Joshi Marshall Project

Saxophonist Joshi Marshall returns to Bird & Beckett with his longtime project, delivering an intimate evening of genre-blending jazz in the cozy Glen Park bookstore. A founding member of the innovative Mingus Amungus, which won a Bammie Award in 1997 for Best Jazz Club Band, Marshall has been a key figure in the Bay Area's acid jazz and hip-hop jazz scenes since the 1990s.

Marshall brings his multi-instrumental prowess to Bird & Beckett, where he'll showcase the fluid style that has made him one of the premier saxophonists in the region. His sound draws from bebop and post-bop traditions while incorporating elements of acid jazz and hip-hop, creating music that's both sophisticated and accessible. As Variety noted about Mingus Amungus performances, Marshall reaches "wildly for the outside" on tenor sax, unafraid to venture into "unpredictably quirky territory."

Over the years, Marshall has collaborated with an impressive roster of artists including John Santos, Pete Escovedo, Blackalicious, Goapele, reggae legend Don Carlos, Carlos Santana, and The Black Crowes. His deep musical roots trace back to growing up in west Berkeley with prominent musician parents — his father was bassist Fred Marshall of the psychedelic group Light Sound Dimension, and his mother is Beverly Bivens of the folk rock band We Five.

The Joshi Marshall Project represents Marshall's current creative focus, where he leads his own ensemble in exploring the connections between traditional jazz and contemporary sounds. Bird & Beckett's intimate setting — with its towering bookshelves and close quarters — provides the perfect backdrop for Marshall's music, which thrives on the kind of direct connection between artist and audience that only happens in rooms like this.