An Abecedarium of Jazz! Eric & the In Crowd survey the letter "G"

Join Bay Area piano virtuoso Eric Shifrin for a unique jazz journey through the letter "G" as he and his In Crowd trio explore songs from the Great American Songbook that all begin with this single letter. From Gershwin classics to hidden gems, expect an inventive set that showcases Shifrin's deep knowledge of jazz standards and his gift for finding fresh angles on familiar material.

Shifrin, a fixture in Bay Area jazz since the 1990s, brings decades of experience from his years as house pianist at the Fairmont San Francisco and countless performances in the city's clubs and venues. His playing draws from the full spectrum of jazz piano traditions — stride, swing, bop, and Latin influences — with a particular love for the New Orleans masters like Jelly Roll Morton. His Bandcamp catalog reveals an artist equally at home with solo piano explorations and ensemble work.

Joining Shifrin are bassist Ari Munkres, a veteran of over 30 years who's been a founding member of the gypsy jazz ensemble Gaucho since 2002, and drummer Jay Hansen. This trio formation of Eric & the In Crowd has been delighting Bird & Beckett audiences on second Fridays for years, creating an intimate musical conversation in the bookstore's cozy, listening-focused atmosphere.

This "Abecedarium of Jazz" concept is part of Shifrin's ongoing residency at Bird & Beckett, where he appears every other second Friday in odd-numbered months. The format allows him to dig deep into jazz history while maintaining the spontaneity and warmth that makes his performances so engaging. Whether he pulls out a Hoagy Carmichael gem, a Duke Ellington standard, or a lesser-known treasure from the jazz canon, you're guaranteed to hear music that spans generations of American songwriting — all unified by that single letter "G."

The venue streams all performances live on their Facebook page or YouTube channel, but as they note, "nothing beats being in the room with the music & the musicians." This is jazz at its most intimate and conversational, perfect for settling into the bookstore's unique atmosphere with a drink (BYOB) and an open ear.