Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 18, 2025

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KEV CHOICE | MUSIC DIRECTOR

Kev Choice is a pianist, M.C., producer, composer, band-leader, and community leader, hailing from Oakland, California. He graduated from Oakland’s Skyline High and 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 Miss Lauryn Hill, Michael Franti, Goapele, Too Short, Ledisi, The Coup, Zion I, DJ Fresh and more. He has toured and performed in over 20 countries including all through Europe, Brazil, Cuba, Japan, and Palestine. As a solo artist, he has produced 5 solo albums, Oakland Riviera (2014), Love and Revolution (2015), 88 Steps to Eternity (2016), and Social Distancing (2020), along with various other EP’s and collaboration projects. He has been commissioned to compose work’s for the Oakland Symphony, Soul Restoration Suite (2018), and San Francisco Symphony “Movements” 2020. He currently is Vice-Chair of the City of Oakland's Cultural Affairs Commission, President of the Recording Academy’s SF Chapter advisory board, and is on the Board of Directors for the Oakland Symphony. In fall 2024, he started on as Assistant professor at San Francisco State University in the Department of Music.

RYANNICOLE | HOST

CA State Assembly-recognized Ryan Nicole Austin (RyanNicole) is a multi-hyphenate creative, activist and Rainin Fellow who is a Grammy-nominated featured and Kennedy Center artist, TEDx speaker, and has written for ESPN and the NBA. The equity advocate is an award-winning founder of Worth.AI artist rate calculator, and creator of housing justice documentary: The Haven Project. As a playwright, Ryan has been commissioned by the American Conservatory Theater, New York’s Public Theater, National Performance Network, and National American Musical Theater Festival and has an upcoming world premier of a tech-forward musical, CoFounders in May 2025. She is a proud third generation Oakland native where she resides with her husband and two children.

SUNDRA MANNING | PIPE ORGAN

Sundra Manning is a Grammy-nominated Pianist, Keyboardist, Hammond B3 Organ player, and Producer. Respected for her wide-range musical versatility, She brings a funky, fresh, and gritty approach to her playing that is unique and special.

Sundra has recorded, written, and performed around the world with artist such as Larry Graham featuring Prince, H.E.R., Lalah Hathaway, Raphael Saadiq, Peter Tork of the Monkeys, Bobby Womack, Ledisi, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Pete Escovedo, MC Hammer, Peabo Bryson, EnVogue, Avery Sunshine, Miko Marks, Black Women Rock among others. Sundra has produced and/or written songs for HBO films, Sony Pictures, Bose Corp., Warner Brothers Films, Pottery Barn, Kohl’s and many more.

DESTINY MUHAMMAD

Destiny Muhammad is a Recording, Performing Artist, Band Leader, Composer, & Producer. Her genre Celtic to Coltrane is cool and eclectic with a feel of Jazz & Storytelling to round out the sonic experience.

Destiny collaborations, curations and commissioning include: Grace Cathedral Christmas Concert Series, Stanford Jazz Festival featured Artist, Santa Cruz Symphony Recital Series, a San Jose Jazz Fest Jazz Aid Commissioned Artist, Guest/ Collaborator with Composer Marcus Shelby for Zaccho Dance ‘The People's Palace’ and featured on KQED Podcast & Sunday Music Drop.

Destiny is an Elected Governor of the The Recording Academy, San Francisco Chapter, SFJAZZ Teaching Artist, ASCAP Songwriter Awardee, Chamber Music America/ Doris Duke Foundation Performance Plus Awardee, and California Arts Council Legacy Fellow.

ABOUT THE LIVING JAZZ CHILDREN‘S PROJECT

The Living Jazz Children's Project is a free, weekly music and dance education and performance program that highlights the power of jazz to promote social change and engender cultural awareness and pride. Currently providing 30 weeks of sequential lessons to over 1,300 students in 17 under-resourced East Bay public schools, the Living Jazz Children's Project gives students a strong foundation for future music and dance learning, inspires and empowers them, and promotes school values and building community.

PARTICIPATING LIVING JAZZ CHILDREN’S PROJECT OAKLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Living Jazz invited participants from our 2nd and 3rd grade choral program to unite in the Living Jazz Children’s Project Choir to honor both the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the music of Aretha Franklin. This evening’s performance includes over 150 students from Carl B. Munck, Cleveland, and Glenview elementary schools. Oakland, time to be proud!

Oakland Unified School District

  • Arise High School*

  • Burckhalter*

  • Carl B. Munck*

  • Claremont

  • Cleveland*

  • Glenview

  • Thornhill

West Contra Costa County USD

  • Bayview*

  • Chavez*

  • Dover*

  • Harding*

  • Highland*

  • Nystrom*

  • Riverside*

  • Shannon*

  • Stege*

  • Stewart*

  • Tara Hills*

* - Indicates Title One School

BRYAN DYER | LIVING JAZZ CHILDREN’S PROJECT CHOIR DIRECTOR

Bryan S. Dyer is a multi-talented musician who not only sings but plays and teaches several instruments including bass guitar, percussion and piano; writes and arranges music, conducts choirs and groups, and works in television, radio and film. A veteran of some of the Bay Area’s top vocal groups including Street Sounds, SoVoSo, Slammin All Body Band, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, CHELLE! and Friends, and Bobby McFerrin's MOTION. He also performs with The Funk Revival Orchestra, Rankin Scroo and Ginger, Juke Joint and the percussion and dance ensemble, Crosspulse. During his international career he has also collaborated with such artists as Al Green, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and many more.

OAKTOWN JAZZ WORKSHOPS

Oaktown Jazz Workshops is a nonprofit, community based, cultural education organization dedicated to passing on the tradition of jazz music to young people through music instruction, educational presentations, and live concerts.

Founded by the late great trumpeter Khalil Shaheed in 1994, Oaktown Jazz Workshops’ mission is to provide youth – particularly underserved youth – with the support, opportunity, and agency to build their skills, creativity, and confidence within the uniquely American art-form of jazz music. Our intergenerational community of teachers, mentors, and storytellers challenge youth from all backgrounds to develop the skills and discipline needed to succeed in any field they choose to pursue.

Oaktown Jazz Workshops' Performance Ensemble features young musicians ages 12-18 who perform a variety of exciting and challenging jazz classics. Our young musicians learn from professional master musicians and perform for audiences throughout the Bay Area.

Featuring Oaktown Jazz Workshops’:

Max Ehrhardt - trumpet; Max Nguyễn -alto saxophone; Paulos Thomas - tenor saxophone; Jordon Dabney - tenor saxophone; Teo Quale - guitar; Niko Quale - violin; Lucy Khadder - violin; Alan Rios - alto saxophone; Coen Stockett - trombone; Mateo Martinez Lawrence - tenor saxophone; Mark Lee - drums (Lead Instructor); Ravi Abcarian - bass (Executive Director); Richard Howell - tenor saxophone (Lead Instructor)

SFJAZZ HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STARS AND ALUMNI

Established in 2001, the award-winning SFJAZZ High School All-Stars program brings together some of the most talented young musicians from around the Bay Area, providing them with pre-professional training and mentorship by leading jazz luminaries, including SFJAZZ’s Artistic Director, trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard. Winners of prestigious national awards and jazz festival competitions, the All-Stars perform throughout the year, participate in educational outreach programs, and record a studio album featuring original student compositions. The ensemble you are about to see includes current members alongside alumni performing an arrangement of “A Change is Gonna Come” by saxophonist Ayo Brame.

Tonight’s All-Star members feature:

Ayo Brame -tenor sax; Harry Jo - alto sax; Ryan Ancheta - trumpet; Andreas Landhuis -trombone; Tanvi Kumar - violin; Hannah Mayer - piano; Julian Deery - bass; Ben Ard - drums; Paul Contos (SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Big Band Director); Briana Scales (SFJAZZ Ensembles Manager); Rebeca Mauleón (SFJAZZ Director of Education & Community Engagement)

HOWARD WILEY & BAND

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 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. 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, Howard Wiley is Resident Artistic Director for the San Francisco Jazz Festival, presenting new music and performing multiple shows this season with his core band and several very special guest artists. Additionally, he will participate in the SFJAZZ educational series of events.

The Howard Wiley House Band

  • Howard Wiley - saxophone/bandleader

  • Sundra Manning - organ/keyboard

  • Clark Sims - bass

  • Dante “Taz” Roberson - drums

  • Terrence Brewer - guitar

TERRENCE BREWER | FEATURED GUITARIST

In addition to being a featured guitarist in tonight’s celebratory concert, Terrence Brewer is Living Jazz’s newly appointed Associate Camps Director for Jazz Camp West and Jam Camp West.

Proclaimed by long-time music scribe, David Becker (SF Examiner), as the San Francisco Bay areas #1 Jazz Guitarist, Multiple-Award winning guitarist Terrence Brewer is a first-call and in-demand bandleader, record producer, concert performer, studio musician, and one of the San Francisco Bay area’s foremost and sought after music educators.

Brewer, a voting member of the Grammys, has produced and released 11 nationally acclaimed albums on the record label Strong Brew Music he started in 2006. “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me”, Brewer’s 11th album, a duet album with Jazz/Blues vocalist Pamela Rose pays tribute to the iconic duet albums by Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass. Combined with being an in-demand record producer for himself and others, Brewer has lead his various groups in performing to sold-out crowds at the 62nd and 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, the world famous Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, Yoshi’s San Francisco, SFJAZZ, and countless other venues and festivals.

SŌLAUREN

Lauren “SōLauren” Adams is an Emmy award winning artist, arranger, singer-songwriter, musician, and producer from San Francisco, California, Ohlone Territory. Her work includes but is not limited to curating healing spaces with community advocates and healers like her band SOL Development, The BEimaginative Collective, and Arise Wellness. It is in these spaces that SōLauren creates timeless music embedded with ancestral and spiritual wisdom that has aided many listeners in their healing journeys.

She graduated from Hampton University with a B.S. in Music Engineering & Technology, and has used that knowledge to educate young people in classrooms all over the country! With 17+ years of experience teaching Music and Theater to elementary and middle school students, SōLauren is currently the Music & Arts Director at The Way, a faith based space focused on social justice issues and community healing.

CHIKA DI

Colombian-born, California-based Recording Artist and Songwriter Diana Trujillo aka Chika Di, developed her solo career during Covid in 2020. Chika Di's sound blends traditional Latin, electronic, Afro, and pop, while showcasing her powerful Colombian vocals. Her music has resonated on popular TV series like "Euphoria" , ”Generation +" , "Beautiful Wedding" (Movie), “Gentefied”, Fox Sport (Copa de Las Americas ), and most recently an appearance/sync in a McDonald’s commercial. Chika Di is a member of the Recording Academy and her self-titled debut album was released in early 2024.

ANDREW PARK - TRYBE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Andrew Park is the co-founder and executive director of Trybe, a community based non-profit organization in Oakland. Andrew is an immigrant from Korea who arrived in Oakland Chinatown in 1979, and attended Lincoln Elementary School. His family moved to East Oakland where he graduated from Skyline High, then attended Peralta colleges, received his BA in History with an English Minor from UC Davis, and earned a Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Andrew is an ordained minister and has served in various clergy positions including as a chaplain at Highland Hospital. Andrew has held various professional and director roles including as board member of Harbor House Ministries, vice-chair of the city’s Community Development Block Grant, administrator at the University of California, Berkeley, and chairing multiple neighborhood and parks groups. Andrew co-founded Trybe in 2005 and the organization has grown from a small grassroots volunteer-run organization to an annual budget of $4,000,000 with 40 staff.

Trybe's mission is to bring people together through building and serving, primarily through youth/community development. Andrew ran for Oakland city council in 2014 garnering 20% of the vote as a first time candidate in a crowded and qualified field. He received the California Assembly Community Service Award in 2009 and 2021 (Swanson, Bonta), the Chancellor’s Community Service Award in 2014 at UC Berkeley, an Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ AAPI Proclamation in 2017, and the Jefferson Award in 2024. Andrew holds a black belt in TaeKwonDo and in his free time, enjoys playing basketball, swimming, cooking, and going on road trips with his life partner, Alexandra and four children.

MARUSYA MADUBUKO

Originally from New York, NY, Marusya Madubuko began her pre-professional training at age 15 with Premiere Division Ballet under the tutelage of Nadege Hottier. In 2019, Madubuko competed at the Royal Grand Prix in Italy, winning second place for her contemporary and classical solo. She has trained with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Royal Ballet School, and at San Francisco Ballet School where she had the opportunity to dance repertoire including Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2021, she participated in BalletUnleashed’s first creative project “Switchback”, working with choreographer Cathy Marston to create a solo. Madubuko joined LINES Ballet in 2021.

Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Marusya Madubuko | © RJ Muna

MAYA RAVENEAU-BEY | 2024 OAKLAND YOUTH POET LAUREATE FINALIST

Maya Raveneau-Bey is a senior at Oakland School for the Arts.

Maya, a 2023 and 2024 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Finalist, 2023 YouthSpeaks Slam competition Finalist, and member of the Chapter 510 Youth Advisory board, is a learning poet.

She assumed she was suffering from seeing the world in an upside down perspective, poetry introduced itself to her as a repetitive inconvenience. School was structured to indoctrinate a language of practicality into her that confined her creativity. It made it difficult to fit into a unidirectional system and she lost sight of a gift that was left in waiting. The reality was that she could see a poetic dimension to life, and this power with words bled into her early years and showed in birthday cards to personal essays to poems. As she continues to learn the parallels of who she is and what she chooses to speak, her craft refines, her writing layers, and her voice grows spirited.

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.

David Möschler, Founder & Conductor

Flute/Piccolo

Arturo Rodriguez

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

Alexandra Simmons

Horn

Phil Hobson

Trumpet

Justin Smith

Trombone

J. Maddox

Percussion

Sage Baggott

Harp

Destiny Muhammad

Violin I

Amanda Mok

Aaron Colverson

Nina Han

Angela Hsieh

Stephania Diamant

Violin II

Amy Loftus

Sandy Poindexter

Andy Hsiao

Adriana Ramirez Mirabal

Brad Girardeau

Ann Eastman

Viola

Lo Weseley

Susanne Gahl

Jarrod Powell

Gar Wei Lee

Kelly Wong

Cello

Georgia Martin

Nathaniel Fruchter

Laura Boytz

Andrea Landin

Ken Ferry

Double Bass

Amanda Wu

Joe Belson

MS. DEE DEE SIMON

Ms. Dee Dee Simon, a proud Oakland, California native, has been a full-time nurse at San Quentin State Prison for 19 years. But ask her about her true calling, and she’ll tell you without hesitation—she was born to sing.

Dee Dee’s powerhouse vocals are often compared to the sassy flair of Patti LaBelle, the richness of Gladys Knight, the fire of Chaka Khan, the edge of Tina Turner, and the purity of Whitney Houston. This multifaceted artist—songwriter, thespian, and executive producer—has rightfully earned the title "The Soul of the Bay."

Her journey began at the age of four, honing her talent in church, where she built the strong foundation that supports her dynamic career. Over the years, she has graced the stage alongside legends such as Regina Belle, Gladys Knight, Faith Evans, Jeffrey Osborne, and Morris Day and The Time, among others.

A career highlight came when she won the Steve Harvey National Sing-Off competition at the Hoodie Awards, earning praise from Kevin Hart, who said simply, "I choose Dee Dee." Jaheim described her talent as "up there with Patti LaBelle ringing them bells... I am speechless." And Steve Harvey himself declared, "That girl can SANG."

Dee Dee’s accolades speak for themselves: 56 Bay Area Black Music Awards, Northern California’s Best Female Vocalist, reigning Entertainer of the Year, Narada Michael Walden’s "Re Re Powerhouse Award" (named after Aretha Franklin), and the Jackie Award for Best National Female Entertainer from the Jackson, Mississippi Music Awards.

Her recent accomplishments solidify her legacy: in 2023, she became the 89th-season winner of Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, securing her place in their history books. In 2024, she reached the Top Ten as a finalist on America’s Got Talent, further showcasing her extraordinary ability to captivate audiences.

Dee Dee Simon pours her heart and soul into every performance, leaving it all on the stage—because that’s who she is. She’s more than a singer; she’s an experience.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Dee Dee Simon!

OAKLAND INTERFAITH GOSPEL CHOIR ENSEMBLE

Founded in 1986, by Terrance Kelly, the mission of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Inc. is to inspire joy and unity among all people through Black gospel and spiritual music traditions. Every performance helps to preserve and advance Black gospel music and spirituals. OIGC weaves together more than 300 singers ages 5 to 100 across multiple choirs from a wide range of faiths, races, and cultures.

OIGC’s cornerstone work is the Community Engagement Program, presenting concerts in a wide range of venues that reach underserved populations and serve the community in times of need and celebration. It is inclusive of the non-audition Oakland Interfaith Community Choir founded in 2013 and the Oakland Interfaith Kids Choir in 2022.

The summer of 2022 saw the acquisition of the Oakland Youth Chorus to the Oakland Interfaith Youth Choir founded in 1997. OIGC’s youth program and outreach now includes a total of 5 ensembles, from elementary through high school.

OIGC continues to address the need to keep the tradition of Black gospel music and Negro spirituals alive for new generations of singers and to bring this music to diverse audiences throughout the community.

Find out more at www.oigc.org.

Sopranos:

Leola Clark

Mary Ford

Megan Barnett

Rachel Bigelow

Kellie Morlock

Altos:

Cheryl Garner

Sharon Hymes-Offord

Katherine Harry

Jennifer Little

Katherina Guido-Respicio

Lindsay K. Elam

Tenors:

Daniel Strauss

Tessa Loehwing

Don Bonner

Vernon Staggers

Lara Hermanson

Basses:

David Cogswell

James Fisher

Aaron Draper

Dan Nazarian

William Lewis

Paul Daniels

MIKE BLANKENSHIP - ARRANGER

Mike Blankenship is a renowned pianist, keyboardist, composer, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a career spanning over two decades, Mike has toured globally and performed with legendary artists, including Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sheila E., Ledisi, and Miss Lauryn Hill. He is celebrated for his dynamic musicality and versatility across genres, from jazz and soul to hip-hop and R&B.

Beyond the stage, Mike is deeply committed to arts education as the Managing Director of Yeah, Art!, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through music and creative expression. He has developed innovative curricula for songwriting, music production, and digital art that inspire and amplify the voices of young artists.

Mike is also a proud Governor of the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy and a passionate advocate for music's transformative power. Through his work, he continues to honor the legacies of musical greats and foster the next generation of talent.

JONATHAN SEIBERLICH - ARRANGER

Over the past 12 years, Jonathan Seiberlich has become a prominent member of the San Francisco Bay Area’s vibrant music scene. On any given night you may hear him perform with the San Francisco Symphony, the Nomad Session Wind Octet, Jazz Mafia collective, Grateful Brass, Honor Brass Band, Circus Bella, and Kyle Athayde Dance Party. Jonathan has also performed alongside internationally renowned acts such as Sigur Ros, Veronica Swift, Peter Apfelbaum, Josh Jones, and The California Honeydrops.

In addition to his work as a tuba player, Jonathan is an accomplished producer, composer, arranger, and songwriter. Since 2015 he has been producing albums of music under the name Jensen Engineering. These albums include a variety of original songs and collaborations with other renowned Bay Area instrumentalists, singers, and rappers. More recently, Jonathan has formed the Seiberlich Quintet, which performs original instrumental music featuring a blend of New Orleans “brass band” instrumentation, classical composition, and improvisation.

Jonathan was born and raised in Concord, CA. He began his musical studies at Los Medanos College, then went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Tuba Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory and a Masters degree in Tuba Performance from the University of Southern California. Over the course of his career he has studied with Peter Wahrhaftig, Ron Bishop, Jim Self, Norm Pearson, Doug Tornquist, Roger Bobo, and Zachariah Spellman. He is currently the Tuba Faculty at Sonoma State University, The San Francisco Conservatory Pre-College, and has been teaching students of all ages for over 18 years.

VINCENT RILLERA - ARRANGER

As a multi-instrumentalist and a father of 3 from Vallejo, California, Vince Rillera is no stranger to multi-tasking. With over 25 years of musical experience he has built a career centered around being in 3 places at the same time: the stage, the studio, and the classroom. In an attempt to stay out of trouble, his Dad got him playing gigs at 14 years old which quickly developed into a love for writing, producing, and arranging. Now with a B.M. in Music Education from SFSU under his belt, and endlessly developing home studio and over 15 years with his lesson company RealEraMusic, he continues to teach, create, and perform on a regular basis.

BRIAN ADAM MCCUNE - ARRANGER

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.