Tags: Annas Jazz Island, Bay Area, BayTaper, Ben Adams, Berkeley, Erik Jekabson, Eugene Warren, Jazz, Live Music, Mitch Marcus, Quintet, Sameer Gupta, vibes
I just made my first visit to Anna’s Jazz Island in Berkeley to make what turned out to be a
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fantastic audience recording of the Ben Adams Quintet playing live on January 15, 2007. The group is led by Ben Adams on vibes and he’s joined by a suite of local talents including Mitch Marcus on sax, Erik Jekabson on trumpet and flugelhorn, and the rocking rhythm section of Sameer Gupta on drums and Eugene Warren on double-bass. The band played three sets that included songs from their new studio album Old Thoughts for a New Day and older tracks from Ben’s collection of original compositions. The audience was also treated to two songs that were played with special guest and local sax legend Vince Wallace. After seeing these guys in action, I really think Ben’s quintet exemplifies the collaborative jazz scene that’s happening in the Bay Area right now, especially considering Mitch and Sameer were both recently featured in the SF Chronicle for being part of jazz bands to watch out for in the coming year (Mitch for his Mitch Marcus Quintet, and Sameer for Vidya). So please enjoy the new recordings and make sure to check out the Ben Adams Quintet live the next chance you get. It’s also worth reminding folks that Mitch, Erik, and Sameer have all been featured on this website before.
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