{"id":6268,"date":"2026-08-04T06:36:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T06:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6268"},"modified":"2026-08-04T06:36:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T06:36:29","slug":"san-jose-jazz-summer-fest-8-shows-you-shouldnt-miss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6268","title":{"rendered":"San Jose Jazz Summer Fest: 8 shows you shouldn’t miss"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There are many ways to enjoy Summer Fest. Some days I hunker down on the plaza and focus on the Jay Paul Company Main Stage, which this year features favorites like New Orleans brass standard bearers the Soul Rebels, R&B icon Patti LaBelle, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.<\/p>\n

Read more Why the Ariana Grande \u2018thinspiration\u2019 debate has intensified<\/a><\/p>\n

But other days the mission is to seek out artists who don\u2019t play the Bay Area often, or bands stocked with inspired players.<\/p>\n

Here are some acts well worth catching.<\/p>\n

Harold Davenport<\/h4>\n

When & where:<\/strong> 8 p.m. Aug. 7 at McDonald\u2019s Blues\/Big Easy Stage<\/p>\n

The skinny:<\/strong> Part of a brilliant wave of young Black musicians who are transforming the blues scene, Vicksburg\u2019s Harold Davenport is a 19-year-old guitarist and harmonica phenomenon who just released his debut album on the Little Village Foundation label, \u201cYoung Rell\u201d (recorded at Kid Andersen\u2019s Greaseland Studios in San Jose).<\/p>\n

Gretchen Parlato Quartet<\/h4>\n

When & where:<\/strong> 8 p.m. Aug. 7 at Break Room Stage, 11 p.m. Aug. 7 at Signia Club Regent Stage<\/p>\n

The skinny:<\/strong> With her beguiling Brazilian-inflected sound Gretchen Parlato is one of 21st century\u2019s most influential and prolific jazz vocalists, known for her work both as a leader and collaborator with the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Taylor Eigsti and Terence Blanchard. She performs with a stellar quartet including her husband, ace drummer Mark Guiliana, and also plays 1 p.m. Aug. 8 on the Jay Paul Company Main Stage with SJZ High School All Stars.<\/p>\n

Mike Clark and His Post Boptet<\/h4>\n

When & where:<\/strong> 1 p.m. Aug. 8, Montgomery Theater Stage<\/p>\n

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The skinny:<\/strong> While Mike Clark grooved his way into funk history with his \u201cActual Proof\u201d beats for Herbie Hancock\u2019s Headhunters the drummer is never happier than when he\u2019s swinging fiercely with fellow jazz masters like Boptet bandmates Craig Handy (saxophones), Dave Kikoski (piano), Essiet Okon Essiet (bass), and 85-year-old trumpet great Eddie Henderson.<\/p>\n

Dayramir Gonz\u00e1lez Quartet<\/h4>\n

When and where:<\/strong> 4 p.m. Aug. 8 at SJZ Break Room Stage and 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at Signia Club Regent Stage<\/p>\n

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The skinny:<\/strong> Cuban-born, Bronx-based pianist Dayramir Gonz\u00e1lez is an ambitious composer and spectacular improviser whose quartet features a top-shelf cast of Los Angeles players with Colombian bassist Santiago Gonzalez and drummer Tony Austin, who earned renown for his work with tenor sax star Kamasi Washington and the West Coast Get Down collective.<\/p>\n

Sylvia Cuenca Bridging Generations<\/h4>\n

When and where:<\/strong> 5 p.m. Aug. 8, Montgomery Theater Stage<\/p>\n

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The skinny:<\/strong> San Jose drummer Sylvia Cuenca, one of the region\u2019s most dependably swinging accompanists, leads a sextet featuring a veteran rhythm section with pianist David Kikoski, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet and Brazilian-born percussionist Will Martins with two rapidly rising horn players, trumpeter Wallace Roney, Jr. and tenor saxophonist Rico Jones. She brings the same group, minus Martins, to Kuumbwa Jazz Center Aug. 6.<\/p>\n

Marcus Shelby Nonet<\/h4>\n

When & where: <\/strong>Presents \u201cBirth of the Cool Revisited,\u201d\u00a01 p.m. Aug. 9, Montgomery Theater Stage<\/p>\n

The skinny:<\/strong> As part of trumpet legend Miles Davis\u2019s centennial celebration bassist Marcus\u00a0 Shelby has assembled a talent-laden nine-piece group to play the hugely influential charts recorded in 1949-50 and compiled as \u201cThe Birth of the Cool.\u201d With tuba, French horn and baritone sax, the expanded instrumentation gives these arrangements textures and motion that have never quite been equaled.<\/p>\n

Dani and Debora Gurgel Quarteto, featuring the Cressmans<\/h4>\n

When & where:<\/strong> 3 p.m. Aug. 9, Montgomery Theater Stage<\/p>\n

The skinny:<\/strong> The acclaimed mother-and-daughter led Brazilian jazz combo from S\u00e3o Paulo\u00a0 teams up with San Francisco vocalist Sandy Cressman and her daughter, trombonist and
\nvocalist Natalie Cressman, who are both steeped in Brazilian music. Natalie\u2019s husband, Brazilian-born guitarist and composer Ian Faquini, rounds out the collaboration. The Gurgel Quarteto and the Cressmans also perform at San Francisco\u2019s Keys Jazz Bistro Aug. 8.<\/p>\n

Combo Chimbita<\/h4>\n

When & where:<\/strong> 7 p.m. Aug. 9, PG&E Latin Tropical Stage<\/p>\n

The skinny:<\/strong> With the intense, incantatory vocals of Carolina Oliveros, the quartet Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular niche on the Latin alternative\u00a0scene with a psychedelia-laced sound forged in New York City\u2019s vibrant Colombian community.<\/p>\n

Read more Lee\u2019s two homers, Webb\u2019s six scoreless cap SF Giants\u2019 hectic deadline day with win<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Packed lineup offers intriguing mix of young stars and revered favorites<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nSan Jose Jazz Summer Fest: 8 shows you shouldn’t miss - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6268\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"San Jose Jazz Summer Fest: 8 shows you shouldn’t miss - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Packed lineup offers intriguing mix of young stars and revered favorites\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6268\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-04T06:36:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"San Jose Jazz Summer Fest: 8 shows you shouldn’t miss\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-04T06:36:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268\"},\"wordCount\":742,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/9ab07ce46b4c1ec90d95e306be5dcde4-scaled.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Things To Do\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=6268\",\"name\":\"San Jose Jazz Summer Fest: 8 shows you shouldn’t miss - 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