Steven Lugerner's SLUGish Ensemble

SLUGish Ensemble is an amoeba-like musical collaboration under the direction of composer & multi-instrumentalist Steven Lugerner. Their music utilizes traditional acoustic instruments to create layers of pocketed-grooves, lush harmony and singable melodies that blur the lines between rock, pop, folk, rhythm & blues, jazz improvisation and minimalism. SLUGish Ensemble’s debut album was named one of “The Best Jazz Albums of 2018” by Bandcamp, while Jazziz Magazine describes the album as “Northern California’s less extravagant answer to LA’s thriving crossover jazz-scene… original, earnest and immediate.” Their September 28th performance at Sam First will be a pre-release celebration of their upcoming release "Live at Sam First" which was recorded at the club in 2019. All audience members will receive a custom sticker that includes a download code of the new album! As a band leader, Steven Lugerner has released multiple albums to critical acclaim. His compositions have been described as “a textured, nearly seamless blend of composition and improvisation” by The Village Voice - while The San Francisco Examiner has praised “Lugerner’s approach to making music is very much his own; and he seems to be pursuing it to impressive advantage.”  In a relatively short period of time, 34-year-old Bay Area native Steven Lugerner has collaborated with a heavyweight roster of jazz masters including, legendary pianists Larry Willis and Fred Hersch, Grammy award winning pianist Taylor Eigsti, vocalist Lisa Fischer, pioneering pianist Myra Melford; drum legends Albert Tootie Heath, Eric Harland, Matt Wilson, John Hollenbeck and Allison Miller; saxophonists Jane Ira Bloom, Dayna Stephens and Anat Cohen; trumpeter Ralph Alessi, flutist Jamie Baum and bassist Todd Sickafoose. Lugerner also works full-time as Faculty Director for the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and he is the founder of Slow & Steady Records, a non-profit record label dedicated to showcasing west coast creative music.

All shows at Sam First are 21+ (no one under the age of 21 will be permitted)

Show Times: 7:30pm & 9:00pm, and a separate ticket is required for each show.

Notice of Recording: Sam First live streams and records all concerts. By entering Sam First, you understand that your image and/or voice might be included in those recordings. Sam First reserves the right to use any photography, video or audio recording taken at this event, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video.