Live Jazz (& Blues) Meetup Group

Time for the annual Bird & Beckett performance by the Cottontails, with their lively blend of jump, jive and swing! This band consists of vocalist Karina Denike, pianist Michael MacIntosh, saxophonist Tom Griesser, guitarist Vic Wong, bassist Joe Kyle, Jr., and drummer Randy Odell. Guaranteed to put you in good spirits!

Fellow Meetup organizer Digne has hosted this band's bookstore shows in the past, but he's otherwise occupied this year, so I'm taking the reins!

COST: $25-35 sliding scale cover charge, paid at the door. CASH ONLY. ... Also, I welcome $1.00 donations from RSVPers to defray my hefty Meetup fees.

NOTE that this is an EARLY show.

SEATING is general-admission, first-come, first-served, on folding chairs with cushions. (The musicians are on a slightly raised stage.) Seating is typically limited to 30 people.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The reservation system at Bird & Beckett involves each attendee calling or emailing the bookstore to request a seat for themselves, and then arriving on time to pay the cover charge at the door and to secure a seat for yourself. See the bookstore's contact info here: https://birdbeckett.com/

Note: You may BYOB, but no food is allowed inside the store.

WHEN/WHERE TO MEET: Meet outside the bookstore prior to 4:00 p.m., when the doors are due to open. (The show starts at 4:30 p.m, and goes to 6:30 p.m., typically with a break in between sets.) Please allow extra time for transit or parking, since latecomers risk forfeiting their slots to other concertgoers.

HOW TO FIND ME: See my photo with my Meetup profile. (I'm WF, 5 feet tall, with glasses and short, salt-and-pepper hair.) I'll send my cellphone number to RSVPers before the show. PLEASE TEXT ME IF YOU DON'T SPOT ME.

TRANSIT/PARKING: The bookstore is located less than two blocks from the Glen Park BART station and Muni bus lines (and about one block from two ATMs) in an attractive commercial/residential neighborhood. Parking is on the street.

OPTIONAL POST-SHOW DINNER: At a good Thai restaurant located across the street from the Glen Park BART station. Prior to the event date, let me know if you're interested in that. (Please bring cash for the dinner, in case of one bill for the entire table.)

VIDEO of the band, from a past show at Bird & Beckett:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM_l-vaWgzM

Trumpet master, composer, and arranger David Weiss -- praised by The New York Times, Village Voice, JazzTimes, and others for his explorations over the years of hard bop, swing, and free improvisation traditions -- will be accompanied for this performance by Essiet Essiet (bass), Michael Zilber (tenor sax), and the sidemen on David's acclaimed new release: Myron Walden (alto sax), David Bryant (piano), and E.J. Strickland (drums). This is a rare chance to hear this band in the Bay Area!

EVENT COST: $25 at the door if tickets are still available then OR $27.50 in advance online. (NOTE: ticket sales at the door might be cash only.)

Also, consider donating $1.00 to defray the hefty fees that Meetup charges me for being head organizer of the Live Jazz (& Blues) Group.

SEATING: Seating is general admission. Buy your own tickets.

NOTE that this is an early Friday show, starting at 5:30 p.m.

EVENT/BAND DETAILS and TICKET LINK:
https://piedmontpiano.com/calendar/2024/12/6/david-weiss-sextet

MORE INFO and AUDIO/VIDEO
https://davidweissmusic.com/

WHEN/WHERE TO MEET: Meet inside the seating area no later than 5:15 p.m. (The show starts at 5:30 p.m.; Piedmont Piano shows typically consist of one 90-minute set with no intermission.)

OPTIONAL POST-SHOW DINNER: When you RSVP, indicate if you want to join me for dinner (space allowing) at a nearby restaurant after the show (either a Laotian-Thai restaurant or a Japanese restaurant). I'm limiting this dinner to four people due to seating issues. (I'll gladly accommodate additional people for the concert by itself.)

HOW TO FIND ME: I'm WF, 5 feet tall, in my 60s, with glasses, and short salt and pepper hair (see my photo with my Meetup profile). I'll email RSVPers my phone number prior to the event.

TRANSIT/PARKING: The piano store is a short walk from the 19th Street and 12th Street Oakland BART stations, and the restaurants are within two blocks of the piano store and BART. There are at least two paid parking lots in the area, and there is often free street parking unless there are shows at the three large concert halls in the neighborhood.

Key Elements is an all-female band consisting of five musicians with decades of experience performing with assorted groups, playing Latin and Brazilian jazz (original compositions and classic pieces) on piano, sax, percussion, bass, and drums. Meetup members caught this group about a year ago at this same venue and really enjoyed them, so I'm up for seeing them again :)

EVENT COST: $1.00 donation to the Meetup organizer (that's me!) to defray my hefty Meetup fees ... plus the cost of the show ticket (about $22 in advance online with the venue's service fee)... If the show doesn't sell out in advance, you can also buy a ticket at the door shortly before showtime for $20.

TICKET INFO: Buy your own tickets.

SEATING: General admission, mainly on couches, in a casual, pleasantly funky, coffeehouse-type setting

MORE DETAILS/TICKET LINK:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/key-elements-latin-jazz-ensemble-tickets-1009370453197

MUSICIAN WEBSITE:
https://keyelementslatinjazz.com/

WHEN/WHERE TO MEET: Meet out front of the Back Room by 7:30 p.m., so we can get seats together. (The show starts at 8:00 p.m.) If we miss each other there, look for each other in the seating area.

HOW TO FIND ME: I'm WF, 5 feet tall, in my 60s, with short, wavy, salt-and-pepper hair, and glasses. (See my photo with my Meetup profile.) I'll send my cellphone number and more info to RSVPers prior to the event. PLEASE TEXT ME IF YOU DON'T SPOT ME.

OPTIONAL PRE-SHOW DINNER: Prior to the event date, please let me know if you're interested in eating at Tender Greens (on University near Shattuck) prior to the concert. (No food or drink is sold at the Back Room, but you are free to BYOB.)

PHOTOS of the Back Room and more details about the space:

http://backroommusic.com/about-the-back-room/

PARKING/TRANSIT: http://backroommusic.com/transportation-parking/

LOCATION: The Back Room is located just off University, about a block from MLK (and Trader Joe's), on AC Transit bus routes, and less than a half-mile from the downtown Berkeley BART station.