The fair-trade ticketing company.

Mike Zilber Quartet - Jazz Saxophone the Way it Should be Played

Jazz at Pearl's
San Francisco, CA

"Michael Zilber is one of the best composers and players around anywhere, period!" Jazz great Dave Liebman.

"Â[Mike] Zilber is a jazz rarity in that he has a doctorate in composition, and he takes care to outfit all of his pieces with bold melodies, surprising chord progressions, and the kind of contrapuntal twists rarely heard in improvised settings. But he's also interested in what he calls 'the fundamental cry'ÂÂ: that bluesy wail that is the emotional heart of the music. Jazz, he says, is 'the ultimate meeting of head and heart,'ÂÂ and his sound lives up to that billing." Alexander Varty, the Georgia Straight, Vancouver'ÂÂs News and Entertainment Weekly.

Vibrant and sure-toned saxophonist Mike Zilber leads a fabulous band into Jazz at PearlÃ¢ÂÂs that is much more a collective than a 'ÂÂleader and band' ensemble. His bandmates, all leaders in their own right, will be trombonist John Gove, bassist Peter Barshay and drummer Jeff Marrs. This is a group that is bound to surprise and delight with imaginative yet accessible straight-ahead jazz. Zilber plays jazz like it should be played, with emotion, virtuosity and a lightning agility. His style is fluid and always full of rewards, as if he had an entire orchestra tucked away in his horn.

A stalwart on the San Francisco scene for many years, Zilber was, before his move here, a stand-out in the New York City jazz world as well. HeÃ¢ÂÂs recorded highly acclaimed CDs on both coasts. His release Stranger in Brooklyn was named one of the top 30 CDs of all time by Jazzfusion.com.

In addition to performing and recording with sax great Dave Liebman, Zilber has worked with drumming star Steve Smith and led CARMA, and San Francisco Bay Area all-star big band. His highly acclaimed 2000 CD, Two Coasts, featuring Steve Smith, Rachel Z and James Genus was a finalist for the 2001 Independent Music Awards' Jazz Record of the Year.

Zilber moved to Boston in his late teens and to New York City in his early twenties. He has performed and/or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Liebman, Miroslav Vitous, Bob Berg, Eddie Henderson, Fareed Haque, Geoff Keezer, Donald Harrison, John Handy, Dave Douglas, Rachel Z, James Genus, Rodney Holmes, Narada Michael Walden and Barry Finnerty, among many others.

Zilber-led groups have headlined to standing ovations at The Monterey, San Francisco, Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Big Sur, Edmonton, Calgary and Fairfax Festivals, as well as at such leading venues as Yoshi's, Kuumbwa, Bach Dynamite, and Slim'ÂÂs and recently shared the stage with the Wayne Shorter Quartet in an SFJazz night of tribute to the great saxophonist and composer.

MichaelÃ¢ÂÂs CD, co-led with Steve Smith, entitled Ã¢ÂÂReimagined: Jazz Standards, Vol. IÃ¢ÂÂ and featuring Zilber's writing and arrangements, was released in March 2003, by Blue Jay Records of New York City. It received tremendous praise and went to #20 on the jazz radio charts.

Note: TICKET TIERS FOR THIS SHOW Show Ticket: Sold in advance online and by phone. Includes guaranteed seating AND show ticket for our first or second show for arrival before curtain. 2 beverage minimum. Cash only. ATM on premises. VIP Ticket: Sold in advance online and by phone. Includes tickets to both shows, front of line access, instant seating, chilled bottle of champagne waiting at your table (included in price), reserved VIP table for both shows (stay at your table), CD of act with autograph. No beverage minimum.

Kid Friendly: No

Dog Friendly: No

Non-Smoking: No

Wheelchair Accessible: No

Contact