Erik Jekabson Quintet


Trumpeter Erik Jekabson has eight CDs out under his own name. His most recent is “One Note at a Time” (2020).

Erik currently leads his own ensembles in the Bay Area, including the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, and has brought them to the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Stanford Jazz Workshop, the DeYoung Museum, the SFJazz Center, Kuumbwa Jazz, Cafe Stritch, the California Jazz Conservatory, San Jose Jazz Summerfest, Palo Alto Jazz Alliance, the Napa Valley Jazz Society, Jazz at Pearl’s, The Sound Room, Pacifica Performances, the Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival, the Red Poppy Art House, Piedmont Piano Company, and Old First Church Concerts.

He has also performed at such notable venues as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Algonquin Room, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Madison Square Garden, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with David Letterman.

He works with Bay Area musicians such as the Fred Randolph Quintet, Mario Guarneri’s tbd, and the Michael O’Neill Quintet featuring Tony Lindsay.

He has appeared at Chez Hanny with Harvey Wainapel, Patrick Wolff, Dan Zemelman, Shoebox Orchestra, and Erik Jekabson.

http://www.erikjekabson.com


Kasey Knudsen is a San Francisco based saxophonist, composer & educator. She earned her BA in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2001. Since relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, Knudsen has been commissioned by the Jazzschool's Emerging Artist Series, Intersection For The Arts, and the De Young Museum.

She leads her own trio and sextet, and co-leads The Schimscheimer Family Trio with Jon Arkin and Michael Coleman, as well as The Holly Martins with Lorin Benedict and Eric Vogler.

Knudsen can be heard with Evan Francis, Ben Goldberg, Fred Frith, Eric Garland, Henry Hung, The Montclair Women's Big Band, Graham Connah, Adam Shulman, Nathan Clevenger, Aaron Novik, Michael Coleman, the Bay Area Composer's Collective Orchestra, Jarrett Cherner, Q Morrow, Rob Ewing, Marcus Shelby, Realistic Orchestra, Scott Amendola, and Rova Saxophone Quartet.

She appeared here previously with Ian Carey and Evan Francis.

http://www.kaseyknudsen.com


Pianist Keith Saunders spent his formative years inLos Angeles where he studied with Charlie Shoemake and Horace Silver. Keith worked extensively in L.A. with such well known artists as Eddie Harris, Roy McCurdy, Bill Holman, and Bill Watrous, as well as recording with Dick Berk's Jazz Adoption Agency.

After moving to New York City in 1984, Keith worked and/or recorded with Richie Cole, Richie Vitale, Hank Crawford, Mickey Roker, Ralph LaLama, Frank Wess, and Valery Ponamarev. In 1991, Keith became the leader of The NY HardBop Quintet, a cooperative unit featuring Joe Magnarelli and Jerry Weldon, which released four recordings for the TCB Montreux Jazz label.

Relocated to the Bay Area, Keith appears with Calvin Keys, Noel Jewkes, Jim Grantham, Chris Amberger, Patrick Wolff, Erik Jekabson, Smith Dobson, Peppe Merolla, and Dave Rocha.

Keith appeared previously at Chez Hanny with the Robb Fisher-Keith Saunders Trio, Frank Tusa, Peck Allmond, Michael Zilber, Dave Rocha, and the Keith Saunders Trio.


One of the most in demand bassists in the Bay Area, John Wiitala has played with Jessica Williams, James Moody, Benny Golson, Pete Jolly, Joe Henderson, Akira Tana, Vince Lateano, Scott Hamilton, Bruce Forman, Rebecca Parris, Wesla Whitfield, Madeline Eastman, and Jackie Ryan, among many others.

John was heard previously at Chez Hanny with Faith Winthrop, Michele Rosewoman, Patrick Wolff, Mark Levine, Peck Allmond, Scott Barnhill, Harvey Wainapel, and Tim Armacost/David Berkman.


Drummer Evan Hughes was born and raised in Berkeley. He began drum lessons at the age of 12, and performed with the prestigious Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, the San Francisco Jazz Festival’s High School All-Star Big Band, and the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Orchestra.

While at NYU, he studied with Joe Lovano, John Scofield, George Garzone, Brian Lynch, Ralph Alessi, Tony Moreno, Billy Drummond, and Dafnis Prieto.

He has participated in tours of Europe, Japan, Abu Dhabi and Costa Rica, and played at many prestigious New York City jazz clubs such as The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Smalls, and The Jazz Gallery.

Since graduating NYU, Evan has worked closely with multi-grammy winning producer and composer Don Sickler, developing the "Jazz Drum Corner".

He appeared previously at Chez Hanny with Dan Pratt and Marta Sanchez.

http://www.evanhughesmusic.com


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