NOTE: Names of advance ticket buyers will be on a list at the door for check-in!
TICKETS AT THE DOOR WILL BE $30.00, Cash or Check only ....

A Tribute to Richard Rodgers, the premier composer for American Musicals 
           Sunday, August 9, 2026, 4:30 p.m.
In the PCA Classic Jazz Club, with table seating & refreshments!

Meditation (jazz, Latin, 1962)

"Pop" Medley - easy swing

* Dancing On The Ceiling (1930)
* There's A Small Hotel (1936)

"Pop" Medley – ballad
* Bewitched (1941)
I Cover the Waterfront (1933)

A Foggy Day (jazz, swing, 1937) 

* It Might As Well Be Spring (jazz, ballad, 1945)

"Pop" & Jazz Moon Medley - rhumba
Fly Me To The Moon (1954)
* Blue Moon (1934)

Blues for Kaiser (jazz blues - swing, 2018)

                   Intermission

Speak Low (jazz, Latin, 1943)

"Pop" Medley - easy swing
* My Romance (1935)
* Where or When (1937)

"Pop" Medley
* My Funny Valentine (ballad, 1937)
* My Favorite Things (waltz, 1959)

Gone With The Wind (jazz, swing, 1937)

When Sunny Gets Blue (jazz, ballad, 1956)

"Pop" Medley - rhumba
* Spring Is Here (1938)
* Manhattan (1925)

The Dimond Blues (jazz, slow blues, 2013)

* An asterisk (*) indicates songs by Richard Rodgers

      The whole story: In an effort to preserve the tradition of the classic jazz and pop piano trio, the In the Tradition piano trio presents this year-long series of monthly celebrations to add to the programs of Piedmont Center for the Arts. CDs available as thank-you gifts for donations!

       We are Bill, Mark, and Albert, a jazz and pop piano trio dedicated to preserving the tradition of the classic jazz piano trio: the music of the Oscar Peterson Trio, the Red Garland Trio, the Wynton Kelly Trio, the Gene Harris Trio, etc. This musical format developed during the modern jazz era of the 1940s and 1950s. It flourished in Oakland and the East Bay during the 1950s with local jazz piano trios, but has since almost disappeared. Recall that legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, an East Bay native, rose to fame at The Burma Lounge nightclub in Oakland, where he played with the Dave Brubeck Trio from 1948 to 1950. To our knowledge, we are the last classic jazz piano trio -- piano, bass, and drums -- still active in the East Bay.
       We are also dedicated to preserving the tradition of "pop piano." Not too many decades ago, almost all the hotels and most fine restaurants and clubs in the East Bay had a pianist playing the great pop tunes of the day and the classics (standards) from the Great American Songbook. Unfortunately, this tradition of "pop piano" has also largely vanished.

In the Tradition  Piano Trio Musicians' Bios:
       Bill Jackman has been our pianist since 1994. He was a student of the late Oakland jazz pianist Art Fletcher, who for several decades presided over the grand piano, usually with Ruth Davies on bass, at the former Solomon Grundy's (now Skates) on the Berkeley Marina. Bill is a Lupita Records recording artist who has recorded six CDs in the piano trio format. He is also an accomplished dancer, and Bill and his late wife Lupita made a dance video entitled Dancing to Jazz in which they danced to their own jazz piano trio music (www.LupitaRecords.com).
       "Heshima" Mark Williams is a premier San Francisco-born upright and electric bassist with over three decades of experience in the Bay Area specializing in jazz, blues, and experimental genres. Based in Berkeley, he is a prolific sideman and bandleader known for his work with artists like Idris Ackamoor, Bobby Hutcherson, and his own groups, including the Ways & Means Committee. Additionally, Mark toured Europe, and also México, for five years playing jazz. He is frequently featured in Bay Area jazz venues, including performances with his own sextet and as part of "Blues Explosion" ensembles. He is also recognized for his work with groups like Marine Intrusion and as a collaborator with vocalists such as Faye Carol. His work is characterized by a deep, resonant tone, and he is a staple in the Northern California jazz community.
       Albert Brooks, M.D., grew up in the South Bronx dancing to Latin rhythms, especially at the Palladium. He would play Latin rhythms on any percussion instrument he could get his hands on. Albert and his sister were versatile dancers, adept at swing and Latin, and they danced together at many house parties. Albert once danced on the Clay Cole TV show with a classmate from his school. In his earlier years, Albert focused on Latin drumming. He added trap drums to his musical offerings several decades ago and is fluent in swing and Latin rhythms. Albert has managed to continue growing as a drummer despite the demands of being a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in the East Bay for almost 30 years. Dr. Brooks graduated in 1974 from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City. Additionally, Dr. Brooks has served as a high-level administrator of medical groups and on the board of directors of non-profit organizations.