THURSDAY
JAZZ/DANCE
LARRY GOLDINGS AND MELINDA SULLIVAN
Who needs drums when a pair of tap shoes can do the job? That’s not the case for every duo, but it is for acclaimed dancer Melinda Sullivan and Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Larry Goldings. With over a million views on their videos, these performers have accomplished an eclectic style by fusing the subtle rhythms of Sullivan’s tap wizardry with the swanky melodies of Goldings’ compositions. Their innovative collaboration is as skillful as it is fun. Patrick Wolff, a seasoned sax and clarinet player, joins the lineup to add yet more pizzazz. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $30/adv, $35/door. 510.644.2020.
METAL
GENERATION KILL
What happens when you put metal groups Generation Kill, Hatriot, Titan Rage and Infex in one room? Put plainly, it’ll be loud and it’ll kick your ass. And that’s a good thing! Generation Kill is led by the one-and-only Rob Dukes—of Bay Area thrash icons Exodus—who’s still rocking hard. Headbanging protests against injustice and misfortune will rule the night as these four bands come down hard, heavy and hot on the establishment. For fans of heavy music, this ticket is a no-brainer. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $15/adv, $20/door. 510.526.5888.
FRIDAY
LATIN
MARIO Y SU TIMBEKO
Since he was 12, Mario Salomón knew he would be a professional musician. Born and raised in rural Cuba, he would cut drumsticks from local trees. Now, he is the leader of Mario y su Timbeko, one of the Bay Area’s hottest Latin bands, blending jazz, funk, gospel and Timba. Timbeko is a seven-piece ensemble hand-picked by Salomón and features members of the Grammy Award-winning Cuban band, Los Van Van. Fresh off tour, Salomón’s ready to bring the holiday fiesta to the Bay with the gift of rhythm. – MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $25/adv, $30/door. 510.644-2020.
ROCK
CIELO
East Bay’s Cielo released their first songs in 2022 and are steadily rocking venues across the Bay. Their 2023 EP, Truly Blessed, showcases their musical versatility. Take their track “Bradley,” which comes out the gate gently with folky, delicate guitar and a sensitive vibe, then escalates into buzzy rock ’n’ roll chords and an energetic emo-punky chorus, ending with nearly a full minute of elaborate, fluid rock riffs. All those styles in just one song! This local band has a lot of tricks up their sleeves. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: 8:30pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $12. 510.526.5888.
SATURDAY
SOUL
ANITA BAKER
Okay, we know Anita Baker needs no introduction. Along with eight—yes, eight!—Grammy awards, Baker also has two Gold albums and four that went Platinum. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone named Baker No. 92 on their “200 Greatest Singers of All Time” list. She was already singing in Detroit nightclubs at 16 before joining the funk band Chapter 8. But it wasn’t until 1983, when she released her debut solo, The Songstress, that Baker became a star. Now fresh off a cost-to-coast, 50-plus date tour with sold-out shows, Baker is back in the Bay and ready to give the Oakland Arena some of her soulful holiday cheer. – MW
INFO: 8pm, Oakland Arena, 7000 S. Coliseum Way, Oakland. $69.50-$244.50. 510.569.2121.
SUNDAY
HOLIDAY
6th ANNUAL MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM A JEWISH ATHEIST PIANIST
Sam Rudin, the owner of the Back Room, is a dedicated Christmas music enthusiast. As a younger pianist gigging around town during the holidays, he felt that many of the season’s carols deserved more attention than mere relegation to background music for parties and shopping trips. This inkling of appreciation has grown into a full-blown yearly celebration of the intricacies and joys of the canon. He says, “A lot of this music is really good—and not just good, but flexibly available to a lot of interpretations. And after all, it is an important part of our ever-diminishing shared culture.” – AM
INFO: 8pm, Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $12. 510.381.1997.
TUESDAY
MUSIC
DAMN SKIPPY
T.J. Kirk was an important Bay Area ’90s jazz-fusion band formed by Charlie Hunter as a side project to perform funky covers of Thelonious Monk, James Brown and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. While T.J. Kirk are no longer an active band, we get the next best thing: Damn Skippy, which features Scott Amendola, Will Bernard and John Schott—almost three-fourths of the original group. Tony and Grammy Award-winning bassist/composer Todd Sickafoose joins as their fourth, and together they’ll dig out some favorite T.J. Kirk compositions and play some originals. – LF
INFO: 8pm, Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.654.3808.
R&B
ALVON JOHNSON
Alvon Johnson is a versatile force, bringing a lush, creative flair to jazz, R&B, pop and especially blues. Johnson stirs decades of influence into his blues, drawing from guitar legends like Hendrix and vocal icons like Sinatra. His stage presence is seasoned by humor honed alongside ’90s comedy greats. The “Ambassador of the Blues,” who tours internationally, brings a fusion of energetic musical brilliance and stand-up charm to each performance and is guaranteed to be a dynamic and delightful host for Yoshi’s holiday party. – SB
INFO: 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $27-$49. 510.238.9200.
WEDNESDAY
JAZZ
LARRY VUCKOVICH ALL-STAR QUINTET FT. JAMIE DAVIS
At 87, pianist Larry Vuckovich is a Bay Area jazz treasure who directly links to the glory days of the Bay Area jazz scene of the ’50s and ’60s, when he worked with artists like Mel Tormé, Joe Williams and John Handy. He’s dedicating this concert to tenor sax titan Dexter Gordon, with whom he performed in Copenhagen for two weeks in the spring of ’63. Joined by the potent saxophone tandem of Steve Heckman and Craig Handy, the persuasively swinging Vuck is also highlighting the suave baritone vocalist Jamie Davis, a Basie Orchestra veteran who can deliver a ballad with silken authority. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 8pm Wednesday, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $25-$49. 510.238.9200.
