Chris Botti and More Set for SFJAZZ January 2026 Programming

January will ring in a new year programming to SFJAZZ, featuring an ambitious slate of concerts that celebrate the full spectrum of jazz and its global influence. 

*** JANUARY 5–11, 2026 ***

Chris Botti

Monday, January 5, 7:30 PM
Tuesday, January 6, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, January 7, 7:30 PM
Thursday, January 8, 7:30 PM
Friday, January 9, 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 10, 3 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 11, 3 PM & 7 PM
Miner Auditorium

A trumpeter with a sumptuous, enveloping tone, fluent phrasing, and sense of space, Botti became a masterly musician equally at home in the realms of jazz and pop. He honed his craft performing and recording with stars like Frank Sinatra, Buddy Rich, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Sting, who featured him on his Brand New Day tour and who was one the stellar artists on Botti’s chart-topping 2009 album Live in Boston.

*** JANUARY 16–18, 2026 ***

VINICIUS CANTUÁRIA & CHICO PINHEIRO

Friday, January 16, 7 PM & 8:30 PM
Saturday, January 17, 7 PM & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

A Rio de Janeiro-raised pop hitmaker who reinvented himself in Brooklyn three decades ago as a supple Brazilian jazz singer/songwriter, guitarist Vinicius Cantuária has carved out a singular niche on the international music scene. A longtime favorite at SFJAZZ, he returns on the heels of his 2024 Sunnyside Records release, Psychedelic Rio, in an intimate duo performance with the masterful Brazilian guitarist and composer Chico Pinheiro.

HAMILTON DE HOLANDA TRIO

Friday, January 16, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

The bandolin occupies a special place in the world of Brazilian music, and Hamilton de Holanda is the undisputed king of the diminutive instrument. Making his SFJAZZ debut, he’s a fiercely melodic improviser who delivers flashing, exquisitely crafted lines on his custom-made 10-string mandolin-like bandolin.

MELISSA ALDANA / TAYLOR EIGSTI

Saturday, January 17, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

This concert puts a spotlight on two of jazz's most acclaimed and prodigious instrumentalists.

Winner of the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, Melissa Aldana is clearly one of jazz’s leading lights. Her latest Blue Note album, Echoes of the Inner Prophet, is her most audacious statement to date, named for the title track dedicated to the late Wayne Shorter. Aldana’s bold sound and vision have been nurtured by some of jazz’s most perspicacious talent scouts including Danilo Pérez, George Coleman, Joe Lovano, Greg Osby and her father, saxophonist Marcos Aldana, but the young leader has built a career by turning convention on its ear. Named to DownBeat’s “25 For the Future” list in 2016, she has more than lived up to her potential.

Bay Area native Taylor Eigsti has built a career on superlatives. A virtuoso pianist who began his journey at age four, he released his debut album at 14 and began teaching at Stanford Jazz Workshop the following year. Now a two-time GRAMMY winner and four-time nominee, Eigsti has built a remarkable resume of the music’s greatest names, including Joshua Redman, Dave Brubeck, Lisa Fischer, Terence Blanchard, Julian Lage, Ambrose Akinmusire, Eric Harland, and Gretchen Parlato. Over 50 recording credits and 9 albums as a leader over 25 years have established him as among the most gifted pianists and composers in jazz. His most recent album, Plot Armor, is a 2025 GRAMMY winner.

SMARTBOMB x SFJAZZ COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE

BRAXTON COOK, KIEFER TRIO, Josh Johnson

Sunday, January 18, 4 PM
Miner Auditorium

Our second Sunday SMARTBOMB takeover features saxophonist Braxton Cook with the Kiefer Trio in Miner Auditorium, and saxophonist and composer Josh Johnson with a solo set in the Joe Henderson Lab. Called “a prominent voice for this generation of musicians” by DownBeat, alto saxophonist Braxton Cook has garnered worldwide acclaim for his solo artistry as well as his extensive sideman work with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Marquis Hill, Christian McBride, and Robert Glasper. His most recent release is the Nettwerk EP My Everything. He performs with the acclaimed trio led by pianist Kiefer.

*** JANUARY 22–25, 2026 ***

MARCUS MACHADO

Thursday, January 22, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

Marcus Machado is a guitar virtuoso whose explosive talent has electrified the music world. Born in Brooklyn, Machado picked up the acoustic guitar at age two and the electric by four, earning early comparisons to Jimi Hendrix for his prodigious skill and fiery stage presence. Last appearing at SFJAZZ with the masterful soul-jazz vocalist José James, Machado headlines his first performance in the Joe Henderson Lab. Drawing inspiration from legends like Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Machado fuses blues, funk, jazz, hip-hop, rock, and psychedelia into a genre-blurring sound that is both soulful and hard-hitting.

B. DEVEAUX

SINGS JAZMINE SULLIVAN’S ‘FEARLESS’
Friday, January 23, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

A powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist, B. DeVeaux kicks off the Hotplate series in 2026 with their tribute to neo-soul singer Jazmine Sullivan’s GRAMMY-nominated 2008 album Fearless. Based in Oakland, DeVeaux is a gifted young musician who rose through the Oakland School for the Arts to become an in-demand touring and recording artist, performing at Outside Lands, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mountain Winery, and at Kennedy Center as part of the group Oakland Rising with fellow Bay Area greats August Lee Stevens and NAIMA. DeVeaux released their debut album, Chrysalis, this year.

Jonathan Barber & VISION AHEAD

Saturday, January 24, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

Jonathan Barber, a virtuoso drummer and composer from Hartford, Connecticut, has become a driving force in contemporary jazz through his work with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Pat Metheny, and Christian Sands and his acclaimed band project, Vision Ahead. The quintet performs material from their eponymous debut album and more. Formed with longtime friends and fellow Jackie McLean Institute alumni—guitarist Andrew Renfroe, pianist Taber Gable, bassist Matt Dwonszyk, and saxophonist Matt Knoegel—Vision Ahead is more than a band; it’s a brotherhood forged over years of shared practice, gigs, and life experiences. Their chemistry is unmistakable, resulting in a sound that melds classic jazz with gospel, rock, soul, and fusion, all propelled by Barber’s interactive, storytelling drumming.

JEREMIAH CHIU & MARTA SOFIA HONER

Sunday, January 25, 6 & 7:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer offer a captivating exploration of sound at the intersection of electronic innovation and classical tradition. Chiu, a Los Angeles-based synthesist and composer, and Honer, an accomplished violist and session musician, have developed a distinctive musical partnership that seamlessly blends modular synthesizer with viola. Their performances are characterized by a masterful interplay of acoustic and electronic textures, creating immersive sonic landscapes that are both organic and experimental. The duo’s collaboration is rooted in years of shared experience and artistic growth, beginning with their initial meeting in Chicago’s vibrant improvisational music scene and continuing through their relocation to Los Angeles. Their joint album for the International Anthem label, Recordings from the Åland Islands, exemplifies their approach, combining field recordings with improvisational passages to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere.

*** JANUARY 26–31, 2026 ***

SFJAM: FREE COMMUNITY JAM SESSION

BLUES & RHYTHM CHANGES WITH KASEY KNUDSEN

Monday, January 26, 7 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

These monthly open jam sessions provide a space for all Bay Area musicians to come together and perform in an inclusive, multigenerational setting. Each session features a musical director and curated repertoire. We invite musicians of all levels and ages to sign up, and each session is free and open to the public - no reservations or tickets needed to attend!

LISTENING PARTY WITH RESIDENT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MICHAEL LEAGUE:

IN DISCUSSION WITH SFJAZZ CEO GABRIELLE ARMAND

Wednesday, January 28, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

Step into the SFJAZZ “living room” and hear artists and tastemakers spinning their favorite recordings while in conversation. Listening Parties offer listeners the chance to get behind-the-scenes and hear about music from the artist’s perspective. The format is an on-stage conversation in the Robert N. Miner Auditorium, accompanied by the artist’s pick of recorded, and sometimes live, excerpts. The conversation closes with questions from the audience followed by a reception with complimentary drinks and bites. This Listening Party features Snarky Puppy bandleader, bassist, composer and SFJAZZ 2025-26 Season Resident Artistic Director Michael League in conversation with SFJAZZ CEO Gabrielle Armand. Hear insightful stories about League’s SFJAZZ residency, his growing number of projects, his label GroundUP, the state of jazz and music today and more.

OPEN SOUNDCHECK WITH RESIDENT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MICHAEL LEAGUE

Thursday, January 29, 4:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

SFJAZZ Open Soundchecks are an exclusive, behind-the-scenes opportunity to experience our concert hall during the artist’s sound check, revealing the critical preparation that goes into making the performance a success. Easily one of the most visible, prolific, and versatile bandleaders and collaborators in modern music, the 5-time GRAMMY-winning Snarky Puppy mastermind and GroundUP Records founder Michael League showcases his widely varied musical endeavors as SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director. A Southern California native, League attended the renowned University of North Texas jazz program, where he met the core of the band that would become Snarky Puppy — a band that has built a fervent global following for their electric blend of jazz, pop, R&B, and soul. Now based in Catalonia, Spain, he is the creator and bandleader of both Snarky Puppy and the world music group Bokanté, founder of the record label and music curation source GroundUP Music, and co-founder/artistic director of the GroundUP Music Festival.

SATYA

Thursday, January 29, 7 & 8:30 PM
Friday, January 30, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Oakland native Satya is a star on the ascent, with a truly distinctive sound that crosses genres of soul, R&B, folk, and rock. Making her long-awaited return following her triumphant 2023 appearance as part of Noise Pop, she brings selections from her repertoire including music from her unreleased upcoming projects. A graduate of the Oakland School for the Arts who relocated to New Orleans and has since returned to the Bay, Satya counts India.Arie, Goapele, Mazzy Star, Corinne Bailey-Rae, and Prince among her myriad influences, and released her debut EP Flourish Against Fracture in 2020.

ELIPSIS WITH MICHAEL LEAGUE, ANTONIO SÁNCHEZ, PEDRITO MARTINEZ, & GLENDA DEL E

Thursday, January 29, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

Night one of Michael League’s residency marks the SFJAZZ debut of his all-star Elipsis project featuring a trio of respected bandleaders and in-demand collaborators — master drummer Antonio Sánchez (Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Danilo Pérez) and percussion virtuoso Pedrito Martinez (Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Paul Simon). They are joined by Latin GRAMMY-nominated vocalist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer Glenda del E (Alejandro Sanz) for an evening of “future folklore,” balancing each member’s deep roots with a common desire to move the music in unexplored new directions.

MICHAEL LEAGUE & BILL LAURANCE

Friday, January 30, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

The second night of Michael League’s week as Resident Artistic Director is an intimate evening of duos by League and his longtime Snarky Puppy collaborator, keyboardist Bill Laurance. With Laurance on acoustic piano and League handling all manner of stringed instruments including fretless electric bass, the Middle Eastern oud, the Malian ngoni, they perform material from their two duo albums for the ACT Music label, 2023’s Where You Wish You Were and 2024’s Keeping Company, along with new music and a few surprises.

Jharis Yokley & BIGYUKI

Saturday, January 31, 7 & 8:30 PM
Joe Henderson Lab

Virtuoso drummer and singer Jharis Yokley, best known for his work with José James, Solange, and Chance the Rapper, performs new tracks as well as the scintillating electro-acoustic music from his 2024 José James-produced solo album Sometimes, Late at Night. He will be joined by his creative partner on the album, keyboard phenom BIGYUKI, the versatile and in-demand collaborator with Q-Tip and Mark Guiliana. Yokley is a dynamic drummer, producer, and songwriter whose work bridges hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and rock. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Yokley began playing drums at age three in church and quickly developed a reputation for his explosive style and versatility. He honed his craft at Berklee College of Music, studying with jazz luminaries Terri Lyne Carrington and Danilo Pérez.

BIGYUKI, born Masayuki Hirano in Kobe, Japan, is a visionary keyboardist and composer who has forged a unique sound that fuses jazz, hip-hop, soul, electronica, and classical influences. Referred to as “NYC’s secret weapon,” BIGYUKI has contributed to landmark albums by A Tribe Called Quest and J. Cole, toured with Kamasi Washington, and collaborated with artists like Bilal and Talib Kweli. With guest appearances by vocalists Jose James and Taali, Sometimes, Late at Night is an album of dazzling musical and emotional peaks and valleys.

BECCA STEVENS, MICHAEL LEAGUE, & THE SECRET TRIO

Saturday, January 31, 7:30 PM
Miner Auditorium

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