It's time to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month at San Mateo County Libraries!
Jazz Appreciation Month (fondly known as “JAM”) was created at The National Museum of American History, opens a new window in 2001 to celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.
JAM is intended to stimulate and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, read books about jazz and more.
Featured Jazz Musicians
Take a look at our full list of free Jazz concerts happening at a library near you.
The Alaya Project is the essential bridge between the intricate Carnatic style of Indian classical music and contemporary jazz and funk. Born in the cultural bastion of Oakland, California, The Alaya Project explores new textures and perspectives built over two decades of friendship, dialogue and musical immersion across genres and continents. The driving hybrid kit grooves of Indian percussionist and drummer, Rohan Krishnamurthy, the soulful Ragas and melodies of Prasant Radhakrishnan on saxophone and the harmonic bedrock of Colin Hogan embody the permanence of a changing soundscape.
Michelle Pollace is a performing musician, composer and music book author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether performing her own compositions or her arrangements of standards, Michelle honors the roots of Jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music while adding a new voice.
Ryan Trujillo is a full-time musician and music educator. He combines his jazz training with his love for the musical traditions of Latin America. His first jazz group received unanimous superior ratings at the 2015 Cabrillo Jazz Festival. Ryan studied under bassists John Shifflett and Dan Robbins at SJSU. Accomplishments include accompanying guest artist Dee Dee Bridgewater with the SJSU Jazz Orchestra, studying abroad in Havana, Cuba with the SJSU Latin Jazz Ensemble, performing Claude Bolling’s Concerto for Jazz Piano Trio and Orchestra with the SJSU Symphony Orchestra as well as directing the SJSU Jazz Ensemble.
Satellite Jazz is an all-female Jazz quartet that explores the genre with great and innovative takes on the standards of Jazz. Composed of a talented ensemble of Bay Area musicians, each member brings her unique flair and personality to the stage for a fun and playful take on the songs. In between numbers, the quartet takes the opportunity to engage the audience in a conversation about the role of women in the history of Jazz then and now, shedding a little light on the often-ignored contributions of women in the genre.
Jam Out With Jazz
In addition to live events, our libraries have a great collection of Jazz resources so you can jam out all year long. You can also watch movies online about jazz on Kanopy or stream jazz music right now on Hoopla.
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