It's the return of Jammin' at the Gem!
Back by popular demand, we are thrilled to present a season of national Grammy-award winning headliners. This is a special year, as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary since the American Jazz Museum opened its doors. Let's celebrate and empower the community that helps keep jazz alive at 18th & Vine!
Support this series by purchasing tickets for yourself, and consider donating a few tickets to a student, local musician, or 3rd District resident. Thank you for helping us achieve our mission to expand access to the jazz artform through live performance at the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District.
Individual tickets and subscription plans available here. Discounts for Museum Members available.
Najee – December 17, 2022
"My life has been a series of pivotal events and circumstances that have gotten me to where I am,” reflects the fearless chart-topping Contemporary Jazz pioneer Najee. In a business where trends and artists come and go, the genre-bending saxophonist’s staying power is a rare blessing. The Grammy and NAACP award-winning musician’s genuine love for connecting with people, coupled with his consummate musicianship and sheer passion for music, have made him one of the brightest stars in Contemporary Jazz for close to four decades. “I heard this beautiful saying once,” explains the Zen saxophonist who has collaborated with Prince, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Herbie Hancock, among others. “It said that some people meet their destiny while traveling on a road trying to avoid it. I recall as a young man contemplating the idea of changing directions and going into banking. Here I am still doing what I am doing because it’s what I am meant to do! Every day I wake up and I am grateful for my life and career.”
Eric Roberson – February 11, 2023
As a GRAMMY Award-nominee, Singer, Songwriter, Producer and Howard University alum, Eric Roberson continues to break boundaries as an independent artist in an industry dominated by major labels, manufactured sounds and mainstream radio. Described as the original pioneer of the independent movement in R&B/Soul music, Eric has achieved major milestones in his career, from being a successful songwriter and producer for notable artists such as Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Dwele, Vivian Green and countless others, to headlining sold out tours across the country. Eric is celebrating over twenty years as an independent artist, creating “Honest Music” since 2001, which has afforded him the artistic freedom that isn’t typically offered in the mainstream music industry.
Artemis – March 18, 2023
The brainchild of pianist and composer Renee Rosnes, Artemis is a powerful ensemble of modern masters. The multinational, multigenerational band was founded in 2017 under the banner of International Women's Day. Artemis' performance at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival was so dynamic, BlueNote Records President Don Was signed the group to the label. Artemis has played on iconic stages like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, SFJAZZ, and Chicago Orchestra Hall. Each member of the band is a virtuoso player, composer and bandleader and the group's repertoire reflects each individual's sound. From original music to mind-bending arrangements of eclectic material, Artemis performs with power, passion, and high-wire intensity.
SF Jazz Collective – April 1, 2023
Founded by SFJAZZ in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is a leaderless group and a democratic composer’s workshop that represents what’s happening now in jazz. The Collective’s mission is to perform fresh arrangements of works by a modern master and newly commissioned pieces by each member. Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring music’s greatest figures while championing jazz’s up-to-the-minute directions, the SFJAZZ Collective embodies SFJAZZ’s commitment to jazz as a living, ever-relevant art form. Over their fifteen-year existence, the SFJAZZ Collective has honored the music of JohnColtrane, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, António Carlos Jobim, and Sly Stone, and has created over 100 new arrangements and original compositions.
