Artists on the Rise

November 13, 2019 | by Erin Putnam

What kind of audience member are you? While some of our listeners have their antennae up for that one jazz legend who rarely tours anymore, others may join us for the niche players and styles that they love. Then there are those who just want something new – whether it’s a genre-splicing Grammy nominee, or a force for social justice setting their ideas to original music. For those who love the show-and-tell of the local find and the newly minted voice, we present SFJAZZ’s Artists on the Rise series.

Rebecca Holtz

Artists on the Rise is literally an exhibit of the here and now – part celebration of the homegrown (here), part showcase of what is new and fresh on the national scene (now). Headliners also share a common thread: they have all matriculated through SFJAZZ in some way. The avenues through which these players have turned our heads are close to our hearts—SFJAZZ groups such as our flagship youth ensemble the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, our professional-amateur Monday Night Band, or as a commissioned composer of new works. 

Pascal Le Boeuf Trio w/ Friction Quartet

The series launched in November 2018 with Pascal Le Boeuf’s Trio, joined by Friction Quartet, followed up by vibraphonist Sasha Berliner and her Quartet this past spring. This year the series has doubled to four shows, kicking off on November 23^rd with vocalist Rebecca Holtz and vibraphonist Dan Neville: a match made in Monday Night Band that spiraled off into an exciting creative project. 

Nora Stanley

Moving into 2020, the series presents drummer Marcelo Pérez with his project, No Means No. This performance addresses the continued pervasiveness of sexual assault, featuring original compositions and poetry as well as canonical resistance pieces, and is a fundraiser for San Francisco Women Against Rape. On February 22^nd, our Artist on the Rise is multi-saxophonist Nora Stanley and her Quintet: a line-up brimming with players who have come though SFJAZZ as instructors and commissioned artists. Closing out the series on April 18^th, pianist Matt Wong’s Pieces of Places showcases original works tied to and inspired by locales.

Matt Wong

We hope you’ll join us for this vibrant, homegrown series and discover some of the latest sounds coming from the very center of the Center.