Azar appeared with Miles Davis when he was just 19, played on Dark Magus, recorded live in Carnegie Hall, then joined the McCoy Tyner group. He has also played with Earth Wind and Fire and worked behind the scenes in LA as a composer/arranger. A few years ago, he decided to focus on playing again and we are so lucky he did. Be sure to read the interview Azar did with Bruce Anderson, house concert host in Missoula Montana for insight into this wonderful musician and at his website, read the reviews in his Press kit.  Azar has often been compared to John Coltrane; while there will never be another John Coltrane, Azar has grown up in that tradition, playing inside and outside the changes as he pursues his own musical/spiritual journey.

Event Details:

Guests welcome at 12:30 for potluck lunch and Opening youth band Swing Set.

Azar’s group performs two sets beginning at 2 PM.

If you are reading this announcement you are invited! But attendance is by reservation; the suggested minimum donation for each concert is only $20/person. That’s how the artists are paid for performing here. Guests typically bring a dish or beverage to share to help create an afternoon “potluck” for all - think late lunch. All but cost of chair rental ($100-$150) of the donated proceeds will go to the artists, $150 to the youth band, the rest to our headliners. There are plenty of umbrellas and shady spots and guests are welcome to dip in the pool on hot days to keep their natural  ”cool.” Read our FAQ page for complete details. To receive invitations/address/directions you must reserve a seat separately for each concert.

Azar’s Band for this Santa Rosa appearance:

Gilbert Castellanos - Trumpet

Southern California trumpet virtuoso, Gilbert Castellanos, makes music that sounds effortless. Skilled with impressive dexterity and control, his clarity of expression moves listeners on a deeply emotional level.

Recognized as a new American master by Downbeat magazine, Castellanos has established himself as one of the nation’s most inventive improvisers in stirring live performances as a member of the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Anthony Wilson Nonet, Charles McPherson Quintet, Willie Jones III Quintet, and as leader of his own groups.

Zan Stewart of the Los Angeles Times says: “[Castellanos] plays with élan, evincing a more individual, ever-large sound offering hard swinging, often ear-grabbing solos…[proving] that music with deep roots in jazz’s glorious ’50s and ’60s can sound completely contemporary today.”

Slated for release in Fall, 2010, his forthcoming album as leader of Gilbert Castellanos and the New Latin Jazz Quintet is likely to change the way we think about West Coast jazz. Seamlessly drawing on his two lifelong influences — the hardbop pioneers of modern jazz who have inspired him, and the rhythmic pulse of the Latino heritage that nurtured him — Castellanos has channeled a passionate dedication to his art form, and a life immersed in the diverse and vibrant culture of his home state of California, into this, his third solo effort.

Castellanos was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, where his father performed as leader, singer and arranger of the popular cumbia band, Gil Castellanos y Su Copacabana. His father’s love for classical composers and big band jazz broadened young Gilbert’s horizons from an early age, and he was encouraged to become a jazz musician. By the time he’d reached elementary school in California, Castellanos was listening to Freddie Hubbard on his Walkman and playing the theme from Rocky on his first day in band class.

Read more at his website. – D.A. Kolodenko, San Diego CityBeat

Frank Martin - Piano/Keys

Arranger/conductor/keyboardist Frank Martin has performed and/or recorded with a variety of artists that include Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Steve Winwood, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Chris Isaak, Tevin Campbell, Cheryl Crow, Philip Bailey, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, and Madonna.

In the jazz world of music his performance credits include Flora Purim & Airto Moriera, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Narada Michael Walden, Stanley Jordan, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme, Bobby McFerrin, John Handy, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Farrell, and the Slide Hampton Big Band.
You can read and hear much more at his website: http://www.riovida.net/channels/multi-kulti/uc_jazz_club/ucjazzclub-frankmartin.asp

Lorca Hart - Drums

Drummer Lorca Hart grew up in Taos, New Mexico in a musical family. He was exposed to a variety of instruments and musical styles as a child but early on it became clear that the drumset was his passion. In high school he started to perform and focus on Jazz. He attended California Institute of the Arts from 1992-96, studying with Albert “Tootie” Heath, Joe La Barbera, Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, and many others.

Since that time Lorca has worked consistently in a variety of musical situations, performing with many of the West Coast’s (and beyond) finest artists including : Ralph Moore, Carmen Lundy, Freddie Hubbard, Calvin Keys, Stanley Jordan, Craig Handy, Kyle Eastwood, Herman Riley, Azar Lawrence, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, John Heard, Danny Grissett, Justo Almario, Bennie Maupin, Phil Ranelin, Dave Pike, Don Menza, Hugh Masekela, Bobby Rodriguez, the Clayton Brothers, Anthony Wilson, Julian Lage, storyteller/radio personality Joe Frank, actor/musicians Jeff Goldblum and Peter Weller, Ronald Muldrow, and the Cross Hart Jazz Experience (the project that he co-leads with bass player Ryan Cross). He also leads his own trio featuring Josh Nelson on piano and Edwin Livingston on bass. Lorca can be heard on recordings by Hugh Masekela, John Heard, Justo Almario, Ronald Muldrow, Dave Pike, Phil Ranelin, the Cross Hart Jazz Experience, and the Lorca Hart Trio.

Lorca teaches drumset at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, as well as teaching ensemble classes at both the Healdsburg High School and Junior High School in Sonoma County, Cailfornia.

lorcahart.com/bio.html 

Geoff Brennan – Bass

Bassist Geoff Brennan is one of the most innovative and versatile young bass players on the jazz scene today. Geoff has spent the last several years traversing the globe performing at prestigious festivals including North Sea Jazz, JVC, and Montreal Jazz, and at the opening night of the new Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall.In addition to his work with Omar Sosa, Geoff records and tours with such notables as Hilton Ruiz, Chico Freeman, and Mary Stallings.
Brennan also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Arizona State University.

Featuring Richard Howell, Saxes, Vocals, Inspiration

with E.W. Wainwright, drums, Gary Brown, Bass, Frederick Harris, Keys, and Destiny Muhammad, Harp and Vocals

“The Richard Howell Quintet is a stellar San Francisco-based all-star cast of artists featuring Richard Howellon saxophone and vocals, E.W. Wainwright on drums, Gary Brown on bass, Frederick Harris on piano and Destiny Muhammad on harp and vocals. The quintet’s theme is to demonstrate the exuberant, rich cultural heritage and definitive musical elements inherent in jazz…spontaneous creativity! The core concept explores accessible melodies, grooves and a spiritual tribute to those who came before us. They honor the old and new traditions in the music and weave the old and new into an innovative presentation of the music. They create improvised compositions at each performance. Every performance is purposely designed to be inclusive with the audience. The audience is an essential part of the performance.

The quintet is infectious and playful. Their music can create a gateway for persons to journey through time, space and dimension. Their music awakens the senses. Some of the audience responses include, people feel the love and connection, people feel pride to have the ancestors represented, people feel good, happy and inspired and want more. As one observer shared, “It’s fun to watch the artists interact and be part of the creation of the music, it makes me feel good and I leave happy.” The artists fundamentally agree that we aren’t free until we all are free.” (Quoted from a RHQ website)

To quote Richard from his website: “Our music is much like a revival touching souls with a purpose to enrich and enhance the lives of others while paying homage to those who came before us in the spirit and essence of John Coltrane.“ You’ll be singing, grooving – maybe dancing, too – when you hear this music. Check out this video about Richard’s quintet. RHQ released their latest CD: “We are all Still Connected” at Yoshi’s in 2010.

Joining Bennett Friedman, on Tenor sax, will be other world-class musicians Jim Nichols, guitar, Chris Amberger, Bass, and Lorca Hart, drums.

Bennett’s SRJC Website Bio:

A native of Berkeley, California, Bennett Friedman has been performing, writing and teaching music in the San Francisco Bay Area since the early 1960′s. He attended Berkeley High School, Berklee College of Music in Boston, and San Francisco State University, where he received a master’s degree in music (performance) in 1971. Bennett served three years in Washington, D.C. with the United States Army Band.

In the 1970′s and 80′s Bennett worked in horn sections backing such artists as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis Jr., Lou Rawls, The Temptations, and Michael Jackson among others. Bennett has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the California Symphony, and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.

Compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble by Bennett Friedman are published by University of Northern Colorado Press. He is the recipient of a National Endowment For the Arts grant for jazz composition and has had works commissioned by the International Association of Jazz Educators and many colleges.

Some of Bennett’s recent performances have been at the Monterey jazz Festival, Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, and at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.

Friedman’s teaching career began when he directed the jazz ensembles at San Francisco State University for eight years. Since 1977 he has been a full-time instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College where he teaches jazz courses and conducts the Santa Rosa Wind Symphony.

Jim Nichols‘ impressive credentials include appearances on television, radio, concert halls, and clubs including Carnegie Hall and the Tonight Show. He has played and/or recorded with Kenny Rankin, Chet Atkins, Hubert Laws, Buddy Montgomery, Van Morrison, Toots Thielemans, Tom Waits, and others. Jim has taught clinics in the U.S. and in Europe including Stanford and Jamie Aebersold Jazz Workshops. He was featured at the ’97 Django Reinhardt Festival in France with the great European guitarists, Romane and Martin Taylor. Jim is featured on “World of Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar” for Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop and has a Jazz Guitar instruction video on Bransong Music. His solo CD was chosen by Guitar Player Magazine as a “Pick of the Year” for ’96 and in January of 2001, Jim was interviewed in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. Chet Atkins said in his autobiography Me and My Guitars: “And I know, as the torch is passed, our beloved instrument is in good hands with players like Jerry Reed, Tommy Emmanuel, Richard Smith, Jim Nichols, and Doyle Dykes”.

Chris Amberger has been one of the first-call bassists in the San Francisco Bay Area and all over the west coast for over 30 years. He has toured/recorded with many of the greats in jazz including Tommy Dorsey, George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, Red Garland, Art Pepper and Art Blakey. Amberger’s hard driving bass lines, melodic soloing, and enormous creativity have brought him to perform with artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, and Steely Dan, to name a few.

Drummer Lorca Hart grew up in a musical family (famed drummer Billy Hart is his dad) and started playing at a young age. In high school he started to perform and focus on Jazz. He attended California Institute of the Arts from 1992-96, studying with Albert “Tootie” Heath, Joe La Barbera, Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, and many others. Lorca has worked consistently in a variety of musical situations, playing with many of the West Coast’s (and beyond) finest artists including : Calvin Keys, Kyle Eastwood, Herman Riley, Azar Lawrence, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, John Heard, Danny Grissett, Justo Almario, Bennie Maupin, Phil Ranelin, Dave Pike, Ralph Moore, Don Menza, Hugh Masekela.

On September 26, we present Michael Smolens’ “earPlay Jazzquintet,” a groundbreaking electro-acoustic ensemble with a 
uniquely 
kaleidoscopic sound. They take stylistic variety to new heights, cross-fertilizing
 North Indian,
West African,
 Brazilian,
 and Middle Eastern influences
 with jazz and 20th-century classical idioms. The ensemble deftly weaves together compelling textures, uniting the realms of 
composition and improvisation, spoken word and stage magic. Add to that a veritable banquet of instruments from around the world
— including the subtle usage of electronic sounds —
and you’ve got an
 unforgettable musical adventure!

On August 29 you are in for a treat: the San Francisco-based PickPocket Ensemble, playing the amazing “café Jazz” of Monte Rio’s own Rick Corrigan, perform music from their 6^th CD release. Accordion, Bass, Cello, Violin, and percussion. Is it jazz?  World music?  Who knows, and who cares! If you love either genre and dream of visiting far off lands…. Well, check out their website and hear them live right here in our own backyard. You’ll understand.

On July 18th, check out “BlueNote” jazz - Coltrane, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, etc. –  from Sonoma County’s Alastair Ingram Quintet featuring Alastair on Tenor sax and Flute,  Hal Forman on trumpet and Flugelhorn, Guy Arastuto on keys, Rick Fulkerson on bass and Tom Hayashi on drums. Alastair regularly plays with Hal, Rick and Tom in the very popular Sonoma County R&B band, Blue Moon. Hot and Lyrical jazz from the heart with smokin’ rhythm.

On June 27^th, we’ll be pleased to present Jules Broussard, well-known “Bammie” award wining Jazz and R&B Saxophonist from Marin and one of Lavay Smith’s Red Hot Skillet Lickers, too! Jules has been a Bay Area favorite for over 30 years. He’s played with or recorded with Ray Charles, Boz Scaggs, Van Morrison, Carlos Santana, Earl Grant, Art Garfunkel, and Dr. Hook. You can dance to his R&B and Rock n Roll 2nd Sunday of the month in Fairfax. But here, he’ll be in concert with his Jazz quartet playing jazz, his first love.

May 23^rd features the Petaluma-based One World Band, playing jazz from all over the world – Europe, Latin America, Asia, as well as the US featuring SSU graduate, faculty member and flautist Bob Afifi, SSU faculty and well-known guitarist, Randy Vincent, along with touring pro Art Khu on keyboards, Mark van Wageningin (filling in for Chuck Sher who has to be away on business) and the multi-talented Kendrick Freeman on percussion. Personnel vary depending on conflicting dates/gigs, etc. Except for Chuck Sher, the musicians listed below will appear May 23rd. Chuck’s Eurojazz page has samples of the sort of music this band specializes in. More links and pics coming soon! This is a very special group of well-traveled, well-known world-class musicians.

Opening for the group will be the Contemporary Jazz Ensemble from SSU’s Jazz program, directed by Doug Leibinger.

Art Khu http://www.myspace.com/artkhu
Randy Vincent http://randyvincent.com/
Chuck Sher http://shermusic.com/ http://www.shermusic.com/eurojazz.htm
Kendrick Freeman http://kendrickfreeman.com/
Bob Afifi http://bobafifi.com/

Marc Van Wageningen http://www.myspace.com/marcvw http://vwbrothers.com/