A world premiere rooted in Gullah-Geechee spirituals, two bass masters sharing a stage, and a Berkeley homecoming give this week a strong live-performance pulse. There is also a free evening of new choral music and a Sunday jazz outing on the coast. These picks cover the week of November 8–15, with practical details to help you choose between a big night out and a more affordable evening.
New voices, living traditions
Salt & Spirit (), November 14–15, opens at Z Space in San Francisco, bringing nineteenth-century Gullah-Geechee spirituals into a new operatic work. Tenor Victor Ryan Robertson and director Brian Staufenbiel combine singing, spoken word and visual storytelling, with arrangements that draw on classical music, jazz and traditional sources. Opening-weekend performances are Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.; the roughly hour-long production has no intermission. Arrive an hour early for the pre-show talk. Opera Parallèle lists general admission at $70, Supported Access at $40 and Pay It Forward at $113. Check the ticket page for current availability.
For a free introduction to new vocal music, Volti at SF State, November 12 at 7 p.m., performs in Knuth Hall. The professional ensemble joins singers from Ruth Asawa School of the Arts for Eric Tuan’s We Belong: Choral Reflections on Citizenship, with text by Emily Jiang inspired by Wong Kim Ark’s birthright-citizenship case. The program also includes new selections from Jens Ibsen’s bird-inspired Trace the Sky and Shawn Crouch’s A Marshland Elegy. It is a chance to hear contemporary composers work with a familiar instrument: the human voice.
Jazz masters and a hometown milestone
Stanley Clarke and Ron Carter (), November 12–15, meet at SFJAZZ for a bass summit spanning acoustic jazz and fusion. The two musicians’ distinct approaches make this a particularly appealing listening-room choice. Thursday through Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday starts at 7 p.m. SFJAZZ marks every date “Almost Sold Out.” SFJAZZ lists prices of $75–$175 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and $80–$185 on Saturday. Check the performance you want before planning around it.
Across the bay, Rexx Life Raj (), November 14, marks the tenth anniversary of Father Figure at Berkeley’s UC Theatre. The homecoming pairs the independent rapper with The Big Guy, featuring P-Lo and Auxcord. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8, and all ages are welcome. The UC Theatre advertises tickets at $38.97; check the current ticket options before booking.
Make Sunday a Coastside outing with The Jason Marsalis Quartet with Vanisha Gould (), November 15 at 4:30 p.m., at Half Moon Bay’s Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. Marsalis’s percussion and vibraphone background meets Gould’s vocal storytelling in the beachside venue. All seating is reserved, so choose your seats ahead of time. Online ticket sales close at 11 a.m. on concert day, so settle your plans before driving over.
DIG DEEPER
Find more performances, exhibitions and gatherings in the BAR Events Calendar. Confirm current schedules and ticket availability with organizers before heading out.
