Ian Dogole & Music Beyond Borders

Multipercussionist Ian Dogole presents an evening of "adventurous, panoramic, cross-cultural music that aims to uplift spirits and celebrate community" — blending jazz improvisation with global percussion from Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Asia. Dogole's Music Beyond Borders ensemble draws from over 40 years of creating what he calls "Global Fusion Music," weaving together compositions by legendary innovators including Ornette Coleman, Elvin Jones, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk alongside original pieces and free improvisations.

Dogole brings an impressive arsenal of world percussion — udu, doumbek, African talking drum, cajon, and kalimba — creating what one reviewer called "a highly entertaining experience" where "the guy totally gets into it." His collaborators are equally accomplished: Richard Howell on saxophones and vocals, whose "Bridge Music" has earned him performances with Etta James, Ray Charles, and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah; Sheldon Brown on saxophones, bass clarinet, and global flutes (including Chinese suona and Middle Eastern ney), a composer-performer who's graced stages from the North Sea Jazz Festival to Vancouver Jazz Festival; and Fred Randolph on double bass, bringing his Hawaiian-influenced sensibility and composition background to anchor the ensemble.

Expect "a sonic feast of global instruments in rarely heard combinations," as Dogole puts it — instrumental pairings that create music both "expansive and inclusive." The group's approach combines the structural sophistication of post-bop with the rhythmic and tonal colors of indigenous traditions worldwide, resulting in what All About Jazz describes as music that "undulates with the sound of myriad interesting roots" while maintaining "swaying linear charm."

This performance follows Dogole's recent "Last Trane to Africa" tribute project celebrating John Coltrane's centennial, suggesting audiences may hear some Afrocentric material alongside the group's signature cross-cultural explorations. At Bird & Beckett's intimate setting — San Francisco's most welcoming space for creative improvised music — expect an immersive journey through musical traditions that transcend borders.