Lesher Center for the Arts Unveils SFJAZZ @ The Lesher Center Series

Diablo Regional Arts Association and the Lesher Center Presents Headliners series revealed SFJAZZ @ The Lesher Center. Presented in partnership with SFJAZZ, this new series will feature a thrilling lineup of internationally recognized jazz artists, curated by SFJAZZ, at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts throughout the 2025/26 Season.
 
The SFJAZZ @ The Lesher Center series kicks off October 8, 2025 with a celebratory concert by internationally acclaimed jazz master, Branford Marsalis, performing with his Branford Marsalis Quartet. The SFJazz @ The Lesher Center four-concert series launches in January 2026. Featuring a broad mix of acclaimed jazz artists, the series includes The Kenny Barron Trio featuring Tyreek McDole (January 10, 2026), Madeleine Peyroux (February 21, 2026), Sarah McKenzie (March 20, 2026), and Gerald Clayton (April 18, 2026). All concerts will take place at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek).
 
 

Branford Marsalis QUARTET

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2025, 7:30 P.M.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music. The NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner, and Tony and EMMY Award nominee is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet.  

After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. After receiving Grammy nominations on its last two albums, Upward Spiral and The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, the Quartet made it's Blue Note Records debut with the release of Belonging, a full album interpretation of Keith Jarrett's 1974 ECM album of the same name. The New York Times commented “Marsalis has tackled imposing jazz masterworks before...but at its best, his 'Belonging' goes deeper...it’s a performance that both honors and amplifies.” 
 

THE KENNY BARRON TRIO FEATURING TYREEK MCDOLE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026, 7:30 P.M.
The Philadelphia native started playing professionally as a teenager with Mel Melvin’s orchestra and Philly Joe Jones. He moved to New York City at 19 and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan, and James Moody. Upon Moody’s recommendation, Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962 without even hearing him play a note. In the early 1970s, Barron began working with Yusef Lateef, whom Barron credits as a key influence on his art for improvisation. Encouraged by Lateef to pursue a college education, Barron balanced touring with studies, earning his degree from SUNY Empire State College. By 1973, Barron joined the faculty at Rutgers University as a professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, mentoring many of today’s young talents, including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, and Regina Belle. In 1974, Barron recorded Sunset to Dawn, his first album as a leader which led to over 50 others, including a duo album with Stan Getz which led to the first of 14 Grammy nominations. Barron has also received honorary doctorates from SUNY Empire State College and the Berklee College of Music and was awarded the Jazz Journalists Association’s Best Pianist distinction (his eighth) in 2024. 
 
Tyreek McDole, a 24-year-old Haitian-American vocalist from sunny Florida, shines brilliantly as his star rises in the bustling New York Scene. With a string of prestigious awards to his name, Tyreek stands out as a rising star in the music world. In November 2023, Tyreek won 1st place in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Noted as one of the most anticipated events in jazz, McDole's accolade now ranks him among the competition's previous winners including the standout artists Samara Joy (2019 winner) and Jazzmeia Horn (2013 winner). Tyreek is the 2nd male to ever win in the competition’s 12 year history. McDole makes his Artwork Records debut with the June 6, 2025 release, Open Up Your Senses.
 
The trio includes Kiyoshi Kitagawa and Johnathan Blake.  
 

MADELEINE PEYROUX

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2026, 7:30 P.M.
Peyroux is the proud curator of nine beguiling albums and an accomplished performer with sell out worldwide tours under her belt. Her atmospheric version of Serge Gainsborough’s La Javanaise was used in the soundtrack of Oscar-winner The Shape of Water and her countless accolades include the coveted BBC International Artist Of The Year honor.

SARAH MCKENZIE

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026, 7:30 P.M.
Sarah McKenzie is an Australian jazz pianist, composer, vocalist, and bandleader whose breezy technical style, songwriting acumen, and pronounced lyrical sense of swing have drawn comparisons to Blossom Dearie and Diana Krall.
 

GERALD CLAYTON

SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026, 7:30 P.M.
Possessing an exquisite touch, astonishing technique, and a sound that somehow combines the dynamic finesse of Ahmad Jamal with the hurtling swing of Oscar Peterson, six-time GRAMMY nominee Gerald Clayton ranks among the very best pianists of his generation.  

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.7% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9.3% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.4% of votes

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