When it comes to San Francisco’s music scene, there’s always someone pushing the boat out. One of the leading figures in that boundary-pushing club is Jazz Mafia. If you haven’t heard of them, where the hell have you been?
On April 24th, Jazz Mafia takes over The Sound Room with The Beatles Reimagined alongside Otis McDonald. Following sold-out shows dedicated to Stevie Wonder and Prince, they have a talent for turning iconic music into something entirely unexpected: genre-blending, imaginative, and new. For purists, there’s The Jazz Room, while Candlelight concerts offer a more classical take on genre-blending in SF. But if Jazz Mafia is more your thing, here’s everything you need to know.
Who are Jazz Mafia ?
In 2000, Adam Theis — a skilled trombonist, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer — created a collective unlike anything SF had seen before: a group of exceptionally talented musicians bringing together genres that shouldn’t work, but somehow do. From electro and hip-hop to classical and jazz, Jazz Mafia is proof that collaboration and risk-taking can lead to brilliance when you have the right people involved.
The collective is made up of 50 members, who split off into smaller groups, each with its own distinct sound and style of performance. Over the years, they’ve worked with legends like Roy Ayers, Lyrics Born, Zion-I, Rebelution, and Latyrx. This April 24th concert falls under the Jazz Mafia Experience banner, the series where they reimagine familiar favourites in their signature style.
More Bay Area concerts and venues for evenings like this
In a city filled with such vast amounts of talent and creativity, unsurprisingly the Jazz Mafia Experience aren’t the only ones hosting evenings dedicated to innovative new sounds, or jazz.
- The Jazz Room: Focused on different artists and eras of jazz, The Jazz Room has been earning 5-star reviews all year—and is not to be missed.
- Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio: A SF establishment dedicated to all things jazz, and new bands, with live music performed Wednesday through Saturday.
- Bix: First opened in 1988, and always full of lively jazz and classic cocktails.
- Candlelight concerts: Renowned concert series known for its genre blending scores and use of iconic venues all around SF.
