Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Saxophonist John Ellis will tour the West Coast in October to promote his recent disc, By A Thread (Hyena). Ellis’ group features guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Alan Hampton and drummer Derrek Phillips. Pianist Aaron Parks will join the band for its appearances at Yoshi’s in Oakland, Calif., on Oct. 18 and Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, Calif., the following day.
Along with the Yoshi’s and Kuumbwa concerts, Ellis’ band will perform at The Tractor Tavern in Seattle on Oct. 11, JazzBones in Tacoma, Wash., on Oct. 12, The Upstage in Port Townsend, Wash., on Oct. 13, The Goodfoot Lounge in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 14, Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 15, The Mobius in Ashland, Ore., on Oct. 16, Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville, Calif., on Oct. 17, California State University–Fullerton in Fullerton, Calif., on Oct. 20, Knitting Factory AltKnit in Los Angeles on Oct. 21 and Dizzy’s in San Diego, Calif., on Oct. 22.
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
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Dave King (left) and Reid Anderson offer insights into why The Bad Plus’ chemistry was cool, the accomplishments many and its longevity so fruitful.
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