Previous events

The John Santos Sextet in concert at the 66th Monterey Jazz Festival! Dr. John Calloway - flute, percussion, piano Charlie Gurke - saxes Marco Díaz - piano, trumpet Saul Sierra - bass David Flores - drums John Santos - percussion

(photo by Tom Ehrlich)

Santos: Skin to Skin documentary film by Kathryn Golden and Ashley James. A glimpse into the life and work of bandleader/educator John Santos. (photo by Tom Ehrlich)

Rhythms of Resistance is a four-part lecture series offered online by John Santos through San Francisco's legendary Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD). Rare slides, audio and video from instructor's legendary collection.

1. Puerto Rico - Historical overview, the colonial path, roots of resistance.
2. Cuba - Historical overview, heart of the Americas, roots of resistance.
3. Puerto Rico - Evolution, 'Si tu no me has dado nada' (If you have given me nothing), contemporary continuity.
4. Cuba - (R)evolution, 'Falta mucho pa' llegar' (There's a long way yet to go), contemporary expression.

Four Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 - Aug 30, Sep 6, Sep 13, & Sep 20.

El Tecolote's Golden Legacy Gala featuring The John Santos Sextet with special guest Christelle Durandy. A grand dinner dance concert celebrating over five decades of bilingual journalism in service of the Bay Area’s Latinx community with live music, dancing, and a silent art auction! Dress to impress! Complimentary parking!

eltecolote.org for tickets

Dr. John Calloway - flute, percussion, piano Charlie Gurke - saxes Marco Díaz - piano, trumpet Saul Sierra - bass David Flores - drums John Santos - percussion Christelle Durandy - vocals

The John Santos Sextet in concert in downtown Healdsburg, CA. Outdoors. Dr. John Calloway - flute, percussion, piano Charlie Gurke - saxes Marco Díaz - piano, trumpet Saul Sierra - bass David Flores - drums John Santos - percussion

This weekend at the FREIGHT in Berkeley, CA!
HIGHLY HONORED to have these shows as part of my RAICES SERIES . . . BAY AREA LATIN JAZZ PIONEER PETE ESCOVEDO Friday & Saturday (7TH & 8TH OF JULY) 8:00 PM !! SON CON SON - Mono Blanco de Veracruz, Kiki Valera's Son Cubano sublime & the Bay Area legends Los Cenzontles (SUNDAY, JULY 9TH) 7:00 PM !! JUST CAMP OUT THERE!
2020 Addison St. Half block from BART!
Next door to secure parking. STUDENTS ALWAYS HALF OFF AT THE FREIGHT.
Que Viva el Freight!
https://thefreight.org https://secure.thefreight.org/12477/pete-escovedo-0707 https://secure.thefreight.org/12784/son-con-son Thank you for spreading the word! Hope to see you there.

The 2023 Healdsburg artist-in-residence, he’s thrived outside of Latin music’s commercial domain by recording and self-producing an expansive, Grammy Award-nominated discography. Celebrating the release of 2023’s Filosofía caribeña Vol.3: A Puerto Rico del alma, the John Santos Sextet takes over the Raven with a blazing set of Latin jazz centered on Puerto Rican and Cuban dance rhythms. The band brims with Bay Area Latin music greats including Dr. John Calloway on flute and piano, Marco Díaz on piano and trumpet, bassist Saul Sierra, drummer David Flores, saxophonist Charlie Gurke, and special guests such as vocalists Jose Roberto Hernandez and Juan Luis Pérez, violinist Anthony Blea, and Orestes Vilató, the legendary timbalero who helped ignite the salsa flame in New York City with the Fania All-Stars.

The evening opens with a screening of the new documentary Santos: Skin to Skin by Kathryn Golden and Ashley James, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Filmed over the course of a decade, the documentary offers an intimate look at the percussionist on and off the bandstand. In many ways it’s a family portrait that situates Santos amidst a dense web of relationships, including his wife, award-winning author Aida Salazar, and their two children. There’s no shortage of musical peers singing his praises as an inspirational force responsible for expanding the international reach of the Bay Area’s Latin jazz scene. But one of the film’s primary pleasures is that it lets the drums do plenty of talking.

photo by Tom Ehrlich

FREE concert!!! All ages!! This percussion-packed double bill celebrates the extraordinary resilience and creativity of African diasporic culture in the Americas, a rhythmic and spiritual bounty that continues to offer new blooms. Bay Area percussion icon John Santos presents “Roots of Jazz Latino,” a program exploring Afro-Latin musical heritage from a multi-national perspective. His sextet is joined by a dazzling cast of special guests, including Fania All-Stars timbales legend Orestes Vilató and Afro-Peruvian vocalist Marina Lavalle. Not to be missed! See you there!

THE JOHN SANTOS SEXTET: Dr. John Calloway - flute, piano Charlie Gurke - saxes Saul Sierra - bass Marco Diaz - piano, trumpet David Flores - drums John Santos - percussion SPECIAL GUESTS: Shefali Shah - voice, dancer Orestes Vilató - timbales Anthony Blea - violin Bill Ortiz - trumpet Javier Navarrette - percussion Marina Lavalle - voice Braulio Barrera - cajón, coro Pedro Rosales - percussion, coro THE AFRO-PERUVIAN COALITION: Marina Lavalle - voice Nadia Calmet - dancer Javier Trujillo - guitar Eyla Dávila - bass Kyla Danish - violin Braulio Barrera - percussion Pedro Rosales - percussion Handark Lozano - percussion

photo by Tom Ehrlich

South by Southwest Music and Film Festival will show several screenings of SANTOS - Skin to Skin. Check site for times.