Upcoming Shows

Bruce Forman Trio returns to Keys!

San Francisco’s Bard of Bop comes home for a night of jazz guitar stunts, storytelling, and mayhem. With his SF trio most anything can happen…and it usually does!

“Bruce Forman is one of the great lights of our age.” Barney Kessel, Jazz Times
A hectic touring schedule; twenty-one recordings as a leader,  countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s distinguished films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; raconteur, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept., when does Bruce Forman rest?

Bruce Forman-Guitar

Rob Fisher-Bass

Akira Tana-Drums

An Irish guy, a black guy, a Hungarian, and a Jew, walked into a bar. Once they were perched on their barstools, the soulful organ master Jimmy McGriff, streamed through the laptop speakers. “Rock Candy” was the song, and it pleased the four men very much. So much so, the men, who just happened to be distinguished musicians, decided on the spot, to organize an organ dominate quartet, name it SMOKEHOUSE, and get some gigs. That’s exactly what they did, and now the rest of the story.

Eamonn Flynn – organ, vocals and songwriting

Eamonn was born and raised in Ireland. Prior to moving to America, Flynn was best known for playing Hammond B3 organ, and piano on the soundtrack for “The Commitments”, a film about an Irish Soul band. The soundtrack sold 14,000,000 copies. Flynn relocated to San Francisco, in 1997. He went on to record and tour globally with Michael Franti & Spearhead, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Pee Wee Ellis, Maria Muldaur, and Meters’ drummer, Zigaboo Modeliste to name a few. 

Anthony Paule – guitar, vocals and songwriting

Anthony, is creator and leader of the twelve piece, horn driven, “Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan”. APSO performs and records original Blues and Soul music. Under Paule’s direction APSO, has received seventeen BMA nominations, and recorded six albums. Anthony has also toured and/or recorded with Boz Scaggs, Charlie Musselwhite, the Johnny Nocturne Band, Jackie Payne, Mark Hummel, Home Cookin’, Frank Bey, Wee Willie Walker, Maria Muldaur, and Van Morrison. 

Willy Jordan – drums, vocals, songwriting

Willy, has a varied musical background (blues, zydeco, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, rock, and jazz). He has performed and/or recorded with Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, Carlos Santana, and Motordude Zydeco. From 1996 to 1998 Willy toured and recorded with blues legend John Lee Hooker. “Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here” recorded with Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, garnered Willy two Grammy nominations. “I Found A Love”, a duet Willy sang with John Nemeth, for John’s double BMA winning “May Be The Last Time”. Willy is now lead vocalist with The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra.

Endre Tarczy – bass, vocals, songwritingEndre Tarczy is a first call bassist around the San Francisco Bay Area. He has played with iconic musicians such as John Lee Hooker, Gregg Allman, Robben Ford, Chris Cain, and Coco Montoya. Tarczy is a frequent collaborator at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, often appearing as part of the “Greaseland All Stars” alongside producer Kid Andersen. He has played on countless releases recorded at Greaseland including albums by Terry Hanck, Jackie Payne, Kid Andersen, Diuna Greenleaf, and many others. From 2018 to 2025 Tarczy held down the bass chair in the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra performing at festivals all around the U.S. and Europe.

Immerse yourself in the electrifying world of “Ritmo y Voz”, where the deep-rooted traditions of Afro-Cuban jazz meet the power of dynamic vocals. This high-energy performance features an all-star lineup, including guitarist Kai Lyons, percussion master Ernesto, bassist Mazar, and the incomparable Einar Leliebre Nuñez, whose fiery rhythms and soaring voice bring the soul of Santiago de Cuba to life. Drawing from the rich traditions of Rumba, Timba, Changüí, and Batá, the group weaves a tapestry of sound that pulses with history, spirit, and innovation. Their collective experience includes collaborations with legendary artists like Omar Sosa, John Santos, and other torchbearers of the Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz traditions.

Einar “Tito” Leliebre – Vocals, Percussion

Ernesto Kindelan Mazar- Bass

Kai Lyons-Guitar

“Hammond Organ Party! is an exceptional collaboration…Rose and De La Cruz have hit a home run!”  – Pete Fallico, Doodlin’ Lounge

“Outstanding vocals…Rose hits that jazz & soul sweet spot with Wayne De La Cruz and Hammond Organ Party!”  Frank-John Hadley, DownBeat

Jazz and blues audiences will associate vocalist and educator Pamela Rose with her work of the past 15 years, a celebration of women songwriters in her book, recording and touring multimedia shows Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era and Blues is a Woman.  

But San Francisco fans know that Rose’s enduring passion for the swinging and soulful sounds of the Hammond B-3 organ have often paired her with jazz B-3 master Wayne De La Cruz at local clubs and festivals.  De La Cruz approached Rose with the idea of taking that partnership into the studio with special arrangements structured for voice and B-3. 

The result is Hammond Organ Party!, an inexplicably rare encounter between a soul-drenched singer and a prodigious B-3 practitioner. Loose and limber, moving and grooving, this project feels like a Saturday night celebration, with Rose and her top-shelf cast romping through rare jazz standards, blues and R&B classics.Joined onstage by guitar great Danny Caron (Charles Brown, Bonnie Raitt), drummer Mark Lee, this group is ready to Party!

Contemporary jazz pianist, keyboardist and composer, Peter Horvath has been perfecting his craft since the age of six when he began taking classical piano lessons. Born in Budapest, Hungary, he attended the BelaBartok Conservatory of Music. At age 17, he won the National Jazz ComboCompetition in Hungary and two years later moved to Austria to attend theVienna Conservatory of Music. In 1983, Peter moved to the United States,where he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has since performed, recorded and toured nationally and worldwide with a long line of world-class artist, including jazz greats Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson,Richie Cole, Ernie Watts, Eddie Henderson, Charles McPherson, Benny Maupin, the Victor Bailey Group, Lenny White, Arturo Sandoval, RandyBrecker, Marcus Miller, Pee Wee Ellis Funk Assembly, Bob Mintzer, BobSheppard, Craig Handy, Tiger Okoshi, Lalah Hathaway, Melba Moore,Ledisi, Keith Washington, Rosie Gaines, Ray Obiedo, Pete Escovedo and the Oakland Symphony. Peter composed for and performed with David Garibaldi for his critically acclaimed Warner Brothers video/CD series and recorded the tracks for Aretha Franklin’s performance of the NationalAnthem at the 1993 World Series.Peter Horvath’s first solo recording, “

The sensitive and sophisticated vocal stylings of Carla Helmbrecht are the perfect complement to the soulful, blues- and swing-influenced style of the Brad Leali ensemble. Not only do they explore classic jazz standards and original materials, but they are able to infuse historical and modern components to their unique arrangements.

With a unique style and sound that echo the influences of his past, Brad Leali is one of the most notable saxophonists of current times. Leali toured and recorded with numerous jazz greats, including several years with Harry Connick, Jr. and later with the Count Basie Orchestra. Leali was a standing member of the Kennedy Center Honors Band and performed for President Obama’s first inaugural celebration. He tours and is a featured soloist with the Grammy-winning musician and actor, Lyle Lovett. Brad is currently the Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of North Texas

“Saxophonist Brad Leali was among the most soulful and exciting I’ve heard recently.” – New York Times

“His solos are sparkling and Cannonball Adderley influenced.”
- Evening Standard (London, England)

Grammy-nominated singer/song-writer, Carla Helmbrecht, began her love affair with music at a young age. Her recording ONE FOR MY BABY earned a prominent position on Gavin’s Jazz Chart, while BE COOL BE KIND debuted as “the most added jazz record on radio in the nation” and received three Grammy nominations. Carla is a featured artist on numerous other recordings, television and major motion picture films. She lives in San Francisco and tours nationally and internationally

“… imaginative…poetic and sophisticated…She’s hip without being frenetic, laid-back without sounding haphazard, and best of all, the lady swings without sweating…the lyric writer’s best friend.”   -Harvey Siders, JazzTimes

“She exudes warmth in spades…An unusually gifted vocalist, impeccable phrasing…steeped in a swinging jazz sensibility that reminds me of Mel Torme….” -Carol Archer, R & R Magazine

Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson continues the Horns of SF series at Keys Jazz Bistro on the saxophone, with his long-running quartet, featuring Keith Saunders on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass, and Tony Johnson on drums. The quartet, which held court every Tuesday for nearly a decade at the now defunct Club Deluxe, will be exploring material from the great American songbook, as well as bebop classics and originals. 

A true treasure of the Bay Area jazz scene, vocalist Paula West is celebrated for her rich contralto voice and deeply expressive interpretations of song.Her repertoire moves effortlessly from the Great American Songbook to inspired reinventions of music by artists like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Johnny Cash, always delivered with nuance, emotional depth, and impeccable phrasing.West has performed in renowned venues across San Francisco and New York, including residencies at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel and appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, SFJAZZ, Feinstein’s at the Nikko, and Yoshi’s. Her performances at the Algonquin earned three consecutive New York Magazine Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Female Jazz Vocalist.Praised by The New York Times for a voice that has “ripened into a driving expressive force,” Paula West continues to captivate audiences with performances that are both timeless and strikingly personal.Join us at Keys Jazz Bistro for an unforgettable evening with one of the great vocal stylists in jazz

Vocalist Rhonda Benin breezes in with a jazzy/soulful take on the tunes of Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, along with classic standards and Rhonda’s original tunes. “Rhonda Benin is a tremendously assured singer who inhabits the celebratory zone where jazz, soul and blues fraternize freely.” Joining Rhonda will be Grant Levin (piano), Ron Belcher (bass), Leon Joyce, Jr.(drums).

Rhonda Benin is a distinguished jazz, blues, and soul vocalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, originally from Los Angeles’s Crenshaw district. Her voice is often described as “sweet, sultry, like caramel sweetened with honey, with a “coolly hip vocal, with a bit of hush and sugar and an undercurrent of big booming power”

A founding member of Linda Tillery’s Grammy-nominated Cultural Heritage Choir—where she performed for over two decades—Benin has toured internationally with the ensemble and recorded on seven of their CDs She’s shared stages and studios with legendary artists like Taj Mahal, Al Green, Santana, Patti Austin, Janis Ian, Odetta, Wilson Pickett, and Hugh Masekela among many others.

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Fog City Swing! The bay area’s newest and hottest jazz and swing band featuring an electrifying three horn front line, stellar crooning vocals, and a swing till you drop rhythm section. Enjoy an evening of swing, hard bop, and even some classic pop favorites performed only the way they can! This seven piece ensemble will transport you to the 1940’s and beyond, it is truly the world’s smallest big band!

Keys favorite Kenny Washington always brings concert thrills and spills to Keys. Don’t miss out on one of our very own world class bay area artists!Kenny Washington has thrilled audiences across the globe with his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and inventive scatting. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington appeared in 2013 with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, alongside vocalists Gregory Porter and Paula West. 

After 25 years as the lead vocalist for Santana, Tony Lindsay has garnered 11 Grammy awards, traveled on numerous world tours and recorded on seven Santana CDs: Milagro (1992), Supernatural (1999), Shaman (2002), Ceremony (2003), Food for Thought (2004), Ultimate Santana (2007), Multi-Dimensional Warrior (2008). In addition to many Grammy Show performances, Tony’s time with Santana included a 2003 pre-game performance at Super Bowl XXXVII where they were joined onstage by Beyonce. In 2015, Carlos Santana decided to change personnel in his band and set the wheels in motion for Tony to start on his 5th solo CD “Something Beautiful”. His previous solo albums are “Different Moods” (1995), “The Message is Love” (1997), “Tony Lindsay” and “Memoirs” (2014).