FREE tickets to:
Kev Choice, Wed., 11/30 @8 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
THE PHARCYDE with Live Band, Fri 12/16/11 @10:30pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
JOSE JAMES “A rising jazz star... Spectacular!” - New York Times-, Thu 12/8/11 @10:30pm,  Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
A Women In Jazz Holiday Double Bill: DESTINY MUHAMMED JAZZ TRIO & VICTORIA THEODORE, Tue 12/13/11 @8pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
Keb' Mo, Thu, 12/1/11 @8:00 PM, The Regency Ballroom, 1290 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Erykah Badu, Fri., 12/9 @9pm, The Warfield Theater, 982 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Snoop Dog and Wiz Kalifa , Mon., 12/12 @9pm, The Warfield Theater, 982 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Fela!, Produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, 11/15 - 12/11 @8pm, Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Colors of Christmas, featuring Peabo Bryson, Jennifer Holliday, Lea Salonga, Ben Vereen with A.M.E. Oakland Mass Choir and San Francisco Symphony, December 13-15, 2011, 8:00 pm, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco , CA 94199
Duke Ellington, featuring San Francisco Symphony, Sunday, December 11, 2011, 8:00 pm, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco , CA 94199
HIROSHIMA CHRISTMAS, Sat 12/10/11 @10pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, Celebrating their Annual Holiday show at Yoshi’s San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY GOSPEL CHOIR- Fri 12/9/11 @10pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
MACEO PARKER’S NEW YEARS PARTY- Celebrate the New Year with Some Funk!, Thu 12/29/11 @10pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
An Evening with BRIAN MCKNIGHT Special Christmas Week of Performances, Wed 12/21/11 @8pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
TALIB KWELI’S IDLE WARSHIP featuring Talib Kweli, Res, and Live Band, Fri 1/6/12 @10pm, Yoshi's San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble, Thur, 12/29/11 @9:00 PM, SLIM'S, 333 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Zongo Junction/ Turkuaz, Thur, 12/29/11 @9:00 PM, SLIM'S, 333 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103

The tickets will be awarded via our Text, Twitter or website, so DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, and if you haven't already, you should join us on:
Text "I Want Tickets to (show)" with your name and email address to: (510) 394-4501; Twitter at: http://twitter.com/xzwhy , http://twitter.com/ajalil , http://twitter.com/nowtruth , http://twitter.com/amwft,  http://twitter.com/win2012elect , or go to the websites at: http://Superstarmanagement.com , http://Ex-Why.com/  , http://AMWFTRUST.Org/  or http://NowTruth.Org/  and make your request on the "I WANT TICKETS" page.

Kev Choice

"The Art of Composition"

Yoshi's Oakland

Pianist/M.C./Producer/Band-Director premieres excerpts from his new hip-hopera: The Chosen One

Pianist/M.C./Producer/Band-Director, Kev Choice is a multi-faceted artist poised to take the music world to dimensions it has never before seen. Never before has an artist grounded in the Hip-Hop tradition, had this type of musical prowess. Classically and jazz trained, schooled in the classic era of Hip-Hop, and influenced by genres from all over the globe, Kev Choice is a unique artist with the capabilities to blend musical elements in a convincing manner. With a resume that includes a Master’s Degree in Music, and having toured the world professionally as a keyboardist and M.C. with a diverse list of artist such as of Lauryn Hill, D.J. Quik, Too Short, Dwele, Zion I, Goapele, LyricsBorn, Martin Luther, and Michael Franti and Spearhead, it is hard to deny the extreme gift that Kev Choice brings to the stage. Having formed his band, Kev Choice Ensemble, in 2007, Kev Choice began to focus on giving the world his unique sound and vision while presenting a powerful stage show. Kev Choice has named "Best Musician" and "Most Multi-Talented Instrumentalist" by East Bay Express in the past few years and also nominated for "Best Soul-Funk Artist" by SF WEEKLY on 3 different occasions. An M.C. that can deliver conscious, witty, relevant lyrics, while playing keys with the skill of a seasoned pianist, is a sight to behold and a breath of freshness to the industry.

The Kev Choice Ensemble has been one of the most dynamic bands in The Bay Area over the last 5 years. The Ensemble features a diverse array and mix of talented musicians with a broad range of talents from the jazz elements of Howard Riley and Geechi Taylor to the soulfulness of Viveca Hawkins voice or Greggo Simmons on guitar. The foundation is held together by the super solid Hassan Hurd on drums, the funk-rock presence of Uriah Duffy on Bass, and the seasoned stylings of Mike Blankenship on keys. For this show they will also be joined by Ajayi Jackson on bassoon and percussion, as well as a string trio featuring violin, viola, and cello. The Ensemble has been heralded as "the most musical hip-hop group ever".

Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' Henry (Cambridge Folk Fest 2004)

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Keb' Mo's music is a living link to the seminal Delta blues that traveled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America--informing all of its musical roots-before evolving into a universally celebrated art form. Born Kevin Moore in South Los Angeles to parents originally from the deep South, he adopted his better known stage name when he was a young player who became inspired by the force of this essential African-American legacy. In the storied tradition of bluesmen before him including Muddy Waters-formerly McKinley Morganfield-and Taj Mahal, who began his days as Henry St. Clair Fredericks, Moore became known as Keb' Mo'. His acclaimed self-titled 1994 debut album introduced that now famous appellation to the world, and his latest album, 2006's Suitcase, brings it to new heights.

Lalah Hathaway

Yoshi's Oakland

Lalah Hathaway, one of contemporary R&B's most prized artists and in-demand vocalists will release her sixth solo album and second for Stax Records, Where It All Begins on October 18th, 2011. The versatile, critically acclaimed musician, songwriter, vocalist and producer found creative regeneration and newfound energy making this record, an artistic re-birth she's eager to share with anyone willing to listen. "Everybody is an artist in some way," Hathaway enthuses, "I wanted to explore what that really means. For me it meant walking into being the artist I've always wanted to be. It was an opportunity for me to embrace my independence as an artist through my music and connection to my fans."

Hathaway brings that message home splendidly on the gorgeous title track, penned by her and Ernest Green. "If you say what you mean/And mean what you say," she croons at the beginning of Where It All Begins, showcasing her sensual alto over a languid, hypnotic groove.

In addition to Green, Hathaway recruited other esteemed kindred spirits to either co-write or contribute tailor-made tunes. The list includes Lewis Williams, Lee Hutson, Jr., Errol Cooney, James Day, James Fauntleroy, Rahsaan Patterson, Terrence Lilly, Jonathan Richmond, Mike City, Dave Young, Bryan Sledge, Eddie Serrano, Rich King, Andre Harris and Vidal Davis. Recruiting such top-tier songwriters - some of who have penned hits for Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Bilal, Babyface, Musiq Soulchild, and host of others, demonstrates Hathaway's long-held status in contemporary R&B.

This album contains several up-tempo gems that are sure to heat up urban radio stations and nightclubs. For example, check out "If You Want To," the album's thumping, synth-driven first single, penned with Patterson, Richmond, and Lilly and the effervescent "My Everything," which she co-wrote with Jonathan Richmond. The slinky groove of Hutson, Jr.'s "Small of My Back" is also undeniable.

Where It All Begins comes on the heels of Hathaway's most successful album to date, 2008's Self Portrait, her first record for legendary soul label Stax Records. The album reached the top ten on the Top R&B Albums chart and included the Grammy® nominated (Best Female R&B Vocal) song "That Was Then."

Indeed, Hathaway intoxicates as a storyteller. Even though her voice brims with magnetism, she never overpowers it to point of drowning out the lyrics. As with previous albums, Where It All Begins comes loaded with enduring songs that sound personal yet easily relatable, touching upon affairs of the heart as well as the everyday joys of life.
The disc comes on strong from the get-go. Andre Harris and Vidal Davis' gutsy "Strong Woman," is a sassy cautionary tale, urging lotharios to step up to the plate and stop taking their devoted female lovers for granted.

Naturally, the singer hasn't abandoned her R&B roots. Where It All Begins includes luxurious slow jams such as "This Could Be Love" (co-written with Green and Lewis), on which she sings of joys and fears of truly falling in love with that someone special, and City's bittersweet "Always Love You," which hints of the sadness leaving an unfulfilling romantic relationship.

Hard-core fans will certainly be delighted with the newly arranged and recorded "I'm Coming Back," a Quiet-Storm jewel, written by Gary Taylor, which appeared on her 1990 eponymous debut. It's a song that's remained a highlight of her live shows for two decades. "No matter, where I go - churches, festivals, Japan, South Africa - people love that song," Hathaway says, "This version has a different arrangement, because it's morphed over the years. I decided to rerecord it. We added vocalist Rachelle Ferrell at the end, which is really sublime."

When it comes to honoring her predecessors, perhaps there's no other greater example on Where It All Begins than with her spellbinding take on "You Were Meant For Me," a chestnut that her late father - the incomparable Donny Hathaway recorded.
In view of Donny Hathaway's landmark albums and indisputable influence on generations of singers worldwide, she speaks of him as a guiding light, especially when it comes to interpreting other people's music. "I really listened to my dad's own songs," Hathaway says fondly, "'Jealous Guy' by John Lennon - I always thought my father owned that," she laughs, "I just grew up with the approach of opening yourself up to create something beautiful, that's a love letter to what came before."

On Where It All Begins, Lalah Hathaway unquestionably succeeds at opening herself up in new and profound ways, striving for artistic higher ground and to ‘create something beautiful.' "I feel like I'm at the top of my game, like I'm at the beginning again," she says, excitedly. "There aren't many artists, particularly female singers, who after 20 years, are kind of still on the come up. I feel like I'm on the come up."

Just That Good

JOSE JAMES BAND

Yoshi's San Francisco

“A rising jazz star… Spectacular!" -New York Times

José James "Trouble" - AllSaints Basement Sessions

Born and raised in Minneapolis, José James came of age with the sounds of Prince, hip-hop and Modern jazz. Discovering an early passion for both music and creative writing, José combined these through performance – singing jazz standards, originals, and the works of John Coltrane with his quartet throughout the Twin Cites. Becoming a member of the groundbreaking avant-garde performance poetry and jazz ensemble Ancestor Energy, José was determined to devote his life to music, community, and spiritual unity.

Moving to New York City to attend The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he was mentored by and recorded with both the legendary drummer Chico Hamilton and the pianist Junior Mance. There he also met his first ensemble that would form the studio and international touring band for his 2008 debut album “The Dreamer” (Jan 2008, Brownswood).

A chance meeting in London with international tastemaker and DJ Gilles Peterson led to a record deal on Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label. Drawing upon diverse influences such as Freestyle Fellowship and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, “The Dreamer” was an international critical success, with José performing at venues such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Billboard Live Tokyo, The Hermitage Museum, and Central Park Summerstage. “The Dreamer” was voted #21 Critic’s Pick of JazzTimes Top 50 Jazz Albums of 2008.

His sophomore release “BLACKMAGIC” (Feb 2010, Brownswood) explored the worldwide underground, featuring production from Flying Lotus, Moodymann, Taylor McFerrin, and DJ Mitsu the Beats. “BLACKMAGIC” also featured James’s live band in new territory, covering dubstep pioneer Benga’s “Emotions” and exploring a soul/hip-hop version of the R&B classic “Save Your Love For Me.” “BLACKMAGIC” toured in over 30 countries, at venues such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, Ancienne Belgique, Melkweg, and Lincoln Center. “Love Conversation” (produced by Taylor McFerrin), “Save Your Love for Me,” and “Desire” (from The Dreamer) were featured in Fox Searchlight Pictures 2010 “Our Family Wedding” starring Forest Whitaker, America Ferrera, Carlos Mencia, and Lance Gross.

Signing to Verve/Universal in 2010, James’s third studio album “For All We Know” (May 2010, Impulse!) was released on the legendary “Impulse!” label, home to many of John Coltrane’s masterworks. Largely recorded in a single day at the famed Galaxy Studios in Belguim, “For All We Know” is a deep and timeless duo album of jazz standards featuring Jef Neve on piano.

Winner of both the Edison Award and L’Académie du Jazz Grand Prix for best Vocal Jazz Album of 2010, “For All We Know” was James’s most intimate project to date, with performances in premiere concert halls such as L’Olympia, Royal Festival Hall, and De Roma, as well venues such as the Umbria Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and Cotton Club Tokyo.

The collaboration between James and Jef Neve continued with an ambitious ongoing live project “Facing East: The Music of John Coltrane.” Conceived and directed by James “Facing East” made its worldwide debut at Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, and continued on to venues such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Nice Jazz Festival, New Morning, and Ronnie Scott’s.
As a featured guest José has recorded albums with Junior Mance, Chico Hamilton, Nicola Conte, Bassment Jaxx, Jazzanova, Toshio Matsuura, J.A.M., DJ Mitsu the Beats, Timo Lassy, Taylor McFerrin, and Flying Lotus.

Recent projects include guest performances with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s “A Tribute to Billy Strayhorn” at Rose Theater, as well as touring internationally with McCoy Tyner’s “The Music of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman.”
He was recently voted 2011 DownBeat Critics Poll “Rising Star Best Male Vocalist” and is currently working on his fourth studio album “No Beginning, No End.”

San Francisco State University Gospel Choir

Yoshi's San Francisco

The SF State Gospel Choir was founded by current choir director Ja Ronn Thompson in the Spring of 2004.  At that time he didn’t expect anyone to take him seriously. He was only a freshman and not even a music major. But he was determined to bring Gospel music to our campus.  When he expressed interest in starting the choir, music professor Dr. Dee Spencer told him to “Make it happen.”  Therefore, Ja Ronn toured the campus handing out fliers and encouraging people to try out.

There were seven members at their first rehearsal, singing without sheet music or a band to accompany them from one musical transition to the next.  They also didn’t have a regular practice room, so they used various classrooms and sometimes hallways in order to perfect their songs.

The San Francisco State gospel choir, a student-run group, became a one-unit music course in its second semester.  Now in it’s 14th semester the group is comprised of 85 singers and 7 musicians of different backgrounds and majors, there is plenty of diversity in this group. Having grown exponentially over the past 7 years, their big sound has only gotten better.

    The unrest caused by the exposure of the criminal actions of these law enforcement, legal and judicial individuals/bodies in this matter implored others to investigate the ongoing case revealing even more rampant corruption that has dramatically portrayed the sullied, sordid underbelly culture of corruption that Oakland and Alameda County has long been known for! This pattern continued even through the Oscar Grant murder debacle but lead to the people of the Oakland East Bay Area and beyond, standing up to that corruption and saying "NO MORE!!!".

    The cry at ALL the Occupy events world-wide are echoing the frustration felt by the people of the East Bay Area, "We are ALL Oscar Grant!!" and most are reacting in solidarity and union with those whom have voiced their opinions with their frustrations in a varied manner of ways. The world witnessed as Oakland revolted and burned with the that cry and now the whole world is chanting the same tune and following Oakland lead as it did in the 1960-70's re-evolution!

    The Minority and Occupy Communities ( #occupyoakland #OWS) are evaluating the elected officials, want-to-be-leaders, clergy and so-called power brokers that do not represent their interest, yet claim to bargain and speak for them! How can these self-perceived "influence peddlers" bargain away the rights and interests of people they do not talk to, know nor represent?

    African-American youth, the overall Minority Youth Community with the Occupyers ( #occupyoakland #OWS) know these carpet baggers and their "bagmen" are sellouts and represent BIG BUSINESS INTEREST- the Developers, Banks, Insurance Companies, Attorneys and maintaining the status quo! The Minority Youth Community with the Occupyers proclaim widely and loudly that they ARE NOT the constituents of these turncoats that disavow their very own ethnic orientation because they acknowledge that being Black in America is to be considered worthless and disposable!

    One of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan's problems is her depending on the advice of Uncle Toms Sandre Swanson, and Keith Carson; while fighting bootlicking-backstabbing Larry Reid and Ignacio DeLaFuente; assumming theres some influence of want-to-be-leaders, clergy and so-called power brokers to move the concerned disenfranchised; with double crooked duplicitous Dan Siegle! (More coming on this cast of characters)

    Oakland City Councilmen Larry Reid and Ignacio DeLaFuente have given away many, many millions of dollars in valuable Real Estate to their developer partners! From 14th Ave to 106th Ave and down from MacArthur Blvd. to the Bay. Councilmen Reid and DeLaFuente are owned and controlled by developers! That's why they constantly connive so shamelessly for the Civil Gang Injunctions and curfews, with EVERY act of difference they are in the media spinning it as an example of serious crime that could be eliminated with the injunction/curfew. Reid has gone on air and repeatedly tried to trivialize and void the entire good of some lives by claiming their life was somehow

FREE tickets to:
Avant, Fri & Sat., 11/25-26 @10 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
Orgone with Allen Stone, Sat, 11/26/11 @8:00 PM, Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Montclaire Womens Big Band, Sun, 11/27 @7 pm,  Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
The Velveteen Rabbit, Choreographed and directed by KT Nelson, Sat., 11/26 @2 p.m., Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street (at 3rd Street), San Francisco, CA
Keb' Mo, Thu, 12/1/11 @8:00 PM, The Regency Ballroom, 1290 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Erykah Badu, Fri., 12/9 @9pm, The Warfield Theater, 982 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Snoop Dog and Wiz Kalifa , Mon., 12/12 @9pm, The Warfield Theater, 982 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Fela!, Produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, 11/15 - 12/11 @8pm, Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Colors of Christmas, featuring Peabo Bryson, Jennifer Holliday, Lea Salonga, Ben Vereen with A.M.E. Oakland Mass Choir and San Francisco Symphony, December 13-15, 2011, 8:00 pm, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco , CA 94199
Duke Ellington, featuring San Francisco Symphony, Sunday, December 11, 2011, 8:00 pm, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco , CA 94199
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble, Thur, 12/29/11 @9:00 PM, SLIM'S, 333 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Zongo Junction/ Turkuaz, Thur, 12/29/11 @9:00 PM, SLIM'S, 333 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103

The tickets will be awarded via our Text, Twitter or website, so DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, and if you haven't already, you should join us on:
Text "I Want Tickets to (show)" with your name and email address to: (510) 394-4501; Twitter at: http://twitter.com/xzwhy , http://twitter.com/ajalil , http://twitter.com/nowtruth , http://twitter.com/amwft,  http://twitter.com/win2012elect , or go to the websites at: http://Superstarmanagement.com , http://Ex-Why.com/  , http://AMWFTRUST.Org/  or http://NowTruth.Org/  and make your request on the "I WANT TICKETS" page.

Orgone
With Allen Stone

Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

Orgone Los Angeles?Funk / Soul / Afro-beat??or·gone (ôr’gon) ?n. A universal life force, a cosmic unit of energy, the creative force in nature.

Los Angeles based band Orgone is many souls with a cosmic connection, a natural creative force and musicians who have played together for years. They are self schooled and continue to shape their musical voice as a solid unit of guys who hang, spin records and jam out their shared inspirations. With a rooted sense of funk, soul, afrobeat, deep rhythms and an intimate understanding of dj culture as well as each others’ individual talents, Orgone seamlessly slides through multiple styles and dynamic performances. The group continuously injects whatever they play with a heavy brand of raw funk power.

At the core of the band is a rhythm section comprised of close friends who have played together for more than 10 years. Having grown artistically as a unit they function as one organic and intuitive whole. The orginal 5-member band started out by putting their own gritty takes on tunes by the likes of the JBs, the Meters, Booker T. and the MGs, Grant Green and Funkadelic among many others. They quickly gained underground respect and die hard fans. With their searing live sets and original instrumentals, Orgone soon released their debut self titled CD, “Orgone,” in 2002. The result was a collection of all original down home, transcendental, tough and gritty funk instrumentals.

Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' Henry (Cambridge Folk Fest 2004)

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Keb' Mo's music is a living link to the seminal Delta blues that traveled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America--informing all of its musical roots-before evolving into a universally celebrated art form. Born Kevin Moore in South Los Angeles to parents originally from the deep South, he adopted his better known stage name when he was a young player who became inspired by the force of this essential African-American legacy. In the storied tradition of bluesmen before him including Muddy Waters-formerly McKinley Morganfield-and Taj Mahal, who began his days as Henry St. Clair Fredericks, Moore became known as Keb' Mo'. His acclaimed self-titled 1994 debut album introduced that now famous appellation to the world, and his latest album, 2006's Suitcase, brings it to new heights.

Avant

the voice of modern soul

Yoshi's Oakland

“A letter is what you write to people to tell them what’s going on in your life,” says Avant. “This album is a letter from me to my fans about what’s going on in my life, what’s going through my head and my struggles as a man.”

Simmering with radio-friendly yet relatable introspections about romance/love, commitment and other realities of life, “The Letter” finds singer/songwriter Avant ready to ascend into music’s mainstream ranks—joining such predecessors as Maxwell, Marvin Gaye, and D’Angelo. Guiding Avant on that journey is a contingent of established and emerging producers from the R&B/hip-hop realm. Among them: The Pentagon, whose members Damon Thomas, Eric Dawkins and Antonio Dixon have collectively crafted hits for Mary J. Blige, Fantasia, Babyface and Usher; Mike City, whose credits include Usher, Jamie Foxx, Brandy and Carl Thomas; Marshall Leathers, formerly of the Architects, who has worked with India.Arie and Missy Elliott and Kajun, fresh off the top 5 R&B hit “Sex Room” by Ludacris featuring Trey Songz.

Avant, who also co-wrote and co-produced several “Letter” tracks, has revitalized his music without sacrificing his primary sound: “love ballads and mood records in the vein of Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Luther Vandross and R. Kelly. “These guys,” says Avant, “gave me the drive to write and sing about the way relationships should go.”

Acknowledging the career-evolving fear factor artists face with each new album, Avant notes, “You don’t want to let your fans down, but you don’t want to come off like you’re trying to be someone else. At the same time, you want to stay relevant without sounding boring. For me, it’s about giving people great music. And I feel I’ve got that niche.”

At the forefront of accomplishing the singer’s current mission is the lead single “Kiss Goodbye.” Introduced by a driving piano riff, “Kiss Goodbye” settles into an atmospheric, mid-tempo groove that provides the melodic backdrop to the song’s cautious message: don’t ever take a romantic relationship for granted. “See you done got a lot of passes/Sick of waiting on you to change,” sings Avant. “You won’t know it, it’s a perfect disguise/She won’t show it, but lips don’t lie …/It’s OK if she said she was out with her girls and you know it’s a lie/But if she kissed him, that’s your kiss goodbye.” In a nutshell, the song doubles as the male equivalent to Beyoncé’s own cautionary tale broken down on the hit single “Irreplaceable.”

“I’m out to raise caution to the fellas,” explains Avant about the inspiration behind “Kiss Goodbye,” produced by The Pentagon. “We’ve been used to talking our way out and through situations. But now we have to show more action.”

Avant draws on his inner Marvin Gaye as he skillfully works his way through “Hot 16,” a mood-setting number about an anticipated romantic liaison. “We’re about to make a masterpiece … something to remember,” he smoothly croons. The mood shifts on “Where Did We Go?,” a commentary on the day-to-day stresses that can cause the demise of a relationship. Avant isn’t afraid to bare his emotions as he laments his and his lady’s inability to simply reach out and talk in an increasingly digital world. The Pentagon, who produced “Hot 16” and “Where Did We Go?,” also helmed the beautiful anthem, “Walking on Water.” It’s destined to become a wedding classic by virtue of its quiet melody and revelatory lyrics: “I finally found someone/A girl I can love forever/Never thought it would happen for me/Feels like I’m walking on water; walking on water/ When I’m with you, impossible is easy to do.”

Among the other 11 tracks comprising “The Letter” is another R&B highlight, “Night Life.” Directed by producer Mike City, it features the feel-good morning-after line: “Waking up late with you on my mind.” Avant also taps into the hip-hop side of R&B on the languid “Body Police” and club jam “Had Enough,” both produced by Kajun, as well as the mid-tempo groove “That Dude,” produced by Marshall Leathers. In addition to its melodic, contemporary R&B framework and story-telling lyrics, “The Letter”’s cohesiveness is tied together by Avant’s lilting tenor, which can shift effortlessly from romantic crooner to get-down party man.

Avant comes by those skills naturally. Born and raised in Cleveland, the church-honed singer attended Cleveland School of the Arts and later became the first act signed to Magic Johnson’s MCA-distributed label, Magic Johnson Music (MJM). Avant came to the NBA legend’s attention when the singer wrote and released the single “Separated.” The song, about a failed romantic relationship, began getting airplay on the top-rated Chicago radio station WGCI. The song was eventually included on Avant’s 2000 MJM debut album, “My Thoughts.” Reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, “Separated” was followed by the top five hit “My First Love,” a cover of the 1983 René & Angela R&B classic featuring KeKe Wyatt. Avant returned the favor on Wyatt’s 2001 album debut, “Soul Sista,” pairing up with her on the No. 4 hit “Nothing in This World.”

After scoring platinum with “My Thoughts,” Avant released two more platinum-certified albums, “Ecstasy” (2002) and “Private Room” (2003), and notched several more top 10 singles: “Makin’ Good Love,” “Read Your Mind.” Fourth album “Director”—distributed through Geffen and his final MJM project—was released in 2006 and featured the hit “4 Minutes.” Two years later, he segued to Capitol for a fifth, self-titled album that yielded the top 20 single “Break Ya Back.”

Having recorded with such diverse acts as Nicole Sherzinger and Lil Wayne, Avant isn’t afraid to stretch his vocal wings. He most recently partnered with contemporary jazz artist Brian Culbertson on the single “Skies Wide Open” from Culbertson’s new “XII” album. He was also among the select group of singers chosen to pay homage to R&B legend Frankie Beverly on “Silky Soul Music … An All-Star Tribute to Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.”

“The different textures of music excite me,” says Avant. “The dabbling in other genres inspires my writing.”

Another side of Avant is revealed on the new DVD release of playwright David E. Talbert’s “In the Nick of Tyme,” which also stars Morris Chesnut, Ellia English and Terry Dexter. Says Avant, “Bringing across another character was so much fun.”

However, it’s the singer/songwriter part of Avant that’s on center stage right now as Verve Forecast prepares to release “The Letter,” the next step in the artist’s ongoing evolution. “I have to say, I’m not where I want to be yet, and I won’t be complacent,” declares Avant. “I’m always fighting to go further. Once you hit a plateau, it’s time to create another. I’m just getting started.”

    The unrest caused by the exposure of the criminal actions of these law enforcement, legal and judicial individuals/bodies in this matter implored others to investigate the ongoing case revealing even more rampant corruption that has dramatically portrayed the sullied, sordid underbelly culture of corruption that Oakland and Alameda County has long been known for! This pattern continued even through the Oscar Grant murder debacle but lead to the people of the Oakland East Bay Area and beyond, standing up to that corruption and saying "NO MORE!!!".

    The cry at ALL the Occupy events world-wide are echoing the frustration felt by the people of the East Bay Area, "We are ALL Oscar Grant!!" and most are reacting in solidarity and union with those whom have voiced their opinions with their frustrations in a varied manner of ways. The world witnessed as Oakland revolted and burned with the that cry and now the whole world is chanting the same tune and following Oakland lead as it did in the 1960-70's re-evolution!

    The Minority and Occupy Communities ( #occupyoakland #OWS) are evaluating the elected officials, want-to-be-leaders, clergy and so-called power brokers that do not represent their interest, yet claim to bargain and speak for them! How can these self-perceived "influence peddlers" bargain away the rights and interests of people they do not talk to, know nor represent?

    African-American youth, the overall Minority Youth Community with the Occupyers ( #occupyoakland #OWS) know these carpet baggers and their "bagmen" are sellouts and represent BIG BUSINESS INTEREST- the Developers, Banks, Insurance Companies, Attorneys and maintaining the status quo! The Minority Youth Community with the Occupyers proclaim widely and loudly that they ARE NOT the constituents of these turncoats that disavow their very own ethnic orientation because they acknowledge that being Black in America is to be considered worthless and disposable!

    One of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan's problems is her depending on the advice of Uncle Toms Sandre Swanson, and Keith Carson; while fighting bootlicking-backstabbing Larry Reid and Ignacio DeLaFuente; assumming theres some influence of want-to-be-leaders, clergy and so-called power brokers to move the concerned disenfranchised; with double crooked duplicitous Dan Siegle! (More coming on this cast of characters)

    Oakland City Councilmen Larry Reid and Ignacio DeLaFuente have given away many, many millions of dollars in valuable Real Estate to their developer partners! From 14th Ave to 106th Ave and down from MacArthur Blvd. to the Bay. Councilmen Reid and DeLaFuente are owned and controlled by developers! That's why they constantly connive so shamelessly for the Civil Gang Injunctions and curfews, with EVERY act of difference they are in the media spinning it as an example of serious crime that could be eliminated with the injunction/curfew. Reid has gone on air and repeatedly tried to trivialize and void the entire good of some lives by claiming their life was somehow lost to or compromised by gang related violence that could have been avoided by the injunction/curfew by pushes for his disposed partner in crime, former City Attorney John Russo. Many families resenting that media manipulation with on air to publicly denounce Reid's developers serving claims!

    Reid was served with a complaint against his partner Russo and refused to investigate it, but rather chose to cover it up. Not so oddly enough, that was the same stance taken by Sandre Swanson, Keith Carson and District Attorney Nancy O'Malley. Who are they protecting and why? Carson has made himself a witness in this case my the admissions made by District Attorney Nancy O'Malley to him regarding the incident where she had al-Hakim removed from the D. A.'s office while sitting alone in the lobby waiting for a meeting!

    The real reason the Reid Gang wants the injunction/curfews are because they are law enforcement and real estate developers dream tools for gentrifying the inner-city and administratively taking land from the poor! Not so unfortunately, an analyst last week revealed that the North Oakland Gang Injunction HAS FAILED to reduce crime in any way, yet in has enriched the police department with over $12 million while the

FREE tickets to:
Goapele, Thurs., 11/17@10 pm, Sun., 11/20 @7 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
David Grisman Quintet, Sat., 11/12 @10 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
David Grisman / Frank Vignola Duo, Sun, 11/13 @6 pm,  Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
Amiri Baraka, Roscoe Mitchell, Genny Lim and Ishmael Reed Band, Mon. 11/14, @8 pm, ,Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco;
Tank, Fri. 11/18 @10 pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco;
The Velveteen Rabbit, Choreographed and directed by KT Nelson, Sat., 11/26 @2 p.m., Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street (at 3rd Street), San Francisco, CA
Fela!, Produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, 11/15 - 12/11 @8pm, Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Goapele

Yoshi's Oakland

Oakland's homegrown neo-soul / jazz singer-songwriter sensation

Goapele - Play

David Grisman Quintet

Saturday, November 12, 2011

10:00 pm

Sunday, November 13, 2011

6:00 pm

Yoshi's Oakland

Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival 2008 - David Grisman Quintet "Acousticity" By WPPTV from WPPTV on Vimeo.

David Grisman: mandolin
Matt Eakle: flute
Frank Vignola: guitar
Jim Kerwin: bass
George Marsh: drums/percussion

For nearly half a century, mandolinist / composer / bandleader / producer David Grisman has been a guiding force in the evolving world of acoustic music. His musical range is wide and deep — embracing many styles, genres and traditions.

An acoustic pioneer and innovator, David forged a unique personal artistic path, skillfully combining elements of the great American music/art forms — jazz and bluegrass with many international flavors and sensibilities to create his own distinctive idiom — “Dawg” music (the nickname given him by Jerry Garcia.)  In doing so, he’s inspired new generations of acoustic string musicians, while creating his own niche in contemporary music.

Grisman discovered the mandolin as a teenager growing up in New Jersey, where he met and became a disciple of mandolinist/folklorist Ralph Rinzler. Despite warnings from his piano teacher that it wasn't a "real" instrument, David learned to play the mandolin in the style of Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music.  He took it to Greenwich Village where he studied English at NYU, while immersed in the proliferating folk music scene of the early 1960s.

In 1963 Grisman made his first recordings both as an artist (Even Dozen Jug Band - Elektra) and producer (Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians – Folkways.)  In 1966 Red Allen offered David his first job with an authentic bluegrass band, the Kentuckians. Grisman began composing original tunes and playing with other urban bluegrass contemporaries like Peter Rowan and Jerry Garcia, with whom he would later form Old & in the Way.

David's interests spread to jazz in 1967, while playing in a folk-rock group, Earth Opera. A failed attempt at learning to play alto sax turned him into a student of jazz musicianship and theory. His burgeoning career as a session musician gave him experience playing many types of music and opportunities to stretch the boundaries of the mandolin. His discography is filled with notables including Jerry Garcia, Stephane Grappelli, the Grateful Dead, John Hartford, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Earl Scruggs, James Taylor and Doc Watson.

Dawg's instrumental style found a home in 1974 when he formed the Great American Music Band with fiddler Richard Greene. "Nothing against singers," said David, "but it became apparent to me that I could play 90 minutes without one. Besides, Elvis never called." Within a year, David met guitar wizard Tony Rice, who moved to California where they started rehearsing a new group, the David Grisman Quintet (DGQ,) which also included violinist Darol Anger and bassist/mandolinist Todd Phillips. Since then the DGQ has featured such stellar notables as Svend Asmussen, Hal Blaine, Vassar Clements, Stephane Grappelli, Mike Marshall, Andy Statman and Frank Vignola.

The current lineup of the DAVID GRISMAN QUINTET  includes bassist Jim Kerwin, flutist Matt Eakle, percussionist George Marsh, and guitarist Frank Vignola.

After recording for major and independent labels, David founded Acoustic Disc in 1990 and entered the most prolific period of his career, producing 67 critically acclaimed CDs (five of which were Grammy-nominated.) In 2010 he launched <http://AcousticOasis.com/>AcousticOasis.com, the first download website devoted to acoustic music.

David Grisman has always been a revolutionary. He has deeply influenced contemporary acoustic practicioners through his own musical explorations and with the continuing success of Acoustic Disc and Acoustic Oasis, has helped make artist-owned independent labels a viable force in today’s music business.

Amiri Baraka and Ishmael Reed plus Roscoe Mitchell

Yoshi's San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

A Fundraiser for Before Columbus Foundation
Poet. Playwright. Activist.
Featuring performances by Al Young, Genny Lim, Lorna Dee Cervantes and Danny Romero.

Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka, born in 1934, in Newark, New Jersey, USA, is the author of over 40 books of essays, poems, drama, and music history and criticism, a poet icon and revolutionary political activist who has recited poetry and lectured on cultural and political issues extensively in the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe.

With influences on his work ranging from musical orishas such as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, and Sun Ra to the Cuban Revolution, Malcolm X and world revolutionary movements, Baraka is renowned as the founder of the Black Arts Movement in Harlem in the 1960s that became, though short-lived, the virtual blueprint for a new American theater aesthetics. The movement and his published and performance work, such as the signature study on African-American music, Blues People (1963) and the play Dutchman (1963) practically seeded “the cultural corollary to black nationalism” of that revolutionary American milieu.

Other titles range from Selected Poetry of Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones (1979), to The Music (1987), a fascinating collection of poems and monographs on Jazz and Blues authored by Baraka and his wife and poet Amina, and his boldly sortied essays, The Essence of Reparations (2003).

He has been the subject of numerous documentary films including Mario Van Peeble's Poetic License for The Sundance Channel and St. Clair Bourne's In Motion: Amiri Baraka. He has also appeared in dozens of films including, most recently, M.K. Asante, Jr's award-winning documentary The Black Candle.

The Essence of Reparations is Baraka’s first published collection of essays in book form radically exploring what is sure to become a twenty-first century watershed movement of Black peoples to the interrelated issues of racism, national oppression, colonialism, neo-colonialism, self-determination and national and human liberation, which he has long been addressing creatively and critically. It has been said that Amiri Baraka is committed to social justice like no other American writer. He has taught at Yale, Columbia, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Somebody Blew Up America & Other Poems is Baraka’s first collection of poems published in the Caribbean and includes the title poem that has headlined him in the media in ways rare to poets and authors. The recital of the poem “that mattered” engaged the poet warrior in a battle royal with the very governor of New Jersey and with a legion of detractors demanding his resignation as the state’s Poet Laureate because of Somebody Blew Up America’s provocatively poetic inquiry (in a few lines of the poem) about who knew beforehand about the New York City World Trade Center bombings in 2001. The poem’s own detonation caused the author’s photo and words to be splashed across the pages of New York’s Amsterdam News and the New York Times and to be featured on CNN--to name a few US city, state and national and international media.

Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed is one of the most original and controversial figures in the field of African American letters. Reed was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on 22 February 1938, but he grew up in Buffalo, New York. After graduating from high school in 1956, he enrolled as a night student at Millard Fillmore College but transferred to the University of Buffalo as a day student with the assistance of an English teacher who was impressed with a story Reed had written. For financial reasons, however, Reed eventually withdrew without taking a degree. He remained in Buffalo for some time, working as a correspondent for the Empire Star Weekly, a black community newspaper, and serving as cohost of a local radio program that was canceled after Reed conducted an interview with Malcolm X.

Moving to New York City in 1962, Reed served as editor of a Newark, New Jersey, weekly and helped establish the legendary East Village Other, one of the first and best-known of the so-called underground newspapers. Reed also was a member of the Umbra Writers Workshop, one of the organizations instrumental in the creation of the Black Arts movement and its efforts to establish a Black Aesthetic.

Reed's first novel, The Freelance Pallbearers, was published in 1967. That same year he moved to Berkeley, California, later relocating to the adjacent city of Oakland, where he currently resides with his wife, Carla Blank, a dancer and choreographer. They have a daughter, Tennessee. Reed also has a daughter, Timothy Brett, from a previous marriage.

Reed has taught at the University of California at Berkeley since the late 1960s, even though he was denied tenure in 1977 (a circumstance he wrote about in his first collection of essays, Shrovetide in Old New Orleans (1978). He also has held visiting appointments at many other academic institutions, including Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Washington University in St. Louis, and SUNY Buffalo. In addition to winning several awards for his writing, Reed has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and was twice a finalist for the National Book Award (once in poetry and once in fiction).

Roscoe Mitchell
Through his participation in the establishment of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and as a founding member of the world-renowned Art Ensemble of Chicago, Roscoe Mitchell, composer and multi-instrumentalist was a major contributor to the creation of the body of musical literature that ushered in the post-Coltrane period. Mr. Mitchell has received numerous awards and grants including the National Endowment for the Arts, Wisconsin Arts Board, Vilas Foundation, University of Wisconsin-Madison and a research grant from Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique Musique (IRCAM) in Paris, France. He founded the Creative Arts Collective (CAC) of East Lansing, Michigan and he is the founder/leader of the Sound Ensemble and a co-founder of the trio Space.

Roscoe Mitchell's innovations as a solo performer, his role in the resurrection of long-neglected woodwind instruments of extreme register, and his reassertion of the composer into what has traditionally been an improvisational form, have placed him at the forefront of contemporary music for over twenty years.

FREE tickets to:
Ise Lyfe, Thurs., 11/3 @8 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
Omar Sosa Afreecanos Quartet, Fri. and Sat., November 4-5, 2011, 10:00 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
Leela James, Sat & Sun., 10/28-29 @10 pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco;
Average White Band (AWB) Wen., 11/9 @10 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
David Grisman Quintet, Sat., 11/12 @10 pm, Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
David Grisman / Frank Vignola Duo, Sun, 11/13 @6 pm,  Yoshi's- Oakland, 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland Ca 94607;
Rachelle Ferrell, Sun. 11/6 @7pm, The Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102;
Hot 8 Brass Band, Mon. 11/7 @8 pm, ,Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco;
Amiri Baraka, Roscoe Mitchell, Genny Lim and Ishmael Reed Band, Mon. 11/14, @8 pm, ,Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco;
Tank, Fri. 11/18 @10 pm, Yoshi's- San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco;
The Velveteen Rabbit, Choreographed and directed by KT Nelson, Sat., 11/26 @2 p.m., Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street (at 3rd Street), San Francisco, CA
Fela!, Produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, 11/15 - 12/11 @8pm, Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The tickets will be awarded via our Text, Twitter or website, so DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, and if you haven't already, you should join us on:
Text "I Want Tickets to (show)" with your name and email address to: (510) 394-4501; Twitter at: http://twitter.com/xzwhy , http://twitter.com/ajalil , http://twitter.com/nowtruth , http://twitter.com/amwft,  http://twitter.com/win2012elect , or go to the websites at: http://Superstarmanagement.com , http://Ex-Why.com/  , http://AMWFTRUST.Org/  or http://NowTruth.Org/  and make your request on the "I WANT TICKETS" page.

Ise Lyfe

Yoshi's Oakland

Hometown spoken word and hip-hop artist One night only - Live Band

One of the nation's greatest young performers and writers performing live at the legendary Yoshi's Jazz Club. Paying homage and adding his twist to the classic and powerful music of Fela Kuti, Nina Simone, Gil Scott Heron, Tupac Shakur, and Billie Holiday.

  "Essentially, these five artist best represent the core of my artistic inspiration and embody a standard of both content and    skill that I am always aspiring for. I'm excited to be performing back in myhometown at such a great venue to honor these giants."
- Ise Lyfe

Recently appointed Commissioner of Arts and Cultural Affairs in his hometown of Oakland, CA, Ise Lyfe is one of the nation’s premier Spoken Word Artist and Emcee’s. His 2006 debut album, ”spreadtheWord” allowed him to mettle with a national audience, and the release of his second LP, “Prince Cometh” received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Unaffected by the sophomore jinx theory, it’s safe to say the response across the board was nearly 100% positive…

Ise first gained national recognition competing in national poetry slam competitions in his late teens. In 2001 he won the National Poetry Slam Competition, skyrocketing his popularity amongst the ever growing Spoken Word/Hip-Hop Theatre audience.  He has been featured on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on HBO. He has also shared the stage with Gil Scott-Heron, Dave Chappelle, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, E-40, Harry Belafonte, Mos Def, Malcolm Jamaal Werner, KRS-One, Martin Luther, Saul Williams, Ben Harper, Erykah Badu, Zion I, and The Coup to name a few.

However, Ise Lyfe is simply different than anyone else in his genre or league of peers. Period.

Just in his twenties with nearly ten years of national and international stage performing and recording experience, he transcends the common narrative on and off stage. An award winning poet, emcee, performer, and educator, this young man is sure to be the impact we all speak of wanting, but rarely see realized....

********

Omar Sosa Afreecanos Quartet

Yoshi's Oakland

Omar Sosa Quartet

Five-time GRAMMY-nominated composer and pianist Omar Sosa returns to Yoshi’s Oakland with his regular rhythm section of Childo Tomas from Mozambique on electric bass, and Marque Gilmore, now from Stockholm, on drums and electronics, plus special guest saxophone and flute player from Cuba, Leandro Saint-Hill.  Leandro was part of the groundbreaking recording sessions at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City in 2008 that resulted in two GRAMMY nominations for Omar’s genre-bending CD release, Across The Divide.

At Yoshi’s Oakland, Omar will be featuring new material from his current recording-in-progress, entitled Afri-Lectric.  This CD project is loosely inspired by the music of Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue recording, and evolved from a commission Omar received from the Barcelona Jazz Festival to prepare a tribute to the famous CD on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

Leela James

Soulful Female Vocalist

Oct 28-Oct 29, 2011

Friday: 9pm

Saturday: 10pm

YOSHI'S SAN FRANCISCO

Yoshi's San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115