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Upcoming Shows
Doors open at 6:00. Music starts around 7:30 & 9:30.
All shows are 21+.
*SAM FIRST IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCE ISSUES TAKING PAYMENTS ON TH
Tue, Sep 17Sep 17, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM"Tuesday Happenings" is a weekly series curated by 6x GRAMMY-nominated pianist/composer Gerald Clayton. House band performs one set at 7:30pm followed by a jam session from 9:30-11pm. Jam session participants use coupon code SAM1JAM for a discounted 2nd set.
Wed, Sep 18Sep 18, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMDestiny “Lé Queen” Diggs is a bassist and composer from Newark, NJ who is currently finishing her education at the Herbie Hancock Institute. While paying homage to her past and present truths, Lé Queen’s music speaks for itself.
Thu, Sep 19Sep 19, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMKnown as a consummate improviser with a compelling approach to the tenor saxophone, Jeff Ellwood has earned the respect and admiration of the heavyweights in the Southern California jazz community.
Fri, Sep 20Sep 20, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMBorn in Florianópolis and now living in São Paulo, Brazil, the 5-time Grammy Award winner he has performed with numerous musicians including Randy Brecker, Luciana Souza, João Bosco, Eliane Elias, Paquito D'Rivera, and is a founding member of Trio Corrente.
Sat, Sep 21Sep 21, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMRalph Moore has played and recorded music with an amazing list of musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Ray Brown, Roy Haynes, J.J. Johnson, Cedar Walton, Bobby Hutcherson, McCoy Tyner, Roy Hargrove, Oscar Peterson, Kenny Baron (to name just a few).
Tue, Sep 24Sep 24, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMSam First welcomes back Kyle Poole, the incredibly swinging drummer who can be heard driving the bands led by Cecile McLorin Salvant, Emmet Cohen and Wynton Marsalis. Band performs one set at 7:30 followed by a jam session from 9:00-11:00pm. - Jam session participants use code SAM1JAM.
Wed, Sep 25Sep 25, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMTo music lovers and critics in Brazil, André Mehmari is a musical wonder and a source of national pride. To the ear, imagine a meeting of Mozart and Keith Jarrett in Brazil, Mozart for the intensity of his creation, Jarrett for his relationship to improvisation at the modern piano.
Fri, Sep 27Sep 27, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMPianist/composer Josh Nelson has performed with some of the most respected names in jazz, including Natalie Cole, John Clayton and Kurt Elling. For this performance, Nelson re-assembles the bands from two previous projects into an exciting performance featuring an all-star band.- Sat, Sep 28Sep 28, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMPianist/composer Josh Nelson has performed with some of the most respected names in jazz, including Natalie Cole, John Clayton and Kurt Elling. For this performance, Nelson re-assembles the bands from two previous projects into an exciting performance featuring an all-star band.
Tue, Oct 01Oct 01, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMSix extraordinary young musicians from around the world were selected for the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA Class of 2025. They recently began their intensive, full-scholarship program and will attain a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Wed, Oct 02Oct 02, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMAsk any jazz musician about pianist Matt Politano and all would jump to acknowledge his sheer mastery of his instrument and of jazz. One of the busiest and hardest working musicians in LA, Politano brings his trio to Sam First to present two sets of original tunes and American songbook standards.
Thu, Oct 03Oct 03, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMHaymer provides a unique blending Classic Broadway Standards with authentic Afro-Cuban Rhythms giving audiences a fresh new take on the piano trio art form. Known mostly for touring the globe with Arturo Sandoval and Jane Monheit, Haymer is excited to be back performing for his home audience.
Fri, Oct 04Oct 04, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMBrought up in the jazz clubs of New York City, vocalist Melissa Morgan is rooted deeply in the tradition of jazz while always keeping one foot planted firmly in the blues.
Sat, Oct 05Oct 05, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMKnown for his versatility and virtuosity, multi-GRAMMY-nominated pianist, keyboardist and arranger Otmaro Ruiz has had an extensive career collaborating with John McLaughlin, Dianne Reeves, Randy Brecker, Simon Phillips, Billy Cobham, Gino Vannelli and Arturo Sandoval.- Tue, Oct 08Oct 08, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM"Tuesday Happenings" is a weekly series curated by 6x GRAMMY-nominated pianist/composer Gerald Clayton. House band performs one set at 7:30pm followed by a jam session from 9:30-11pm. Jam session participants use coupon code SAM1JAM for a discounted 2nd set.
Wed, Oct 09Oct 09, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMHaving earned acclaim from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, DownBeat, and NPR, Sánchez and her trio focus on creating a balanced, immersive musical experience, emphasizing collaboration and the unique strengths of each musician.
Thu, Oct 17Oct 17, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMSaxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Wheeler Curtis is a musician known for his "intensely focused and garrulously inventive" style, which draws from a wide range of influences including progressive bop and post-Coltrane/Ornette free improvisation.
Fri, Oct 18Oct 18, 2024, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PMGrammy Award Winning saxophonist and composer Alex Hahn’s celebrates the release of his fifth solo album, Childhood Melodies, featuring arrangements of the music from Hahn’s childhood, including Barbara Streisand, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and songs from classic Disney movies.
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