Autism Fun Bay Area & SF Live Arts present

An “Inclusion” concert for both families with developmental disabilities and the general public with

invoke

This remarkable group from Austin has roots in the great Quartet tradition, but explodes the boundaries of the repertoire by including the banjo, mandolin and vocals in their performances alongside their violins, viola and cello. Invoke’s repertoire weaves together traditions sounds from across America including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz and minimalism. Their 2015 debut Souls in the Mud includes works written by and for the group. The band’s upcoming release Furious Creek promises to be haunting and compelling.

In 2016, the band received First Prize in the Savvy Musician in ACTION Chamber Competition, and was chosen as Finalist in the Concert Artist Guild Competition.

“The group dresses like an Americana rock band, plays original music in addition to other contemporary works and occasionally breaks out a banjo or mandolin that it seamlessly integrates into its classical framework.”

The highlight: It’s reworking, with banjo, of a motet (sacred choral music) by 16th century composer, Palestrina. If the goal was to make classical music relevant, it couldn’t have proven the point any more clearly — and the crowd emphasized the point with its enthusiastic reception.” –Dan Cook, Arts Beat

April is Autism Awareness Month. Join us as we offer a special “Inclusion” concert welcoming neuro-typical folks along with our families with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Best to reserve your FREE tickets at:   https://invoke-inclusion.brownpapertickets.com/

ROVA Saxophone Quartet – 40^th Anniversary (& CD release) concert!

Friday, May 4, 8PM    $16adv/$20door

Rova Saxophone Quartet: a group that can move you the way an Eastern European choir of voices can move you, but also a group with force, a force that can feel as if it is tearing the walls of the listening space down, will celebrate its 40^th Anniversary and the release of their new CD, “In Transverse Time.”   Rova will play music from their new CD (on the adventurous Canadian label Victo) and reprise vintage Rova material from the vaults.

Since their beginnings in 1978, ROVA has been able to instigate, to challenge, and to inspire both listeners and other musicians by exploring the synthesis of composition and collective improvisation, creating exciting, genre-bending music.

ROVA remains one of the world’s leaders in improvised music, creating remarkable, adventurous art and inspiring generations of fans and fellow musicians. ROVA has toured the world many times, headlining innovative music festivals and collaborating with new music giants such as Anthony Braxton, John Zorn and Terry Riley.  Past highlights include their being the first American, new music group to tour the Soviet Union in 1983. A documentary video of the tour, Saxophone Diplomacy, aired on PBS stations throughout the U.S.  They returned to the USSR in November 1989 and subsequently released a live CD from the tour, This Time We Are Both (New Albion Records). Between those visits, Rova presented a San Francisco performance by the Ganelin Trio, the first Soviet jazz group to appear in the U.S. The trio performed with Rova at its first Pre-Echoes series.

Rova’s efforts to further the sax quartet repertoire have been recognized repeatedly by Meet the Composer. In fact, with 20 commission awards, Rova is the most frequent award recipient in that prestigious program’s history.

With over two dozen recordings Rova Saxophone Quartet (Jon Raskin, Larry Ochs, Steve Adams, and Bruce Ackley) has developed an international reputation, recognized as pioneers in the fields of experimental and improvised music. With influences ranging from jazz and contemporary classical/new music to the traditional musics of Africa, Asia, and Europe, Rova’s music is improvisational without being free-form, and composed without being predictable.

Recently their Electric Ascension concerts recreated John Coltrane’s great Ascension album, and has been performed to universal acclaim at festivals in Europe and the U.S., often featuring great guest musicians such as Andrew Cyrille, Trevor Dunn, Tom Rainey, Hamid Drake, Lisle Ellis, Natsuki Tamura, Peter Evans, Eyvind Kang, Jason Hwang, Zeena Parkins, Elliot Sharp, and Wayne Horvitz, among others. Recently, a fantastic 5-camera concert-video was released as a DVD and Blu-ray, documenting Electric Ascension as performed at the 2012 Guelph Festival. That has been combined with the documentary Cleaning the Mirror – the hows and whys behind the making of Electronic Ascension – to make up a 2 hour package called Rova Channeling Coltrane.

One thing is certain: Rova’s music and the events presented by Rova:Arts continue to stimulate the improvised music scene and bring groundbreaking music to wider audiences.

(photo by Myles-Boisen)

MANRING, KASSIN, BURR with JEFF TITUS

Saturday, May 12, 8PM    $16adv/$20door

With amazing chops, quiet soul, diverse compositions, and a somewhat twisted sense of humor, this trio, hailed as “the world’s most sophisticated jam-band,” features three top virtuosos on their respective instruments.

As individual players, Michael Manring, Larry Kassin, and John R. Burr have all carved out extensive, multi-faceted careers exploring a vast array of musical styles. Together this triumvirate creates intriguingly uncategorizable music that blithely ignores stylistic divisions hemming in jazz, rock, folk, avant-garde, and world music. An unsurpassed master of the electric bass, Manring has collaborated with some of the world’s most esteemed improvisers. Kassin is a tremendously resourceful jazz/improv flutist, and Burr is a rollicking pianist whose command of jazz, blues and pop idioms often make him the accompanist of choice for top jazz vocalists and singer/songwriters. Together this collective trio hones extemporaneous-jazz-chamber-fusion-music for today’s ears.

Hailed as “a master of the fretless bass without rival”by Guitar Clubmagazine,  Michael Manring is known for his innovative approach to the bass and adventurous solo concerts.  He has appeared on approximately 200 recordings, and toured throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He has received multiple Grammy nominations, the Berklee School of Music Distinguished Alumni Award, two Gold Records, and the Bassist of the Yearaward from the readers of Bass Player magazine.

“Kassin exhibits an awareness of tonal possibilities in the tradition of Roland Kirk, an authoritativeness that sometimes recalls Hubert Laws and the freedom of expression of Paul Horn.”–Jazz journalist, Neil Tesser

Flutist and SF Live Arts founder, Larry Kassin’s wide-ranging performance style has led to appearances with Bobby McFerrin, David Jacobs-Strain, The SF Klezmer Experience, Sonia, Kristin Hoffmann, Kwaku Dadey, Tom Darter, John Santos and Claudia Gomez, plus two CD releases with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzerek and Beat poet Michael McClure.

“Manzarek and McClure are brilliantly abetted by Larry Kassin throughout the album.” –Kevin Ring, Beat Scene

John R. Burr(piano). After years of touring with such artists as Maria Muldaur, The Alison Brown Quartet, Paul McCandless, and Kathy Kallick , Burr has received much critical acclaim for his recent solo album, Piedmont Avenue. John R. is that rare pianist who combines jazz technique with a genuine love for folk music. The Philadelphia Weekly said, “Pianist extraordinaire John R. Burr has the most sparkling style since former Allman Brother-turned-Rolling Stone hired hand Chuck Leavell.”

 A master of the 24 string harp-guitar, Jeff Titus performs “Inspired, tightly craftedcompositions delivered straight from the heart”–Alex de Grassi

With an innate ability to produce engaging guitar pieces, the depth of emotion in each performance by Jeff Titus leaves you feeling as if you’ve experienced a profound moment in time.

Celebrating their latest CD release with

JOHNNY HARPER & CARNIVAL

For many years Johnny Harper’s bands have been known for creative versions of New Orleans R&B classics (Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Neville Bros./ Meters, Fats Domino, etc. etc.), plus dynamic, original compositions. This mix of styles is carried on in the latest edition of the group and on their new CD “Light of a New Day.” It’s dance music, it’s party music, it’s concert music. It’s music of many different grooves, feels, and moods. Along the way, they give tastes of deep blues, uplifting gospel-soul, some humor and pure fun – and some provocative songs that will move you and give you things to think about. Join us and feel the Mardi Gras spirit!

The new edition of Johnny Harper & Carnival is an 8-piece group including a razor-sharp trumpet-and-sax horn section, the thrilling piano and organ soloing of the great John R. Burr, wailin’ sax from Jim “Dr. Grit” Peterson, and fabulous backing vocals from Gospel-Soul sisters, Maureen Smith and Sue McCracklin. Add the great grooves of drummer Rick Alegria and bassist Jesse Strauss, and you’ve got the recipe for a serious musical gumbo!

The group will also be celebrating the release of their new album, whose opening songs, offer hope and an upbeat spirit, as we keep “looking for the “Light of a New Day.”

$18adv/$22door

Vietnamese Musician, VANESSA VO