# J'Nai Bridges & Ulysses Owens, Jr. at Herbst Theatre, April 28, 2023

[San Francisco Performances](https://sfperformances.org/performances/2223/BridgesOwens.html) presents [J'Nai Bridges](https://jnaibridgesmezzo.com/) & [Ulysses Owens, Jr.](http://www.usojazzy.com/)  
[Herbst Theatre](http://www.sfwmpac.org/herbst-theatre)  
[Veterans' Building, San Francisco War Memorial Performing Arts Center, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102-4522 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Veterans'+Building,+San+Francisco+War+Memorial+Performing+Arts+Center,+401+Van+Ness+Avenue,+San+Francisco,+CA+94102-4522+USA&hl=en)  
7:30 PM, Friday, April 28, 2023

[[2023-04-27|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#April_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-04-30|On to the next event!]]
## One Set

[7:34 PM] {lights down, announcements, performers out; DR begins on guitar}

** Segment One: Divine Hope**

01. [7:36 PM] TRADITIONAL: _The Lord’s Prayer_
02. [7:40 PM] Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899–1974): _Heaven_  
[7:45 PM] {greetings from JB; DR swap to acoustic guitar}
03. [7:46 PM] TRADITIONAL: _There is a Balm in Gilead_  
[7:50 PM] {segment ends; JB off; UO talk: band introduction; program synopsis; CR off; DR back to guitar}  
   
** Segment Two: The Crux of Hope**  
.
04. [7:56 PM] Geri Allen (1957–2017): _Skin_  
[8:08 PM] {UO lauds the band; welcome back JB & CR; DR swap to acoustic guitar}
05. [8:08 PM] Erik Satie (1866–1925): _Je te veux_  
[8:17 PM] {UO banter; JB banter; TR introduces the next tune; JaB, CR, DR sit out this one}
06. [8:21 PM] Ted Rosenthal: _Always Believe_  
[8:27 PM] {pause; all back; DR back to guitar}
07. [8:27 PM] Waldemar Henrique (1905–1995): _Boi-Bumbá_  
[8:33 PM] {segment ends; UO lauds the band again}  
   
** Segment Three: Hope Fulfilled**  
.
08. [8:37 PM] Florence Price (1887–1953): _Hold Fast to Dreams_  
[8:38 PM] {JB off}
09. [8:39 PM] Price: _Adoration_ (1951)  
[8:46 PM] {UO banter; JB back; DR swap to acoustic guitar}
10. [8:51 PM] _André Previn (1929–2019): _It's Good to Have You Near Again__  
[8:56 PM] {encore break}  
   
**Encore**  
[8:58 PM] {JB teasing non-introduction of Encore; DR on ?guitar}
11. [8:58 PM] Georges Bizet (1838–1875): _L'amour est un oiseau rebelle_ AKA _Habanera_ aria from _Carmen_ (1875)  
[9:00 PM] {final applause}  
[9:01 PM] {performers off; show ends}

## Performers

* [Jalen Baker](https://jalenbakermusic.com/): vibraphone;
* [J'Nai Bridges](https://jnaibridgesmezzo.com/): mezzo-soprano vox;
* [Ulysses Owens, Jr.](http://www.usojazzy.com/): drums, percussion;
* [Carol Robbins](https://carolrobbins.net/): harp;
* [Reuben Rogers](http://www.reubenrogers.com/): contrabass;
* [David Rosenthal](http://www.davidrosenthal.com/): guitar, acoustic guitar;
* [Ted Rosenthal](https://www.tedrosenthal.com/): piano.

## Notes

Tonight's show was an interesting mash-up: let's see what happens when an opera singer fronts a jazz band, shall we?

I liked the idea a lot, but I would have liked it more with another couple of tunes: 60 min of music in a 90 min show? Yeah, that's too much talking!!.

[Program Notes](https://sfperformances.org/img/perfnotes/2223/BridgesOwensNotes.pdf) or {{:2023:2023-04:20230428pn.pdf|program notes}}

Andrew Gilbert posted a neat promo [article](https://www.sfcv.org/articles/feature/drummer-ulysses-owens-jr-grows-west-coast-roots) about the players and the program with SFCV.

A few days later, Jason Victor Serinus posted a [review](https://www.sfcv.org/articles/review/jnai-bridges-and-ulysses-owens-jr-meet-one-kind-concert) of the show with SFCV. I'd say his experience was consistent with mine.


## Photos

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

{{gallery>:2023:2023-04?20230428-*.jpg}}

{{:wip.png?nolink}}  **Whoa!**  This section is incomplete for now, sorry! {{:wip.png?nolink}}

{{tag>music J'Nai_Bridges Ulysses_Owens,_Jr. Herbst_Theatre Jalen_Baker Carol_Robbins Reuben_Rogers Ted_Rosenthal David_Rosenthal}}

[[2023-04-27|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#April_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-04-30|On to the next event!]]