Healthcare Benefit for Dayna Stephens – All-Star Musicians’ Tribute Monday July 4 at Yoshi’s San Francisco

Many of you know saxophonist Dayna Stephens as a popular face in the local Jazz scene. On Monday July 4th, The All-Star Bay Area Musician’s Community is coming together to support him while he waits on a dire kidney transplant and faces costly anti-rejection medications at a monthly rate of over $4,000 a month for an indefinite time period.

Special Guests Include: Marcus Shelby, Lavay Smith, John Santos, Ray Obiedo, Faye Carol, Kenny Washington, Mike Olmos & Wil Blades, to name just a few who are turning up in support.

Help a musician in need, while seeing a stellar jazz show at the same time!

Cost: $25 advanced / $35 at the door

Tickets can be purchased here:
http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/1940

If you are unable to attend, donations can be made at the following:
Chase Bank – The Attune Agency, Account number 925641219 OR
Send a check to made to: Attune Agency – 2588 Mission Street, Suite 215, SF, CA 94110
(Please Note: Dayna cannot accept contributions directly)

Photo Credit: James Knox

The month is moving by so quickly and I have seen so much great music this month include the Bayview Music Festival, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Impulse Mondays, Wynton Marsalis & Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Carmen Lundy, Monty Alexander, Valerie Troutt, Rhonda Benin, and Hugh Masekela. Summer is here and there is great music coming our way.

Just announced, Natalie Cole is coming back to the Bay Area from August 25-28. She will play two show nightly at Yoshi’s San Francisco (8/25-26) and two shows nightly at Yoshi’s Oakland (8/27-28.) Tickets are on sale for all shows.

My Picks for the Weekend:

Hugh Masekela @ Yoshi’s Oakland w/ shows at 8 and 10 pm tonight – I went last night and was totally mesmerized.
Rhonda Benin will be singing soul, blues and jazz with John Turk @ Duke’s R&B – 201 Broadway Street in Downtown Oakland – 8-11 pm tonight – I stopped through last night and she was groovin’.
Maya Kronfeld & Valerie Troutt “Two Shoes Shouting” voice & piano duet @ Red Poppy Art House – 2698 Folsom Street, San Francisco – 8:30 p.m. tonight – This is such a cool, cozy, and intimate place to see a show.
Dayna Stephens @ Birdland Jazz – Berkeley – 11:30 pm tonight – Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the Bay Area’s finest sax players.
Generations in Jazz with Eldar Djangirov & Pat Martino @ Yoshi’s Oakland – June 25 & 26 – This should be a really great show!
Joe Bataan @ Yoshi’s San Francisco – June 25 – Shows at 8 and 10pm. – Don’t miss this incredible singer’s rare visit to the Bay Area.

Other Notables:

Stanford Jazz Festival kicks off tonight with Allen Toussaint. The festival lineup includes Bill Charlap, Renee Rosnes, Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, Clairdee, Joe Lovano, Gary Burton, and The Heath Brothers. The festival runs through the first week on August.
Laurel District Summer Solstice Festival – Oakland – Saturday – 9am-8pm
Berkeley Juneteenth Festival – Berkeley – Sunday – 10am-6pm
Kim Nalley Sings Nina Simone – “She Put A Spell On Me” is in its 5-week run at The Rrazz Room in San Francisco.
Impulse Mondays! – The last concert of this series celebrates the music of Oliver Nelson featuring The Jazz Mafia and special guests. Yoshi’s SF – Monday 8 pm

Next Week:

Kurt Ribak – Yoshi’s Oakland – Monday – 8 pm
Junius Courtney Big Band with Denise Perrier @ Yoshi’s Oakland – Tuesday – Shows at 8 and 10 pm – “Quite Quincy” – Celebrating the music of Quincy Jones
John Handy – Legends of Fillmore, Volume II – Yoshi’s San Francisco – Tuesday – 8 pm
Rene Marie – Yoshi’s Oakland – Thursday – 8 pm – Celebrating her new release, Voice of My Beautiful Country
Fillmore Jazz Festival – Fillmore Street, San Francisco – July 2&3 – 10 am-6 pm each day

Photo of Hugh Masekela at Yoshi’s Oakland by James Knox

DAYNA STEPHENS’ DEBUT “THE TIMELESS NOW” FEATURING JOHN SCOFIELD AVAILABLE MAY 15, 2007 ON CTA RECORDS

New York, NY, March 26, 2007 – On May 15, 2007 CTA Records will release “The Timeless Now”, debut album by tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens. He is joined by a superb group of musicians including guitarist John Scofield, pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric Harland. With the aid of Rale Micic, who produced the album, Stephens delivers music that is vibrantly imaginative and pure.
A fluid, vigorous soloist with a warm, soulful sound, Dayna Stephens has been described as “One of the most exciting young tenor sax players”. Showcasing brilliant playing as well as writing, he penned seven out of nine selections on the album. Versed listener can hear traces of tenor great Wayne Shorter, who, besides being one Stephens’ inspirational heroes, was also his mentor.

Dayna Stephens, 28, showed serious talent early on, winning many awards and scholarships with various music programs. After graduating Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship, he was selected by judges Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard for the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC. While there, he studied and played with, among others, Shorter, Hancock, Dave Holland and Mark Turner. Since graduating from the Monk Institute in 2003, Dayna Stephens has worked with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Carlos Santana, Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Steve Coleman and Stefon Harris.

The Timeless Now establishes Dayna Stephens as an exceptional talent with a bold new vision of jazz today.

Read more about Dayna Stephens on his new website, www.daynastephens.com.

Photo Credit: James Knox