The Bay Area jazz scene is about to get a little bigger and bolder as Marin Jazz prepares to reopen its doors.
With CEO and executive producer Todd Ghanizadeh at its helm, the renovated 350-seat venue at San Rafael’s Marin Center Showcase Theater has an impressive lineup for its first official season, featuring artists in jazz, blues, R&B, and more.
Featured events include Tito Puente Jr. and his seven-piece band in “Bringing a Taste of Cuba to Marin” on Oct. 4. Additional headliners include vocalists Terrie Odabi, Tia Carroll and Lady Bianca in “Three Ladies Sing the Blues” (Oct. 18); party band Pride and Joy in a “SF Halloween Bash and Costume Party” (Oct. 31); “Duke Ellington Tribute” featuring vocalists Kim Nalley and Paula West accompanied by pianist Tammy Hall (Nov. 23), and a holiday show titled “The Living Supremes” with Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence and Joyce Vincent (Dec. 20).
For Ghanizadeh, who lives in Marin County, finding the right venue has been a quest. In a recent conversation, he said he looked for one that was comfortable, with a touch of glamour. He found it close to home and says it’s ideal.
“It’s a showcase theater,” he said, “really a concert hall with a nightclub feel. I wanted it to be very intimate—a fun, safe space with great music and a lot of style for my age bracket, because there’s really not much in Marin for us to do on a regular basis. It’s very comfortable. They re-did the whole place and we have new seats—and we have a full bar. I said I’m not going to do jazz without a bar.”
Ghanizadeh grew up in Marin County, worked in management consulting in tech and financial realms, and is a long-time member of the Marin County nonprofit Pied Piper Productions, which is devoted to helping kids connect with theater and the arts. His own history dates back decades; as a young dancer, he trained with Mikhail Baryshnikov at the American Ballet Theatre. In Marin, where he and his wife have raised three children, he was the owner and manager of the much-loved New George’s Nightclub in San Rafael, where he hosted a long line of artists including Santana, Grace Slick, Jesse Colin Young and The Tubes.
He’s also a cancer survivor, which he said made returning to his old job in tech next to impossible. Now he’s putting all his energy into Marin Jazz. His plan—and part of the reward, he says—is the chance to dedicate proceeds from the new nonprofit to after-school performing arts programs for kids in Marin County.
Some time back, Ghanizadeh started the nascent Marin Jazz with occasional events—“one, two, four per year,” he said—but now he’s committed to work the venue full-time. With his extensive connections, it was easy to attract talent. “Once I made that decision, I reached out to my contacts,” he said, “and booked a whole year in six days.”
His first event was last year, featuring singer-actress Freda Payne; the show sold out, but the theater closed for renovations shortly thereafter. Next week’s appearance by Tito Puente Jr. marks the venue’s official reopening.
Artists who have worked with Ghanizadeh say he’s a top-notch host; Nalley says he’s also a devoted music fan. “I worked with him at the Plush Room and we’ve remained good friends,” she said. “He’s the kind of impresario who has a broad appreciation of music. Sometimes we talk just to talk. He has so many ideas and he really respects musicians. It’s always wonderful working with him.”
Nalley, appearing in “Duke Ellington Tribute” with West and Hall, is a great champion of Ellington’s music. The award-winning vocalist’s insights into the composer’s works have brought her into many collaborations, including one with San Francisco Symphony Music Director Emeritus Michael Tilson Thomas. “We did many things not necessarily under the category of ‘classical music,’” she said. “Duke Ellington despised categories, as MTT does—and Tammy and I certainly do.” Her November program will include Ellington works as well as music by other great American songwriters.
As Marin Jazz approaches its official opening night, Ghanizadeh said he’s feeling great. “When I was first thinking of Marin Jazz, I was thinking of those women, because for me, blues and jazz is always a woman. You go all the way back to the late great Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, just pioneer women. So I really wanted these amazing ladies who sing the blues. We’ll hear these iconic women—Tia Carroll, Lady Bianca, Terry Odabe. Then the Ellington Tribute with Kim Nalley and Paula West. Together, they’re the Trinity Five.”
With many enticing events approaching, Ghanizadeh said he’s looking forward to welcoming music lovers at Marin Jazz. “I wanted to have someplace safe for 50- to 80-year-olds,” he said, “someplace safe, someplace close, there’s free parking. Just someplace for like-minded individuals.
“It’s like what Michelle Obama said: ‘Do something.’ That really resonated with me. I’m in that part of my life where I had cancer, and I knew that our time here is limited. I just wanted to do something because I could. I’m a risk-taker in general, so I just decided to bet on jazz in Marin and create something that was really special for all of us.”
Marin Jazz shows are at the Showcase Theater, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. Tickets are $50-$85 at MarinJazz.com.