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653 Chenery Street in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood
Open to walk-in trade and browsing Tuesday to Sunday noon to six
phone: 1-415-586-3733 email: [email protected]
Eric Shifrin, piano. Daniel Fabricant, bass. Mark Lee, drums. $20 suggested donation at the door, cash please! BYOB. Students, $10. Kids, free. Come to Bird & Beckett’s long running Friday happy hour show! Get it while it lasts, as later in the spring/early summer, we’re moving the Friday fun to a single 7:30pm show, and shifting a lot of the happy hour vibe to Sundays at 5pm. For now, though, the Friday good times roll at 6, and Eric Shifrin has been a mainstay of it for years! You’ll still find him on Fridays every other month at 7:30pm starting in May. Complicated? Not really. Worry later! Nothing to worry about! This happy hour, it’s all about the letter “E”!
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Playing material exclusively from the just released Forgotten Aspect album, saxophonist Elaine Alt’s Alt Jazz Ark Corpus X Quartet will assemble at Bird & Beckett this Friday for a concert in celebration of the album — original compositions that swing mightily! This project is a retrospective of material Elaine wrote during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. The quartet’s rhythm section features Bay Area characters, all of whom have much more extensive credentials and play at more prestigious venues than Elaine, sez he/her/them! The album is terrific. Elaine Alt – alto & baritone saxophones & piano Gaea Schell – piano & flute Christopher Amberger – bass Greg German – drums $20 cover charge; cash at the door please. BYOB. Students $10. Elaine Paul Alt is a powerhouse musical/political activist, running jam sessions at the feeding on three decades of immersion in musical cultures and styles that include Jazz, western Classical,…
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The Guitar Trifecta is a union of three wonderful guitarists — Lloyd Gregory, Carl Lockett and Eddie Pasternak — each a uniquely expressive musician of superb skill and long experience. Reservations for this event can be made by calling the bookshop at 415-586-3733. Cover charge for this show is $25; students, $10. BYOB. Co-founded some years ago by Gregory and Lockett with the late Calvin Keys, the Trifecta continues to grow and expand with each iteration. In Pasternak, Gregory and Lockett have found a perfect partner to continue their celebration of all that the guitar can offer the sensitive player and the receptive ear. Lloyd Gregory Lloyd Gregory grew up in Cleveland where he had an aunt who played piano at their church; her influence prompted Gregory to begin playing the instrument at age 5. He ultimately became a multi-instrumentalist who learned to play trombone, drums, and cello in addition…
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Spend your Sunday afternoon with us at Bird & Beckett! Vince Lateano leads his long-running trio with Ben Stolorow on piano and Peter Barshay on bass through two sets of swinging bop, post-bop, jazz classics and standards. With Noel Jewkes–aka “Dr. Legato”–joining for the date, you’re guaranteed a marvelous hour or two while the light still holds in San Francisco’s grooviest neighborhood. Come early and get a taste of the natural beauty of Glen Canyon just up the street from the shop, then ramble down Chenery and poke into Buddies Market at the corner of Chenery and Diamond to grab something that’ll wet your whistle while you listen to four fantastically talented, good natured, long-experienced musicians that epitomize five decades of San Francisco jazz! Hit an ATM on the way, and bring a twenty to help us pay the trio! Stay as long as you like, contribute what feels comfortable.…
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Jazz x 5! _____ Wednesday, March 11, 7:30pm Sylvia Cuenca Quartet featuring NYC tenor player Rico Jones {$20; students $10) _____ Friday, March 13, 6:00pm Eric & The In Crowd – Letter “E” {$20; students $10; kids free} _____ Friday, March 13, 8:30 pm Alt Jazz Ark Corpus X Quartet {$20; students $10} _____ Saturday, March 14, 7:30pm Guitar Trifecta {$25; students $10} _____ Sunday, March 15, 5:00pm Vince Lateano Trio w/Noel Jewkes {$20; students $10; kids free} _____ Reserve a seat by calling the bookshop at (415) 586-3733. We’ll hold your reservation until the music starts. No advance ticket sales; plan to pay with cash at the door, and byob. Student price $10; kids free, unless otherwise noted. _____ MORE DETAILS: Wednesday, March 11, 7:30pm $20 cover / byob; students $10 Sylvia Cuenca Quartet Rico Jones, tenor saxophone; Matt Clark, piano; Essiet Okon Essiet, bass; Sylvia Cuenca, drums…
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An Evening with Poet Kim Addonizio & Danny Caron, guitar, with Peter Barshay, bass A WORDPlay Benefit for Options Recovery Services $25 suggested donation Donate at artsformore.org/donate Arts for More and Bird & Beckett present an intimate evening of poetry and music with acclaimed writer Kim Addonizio, joined by accomplished jazz and blues guitarist Danny Caron and bassist Peter Barshay. This special WORDPlay performance is a benefit for Options Recovery Services – Addiction Recovery in the Bay Area — supporting programs and organizations that provide critical resources, healing spaces, and second chances for individuals and families navigating recovery. Addiction touches nearly every community. Recovery is not a straight line. And art has long been a companion in that journey — a place to process, to feel, to remember who you are. Your presence helps strengthen recovery networks across the Bay Area and reminds us that healing happens in the community.…
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Here’s a little backstory, to get us to where we now stand… in re: the Fridays, anyway… Read on! And thanks for being part of the Bird & Beckett story in the present day. /s/Eric Whittington, proprietor, since 1999 Once upon a time, in the late spring of 1999, Bird & Beckett opened its doors down on Diamond Street where Manzoni now serves exquisite Northern Italian cuisine to the ravenous epicures who’ve found their way to Glen Park. We took on the nicely appointed 1,000 square foot space from the four-year-old Glen Park Books, and paid our rent to Manhal Jweinat, still to this day the crepemaster behind the counter of his kitty-corner coffee house, Higher Grounds, which he opens in the early morning before jamming across the street to handle his love child, Manzoni through the dinner hours. Amazing fella, and still a good friend, that Manhal! Within…
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The posts that follow show you what’s come and gone. Search the videos on our youtube channel or facebook page to find evidence of what you remember, or what you missed! Then, make sure you catch the next thing that catches your fancy. The live streams are great, but live music in a room with folks you know or ought to get to know, that’s irreplaceable…
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“Rico is one of the few original voices emerging. His musicianship and passion have forged an original voice we will joyfully be hearing more from in the future.” — Vincent Herring, DownBeat Magazine “Rico Jones is a fine saxophonist steeped in the Jazz tradition with eyes set on the future” — Victor Lewis “Wonderful player, wonderful musician” — George Coleman “Truly a young brilliant tenor player of today. Sensitive, and intelligent, he knows the language and plays from the heart.” — Charles McPherson
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Sunday, March 8, 5:00pm Mitch Polzak & the Royal Deuces Honky tonk country music by virtuoso practitioners of the art! Mitch Polzak, guitar & vocals; Tim Wagar, bass; Ken Owen, drums with guest pedal steel guitar master Joe Goldmark ___ Reserve a seat by calling the bookshop at (415) 586-3733. We’ll hold your reservation until the music starts. No advance ticket sales; plan to pay with cash at the door, and byob. _____ MORE DETAILS: Wednesday, March 4, 7:00pm – 09:00pm Jackie Davis Martin & Jan Sollish Two local writers introduce their new books: Jan Sollish’s memoir is Simply Magical: North Beach, 1977 – 1982; Jackie Davis Martin’s book of short stories is A Life, Fictively Thursday, March 5, 7:00pm – 9:00pm Keith Gaboury, David Hutchinson, Daniel Farnan POETS! featured readers plus open mic, 1st Thursdays, hosted by Michael Koch & Jerry Ferraz Friday, March 6, 6:00pm – 8:00pm Jinx…
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Mitch Polzak, guitar and vocals Joe Goldmark, pedal steel guitar Tim Wagar, bass Ken Owen, drums $20 cover charge; byob. Students, $10; kids free Honky Tonk Showman Mitch Polzak plays a mean guitar and raises a ruckus like no one else! This afternoon, he brings his famous Royal Deuces joined for the date by pedal steel master Joe Goldmark. He’ll thrill and seduce you with two sets of rave up country music. BYOB and a twenty for the band!
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Saúl Sierra, bass Marco Díaz, trumpet & piano Charlie Gurke, saxophones Emilio Davalos, percussion $20 cover charge; byob. Students, $10 Cash at the door, please. For a reservation, call the bookshop at 415-586-3733 Saúl Sierra was born and raised in Mexico City, where he started playing professionally in 1990. In 1995, he enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating in 1999 with a B.Mus. in Performance. He received the US Scholarship tour award and the Outstanding Performer award at Berklee. As a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area since the fall of 1999, Saúl has performed, toured or recorded with Poncho Sanchez, Paquito D’ Rivera, Zakir Hussain, Arturo Sandoval, Jerry Gonzales, Jerry Medina, Walfredo de los Reyes, Giovanni Hidalgo, Peter Erskine, Donny McCaslin, Charlie Musselwhite, Pete Escovedo, Ernesto Oviedo, Steve Turre, Ray Vega, Hector Tricoche, Paquito Guzman, Antonio Sanchez, Arturo O’Farrill, Larry Harlow, Bobi Céspedes, Jimmy Bosh,…
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Noah Frank, trumpet. Stephanie Woodford, piano & vocals. Dexter Williams, bass. Isaac Schwartz, drums. $20 cover charge at the door, cash please; byob. Students, $10. No reservations required. Amazing talent; a band you won’t find in the clubs. Except this one! Come find out what you’re missing. Noah and Stephanie bring a joyful and cool vibe that wraps picnic gatherings, wedding parties, clubgoers and coffee house denizens in hip optimism, chill certainty and vulnerable wonder. Whether they call a Lee Morgan hard bop classic, a sparkling Stevie Wonder workout, an Aretha Franklin masterpiece or grunge rock beguilingly transfigured into jazz, Dexter and Isaac know just how to make it swing. Bring a friend or make a new one. You’ll feel right at home at Bird & Beckett tonight.
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Jinx Jones, guitar. Kurt Ribak, bass. Ken Owen, guitar. cover charge $20; byob. students $10. reservations, call 415-586-3733. Luxurious guitar and exotica. Cool swing and soul with a hot trio. That’s Jinx’s jazz bag! Welcome a true apostle of the many towering gods of the jazz guitar traditions, from Freddie Green to Charlie Christian to Tal Farlow to Wes Montgomery to Barney Kessel to Joe Pass to Kenny Burrell to Grant Green to Emily Remler to Mimi Fox… “Jinx Jones can indeed dazzle, Jones comps while launching melodic lines in a repertoire consisting of standards by Montgomery, Kessel, Lionel Hampton, and Benny Goodman, with his original “Alise” lending a Latin mood. Most impressive is Jones’ arrangement of Miles Davis’ “So What,” mixing percussive rhythm, singe-note passages, and octaves in the modal masterpiece.” Dan Forte, Vintage Guitar Magazine, 2018.
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Michael Koch hosts our monthly 1st Thursday readings, with Jerry Ferraz conducting the open mic that follows. This month, we present three featured readers, all with books published by American Poetry Systems, based in South San Francisco. Bring a few poems of your own to read in the open mic, and join the American poetry system! Keith Gaboury earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. His latest book is Monetized Happiness (American Poetry Systems, 2025). His other books include Still Human (Falkenberg Press, 2025), The Cosmos is Alive (Kelsay Books, 2023), and Oakland, I’m Not Dead (Pedestrian Press, 2020). His poems have appeared in such literary publications as Poetry Quarterly, New Millennium Writings, and the San Francisco Public Library’s Poem of the Day Series. Keith is a bibliophile and a preschool teacher. He lives in Oakland, California. You can learn more at keithgaboury.com and keithgaboury.me. David Hutchinson is…
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SUPPORT BIRD & BECKETT - DONATE TODAY!
Your donation to the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project helps us pay for a multitude of operating expenses necessary to present, promote and preserve local music, poetry, and more.
Help us keep the arts alive and thriving!
The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project was created in 2007 "to present, document and archive the creative work of significant living writers and musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, for a neighborhood audience and future generations," continuing the work we began when the store was established in 1999.
We continue to present a full slate of programming of live music and poetry readings, and produce a literary journal and poetry chapbooks, and we seek and welcome your continued financial support by way of donations.
Click on "donate" in the navigation bar above. Better yet, make a check out to the “Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project” and drop it off or mail it to:
Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
653 Chenery Street
San Francisco, CA 94131
Call us at (415) 586-3733 to find out how else you might lend your support.
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The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
Our events are put on under the umbrella of the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project (the "BBCLP"). That's how we fund our ambitious schedule of 300 or so concerts and literary events every year.
The BBCLP is a [Read More ]
The Independent Musicians Alliance
Gigging musicians! You have nothing to lose but your lack of a collective voice to achieve fair wages for your work!
The IMA can be a conduit for you, if you join in to make it work.
https://www.independentmusiciansalliance.org/
Read more here - Andy Gilbert's Feb 25 article about the IMA from KQED's site
