Photos: Sam First Jazz Club to Present November Lineup With Drum Week

Sam First, the jazz club in Inglewood, has announced its November lineup, which includes the inauguration of 'Drum Week,' five nights from November 10 to 14 devoted to bands led by some of today's most dynamic drummers. Performances from Kevin Kanner, Anna Barreiro Quintet, VDE Jazz Orchestra, Jaz Sawyer Quartet and Jonathan Pinson comprise this month's 'Drum Week' lineup.

The club also marked a farewell to David Robaire, who has been a multi-talented member of the Sam First team for the past nine years. He is widely known for curating club engagements and producing the first five years of live recordings for Sam First Records' audiophile imprint. His advocacy during his tenure as Music Manager, Artistic Director and Artistic and Executive Director supported Sam First in becoming a recognized and respected non-profit in the LA arts community.

Sam First recently celebrated its third annual benefit, which honored Herbie Hancock and Darlene Chan. The sold out event, which featured performances by upwards of 20 artists at The Village Studios, was featured in DownBeat Magazine.

November Lineup

Tuesday, November 3: 'Tuesday Happenings,' hosted by Gerald Clayton. 'Tuesday Happenings' is a weekly series curated by 7x Grammy-nominated pianist/composer Gerald Clayton. House band performs one set at 7:30pm followed by a jam session from 9:30-11pm.

Wednesday, November 4: Sam First welcomes vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa, winner of the 2021 International Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition and a Blue Note Records artist, with Gabriel Schnider, Luca Alemanno & Kyle Poole. Cavassa first drew wide acclaim alongside saxophonist Joshua Redman on his 2023 album Where Are We, and she now arrives with her Blue Note debut, Diavola, released this past May. Cavassa presents music from Diavola, weaving original compositions with inspired interpretations of timeless songs. With warmth, subtlety, and a distinctive contemporary voice, Cavassa transforms each piece through deeply personal storytelling and expressive artistry.

Thursday, November 5: Emiliano Lasansky Quintet with Julien Knowles, Devin Daniels, Javier Santiago & Nate Friedman. Award-winning bassist and composer Emiliano Lasansky presents a concert of exciting original compositions rooted in the small group jazz tradition.

Friday, November 6: Pianist Helen Sung brings her Oracles Quartet to Sam First for its West Coast debut, with Reuben Rogers & Anthony Fung plus a special guest. Helen is a Texas native and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship awardee. She won the 2007 Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and was part of the first graduating class of the Thelonious Monk Institute (now Herbie Hancock Institute). She has ten leader albums under her belt, the most recent of which, Oracles (Sunnyside Records, 2026), came out in June of this year. Her résumé includes work with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Clark Terry. Helen Sung's debut big band album 'Oracles' celebrates the jazz legends who mentored her at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (now the Herbie Hancock Institute). Sung now distills this music for her Oracles Quartet West Coast debut.

Saturday, November 7: The Rachel Eckroth Trio with Emma Dayhuff & Tina Raymond offers a contemporary take on the piano, bass, drums format, shaped by strong compositions and responsive group improvisation. 'This Is One Of Those Moments,' the group's first EP released in October 2025, is a precursor to a full-length album to be released in 2027.

Tuesday, November 10: 'Drum Week' Presents: Tuesday Happenings with Kevin Kanner. Leading off Drum Week at Sam First is drummer Kevin Kanner, who has spent his career performing and recording with the likes of Gerald Clayton, John Pizzarelli, Eric Reed, Bill Hollman & The Clayton Brothers to name a few. The band performs one set at 7:30 followed by a jam session from 9-11 PM.

Wednesday, November 11: 'Drum Week' Presents: Quintessência — Ana Barrerio Quintet: An Evening of Samba Jazz. Quintessência is a celebration of the Brazilian samba-jazz that shaped Barreiro as a drummer and musician. The project brings together music from the recordings that taught her how to play Brazilian music, performed with a group of musicians she deeply admires.

Thursday, November 12: 'Drum Week' Presents: VDE Jazz Orchestra featuring Adam Hersh: The Music of Monk and Herbie. The VDE Jazz Orchestra will play a program of the music of Herbie Hancock and Thelonious Monk featuring Adam Hersh.

Friday, November 13: 'Drum Week' Presents: Jaz Sawyer Quartet Honors 3 Kings: Art Blakey, Roy Haynes & Billy Higgins. Drummer Jaz Sawyer leads his quartet in a powerful tribute to Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, and Billy Higgins. Celebrating three of his greatest influences, Sawyer honors their distinctive styles and lasting legacies through an evening of dynamic, deeply rooted jazz.

Saturday, November 14: 'Drum Week' Presents: Jonathan Pinson Boom Clap Expansion. Jonathan Pinson's Boom Clap Expansion is the latest evolution of drummer, composer and bandleader Jonathan Pinson's visionary ensemble. Blending modern jazz, groove and fearless improvisation, the group delivers an immersive performance shaped by musical storytelling.

Sunday, November 15: Three-time Grammy Nominated duo Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz bring their stunning chemistry to Sam First backed by a quartet featuring Clarence Penn and Jonathan Richards. Ganz has been McGarry's guitarist, arranger, and producer since their Grammy-nominated album If Less Is More...Nothing Is Everything. McGarry was named the #1 Rising Star Female Vocalist by DownBeat Critics Poll in 2016. Known for their sparkling reinventions of both jazz and iconic singer songwriter repertoire, DownBeat gave their last album 4 stars calling it 'Radical and lustrous.'

Tuesday, November 17: 'Tuesday Happenings,' hosted by Sasha Berliner. Sasha Berliner's critically acclaimed albums have established her as a bold voice in modern jazz, known for blending genres, political themes and experimental textures. House band performs one set at 7:30 PM followed by a jam session at 9:30 PM.

Wednesday, November 18: College Night at Sam First: UCLA directed by Clayton Cameron & USC directed by Jason Goldman. College Night is a program aimed at giving young musicians valuable performance experience, a chance to network with future colleagues on other campuses, and exposure to the wider Sam First family of artists and audiences.

Thursday, November 19: KCRW Presents: 'Third Thursdays' with Camille Kerani with Isaiah Harwood, Jermaine Paul, Myles Martin & Nicolaus Glen. Having recently completed the recording of her debut album We Channel From the Source, executively produced by South African pianist & composer Nduduzo Makhathini, Kerani, accompanied by her quintet, invites listeners to unite in sound, as she channels from the source.

Friday, November 20 & Saturday, November 21: Bandleader, bassist and singer Ben Williams settles into Sam First for two nights, bringing a sound that moves easily between post-bop, hip-hop, gospel, and R&B. The winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition, he went on to earn a Grammy as a member of Pat Metheny's Unity Band and was named DownBeat's Rising Star Award for bass in 2013 and 2015. Ben has also accompanied legendary artists such as Stefon Harris, George Benson, Wynton Marsalis, Robert Glasper and David Sanborn. The Ben Williams Trio, with Adam Hersh and John Davis, is renowned for his soulful bass lines, innovative compositions, and his work with Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, David Sanborn, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington & Dianne Reeves. Williams and his exciting new trio will perform a live recording for Sam First Records.

Tuesday, November 24 & Saturday, November 25: Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan brings her quartet, featuring Julius Rodriguez, Jermaine Paul & Kyle Poole, to Sam First for two nights this month. In 2025, Hanahan was named DownBeat's #1 Rising Star Alto Saxophonist. She made her debut on Jazz at Lincoln Center's Blue Engine label with Among Giants and has played the Kennedy Center's 2023 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert with the Mingus Dynasty Band. Sarah is a graduate of both the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz and The Juilliard School. The Sarah Hanahan Quartet brings a powerful, soulful approach to contemporary jazz, rooted in the traditions of swing and bebop while embracing a bold, modern sensibility.

Friday, November 27 & Saturday, November 28: Standing together as two of the most undeniable voices emerging from Los Angeles' creative music landscape, classmates-turned-collaborators join forces to co-lead a project entitled 'Now Then,' aiming to pay homage to this music's rich history while simultaneously ushering in a new generation.

About Sam First Records

Sam First Records documents concerts at Sam First, home since 2017 to a vibrant Los Angeles Jazz and creative music scene. The recordings capture the natural acoustics, placing the listeners 'in the room' where they feel the moment of creativity. Releases include recordings by Anthony Wilson Nonet, Larry Goldings, Devin Daniels, Jeff Babko, Tim Lefebvre & Mark Guiliana, Rachel Eckroth, Joe La Barbera, Josh Nelson featuring Walter Smith III & Gaby Moreno, and Justin Kauflin. For more information: www.samfirstrecords.com

Sam First is a unique venue (and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) dedicated to supporting and expanding jazz as a musical form and tradition. Its mission is to provide a vibrant center for regional, national, and international practitioners of jazz and to foster the growth and engagement of the jazz community in Los Angeles. As a space designed without an elevated stage, the venue removes the boundary between performers and audiences to promote in-person collaboration, the formation of new relationships, and the creation of original music that takes risks and pushes boundaries. For more information on Sam First, please visit: www.samfirstbar.com

Sam First is located at 6171 W Century Blvd #180, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

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