Greg Jacobs is a pianist from San Rafael, California, who has been working full-time in the Bay Area performing and teaching private lessons since 2013. Greg studied classical and jazz piano with Gini Wilson as a teenager and first started working as a jazz pianist at 14 years old. He moved to San Francisco in 2007 to attend San Francisco State University, earning Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Physiology and Spanish respectively. Since Fall of 2017, Greg has played with Sueños Jazz Quintet, playing Fender Rhodes on their album, “Shots Fired.” Greg has performed at many premier jazz venues in the Bay Area, including Blue Note Napa, Black Cat, The Backroom, Impulse Room, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mr Tipples, Bird and Beckett, the Jazz Mobile, and Club Deluxe. He played for musical theater productions of Urinetown and Hairspray in 2018, Vox In A Box by Candace Johnson in 2019, was pianist-conductor for Chicago at the Throckmorton Theater in March 2019. Greg has also worked as Music Director of Covenant Presbyterian Church of San Francisco since early 2020.

Drummer/Vibraphonist/Saxophonist Smith Dobson V has been performing in the Bay Area for nearly twenty years. Originally from Santa Cruz, Ca., Dobson is a member of an important Jazz family. His father, the late Smith Dobson IV, was a world renown Pianist and director of the Jazz series at the Garden City in San Jose for over twenty years, where he accompanied artists’ like Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Chet Baker, Red Norvo, Tal Farlow, and Lee Konitz, to name a few.

Also in the family, Grandfather Smith III is a Jazz Accordionist, Grandmother Norma, Mother Gail, and Sister Sasha are all Jazz Vocalists. The family often performed as a group at the Garden City, and other venues, as well as many local schools and workshops. As a child, Smith V had the opportunity to study with legendary Jazz Drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, who said of his pupil, “He has the talent, determination and persistence as a musician, combined with the dedication necessary to succeed… improvisational skills totally advanced, excellent sensitivity, both solo and as an accompanist… my most talented student!”

Smith has had the honor of working with some of the great Jazz artists, locally and internationally, such as Bobby Hutcherson, Red Rodney, John Handy, Sheila Jordan, Red Holloway, Pete and Conte Condoli, Phillip Harper, Hal Stein, Noel Jewekes, Ben Goldberg, Graham Connahs’ Sour Note Seven, Darren Johnstone, Will Bernard, and Kenny Brooks.

Jazz The Glass is an organ jazz trio consisting of saxophone, organ and drums based in the San Francisco Bay Area.  In addition to being jazz musicians we are also avid surfers.  All of our original songs are based around the topic of surfing.   We aspire to write and perform music that's like a good surf session.  It's all about having fun and getting stoked!

Azure McCall, Hawaii’s first lady of jazz is a multi-award winning vocalist. She is heir to the vocal tradition of Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Ella Fitzgerald. Her warmth and sense of humor fuel every interpretation. After releasing her first CD ‘Body and Soul’ she was asked by the great bassist Ray Brown to be his vocalist on tour. Of course, she accepted, beginning an incredible jazz journey – school was in! Soon after, Azure became the first singer to work with Freddie Hubbard’s band. Additional collaborators include Frank Morgan, Tennyson Stephens, Joe Lovano, Geoffrey Keezer, Curtis Lundy, Dizzy Gillespie and many more. In 2008, President Barack Obama asked her to perform at his pre-election party. “That’s why he won,” Azure says (smiling). Azure became the ‘Jazz Diva’ for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruises. She has traveled to more than 50 countries including, Greece, Germany, Russia, and Italy- just to name a few.

The Cask Whiskey & Blues Fair will take place at the combined locations of The Dawn Club and The Lark Bar with a Block Party on Annie St. The Fair will involve premium, interesting whiskies, cocktails, craft beer, oysters and live Blues.

The premium whiskey tasting expo will be hosted inside the Dawn Club where guests will have the opportunity to sample over 40 whiskies. Guests will be able to purchase the rare and unusual bottlings as they taste,  directly from Cask during the event. 

The Lark Bar and Block Party will be featuring a special menu of whiskey cocktails, local craft beers, an oyster bar and food from our partners at Joyride Pizza. The live entertainment will involve a full stage with performances by a selection of the leading local Blues legends.  

Get tickets at Caskfair.com

$45 - All Access including Whiskey Tastings
$25 - General Access excluding Whiskey Tastings

What do you get when you fuse the spicy grooves of Afro-Peru with that funky sound of Oaktown? A ground-breaking, new, energetic genre with distinctive rhythms and innovative melodies that will inspire you to hit the dance floor. Oaklando is the brainchild of SF native Patrick Morehead, the composer and keyboardist who’s played with such talents as Karl Perazzo, Steve Turre, Jerry Gonzalez, and Benny Valarde. Conceived at the Patio de Ochun Studios, with drummer Josh Jones (of Omar Sosa) bassist David Pinto (of Susana Baca) and cajon player Juan Medrano Cotito (of Susana Baca) Oaklando was engineered by multi-grammy winner, Greg Landau (of David Byrne fame), and became a recipient of the prestigious Music in Place Grant. Oaklando has regular performances at Local Edition, Lakehouse Jazz, Elevation LVK, and Zeitgeist. Along with Morehead, Cotito and Jones include Charlie Gurke (sax), Chloe Scott ( flute) Pedro Rosales (cajon/vocals) vocalist Marina Lavalle (Peru Negro) with guest appearances on the first recording ‘Lima Oakland’ by NY jazz phenom Yosvany Terry. Check out the newest single OAKLANDO on all platforms Oaklando is honored to present the highly acclaimed Dawn Club with its fusion of Afro-Peruvian rhythms and funky jazz dub.

Mike Olmos has become one the most in demand jazz musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area while maintaining a frequent national and international performance/touring schedule. In the Bay, Mike has been performing with various bands such as the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Pete Escovedo, Wil Blades, Eddie Roberts, Jubu and Legally Blynd. ​

When in town he can be found hosting and joining jam sessions at local clubs.

​He has had the privilege of performing with Rosemary Clooney, Etta James, Michael Buble and many other great talents.

He can be heard on late legendary Blues/R&B singer Etta James' Grammy nominated final album "The Dreamer" as well as many others.

After studying drums with Tony Williams in San Francisco, André performed around the world with various artists

including Dayna Stephens, Ambrose Akinmusire, Mike Olmos, Stacy Dillard, Julian Lage, George Kontrafouris,

Perico Sambeat and Albert Sanz. After a stint back in his native Finland and some years in Spain, André returned to

the Bay Area in 2015.

His first album, “Kaira” earned him a Finnish “Jazz-Emma” award, and he has subsequently released three albums as

a leader, and five as a co-leader with various artists.

Sumelius is a regular on the San Francisco jazz scene, and he can frequently be seen playing with a variety of local

and international artists.

We’re honored to have André and his band with us at the Dawn Club!

Patrick Wolff is a saxophone and clarinet player with a long history in the jazz scenes of New York City and San Francisco. He has performed or recorded with Albert "Tootie" Heath, Matt Wilson, Grant Stewart, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Dena Derose, and many other jazz greats. Since moving to San Francisco in 2009, Wolff has played and recorded regularly in the bands of Marcus Shelby, Richard Sears, Graham Connah, Adam Shulman, and Diana Gameros. Outside of the jazz world, he has had an eclectic mix of work including long stints in West African pop/funk group Asiko, prog metal band Kayo Dot, and with fuji music legend Adewale Ayuba. With six albums released under his name, Wolff has made his mark as a bandleader with various groups playing his original compositions, and with classic jazz quartets and quintets focused on repertoire of the bebop and hard bop eras. His playing is characterized by a focus on lyricism and an embrace of the whole lineage of jazz styles.

Wolff is also a passionate jazz educator and advocate. For four years, he hosted and produced a weekly fearure show on KCSM 91.1FM ("Have You Heard"), exploring the work of emerging and underrated jazz artists, and continues to dj for the station on occasion. He was the Faculty Director at the Stanford Jazz Workshop from 2008-2013, and currently teaches jazz history, composition, and ensemble classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the College of San Mateo throughout the year, and at the Stanford Jazz Workshop in the summer.

Adam Klipple, who has been described as "a standout pianist who has gone to school on McCoy Tyner and Cecil Taylor and earned his degree," plays piano, Hammond organ, sampler, and a variety of vintage keyboards. He currently is a member of the legendary jazz rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears. He also currently performs and records with jazz phenom Veronica Swift.

Adam has recorded and performed onstage with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Lauryn Hill, Graham Haynes, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Craig Harris, Joe Bowie's Defunkt, Sekou Sundiata, Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Carla Cook, Dave Fiuczynski, David Gilmore, Josh Roseman, Peter Apfelbaum, Jay Rodriguez, Groove Collective, and Smokey Robinson. He has appeared at renowned venues including the Blue Note, Iridium, the Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, and the Knitting Factory, and at jazz festivals around the world.

Also a composer and arranger, Adam has earned grants from Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Arts International, Meet the Composer, and the U.S. Department of State, enabling him to tour and teach master classes in southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

With over 135K social media followers, Ron Jackson is a world-renowned, seven-string jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. He has performed, recorded, and taught music in over 30 countries. Most recently Jackson produced, composed, and played on Kevin Powell’s GRAMMY® Award nominated album, “Grocery Shopping With My Mother”.

A notable career as a recording artist, Jackson has put out more than 10 albums as a leader starting with his debut album, It's A Guitar Thing (Muse), in 1992. His most recent release, "Standards And My Songs," was Top 10 on the JazzWeek radio chart in 2022, and is his second recorded exclusively on the seven-string. Jackson is one of a handful of master jazz guitarists worldwide who plays and teaches six and seven-string jazz guitar. He has performed as a leader at jazz festivals worldwide, such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, The AAPI Jazz Festival, and the Super Jazz Ashdod Festival in Israel. And, is a 2022 recipient of The South Arts JazzRoad Grant. 

Jackson plays frequently in his New York City home base at The Django, Zinc Bar, Birdland, Bar Lunatico, St. Peter's Church, and City Vineyard.

Ron Jackson and world-renowned luthier Wyatt Wilke present the Ron Jackson Signature 7 String Archtop Guitar
"Jackson is a master of the seven-string, which puts him in the ranks of a select few" - Adam Perlmutter JazzTimes

LehCats is a dynamic New York-based jazz fusion ensemble led by multi-instrumentalist Norbert Stachel and flutist Karen Stachel. Known for their intricate compositions and genre-blending sound, LehCats combines elements of jazz, funk, Latin, and world music to create a powerful, rhythm-driven experience that resonates with a diverse range of listeners. The band’s unique name comes from the founders’ last name spelled backward, highlighting the creative spirit behind their music.

With influences spanning African, Latin American, and Caribbean traditions, LehCats’ music is deeply layered and often inspired by themes of unity, social justice, and celebration. Known for their high-energy live performances and studio releases like *Movement to Egalitaria* and *Out of the Bag*, LehCats has carved out a reputation for pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz.

Fault Line Trio is one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic and innovative crossover jazz projects! Swing, R&B, and sophisticated grooves. Featuring Jay Sanders - piano and keys, Lukas Vesely - bass, and Brian Fishler - drums.

The N. T. B. Collective is a Bay Area based jazz fusion group merging sounds and styles from all over the world.

The N.T.B. trio, which will be featured for this event, is comprised of drums, bass, and piano. Each musician is highly accomplished; coming together to generate a unique musical energy. N.T.B. has been playing various venue residencies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over 3 years.

Azure McCall, Hawaii’s first lady of jazz is a multi-award winning vocalist. She is heir to the vocal tradition of Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Ella Fitzgerald. Her warmth and sense of humor fuel every interpretation. After releasing her first CD ‘Body and Soul’ she was asked by the great bassist Ray Brown to be his vocalist on tour. Of course, she accepted, beginning an incredible jazz journey – school was in! Soon after, Azure became the first singer to work with Freddie Hubbard’s band. Additional collaborators include Frank Morgan, Tennyson Stephens, Joe Lovano, Geoffrey Keezer, Curtis Lundy, Dizzy Gillespie and many more. In 2008, President Barack Obama asked her to perform at his pre-election party. “That’s why he won,” Azure says (smiling). Azure became the ‘Jazz Diva’ for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruises. She has traveled to more than 50 countries including, Greece, Germany, Russia, and Italy- just to name a few.

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

A San Francisco born vocalist, with parents from Nicaragua, this singer/songwriter draws influence from the music of his upbringing; R&B, Hip-hop, Salsa, Baladas and combines them with the affluent Latin rhythms. Since the release of his debut salsa album "Vive Todo Ahora", Carlos' songs have been placed in the top Salsa/Tropical Spotify playlists. It generated buzz all over the world making him a preferred voice in the salsa genre. His roots in the Latin power vocal style produce warm, beautiful tones as he exhales his melodies. The singer songwriter engages his audience with his pure, passionate vocals and Carlos is able to rise up and shine. His sound is very identifiable to the Latin American community as it draws from Latin Balada roots and meshes them with R&B and Pop, creating original sounding salsa songs. His melodies are expressed through his passionate lyrics and his desire to reach people’s souls. 

El cantante y compositor Nicaragüense Carlos Xavier nos ha mostrado su más reciente disco “Vive Todo Ahora” que fue todo un éxito. Hoy se encuentra en su segunda producción con el All-Star team de, Efrain "Junito" Davila, Guianko Gomez y Juan Mayito Aracil. En esta segunda producción, Carlos y su equipo se juntan con el gran percusionista Marc Quiñones para darles el sabor que va identificar su sonido. Carlos Xavier vuelve de nuevo con sus canciones originales románticas, pero esta vez con mucha más experiencia. Carlos es muy versátil pero dice que la salsa es donde se siente en casa. Se siente muy orgulloso de poder seguir  esta tradición y disfruta sacar temas para el mundo salsero.

James Gallagher is an American jazz drummer and educator from Northern California, currently living in Manhattan. He is a resident performer at the prestigious SFJazz Center.
​
After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston on a scholarship, James returned to the West Coast, where he quickly began performing regularly around San Francisco with the top Jazz talent, including Marcus Shelby, Larry Vuckovich, Andrew Speight, Eddie Duran, and Dean Reilly. His performances have been featured at world-renowned Venues such as Kuumbwa, Yoshi’s, The Monterey Jazz Festival, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Great American Music Hall, and War Memorial Opera House. He has also worked as a freelance touring and session drummer.
​
After dividing his work schedule between San Francisco and NYC for years, he decided to relocate full-time to Manhattan. He has since performed at venues such as Smalls, Mezzrow, Fat Cat, the 75 club, The Django, the Roxy, Lambs Club, and others. He has worked professionally with Mike Ledonne, David Hazeltine, Jeb Patton, David Wong, Grant Stewart, Harry Allen, Paul Sikivie, and many others.

Marcos Varela, an equally skilled doubler at both acoustic and electric bass, is among the most highly respected bassists/musicians in the American and International Jazz/music scene. His talents have also earned him many awards (YoungArts, Creative Capital, Jazz Road) and accolades as a musician, composer, producer, band leader, and educator.

In his hometown of Houston, Texas, Varela attended the renowned High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, which paved the path for him to NYC to attend the storied New School on scholarship. As a professional musician, he continues to be very active in the New York jazz and contemporary music scene, and has made a name for himself as one of the most in-demand bassists in the City and worldwide. He regularly performs with a wide variety of ensembles and band leader including: The Mingus Big Band, Nasheet Waits, John Holiday, George Cables, Ingrid Jensen, ‪Billy Hart‬, Antoine Roney, Charli Persip, ‪Clifton Anderson‬, ‪Jason Moran‬, ‪Geri Allen‬, ‪The Last Poets‬, ‪Leslie Odom, Jr‬., Frank Lacy’s Vibe Tribe, ‪Kendrick Scott‬, ‪Billy Harper‬, ‪Tyshawn Sorey‬, and Bob Mover, among countless others. Varela was also selected as a member of ‪Jazz at Lincoln Center‬ trombonist Vincent Gardner's Jazz Houston, which has featured guests such as ‪Gregory Porter‬, ‪Wynton Marsalis‬, ‪Ruben Blades‬ and‪ Jon Faddis‬‬. As a composer, Varela has also composed music for several film and television projects, including director Domenica Cameron-Scorsese's film "Roots in Water."

Legendary bassist ‪Ron Carter‬ contributed to the liner notes for Varela's Origin Records debut album "San Ygnacio,” where Carter writes that Varela's "Tone, Choice of Notes and Compositions will place his playing and name on the list of bassists to be heard.” In addition, Mr. Carter has made statements regarding Varela’s musical contributions, saying of him “a valuable asset to any musical organization,” “a truly unique musician,” “Mr. Varela belongs in the top bass players in the industry and his impressive resume confirms my words,” “a fine example of talent that is essential to the scene,” and “top notch proficiency on his instrument as well as a complete understanding of the history and details of the jazz art form.”

In addition to sideman work, Varela leads his own projects. This includes a European tour which featured a festival headlining performance of the music of his debut album “San Ygnacio” at the historic Jazz á Liège festival in Liege, Belgium. This project (Marcos Varela featuring Billy Hart)‬ shared a billing with Fred Hersch‬'s Trio at the festival. He also headlined leading an all star quartet at Prishtina’s Jazz Week in Kosovo, in March of 2020. He opened for the Legendary Mavis Staples with his “San Ygnacio project” in his hometown of Houston, TX at Discovery Green in October 2021 and most recently headlined the 30th anniversary of the Bilbaina Jazz Association in Bilbao, Spain at the beautiful and historic Teatro Arriaga Antzokia in December 2021. Varela’s newest projects include “One Mind,” recently released on the Spanish label Fresh Sound Records, with pianist Peter Zak, as well as Seamus Blake and Billy Drummond. Another project on the same label “Illumination” featuring Rob Garcia, Marcos Varela, John O’Gallagher, and ‪Noah Preminger,‬ was the most recent release on December 15th, 2020. 

Marcos was also a recent recipient of a South Arts “Jazz Road” grant and a Creative Capital fellow and Awardee

Marcos is an NS Design, Aguilar Amplification, Kolstein, Thomastik-Infeld Strings, Fishman, Mono Creators, and Fodera Artist.

"Gaea is quite a multi-talented pianist/flautist/vocalist/composer/arranger/bandleader, with a wonderfully compelling gift for jazz, ballads, and Brazilian-flavored music" -Benny Green

Gaea Schell is a graduate of both acclaimed McGill University in Montreal and Vermont College of Fine Arts and spent time in New York as a recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts grant studying with pianist/composer Richie Beirach. Accomplished and versatile, she - as drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath says, “is a triple threat and plays the heck out of the piano with them small hands".

Gaea Schell has three acclaimed CDs out, is a sideperson on multiple recordings, and has played with many notable names (Bob Sheppard, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Bobby Watson, Clare Fischer Big Band, Vince Lateano, Marcus Shelby and the late Stacy Rowles to name a few) in addition to often leading her own trio or quartet at venues regionally and internationally including Vibrato Grill & Jazz in Bel Air, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s, and Knickerbocker in New York City.

Gaea headlined twice at the San Jose Jazz festival.

What do you get when you fuse the spicy grooves of Afro-Peru with that funky sound of Oaktown? A ground-breaking, new, energetic genre with distinctive rhythms and innovative melodies that will inspire you to hit the dance floor. Oaklando is the brainchild of SF native Patrick Morehead, the composer and keyboardist who’s played with such talents as Karl Perazzo, Steve Turre, Jerry Gonzalez, and Benny Valarde. Conceived at the Patio de Ochun Studios, with drummer Josh Jones (of Omar Sosa) bassist David Pinto (of Susana Baca) and cajon player Juan Medrano Cotito (of Susana Baca) Oaklando was engineered by multi-grammy winner, Greg Landau (of David Byrne fame), and became a recipient of the prestigious Music in Place Grant. Oaklando has regular performances at Local Edition, Lakehouse Jazz, Elevation LVK, and Zeitgeist. Along with Morehead, Cotito and Jones include Charlie Gurke (sax), Chloe Scott ( flute) Pedro Rosales (cajon/vocals) vocalist Marina Lavalle (Peru Negro) with guest appearances on the first recording ‘Lima Oakland’ by NY jazz phenom Yosvany Terry. Check out the newest single OAKLANDO on all platforms Oaklando is honored to present the highly acclaimed Dawn Club with its fusion of Afro-Peruvian rhythms and funky jazz dub.

Ladies and Gentemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area's newest and hottest swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Fog City Swing is co-led by saxophonist Greg Johnson and trumpeter Daniel Herrera.

Bay Area-based Charged Particles (www.chargedparticles.com) features pianist Greg Sankovich, bassist Aaron Germain, and drummer Jon Krosnick, and is celebrating their 32nd year of playing funky Latin jazz.  They have toured Indonesia, the U.K., Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and have performed at famed jazz clubs including Ronnie Scott’s, Birdland, Blues Alley, the Dakota, Yoshi’s, the Deer Head Inn, the Falcon, Nighttown, as well as the Musical Instrument Museum, the Scarborough Jazz Festival, the Columbus Jazz Festival, the Stanford Jazz Festival, the San Luis Obispo Jazz Festival, the Eureka Springs Jazz Festival, and in hundreds of other venues.

The trio is just back from their fourth tour of the UK, this time with superstar trumpeter Randy Brecker and Bay Area saxophonist Tod Dickow, playing the acoustic jazz compositions of the late, great saxophonist Michael Brecker. They played music featured on their most recent CD on Summit Records: Live at the Baked Potato!  That CD was named one of the best CDs of 2021 by Jazzwise Magazine, JazzTimes Magazine, the Jazz Journalists Association, the 16th Annual Jazz Critics Poll, and more. 

Of the trio, reviewers have said:

“Something special” … “inventive, invigorating, mesmerizing, beautiful, virtuosic, and lyrical.”

(Downbeat Magazine)

“An electrifying, push-the-limits performance style… A tight and enormously talented trio.”

(Jazz Times Magazine)

“Charged Particles is definitely dazzling.”

(Jazz and Blues Report)

“Fresh, energized jazz that showcases the trio’s individual technical mastery as well as a cooperative, refined approach to the art form.”

(Jazz News Magazine)

“Tight interplay was the watchword as the threesome applied its own twists with spark and personal flair.”

(Los Angeles Times)

The N. T. B. Collective is a Bay Area based jazz fusion group merging sounds and styles from all over the world.

The N.T.B. trio, which will be featured for this event, is comprised of drums, bass, and piano. Each musician is highly accomplished; coming together to generate a unique musical energy. N.T.B. has been playing various venue residencies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over 3 years.