JUN 8–19 | 39th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival
Jun 08, 2022
Joe Henderson Lab
PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production
Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.
Original show description below.
Blending the dance-inspiring rhythms of American funk and soul jazz with harmonies and melodies from East Africa, Sun Hop Fat is the premier Bay Area ensemble devoted to embracing and expanding the Ethiopian Jazz tradition, while adding its own distinctive NorCal flavor.
Made up of many of the area’s most accomplished instrumentalists and ostensibly named for the chain of funky Oakland markets that purvey “a little bit of everything,” the 11-piece brass-heavy ensemble has built a devoted following with their raucous live performances at clubs and festivals throughout Northern California, combining classics from Ethio-Jazz’s 1960s-70s “golden age” with sophisticated original compositions written by the band.
The group’s debut EP and self-titled full length featured a mix of pieces by genre pioneers Mulatu Astatke and Hailu Mergia along with originals, and their newest release, Elephant Parade, is their first to contain all-original material, mixing a deep reverence for the music’s history with au courant influences and uniquely Bay Area sensibilities.
Sun Hop Fat's newest release, Elephant Parade, is their first to contain all-original material, mixing a deep reverence for the music’s history with au courant influences and uniquely Bay Area sensibilities.
A steady wall of extraordinary moving sound and beats
San Francisco Examiner
A steady wall of extraordinary moving sound and beats
San Francisco Examiner
Watch & Listen
Sun Hop Fat
Rhinosaur
Sun Hop Fat
Crocodile Strut
Sun Hop Fat
Rhinosaur
Sun Hop Fat
Crocodile Strut