Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 18, 2025
Kev Choice - Musical Director
Kev Choice is a pianist, M.C., producer, composer, educator, band-leader, and community advocate, hailing from Oakland, CA. He started studying piano and rapping at age 11 at Oakland's Westlake Junior High and graduated from Oakland’s Skyline High School. He went on to obtain a Bachelor's Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and a Master's Degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, both in Piano Performance.
Kev has worked with artists such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Michael Franti, Goapele, Too Short, Ledisi, The Coup, Zion I, and more. As a solo artist, he has produced 5 solo albums, including Social Distancing (2020), Oakland Riviera (2014), Love and Revolution (2015), 88 Steps to Eternity (2016), Social Distancing (2020), and collaboration projects with producers DJ Fresh and DJ Basta. He was commissioned to compose a work for the Oakland Symphony, Soul Restoration Suite (2018), and in 2020 wrote a piece for San Francisco Symphony entitled “Movements”. He continues to compose, arrange, and perform with both orchestras.
Kev was co-chair of the Instrumental Music Department at Oakland School For The Arts from 2016-2022. He currently is vice-chair of the City of Oakland's Cultural Affairs Commission, is on the Board of Directors for the Oakland Symphony, and is a Cultural Strategist with the Oakland’s Communications Department uplifting Oakland’s motto “Love Life”. He is currently a Project Coordinator with Elevate Oakland, a music education non-profit serving Oakland Public Schools.
RyanNicole - Host
RyanNicole is a Rainin Fellow who is featured on Alphabet Rockers' Grammy-nominated album The Love, TEDx San Francisco, & ESPN's "NBA Christmas" with Daveed Diggs. The California State Assembly-recognized artist was Executive Director of Youth Movement Records. As a playwright, Ryan has been commissioned by the American Conservatory Theater, New York's Public Theater, National Performance Network, & National American Musical Theater Festival. She is a proud Oakland native where she resides with her husband and two children.
Aneesa Strings
Aneesa Strings is a bassist, vocalist and composer from Oakland, California. She began playing professionally and recorded her first jazz album at just 13 years old. Aneesa received her Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California in 2014, where she released her first solo album A Shift In Paradigm featuring her single “Simpin”, produced by Patrice Rushen in collaboration with SFJAZZ.
In 2016, Ms. Strings earned her Masters of Music in Jazz Studies at Michigan State University where she toured as the lead singer of the Bebop Spartans Big Band under the direction of Rodney Whitaker. Ms. Strings is fresh off the release of her 2019 critically acclaimed sophomore album “WAYS”, and has continued to tour world-wide with the likes of Duckworth, Jose James, Kandace Springs and many others.
La Doña
La Doña, born Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea in San Francisco, California, is a solo reggaeton singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist. The Chicana artist began her career at age 7 playing trumpet, and later strings and percussion in her family’s conjunto. She also played in a youth salsa band and a Balkan fusion band before synthesizing her unique upbringing in her original compositions. La Doña combines her deep roots in Latin folk traditions like corridos and rumba with the propulsive modern sounds of reggaeton, cumbia, and hip hop.
La Doña coined the term “Femmeton” to describe her auto-referential songs about love, sex, gentrification, and the radical joys of being a queer brown woman in the Bay Area. An activist and educator, she holds her community close- her father, childhood friends, and partner layer live instrumentation, intimate harmonies, and driving percussion over a thick reggaeton beat. Influenced by local muralismo and hyphy sensibilities just as much as global diasporas and climate catastrophes, La Doña’s catalog is eclectic, fresh, and urgent.
La Doña was chosen as one of YouTube’s Foundry Artists and she has performed recently at Tecate’s“El Patio” and Redbull’s “EEUU de Bass”. Her song, “Quién Me La Paga” was the first of the New York Times Magazine’s “19 Songs that Matter Now,” for 2020, and her EP, Algo Nuevo, was selected by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the 6 best albums of 2020. La Doña was awarded the 2020 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Mini-Commission, and continues to make music.
PHER
Emerging as one of the most characterful and intriguing new voices in the US right now, Grammy award winning vocalist, PHER is bringing timeless soul back in a fresh sound. Dripping with artistic flair and soulful imagination, PHER is an artist brimming with classic finesse and levels of craftmanship that feels like a breath of fresh air. PHER’s stirring, true-life backstory and innate talent can’t help but define him against the current landscape in today’s digital world.
His debut single "Murky”, has organically reached almost 2 million streams on Spotify. It is an audio representation of a light at the end of the tunnel. It embodies the faith that it takes to continue on the journey of unconditional love. He has toured and recorded internationally with his own group, as well as with music industry legends like Usher, The Roots, Robert Glasper, Stevie Wonder, Bootsy Collins, Sam Smith, Disclosure, Mike Posner, Esperanza Spalding, Bilal, Jon Batiste, Harvey Mason Sr., Eddie Palmeri, Dianne Reeves, Eric Harland, Kris Bowers, ERIMAJ, and many
Howard Wiley
Born in Berkeley, California, Howard Wiley displayed a unique musical talent from a young age saying, “the first time I picked up the saxophone, it became a part of me, like an additional limb. I knew I had found my purpose.”
Wiley’s love of jazz and arranging led him to fuse his jazz sounds with funk. Ever the soulful live musician, he has built a strong reputation for presenting jazz shows ‘that you can dance to’. He successfully fuses jazz with funk, gospel and soul, creating a never-before heard sound on the saxophone.
In March 2021, he was awarded a commission to create new works for the San Jose Jazz New Works Fest, which he debuted live in April 2021. An in-demand live performer, Wiley has toured internationally, recorded, and performed with artists including Miss Lauryn Hill, Sheila E, Cory Henry, Christian McBride, Chester Thompson and more. He is one of the resident saxophonists for Miles Mosley & The West Coast Get Down, and has performed worldwide with a vast array of artists. Over the years as a solo artist, Wiley has performed at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s, North Sea Jazz Fest, Blue Note Club, Madrone Art Bar, Cape Town Jazz Festival, the Grammy Museum, Yoshi’s Oakland, Malcolm X Jazz Festival, Sonoma Jazz Festival, Smalls NY, and SXSW, to name a few.
Currently, along with writing/recording his latest solo project, his extensive touring schedule, and his weekly residency at Mama Kin in San Jose, Howard will be a Resident Artistic Director for the San Francisco Jazz Festival, presenting new music and performing multiple shows over two seasons with his core band and several very special guest artists. Additionally, he will participate in the SFJ educational series of events. Past SFJ Resident Artist Directors include Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, Esperanza Spalding, Regina Carter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Bill Frisell, and Jason Moran.
Nona Brown
The smooth and unconventional sound of San Francisco Bay Area native Nona Brown is "a breath of fresh air" according to her fans. Vocalist, Pianist, Songwriter and Producer, the Nona Brown impression is sure to be lasting.
Nona's music career includes some amazing accomplishments – international performances at Umbria Jazz Festival, Porretta Soul Festival; arranger and background vocalist on the 2022 GRAMMY Award winning Best Children's Album by Falu A Colorful World and 2022 Telly Award Winner for her "Black Lives Matter" music video co-written with Tony Saunders.
As an active member of the music community, Nona currently serves as President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy – the first black woman elected to serve in this capacity.
In addition to Nona's music career. she wrote, produced, and directed her first documentary, "it takes a Miracle (Sound of Survivors)" available on YouTube. A breast cancer survivor herself, Nona shares her journey through this documentary - a story of 4 women who share 4 common threads: music, resilience, breast cancer and survivor! Powerful and inspiring - a film to add to your watch list.
Nona Brown is a name to remember and a life to be inspired by.
Babatunji
Babatunji Johnson was born in Portland Oregon and grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. At the age of 15 he discovered hip hop and developed a unique self-taught movement language that includes a mix of breakdance, popping, and krump. Soon after he began formal training in ballet, modern, and contemporary. Babatunji has performed with Post Ballet, SFDanceworks, Terri Lyne Carrington, Misty Copeland, as well as with many other Bay Area companies and for over a decade has worked with one of the greatest American choreographers, Alonzo King. In 2015 Babatunji was given a Princess Grace Award, as well as a Chris Hellman Award for his outstanding achievements and promise in the world of dance. He is immensely grateful to his mom for providing him with every opportunity and the guidance of her wisdom along the way.
Awesöme Orchestra
Awesöme Orchestra brings together Bay Area music-lovers for orchestral adventures. The exciting energy and sound of 100+ musicians playing together is just one of the many factors that make us awesome. What makes us different is that we bring classical music out of the symphony concert halls and into the streets, parks, and rock venues of the Bay Area; we take orchestral music out of films and video games and bring the music to the fore. Our sessions are open to any musicians who want to join us. Visit www.awesomeorchestra.org for info about how to sign up to play.
BRIAN ADAM MCCUNE
Brian Adam McCune, a Colombian-American composer based in Oakland, serves as the Associate Music Director of the Awesöme Orchestra Collective, where he conducts and has contributed to over numerous arrangements and orchestrations in the group's 10-year history. His music has been played all over the U.S., from Hawaii to Kalamazoo to the stage at Carnegie Hall. A particular point of pride for Brian is having his arrangements played by Oakland Symphony over the last several years. He holds a Bachelor's in Music Performance from UNC Chapel Hill and a Master's in Music Composition from New School University, New York. Beyond his musical endeavors, Brian is an avid D&D player, a video game developer, and a happy DogDad.
Rhonda Benin
San Francisco Bay Area vocalist, Rhonda Benin has earned a reputation for not just a good voice but showmanship, magnetic stage personality, humor, and of course her great dancing. Rhonda’s impressive resume includes performances at SF Jazz, Yoshi’s, MOAD, The Healdsburg, Sonoma, Burlingame, Sausalito, Filmore, and Calistoga Jazz Festivals. In the summer of 2012 Rhonda traveled to Hangzhou, China for a 3 month engagement at the JZ Jazz Club and was 2014 USA headliner for The Kigali Up Music Festival in Kigali, Rwanda. In addition to singing, Rhonda is producer and founder of the Women’s History Month’s show “Just Like A Woman” a tribute to Bay Area Women In Music and the entertaining, informative piece, “Jazz Ain’t Nothing But The Blues”.
Benin is a 22 year member of The GRAMMY nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage. She appears on the CHC’s 7 Cd’s and has toured 30 countries performing and recording with legendary artists such as Taj Mahal, Wilson Pickett, Richie Havens, Odetta. Al Green, Keb Mo, Santana, Patti Austin, Janis Ian, Jackson Brown, Hugh Masekela & Sweet Honey In The Rock.
In 2006 Rhonda produced her first solo CD, A Matter of the Heart a classic mix of jazz, blues, and soul and is currently working on her 2nd CD.
Rhonda is on the teaching staff of Healdsburg Jazz’s Operation Jazz Band, San Francisco Arts Project, LEAP, Cal Performances, Youth In Arts, The Bay Area Jazz Society and conducts her own school assemblies and workshops, “The Voice, The Hands The Feet”, “Twist and Shout” and “Love Letters Make Me Misty Blue”.
Aneesa Strings, vocals/bass
Skylar Tang, trumpet/arranger
Harry Jo, alto sax
Ranzel Merritt, tenor sax
Remee Ashley, trombone
Vincent Maclauchlan, guitar
Alex Perry, keyboards
Malachi Whitson, drums
SFJAZZ High School
All-Stars & Alumni
A free, pre-professional training program for current Bay Area high school-age jazz musicians, the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars rehearse and perform throughout the school year at the SFJAZZ Center, receive mentorship and clinics with leading jazz professionals, record a professional studio album, and appear at prestigious music festivals and competitions. The skilled young musicians comprising our award-winning Big Band and Combo continue to earn accolades wherever they appear, including four consecutive wins at the Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey, numerous Downbeat Awards, first place in The Charles Mingus and Portland Jazz Forward festivals, and so many more. This concert will feature current All-Star members; Skylar Tang, Harry Jo, and Vincent MacLauchlan; alongside prestigious program alums; Aneesa Strings, Malachi Whitson, Ranzel Merritt, Remee Ashley, and Alex Perry.
