Steven Bernstein's Sexmob

Slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein brings his long-running avant-garde party band Sexmob to the Henderson Lab for a four-night residency exploring the explosive sounds of psychedelic rock and Latin soul. Part of SFJAZZ's "Bay Area Psych & Soul Tribute," the shows split between two themed nights devoted to classic Latin soul music, followed by an immersion into 1960s psychedelic rock.

Bernstein is a master of the slide trumpet, an instrument that looks and sounds like a cross between a trumpet and trombone, which he uses to lead his virtuosic crew through what critics call "raucous" music that balances infectious melodies with well-chosen blasts of dissonance. The band features saxophonist Briggan Krauss, whose "fiery post-Ayler skronk" and eerie blend of technique and expression complements Bernstein's agile leadership, alongside bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen, who lay down what reviewers consistently describe as the "sexiest of grooves."

Sexmob specializes in taking familiar and almost familiar tunes and mangling them into something entirely new — everything from James Bond themes to Prince covers to Monk and Ellington standards, all filtered through their distinctive blend of New Orleans funk, bebop, experimentalism, and what one critic called "cartoon antics." Their performances are marked by boundless verve and enthusiasm, with Bernstein proving himself a consummate bandleader who conducts through spirited flurries of motion and gesture, creating what fans describe as a "hotbed of delirious, pulsating energy."

What distinguishes Sexmob from other downtown NYC avant-garde bands is their sense of fun — they're known for making complex experimental jazz accessible through sheer love and enjoyment of the music. As one reviewer noted after seeing them in an intimate setting: "I don't remember a gig where I saw so many people smiling at the music." Their two-hour sets are typically nonstop celebrations of groove that demonstrate why they remain "one of the most fun, wacky, enjoyable and outrageous party bands of the downtown avant-garde."