“The Annex Sessions” will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex) on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 6-8:30pm with

Hadley Loudon & Bridges Jazz Ensemble

Hadley Louden – Keyboard

Karl Hartmann – Upright Bass

Aaron Kierbel – Traps

Orlando Obligacion – Percussion

Special Guest

Kia Hamm – Vocals

Join Hadley Louden and Bridges Jazz Ensemble as they roll out their upcoming album: “The Longer Shorter Sessions”!

In the works for over 20 years, the album showcases modern re-workings of the Great Wayne Shorter, featuring original lyrics.

Catch some Hard-hitting old school jazz paying homage to the great Wayne Shorter on Wednesday the 16th, featuring Bay Area heavies: Hadley on Keys, Karl Hartmann on Upright, Aaron Kierbel on traps, Orlando Obligacion on percussion, and special guest Kia Hamm on vocals.

The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.

SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.

All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.

Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.

COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES

Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.

TICKETS

Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the registers.

“The Annex Sessions” will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex) on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 6-8:30pm

Rhonda Benin Quartet

featuring:

Rhonda Benin – vocals

John R. Burr – keys

Ron Belcher – bass

Alcide Marshall – drums

Jazz, Blues, Soul, and Pop

www.rhondabenin.com

Musician Bios:

RHONDA BENIN – Vocalist, Producer, Artist Teacher

“Benin’s got a coolly hip vocal, with a bit of hush and sugar and an undercurrent of big booming power. She can bend notes with a bass, talk serenade with a piano and steam the kettle from the drums”.                                                                     Ran Pacifica Tribune

San Francisco Bay Area vocalist, Rhonda Benin has earned a reputation for not just a good voice but showmanship, magnetic stage personality, humor, and of course her great dancing.  Rhonda’s impressive resume includes performances at SF Jazz, Yoshi’s, MOAD, The Healdsburg, Sonoma, Burlingame, Sausalito, Filmore, and Calistoga Jazz Festivals.  In the summer of 2012 Rhonda traveled to Hangzhou, China for a 3 month engagement at the JZ Jazz Club and was 2014 USA headliner for The Kigali Up Music Festival in Kigali, Rwanda.  In addition to singing, Rhonda is producer and founder of the annual Women’s History Month show “Just Like A Woman” a tribute to Bay Area Women In Music. Benin is a 26 year member of The GRAMMY nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage. She appears on the CHC’s 7 Cd’s and has toured 30 countries performing and recording with legendary artists such as Taj Mahal, Wilson Pickett, Richie Havens, Odetta. Al Green, Keb Mo, Santana, Patti Austin, Janis Ian, Jackson Brown, Hugh Masekela & Sweet Honey In The Rock.

In 2006 Rhonda produced her first solo CD, A Matter of the Heart a classic mix of jazz, blues, and soul and is currently working on her 2^nd CD.

Rhonda is on the teaching staff of Healdsburg Jazz ‘s Operation Jazz Band, San Francisco Arts Project, LEAP, California Conservatory of Music, Cal Performances and conducts her own school assemblies and workshops, “The Voice, The Hands The Feet”  “Twist and Shout” and “Love Letters Make Me Misty Blue”.

JOHN R. BURR – Pianist

John R. Burr is that rare pianist who combines jazz technique with a genuine love for folk music. The Philadelphia Weekly said, “Pianist extraordinaire John R. Burr has the most sparkling style since former Allman Brother-turned-Rolling Stone hired hand Chuck Leavell.” Discology wrote, “John R. Burr ranks with the best of the elegant jazzers.”

Years of touring and recording sessions with such artists as Maria Muldaur, The Alison Brown Quartet, Paul McCandless, Michael Manring, and Kathy Kallick, and recognition including a feature spot on Windham Hill’s Piano Sampler II are a testament of his talent.

Living in the San Francisco area, John R found himself at OTR Studios often recording on other people’s albums. There he met Cookie Marenco, the engineer on those sessions. When Cookie founded Blue Coast Records, she knew it was a matter of time before John R had a recording under his own name. The first solo piano album of many to come is called Quarter Tones and displays John R’ intimate relationship with the piano.

His playing is as likely to be inspired by James Taylor or Doctor John as by Oscar Peterson or the Yellowjackets although he says it is his love of folk music that has influenced him most. compassrecords.com/artist/john-r-burr

RON BELCHER – Bassist

Bassist Ron Belcher travels the world from France to Japan and throughout the United States bringing his rhythmically buoyant, emotionally uplifting style to the stage for a wide diversity of jazz artists.

Performing or recording with such international stars as Branford Marsalis, Regina Carter, Rodney Franklin, John Handy, and Pete Escovedo, as well as a literal “who’s who” of the San Francisco jazz scene, Ron has garnered a reputation as one of northern California’s first-call jazz bassists.

A passionate teacher and advocate for children’s education, Ron has served on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, Young Musicians’ Program, and has contributed to several seasons for the San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures In Music outreach program. Ron ‘s own studies include jazz improvisation and acoustic bass at several Bay Area colleges, culminating in a degree from Texas College, where he had the honor of membership in the East Texas All-Stars.

ALCIDE MARSHALL – Drums

Alcide has enjoyed a rewarding career as a drummer, band leader and booking agent in the SF Bay area.  He has performed and recorded with local and nationally known artists including El DeBarge, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Mary Wilson (of the Supremes), Rich Little, Sly Stone, Bobby McFerrin, NDea Davenport (Brand New Heavies) just to name a few.

The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.

SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.

All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.

Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.

COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES

Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.

TICKETS

Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the registers.

“The Annex Sessions” will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex) on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 6-8:30pm

Jazz Caliente

Lee Waterman – guitar

Melecio Magdaluyo – saxophones and flute

Tommy Kesecker – vibes

Marc Levine – bass

Gerry Kennett – drums

Jazz Caliente’s music is infused with Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms. The band’s repertoire includes Lee’s original compositions and the music of great Brazilian, Afro Cuban, and Jazz masters, such as Airto, Tito Puente, Miles Davis, Chano Pozo, and Horace Silver.

Musician Bios

Lee Waterman is originally from New York where his early interest in music was nurtured by his grandmother, a locally prominent classical pianist. At the age of nine he studied drums and later played in the school band. In his late teens, Lee took up guitar and Latin percussion. For four years he studied jazz guitar and music theory with internationally known guitarist and author Warren Nunes. This strong foundation in jazz styles plus the multicultural influences of his percussion studies forged Lee’s eclectic compositional style. Lee has led several Bay-Area based combos throughout the last three decades including the Silver Moon Big Band, and Jazz Caliente. He has also performed with sax great John Handy, vocalist Mark Murphy, and Narada Michael Walden and opened for Tito Puente and Pancho Sanchez.

Melecio Magdaluyo is a Bay Area native and is without doubt one of the finest reed men on the West Coast. He has appeared with Ray Charles, Whitney Houston, Tito Puente, Eddy Palmieri, George Coates, Pete Escovedo and John Santos’ Machete Ensemble.

Tommy Kesecker graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and has toured internationally with the renowned group Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience. Other credits include appearances with jazz piano legend Larry Vukavich as well as The Different Drums and Percussion Group, which performs for and educates local children. Tommy has also appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Russian River Jazz Festival, and a variety of concert venues throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Marc Levine worked for two decades in L.A as a top studio musician. During that time he toured and/or recorded with Rosemary Clooney, Gerry Mulligan, Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, Olivia Newton-John, Burt Bacharach, Melissa Manchester, and Barry Manilow. With Barry he toured for 9 years and appeared on The Tonight Show many times.

Gerry Kennett is known for his impeccable timing, crystal clear timbre, and mastery of multiple musical genres. He began his musical career on clarinet and saxophone, but switched to drums in high school. A member of the award winning University of Nevada Jazz Band, he soon branched out to performing for shows at Harrah’s, Harvey’s, and The Nugget on the Las Vegas/Reno/Tahoe circuit. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area Gerry began working with Val Diamond of Beach Blanket Babylon. Val relied on Gerry’s drumming for many years in her solo performances at The Great American Music Hall, Bimbo’s, and The Boarding House. Since then Gerry has been one of the Bay Area’s most in demand free lance drummers as well as a popular music educator.

https://leewatermanproductions.com/

The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.

SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.

All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.

Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.

COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES

Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.

TICKETS

Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the register.

“The Annex Sessions” Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 6-8:30pm will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex)

Trio SOL

Deuce Eclipse: Vocals
Caipo: Drums, Percussion, Keys
Michael Cavaseno: Guitars

Trio SOL features members of Bang Data. They bring heavy grooves, Samba-Ska-Cumbia and hints of Afro-Electro-Bossanova that are infused with soulful bilingual lyrics.

Based in Oakland, California – Bang Data is like California itself – built on Latino traditions, but deeply hybrid in expression. This beloved SF Bay Area based band – led by singer/emcee Deuce Eclipse who’s well known by hip-hop fans as an accompanying voice to the legendary Zion I, and producer/instrumentalist Caipo who has become a sought-out name producing & mixing in the San Francisco music scene and abroad – they play cumbia, hip-hop and rock into a new language of sound for the people. The ensemble released their third studio album LOCO Spring 2018. Most known for their song placement of the self-titled track “Bang Data” from their album La Sopa” on AMC’s hit TV Drama ‘Breaking Bad’ Season 4, Episode titled ‘Salud’. But since the 2016 release of the Quiero Creedence – a Latin tribute album to legendary rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival –  Bang Data has received a growing wave of attention, including from the legends CCR themselves!

Deuce Eclipse and Caipo met in 2008 through a mutual friend while Deuce was working on his solo effort with Amp Live of Zion I . Soon after, Deuce and Caipo began collaborating in the studio and began approaching ideas with an openness to experiment and combine influences from different genres. Within a few months of work they decided to re- lease they’re first EP Maldito Carnaval. In 2010 the EP landed them a song feature on Itunes Latino with the track “Drivin Steady”. ”

In late 2011, a highlight in the bands journey was a song placement of the self-titled track “Bang Data” from their album La Sopa” on AMC’s hit TV Drama ‘Breaking Bad’ Season 4, Episode titled ‘Salud’. The song kicks in right after Don Eladio, played by Steven Bauer, makes a toast and says “Salúd” then shouts ‘Traigan a las chicas” before realizing he was poisoned by a Cartel business partner.!

Other TV & Film placements include: the film Spare Parts, featuring George Lopez, Criminal Minds:Be- yond Borders. Bang Data also provided music for El Rey Networks Wrestling Show ‘Lucha Underground’ for two seasons, as well as being the house band.”

Bang Data’s 2014 album, Mucho Poco, refines their style even more and offers 10 songs, among them “Amor Califas”, a thumpin’ samba-electro-cumbia take on Dr. Dre’s & Tupac’s “California Love” celebrating latino leaders and life in Califas. “Candela” a hypnotic beat with fearless rhymes makes you move as the chant “La Candela, prende la vela…” surrounds you. The title track “Mucho Poco” opens another dimension for the band breaking it down acoustically with in-your-face vocals and a touch of melodic emotion. ”

Bang Data’s 2014 album, Mucho Poco, refines their style even more and offers 10 songs, among them “Amor Califas”, a thumpin’ samba-electro-cumbia take on Dr. Dre’s & Tupac’s “California Love” celebrating latino leaders and life in Califas. “Candela” a hypnotic beat with fearless rhymes makes you move as the chant “La Candela, prende la vela…” surrounds you. The title track “Mucho Poco” opens another dimension for the band breaking it down acoustically with in-your-face vocals and a touch of melodic emotion. ”

The album includes special guest appearances by Chico Trujillo and Wil-Dog of Ozomatli, Colombia’s Alguacil & Binghy Fyah, Hector Guerra and Karl Perrazzo of Santana. ” Check out the first single “ Bailazo” here: https://soundcloud.com/bangdata/bailazo-single-2014″

On stage, Bang Data take the songs to a whole other level when performing live. The energy and power of the bands thumping and contagious grooves pushes Deuce Eclipse singing and flow even further, including the occasional freestyle. ” Bang Data has performed with Chicano Batman, Calle 13, Bomba Estereo, Cafe Tacvba, Ozomatli, Nortec Collective, A Band Of Bitches, Enanitos Verdes, among others.”

Bang Data recorded John Fogerty’s classic “Fortunate Son” fusing Rock and Cumbia rhythms as the canvas for Deuce’s vocals including a fearless rap section. The recording is now part of a Latin Creedence Clearwater R evival tribute album entitled “Quiero Creedence”, that was released Summer 2016 on Concord Picante. ”

The album includes tracks by Enrique Bunbury, Los Lobos, Juan Gabriel, Salvador Santana ft Juanes and Asdru Sierra, Billy Gibbons & Santa Cecilia, Los Lonely Boys, Enjambre, Enanitos Verdes just to name a few. Caipo helped conceive the idea of the CCR Tribute album and has been part of the team behind the project producing and mixing several tracks.”

http://www.bangdata.com/

The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.

SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.

All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.

Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.

COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES

Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.

TICKETS

Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the register.

“The Annex Sessions” Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 6-8:30pm will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex)

Maestro Jorge Alabê & Friends

Maestro Jorge Alabê – surdo, vocals and percussion

Catia Machado-Lund – vocals and percussion

Brian Moran – cavaquinho and vocals

Abel Damasceno – percussion

Brian Rice – pandeiro

Samba Pagode! Beautiful, danceable, sing along and feel-good!

World-class Brazilian percussionist Jorge Alabê brings the rich musical culture of Brazil to the U.S. as a performing artist and master teacher.

His deep history and skill developed as he grew up playing Afro-Brazilian and samba rhythms in Rio de Janeiro, and took him around the world as director of percussion with the legendary performing company Oba Oba. Jorge is an acknowledged percussion master, and a popular and dedicated performer and teacher now based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Maestro Jorge Alabê

Master drummer Jorge Alabê grew up in Rio de Janeiro immersed in the rich musical culture of Brazil, becoming a master in samba percussion as well as in the Afro-Brazilian religious tradition of candomblé. He is an “Alabê” connected with the oldest candomblé house established in Brazil, Casa Branca; the title of “Alabê” means that he has obtained the highest level in drumming and leading of rituals in the candomblé religion and signifies deep experience and authority. Jorge played percussion with the highest level samba groups in Rio and was the rhythm director of Minas Gerais Samba School in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He has performed in recordings with Brazilian stars Milton Nascimento and Martinho da Vila and appeared on Globo TV in Brazil during 1978–1980 on the entertainment program Brasil Pandeiro.

He went on to become percussion director of the internationally known Brazilian performing group Oba Oba in 1980. During 15 years working with Oba Oba, Jorge toured with the group through Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States, including three runs at the Marquis Theater on Broadway in New York. Since 1993, Jorge has conducted workshops on samba and candomblé in the U.S.

Jorge moved to New Orleans in 1996, where he presented a series of workshops on traditional Afro-Brazilian religious drumming and dance, gave workshops in Brazilian rhythms at local universities (Tulane, Loyola, Southern universities, and various elementary schools), and worked with community organizations during Black History month. During his time in New Orleans, he worked closely with the cultural group Casa Samba, under the direction of Curtis Pierre, and built the musical and performance skills of the group, including artistic direction of their yearly participation in Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz Festival and their performances throughout the year. In addition, he worked on the development of an after-school cultural arts program at Eden Park Elementary School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and for four years, 1995–1999, taught Afro-Brazilian culture for the New Orleans Recreation Department’s Teen Camp summer program, with Young Audiences, and was honored by the mayor of New Orleans for his contributions.

Since moving to the U.S., Jorge has given frequent workshops at schools and universities, and with student groups around the country, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Austin, and San Antonio. In 2005, he taught for the fall semester as a visiting artist in the Department of Music at the University of Richmond. He has been the samba director of California Brazil Camp since 1997. Currently, Jorge is based in the San Francisco area and directs the samba group Grupo Samba Rio. He is developing musical and educational projects locally, while continuing to travel throughout the U.S. to perform and conduct workshops.

https://www.jorgealabe.com/index.html

~

The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.

SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.

All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.

Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.

COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES

Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.

TICKETS

Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the registers.

“The Annex Sessions” Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 6-8:30pm will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex)

Chris Trinidad Trio

Chris Trinidad – bass guitar

Bob Crawford – keyboard

Kevin Amos – drums & percussion

The Chris Trinidad Trio plays original tunes written over the course of the past 25 years by bandleader and bass guitarist Chris Trinidad.  His compositions take inspiration from jazz luminaries such as Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, Jack DeJohnette, Jan Garbarek, Brad Turner, Chris Gestrin, and Chris Tarry as well as disparate genres including Cuban Timba, Original Pilipino Music, English Progressive Rock, and Gregorian Chant.  Along for the ride is keyboardist Bob Crawford who has performed with Michael Franti’s Spearhead, Fito Reinoso y su Armonia, and his own group Machina Sol.  Rounding out the trio is drummer and percussionist Kevin Amos who has shared the stage with Karamba, Fred Wesley, and Andy Narrell.  Together their aim is to inspire the mind, touch the heart, and keep the good grooves rolling!

https://linktr.ee/christrinidad

The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.

SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.

All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.

Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.

COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES

Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.

TICKETS

Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the register.