Backstage Jazz

About Backstage Jazz

Backstage Bay Area is an exclusive podcast that explores San Francisco’s jazz music scene in depth. It features intimate interviews with emerging and established artists. The program also offers a unique glimpse into the artists' creative processes, inspirations, and upcoming projects.

Publisher

Backstage Bay Area

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Jul 2020

Latest episode

5 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

351 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Take 6 Still Spreads the Love After Four Decades

   Show Notes: Host Steve Roby sits down with Claude McKnight, founding member of the legendary a cappella group Take 6, ahead of their four-night residency at SFJAZZ. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, and a spot in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Take 6 has spent more than four decades redefining what the human voice can do. Highlights: Origins at Oakwood College — Claude shares how what started as a casual barbershop quartet grew into a septet, unlocking the richer jazz harmonies that would become Take 6's signature sound. The moment they knew it was special — The infamous bathroom rehearsal story: when arranger Mark Kibble walked in and added a fifth part, everything changed. "Spread Love" turns 40 — Claude reflects on why their most beloved song still resonates: it was the first thing most fans ever heard from them, and it captured everything Take 6 set out to be. Rhapsody: a new jazz standards album — Claude previews the group's forthcoming record, featuring collaborations with Snarky Puppy, Dirty Loops, drummer J.R. Robinson, and trumpeter Chris Botti, plus an inventive take on Dave Brubeck's Take Five. Expect a single soon, with the full album arriving after the new year. Every night is different — On the joy of unscripted performance and what keeps Take 6 fresh after four-plus decades on stage. All music used in this episode was supplied by the artist or their management and used with their permission. See Take 6 Live at SFJAZZ Miner Auditorium, San Francisco, August 13–16Thu–Sat at 7:30 PM | Sun at 7:00 PM 🎟 Tickets and info: sfjazz.org (https://www.sfjazz.org/)

2. 

   2 Jul 2026

   Steven Bernstein’s Gumbo Homecoming

   Steven Bernstein, the Berkeley-born trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, joins host Steve Roby for a wide-ranging conversation about five decades of musical exploration, his upcoming SFJAZZ residency, and two new companion albums that reimagine the same music through entirely different sonic lenses. What We Talk About Growing up in Berkeley during the '60s and '70s — how the city's unique musical culture, the Keystone Corner jazz scene, and a school improvisation program shaped Bernstein's musical identity Why funk — not rock — was the lingua franca of Bay Area youth, and how Tower of Power loomed larger than The Beatles in that world Arriving in New York in 1979 at the dawn of the punk-funk era (Defunkt, James White and the Blacks), and finding his musical home in the downtown scene The origin story of Sexmob — born not in rehearsals but in late-night residencies at the Knitting Factory and Tonic, playing for live audiences and letting their reactions shape the music Resonation Trio and Ultra Resonance — two albums built from the same source material, one an acoustic trumpet trio, the other a full dub reimagining by producer Scotty Hard. Bernstein traces the idea back to first hearing Burning Spear's Garvey's Ghost and his lifelong love of surrealism and the magic realism of Borges and Cortázar Touring with Laurie Anderson and how Sexmob became one of her closest musical ensembles — and what makes "Church of Panic" a perfect example of the band's instinctive, arrangement-free approach A deep dive into Banacek from The Hard Way — how Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D. still echoes in Bernstein's playing, and the enduring musical partnership with John Medeski The SFJAZZ residency: Sexmob Does The Bay — why Bernstein split the run into two nights of Bay Area psychedelic rock (with guitarist Liberty Ellman) and two nights of classic Latin soul (with percussionist John Santos) The Santana connection, the Afro-Latin heartbeat of Berkeley, and the gumbo culture that made Bay Area music unlike anywhere else A surprise detour into Jimi Hendrix's brief Berkeley childhood — and a hint that a Hendrix project may be next on Bernstein's list Music Featured "Church of Panic" — Laurie Anderson (with Sex Mob) "Banacek" — Sex Mob & Scotty Hard (The Hard Way) All music was supplied by the artist and used with their permission. Show Details Artist: Steven Bernstein’s Sexmob Venue: Joe Henderson Lab, SFJAZZ Center Date: July 16–19, 2026 (2026 SFJAZZ Summer Sessions) Shows: Thu, July 16 & Fri, July 17 — Bay Area Psychedelic Rock, with Liberty Ellman; Sat, July 18 & Sun, July 19 — Classic Latin Soul, with John Santos. Showtimes: Thu–Sat 7:00 & 8:30 PM, Sun 6:00 & 7:30 PM. Tickets: sfjazz.org (https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/summer-2026/steven-bernsteins-sexmob/)

3. 

   4 May 2026

   John Beasley From Invisible Piano to Unlimited Miles

   Pianist, composer, and arranger John Beasley joins host Steve Roby for an in-depth discussion about his extraordinary career, his new album Invisible Piano, and an upcoming all-star Miles Davis centennial tribute concert in San Francisco. Beasley explores his musical roots — from a household full of musicians to early influences like The Beatles, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, and Quincy Jones — and reflects on his journey through jazz, film, television, and large ensemble composition. He talks about how a trip to a Stuttgart art gallery, and the surrealist paintings of Max Ernst inspired the creative process behind Invisible Piano, recorded with Germany's SWR Big Band. The album includes five original compositions and two new arrangements, such as a deeply personal rendition of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain." John also previews ‘Unlimited Miles: Miles Davis at 100,’ an all-star jazz centennial celebration at the Presidio Theater in San Francisco on May 14, featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Sean Jones, Terry Gully, and Ben Williams. Music featured in this episode: “Fire and Rain” — arranged and performed by John Beasley (from Invisible Piano) “Invisible Piano” (title track) — John Beasley with the SWR Big Band (from Invisible Piano) Music provided by John Beasley and used with his permission. Links: John Beasley: johnbeasleymusic.com (https://www.johnbeasleymusic.com/) Tickets for Unlimited Miles at the Presidio Theater (May 14th): presidiotheatre.org/shows (https://www.presidiotheatre.org/shows) Backstage Bay Area: backstagebayarea.com (https://www.backstagebayarea.com/)

Who has been a guest on Backstage Jazz

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Anthony Wilson
• Nikki Fruth
• Jon Stenz
• Noah Gose
• Chloe Gose

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

84

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77