Latest news with #SFJazz
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
How the revamped San Francisco Jazz Festival aims to rival New Orleans' Jazz Fest
Brainstorming to reinvent the San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJazz Executive Artistic Director Terence Blanchard didn't have to search far for an organizing concept. 'Look where I'm from, bro,' the New Orleans native told the Chronicle. 'I just played Jazz Fest, and one thing I've always loved about it is that I see people from around the world coming to New Orleans. The city comes alive. The entire area is lit up. San Francisco deserves that.' To that end — albeit on a much smaller scale — San Francisco is getting a shot of Crescent City mojo with a revamped event that packs all of the action into one weekend, a major shift from its former concert-series format. Running Friday, June 13, through Sunday, June 15, San Francisco Jazz Festival features some three-dozen performances across multiple stages at SFJazz Center and an adjacent tent covering the parking lot at Franklin and Oak streets. The sheer density of programming offers an immersive festival experience in the heart of Civic Center. In the two decades before the jazz center opened in 2013, the SFJazz organization was known as the San Francisco Jazz Festival and its flagship three-week fall concert series presented shows at venues around the city, with no real center of gravity. Once SFJazz built its own facility at 201 Franklin St., the festival became a vestige of its origins and largely blended into its year-round calendar. Now, Blanchard sees the reimagined San Francisco Jazz Festival as the spearhead of a major expansion. While starting with 'a trial run' of a single weekend, he 'envisions this thing becoming a two-week festival where we engage the whole Civic Center,' Blanchard said. 'We have a whole bunch of ideas.' With Oak Street closed for a block between Franklin Street and Van Ness Avenue, there's a free-access midway that will feature DJs, wine and beer vendors, Off the Grid food trucks, and art and vinyl merchants. Then there's its eye-catching lineup, a multigenerational musical roster that encompasses mid-career virtuosos including pianist Orrin Evans, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin; and rising stars like pianist Jahari Stampley, trumpeter Tatiana Tate and vocalist Tyreek McDole. Los Angeles pianist/keyboardist Patrice Rushen, a force in jazz, R&B and pop since the early 1970s, is also making her SFJazz debut as a bandleader, headlining Sunday's program. Meanwhile, hip-hop steeped drummer and DJ Kassa Overall and trumpet star Theo Croker, a pillar of programming at the Tenderloin jazz club Black Cat, are artists geared to connect with both jazz heads and younger jazz-adjacent audiences. But SFJazz isn't just embracing diverse new styles — it's also honoring its roots. Revered veterans saxophonist Charles Lloyd and bassists Stanley Clarke and Dave Holland (all National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters) are featured on the bill and speaks to the institution's commitment to its titular tradition. As for Blanchard, the acclaimed trumpeter himself is providing the festival's secret sauce as 'artist at large,' roaming the various stages to sit in with different acts. 'He's not playing with his own band, so he's got the freedom to run around with his trumpet,' said Burkhard Hopper, who came on as SFJazz's director of artistic programming last October. 'A festival is supposed to have a spontaneous element.' Working closely with the German-born Hopper, a veteran music agent and concert producer who spent years bringing American jazz artists to Europe, Blanchard is looking to extend the organization's reach far beyond the city. As part of that effort, SFJazz is partnering with San Jose Jazz this summer for the first time, taking over the Montgomery Theater for the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest from Aug. 8-10. It also plans to present a concert series at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek this fall. But first things first, and that's the upcoming festival — which has one notable omission from this trial run: Bay Area jazz artists. Aside from Berkeley trumpet star Ambrose Akinmusire, who's performing duo with the superlative New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner, and San Francisco Afro-futurist Idris Ackamoor and Ankhestra, the program is dominated by out-of-town acts. Blanchard, however, urges patience, noting that SFJazz presents local artists year-round. 'The New Orleans Jazz Fest got the same reaction,' he said about complaints from resident artists. 'I'm trying to build an international jazz festival, not disregarding local artists,' he went on. 'We want to build something that people come to from all over, and we need international artists that people recognize. When we get that going, we'll have other stages where more local artists play, but we don't have that yet.'
San Francisco Chronicle
02-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘The music is in good hands': SFJazz names new CEO following yearlong search
After a year under interim leadership and a nationwide search, SFJazz has appointed Gabrielle Armand as its new chief executive officer. A seasoned arts executive and longtime leader at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, Armand will officially assume the position on July 1, guiding the Bay Area's premier nonprofit jazz institution through a pivotal moment of both challenge and opportunity. 'It's the right time for me to make a big move like this and come into a city so deeply rooted in the arts, creativity and vibrancy,' Armand said. 'San Francisco is in a moment of regeneration, and there's so much excitement about its next chapter. It felt like a natural fit.' Armand has nearly two decades of experience in arts marketing and strategic partnerships, most recently serving as chief marketing officer and vice president of brand, sales and marketing at Jazz at Lincoln Center. There, she led transformative initiatives in media, corporate sponsorships and audience development that significantly elevated the organization's national and international presence. She now brings that expertise west, joining SFJazz as it contends with financial pressures, changing demographics and the lingering effects of a pandemic that disrupted the live performance landscape. 'The richness of her experience at Jazz at Lincoln Center combined with her lifelong passion for the art form makes her the perfect leader for us,' said Coye, the board's president. 'We are excited for the opportunities ahead as Gabrielle helps expand the reach of jazz regionally and nationally, while deepening our commitment to education and artist support.' Armand steps into her new role at a critical juncture. SFJazz, widely recognized as one of the most influential jazz presenters in the country, faces growing questions about its long-term sustainability, community engagement and strategic direction, like many local arts institutions. She replaces Susie Medak, the former managing director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, who served as interim CEO following Greg Stern 's decision to step down at the end of December after 4 ½ years with the nonprofit. Armand will work in close partnership with Blanchard, an Emmy-winning trumpeter and twice Oscar-nominated film composer known as a leading figure in contemporary jazz. 'I see myself being on a listening tour for at least the first few months and spending real time with Terence to understand all the things that he wants to do,' Armand said, 'and then work together to kind of put together the priority list and the action plan.' Their collaboration pairs Blanchard's artistic vision with Armand's strategic leadership. 'We're both keenly aware of our responsibilities in our respective lanes,' Armand noted. 'We see opportunities to cross-pollinate where it makes sense, but most importantly, we're committed to supporting one another. Terence is such a versatile and accomplished musician, I have enormous admiration for his artistry.' Blanchard echoed her sentiment, calling Armand 'an outstanding leader with a deep understanding of the jazz world.' 'I'm excited to partner with her in advancing the vision and impact of SFJazz,' Blanchard said in a statement. During her time at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Armand spearheaded a bold expansion into digital media, launching an in-house record label, a dedicated streaming channel and award-winning broadcast content. 'Both of our organizations have been intertwined in many ways over the past decades and this is a sign of our maturation,' said Wynton Marsalis, managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. 'Gaby's leadership will reflect a deep understanding of the civic, cultural and mythological significance of jazz. She will make ethical, fiscally responsible, and intelligent decisions that will bring new energy to our ecosystem. The music is in good hands.' Armand sees similar opportunities at SFJazz, which has already experimented with online concerts and expanding its educational programming. 'SFJazz has an incredible foundation,' she said. 'My goal is to build on that and elevate the organization to new heights. It already has the essential ingredients every arts institution needs in times of transition: strong artistic leadership, an amazing staff and a supportive board. Those are the key elements you need whenever you're trying to turn things around, start a new chapter, or go in a different direction.' With more than 30 years of experience across music, media and nonprofit sectors, Armand is no stranger to leading complex organizations. Still, she acknowledges the unique significance of this role — and this moment. 'SFJazz has long been a beacon in both the San Francisco and national arts communities,' she said. 'It's a place where diverse voices and ideas are nurtured and celebrated. As we approach the country's semi-quincentennial, it feels especially meaningful to lead an institution rooted in jazz, a uniquely American art form that has always taken a lot of different cultures within this country, integrated them and made space and been a place to support all kinds of different artists.'
