Steve Slagle with Bruce Barth

Describing alto saxophonist and flutist Steve Slagle as a veteran New York jazz cat is certainly accurate, but hardly comprehensive. Since making a name for himself in the mid-1970s with Machito and his Afro-Cubans he’s become one of the scene’s indispensable players. Brazilian superstar Milton Nascimento, composer and NEA Jazz Master Carla Bley, and saxophone great Joe Lovano have all featured on him multiple albums. A mainstay in the Mingus Big Band throughout the 1990s, he can be found where virtuosity and expressive power are essential. Slagle got his start as a bandleader in the 1980s with Mike Stern and Jaco Pastorius, and in recent decades he’s collaborated widely with guitarist Dave Stryker.

His latest album, Ballads: Into the Heart of It, is an exquisite session featuring ace pianist Bruce Barth, who’s joining Slagle on this rare Bay Area date. An esteemed bandleader himself with more than a dozen albums under his own name, Barth has also distinguished himself as a nonpareil accompanist for the greatest jazz vocalists, including SFJAZZ performances by Mary Stallings and Paula West.