Jazz Season

Welcome to the Jazz Season page.

Our four jazz ensembles perform twice each semester. SSU Jazz ensembles include:

• SSU Jazz Orchestra – the flagship 18-piece ensemble performing Big Band standards and modern jazz ensemble repertoire
• Concert Jazz Combos – two ensembles each semester rotating on a particular jazz sub-genre or era
• Latin Band – devoted to the styles, rhythms, and concepts found in music from the Caribbean, Brazil, and Haiti 

Jazz Forums are now on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Green Music Center, room 1029 

Randy Vincent
January 27, 2025

Randy Vincent began his career in Florida and moved to the San Francisco Area in 1980. Since then, he has divided his time between performing and teaching. Among the many musicians with whom he has performed and recorded are: Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hutcherson, Jim Rothermel, Mel Martin, Benny Barth, Mel Graves, Bennett Friedman, Larry Baskett, Peter Welker, Chris Amberger, George Marsh, Smith Dobson, Bill Watrous, George Cables, Tony Dumas, Akira Tana, Billy Childs, Bob Sheppard, Steve Smith, Harold Jones, Bob Badgley, Ernie Watts, Warren Gale, Herb Pomeroy, Sylvia Cuenca, Jared Gold, Dan Wilensky, the Bay Area Jazz Composers’ Orchestra, the New Oakland Jazz Orchestra, Dave Eshelman Jazz Garden Big Band and The Turtle Island String Quartet. He plays on a regular basis with many local musicians throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

He has performed at numerous jazz festivals such as Monterey Jazz Festival, Mount Hood Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Telluride Colorado Jazz Festival, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Space Coast Jazz Festival, North Coast Jazz Festival, Fairfax Jazz Festival, Benicia Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, Sacramento Jazz Festival, Cotati Jazz Festival, Jazz on the (Russian) River, Harvest Festival, San Miguel de Allende Jazz Festival in Mexico, and at the Hollywood Bowl for Dizzy Gillespie’s 75th birthday celebration.

Randy has taught jazz guitar at Sonoma State University (in Sonoma County, California) since 1981 and also taught at California Jazz Conservatory and currently teaches at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. and has conducted clinics throughout the U.S. While on tour with Joe Henderson, he taught at Taller de Musicos in Madrid, Spain. Randy’s students include Julian Lage, the young prodigy who appeared on the 2000 Grammy Awards show. Julian has toured worldwide with the Gary Burton Quartet, and is featured with Gary on his most recent two recordings. Randy has also taught Dave McNab, who has worked with Shelby Lynne and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman; and Liberty Ellman, who works on a regular basis with Greg Osby and Henry Threadgill.

Berkeley Choro Ensemble
February 3, 2025

The Berkeley Choro Ensemble (pronounced "shoro"), is a group of world-class musicians from the SF Bay Area that made its debut in January, 2010, at the Berkeley Public Library. The group celebrates the music, culture and history of Brazil, with a special emphasis on the Choro genre, a style of music which emerged in the 1800's in Brazil, fusing the music of Brazil's European immigrants and the native music of Brazil's indigenous and African-Brazilian population. In particular, the choro sound is somewhat akin to a combination of European classical music, ragtime, and blues. Historically, the choro style influenced Brazil's most famous classical composer, Heitor Villa Lobos, to compose some of the world's most hauntingly beautiful music, the Bachianas Brasileiras. Our repertoire also includes samba, bossa nova, jazz, and the music of Northeast Brazil. 

John Stowell
February 10, 2025

John is a unique jazz guitarist influenced as much by pianists and horn players as he is by guitarists. His original take on harmony, chords and improvisation sets him apart.

He has taught internationally for over 40 years in every educational setting.
His clinics are informal, hands-on and informative. In addition to music theory and guidelines for improvisation, John shares his professional experience with the business of music.

Gilda Solve
February 24, 2025

Born and raised in San Francisco, Gilda was immersed in music from an early age, with opera-singer parents who met while performing in Rigoletto. Her classical training and passion for modern music earned her a Bachelor of Arts in music, theater, and dance from the University of Dominican in California.

Gilda’s stage career includes celebrated performances in iconic productions in the U.S. and Europe, such as A Chorus Line, Evita, and The Swing Show. Since moving to France in 1990, she has dedicated herself entirely to jazz, performing as a solo artist for over 30 years, often accompanied by a trio.

Described as “a great lady of jazz,” Gilda Solve captures the essence of pure American song, steeped in jazz and swing. The effervescent Californian commands the stage with her distinctive, direct style, combining extraordinary vocal technique, magnetic stage presence, and a warm rapport with audiences. Her voice, at once pure and sensual, breathes new life into the great jazz standards with a blend of emotion and swing that resonates deeply with the heart and soul. Known for her eclectic repertoire, Gilda effortlessly transitions from standards to ballads, from swinging melodies to seductive bossa novas.

Her signature performance, Revisiting the Standards, takes audiences on a fresh journey through the timeless classics of jazz. Drawing from the works of Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, and Sonny Rollins, Gilda offers a dynamic harmonic and rhythmic approach, accompanied by an innovative international ensemble. Through her interpretations, she highlights the enduring vibrancy of the American Songbook and its profound connection to swing, an intrinsic part of jazz.

In addition to her performances, Gilda has spent 25 years teaching as a Vocal Jazz Educator in French conservatories. As a dedicated Vocal Coach, she works with groups and individuals to prepare for albums, concerts, and performances, offering her expertise in both English and French.

Renowned for her technical skill, charm, and the joy she brings to the stage, Gilda Solve’s artistry leaves an indelible impression on all who experience her music.

Kevin Sun Quartet
April 21, 2025

Kevin Sun is a saxophonist and composer living in New York City. His music has been called “...intense, harmonically virtuosic and compositionally complex" by DownBeat Magazine, and he has released six albums to date—most recently his first live album, The Fate of the Tenor, in March 2024.

Sun has also recorded four albums with the ensembles Mute, Earprint, and Great On Paper, and he appears on recordings led by Jacob Garchik, Dana Saul, Xiongguan Zhang, and Elijah Shiffer.

In addition to performing in the U.S., Sun has performed extensively in China and has served as the Artistic Director of the Blue Note China Jazz Orchestra. In 2021, Sun was named a Finalist for the Jerome Hill Foundation Artist Fellowship.
As of June 2024, Kevin Sun uses VENN reeds by D'Addario exclusively because they're excellent.