After the resounding success of the first ever San Francisco Offside Festival in May, we are working hard on our second annual festival. But you don’t have to wait till Memorial Day weekend to sample the best of the Bay Area’s innovative jazz scene. Coming in March, SF Offside presents three exciting shows at three different locations in the Bay Area, including (for the first time!) an Oakland show.

Thursday March 7, 8-10pm @ Red Poppy Art House

2698 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Eric Garland’s Hodge Podge Ensemble + Marcus Stephens’ Markstep Trio

$10-20 sliding scale

Friday March 15, 9-11pm @ Café Royale

800 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Aram Shelton’s Golden Age

Free admission

Wednesday March 27, 7:30-9:30pm @ Awaken Café

1429 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Alex Pinto Trio + Roger Kim’s First Day

$5-20 sliding scale

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Created to fill a perceived gap in the regional jazz festival circuit, the mission of SF Offside is to draw attention to the incredible creativity to be found right here in our own backyard, and to build larger audiences for specifically local offerings. The inaugural SF Offside Festival took place May 24-26, 2012, garnering considerable local and national attention on its very first outing.

Photos Courtesy of Bay Taper.

SF Offside’s Spark Series presents five adventurous ensembles that will make you rethink your idea of jazz. The series opens at the Red Poppy in the Mission with saxophonist Marcus Stephens‘ Markstep Trio, inspired by the classic organ trios of the 50s and 60s, but incorporating elements of jazz, rock, soul, funk, and hip-hop. The Hodge Podge Ensemble follows, featuring drummer Eric Garland’s thoughtful compositions for flute, bass clarinet, violin, accordion, bass, and drums.

Reed master Aram Shelton brings his Golden Age quartet to Café Royale in SF’s Tenderknob district. Included in the program is Shelton’s haunting Kodachrome Music, a suite inspired by a visit to the Kodachrome Basin in southern Utah—a place that is sparse, unpopulated, and beautiful.

The last concert, at Awaken Café in Oakland, introduces guitarist Roger Kim’s First Day, a trio devoted to exploring new expressive possibilities in jazz.

Roger Kim’s First Day

Closing the proceedings is the Alex Pinto Trio, led by guitarist and festival co-director Alex Pinto, whose music is a distinctive fusion of jazz, Hindustani classical music, and indie rock.

We hope to see you there!!