JazzPOP: Francis Wong Unit
- This is a past program
“Wong plays with both the ferocity of Albert Ayler and the thoughtfulness of Sonny Rollins.” – Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
“Wong's tenor plays from the pain side of the blues – the side of grief and loss and history – in his approach to integrating Asian folk traditions into the jazz environment.” – Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
A leader in the San Francisco Bay Area music community for more than 25 years, saxophonist Francis Wong creates meditative, wild, soulful music rooted in the Asian American experience. Wong’s Unit plays his immersive compositions that connect the sounds and aesthetics of Asian folk music with African American blues and jazz.
Francis Wong – soprano and tenor saxophones
John-Carlos Perea – electric bass
Karl Evangelista – guitar
Karen Stackpole – drums and gongs
Yangqin Zhao – yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer)
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Francis Wong Unit in SF ChinatownPhoto by Robbie Sweeny
JAZZPOP
The Hammer’s “reliably excellent” (Los Angeles Times) annual summer festival of creative jazz and improvised music celebrates its tenth year with three concerts featuring some of the most adventurous, inspired, masterful music happening on the West Coast. Curated by Lisa Mezzacappa.
KJazz is the official media sponsor of JazzPOP.
All Hammer public programs are free and made possible by a major gift from the Dream Fund at UCLA.
Generous support is also provided by Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy, Good Works Foundation and Laura Donnelley, an anonymous donor, and all Hammer members.
The Hammer’s digital presentation of its public programs is made possible by the Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.
