has conducted numerous master classes, clinics, and workshops around the world. He was on the jazz studies faculty […]

Hailing from Cuba, the GRAMMY-winning and Latin GRAMMY-nominated drummer, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the music landscape – nationally and internationally. As a composer, Prieto has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and most notably for his own bands; ranging from duets […]