Vocalist

Singer

EPSG:4326

Porgy and Bess

Empress Theatre

Competition abounds in this World Premiere double bill, where comedy takes to the court in a theatrical spectacle culminating in the 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes!’

Birds & Balls

SFJAZZ Center

t’s a short walk from the SFJAZZ Center to the War Memorial Opera House, which is where the evening-length ballet The Nutcracker made its North America premiere in the winter of 1944. An immediate sensation, the production unleashed an army of Nutcrackers large and small that march across the country come the holidays, turning Tchaikovsky’s spirited score into an enchanting soundtrack for the season.



The Marcus Shelby New Orchestra

Soulful songstress Tiffany Austin explores the art of storytelling, guiding us on an adventure to other places through song. For this family matinee, music becomes our very own time machine through which we can travel to the past, present and future, and on to other worlds. Austin and her musical co-pilots—pianist Tammy L. Hall, bassist Marcus Shelby and drummer Leon Joyce Jr—share the magical compositions of Mary Lou Williams, Eden Ahbez and others, and celebrate the indelible songs of our jazz lexicon.



Tiffany Austin

Composer, bassist and educator Marcus Shelby formed his namesake orchestra in 1999 to give proper voice to his compositions that modernized the big band idiom. For this set the latest incarnation of the band performs with longtime collaborator Tiffany Austin, of whom DownBeat said: “West Coast vocal jazz simply gets no better than Tiffany Austin.”

Marcus Shelby New Orchestra Featuring Tiffany Austin 

Sobrato Organization

Dianne Reeves with Romero Lubambo

Healdsburg Farmers’ Market

Bacchus Landing

Hotel Healdsburg

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Considered a must-have by all serious jazz fans, the 1962 recording Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley (Capitol) showcased the astonishing talents of not only the two headline artists, but Cannonball’s classic band, which included his brother Nat on cornet, Joe Zawinul on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Nancy Wilson considered her contribution to be “a third horn,” but her vocals are displayed so perfectly that it has become a model to which jazz vocalists aspire. More than equal to the task of re-creating the music of this amazing recording, vocalist Tiffany Austin and alto saxophonist Andrew Speight have complete command of the bebop language and the artistry required to bring an audience to tears with the beauty of a song.

Andrew has been a beloved SJW faculty member for many years. He also directs the jazz program at Michigan State University and is on the faculty at San Francisco State University. He first came to the U.S. from his native Australia as a participant and subsequently a prize winner in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in 1991, and he made a serious first impression. Wynton Marsalis said of him,  “. . . Andrew Speight will carry the music’s torch into the next millennium.” Nat Adderley, brother of Cannonball Adderley, said that Andrew is “. . .one of the finest and most exciting of today’s alto saxophonists.”

Tiffany is a rising star of the jazz vocal world. One of the best jazz debut albums of 2015, her debut album Nothing But Soul made quite a splash, including sterling reviews in Downbeat and on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” She performs regularly at the Stanford Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ, San Jose Jazz, and at many other festivals and venues internationally.

Tiffany Austin

Vocalist, Singer

Events

Apr 20, 2024

Porgy and Bess · Vallejo Symphony

5 - 7 Apr, 2024

Birds & Balls · Opera Parallèle

Dec 17, 2023

The Marcus Shelby New Orchestra · San Francisco Jazz

Nov 18, 2023

Tiffany Austin · San Francisco Jazz

Aug 13, 2023

Marcus Shelby New Orchestra Featuring Tiffany Austin · San Jose Jazz Summer Fest

About

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