Maralisa & The Starlight Martinis

Bay Area vocalist Maralisa brings her jazz quartet The Starlight Martinis to Black Cat's intimate supper club setting for an evening of classic standards, bossa nova, and throwback soul. With vocals rooted in jazz, blues, and soul influences like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Amy Winehouse, Maralisa creates what Revive Music calls "a confident, developed style that makes her immediately recognizable."

The Starlight Martinis features seasoned Bay Area musicians: Jay Sanders on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass, James Gallagher on drums, with the addition of Jack Roben on guitar and Danny Brown on saxophone for this Black Cat performance. The quartet draws inspiration from vocal greats Nina Simone and Julie London, weaving together classic American songbook material with the sophisticated warmth that defines Maralisa's approach.

Maralisa studied jazz voice at The New School in New York, where she spent nearly a decade developing her craft and forming her psych-soul band Space Captain (Tru Thoughts Records). She's shared stages with Khruangbin, BADBADNOTGOOD, Ghostface Killah, and Nick Hakim at venues like Rough Trade and Bimbo's 365 Club. Her distinct vocal style seamlessly bridges genres, creating what she describes as "a world of her own with a focus on the heart and emotion of a song."

The Starlight Martinis represent Maralisa's jazz-focused project, distinct from her genre-blending solo work and Space Captain's psych-soul explorations. Black Cat's supper club atmosphere — designed specifically for jazz with excellent cocktails and upscale dining — provides the perfect setting for this intimate quartet format, where every seat feels close to the music and the focus stays firmly on the performance.