Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 17, 2026
Meet the Artists
KEV CHOICE, Music Director
RYANNICOLE, Host
ASHLING “BISCUIT” COLE
ADRIAN MARCEL
AUGUST LEE STEVENS
B DEVEAUX
MARTIN LUTHER MCCOY
SILK E
SUNDRA MANNING
JOHNNY5
RUSTEE ALLEN
INTRICATE
BLACK LONDON, House Band
HOWARD WILEY, saxophonist
MIKE BLAKENSHIP, Keyboardist & Arranger
Oaktown Jazz Workshops
Awesöme Orchestra Collective
Living Jazz RootED Choir
ABOUT THE LIVING JAZZ RootED CHOIR
The Living Jazz Children's Project is a free, weekly music and dance education and performance program that highlights the power of jazz to promote social change and engender cultural awareness and pride. Currently providing 30 weeks of sequential lessons to over 1,300 students in 17 under-resourced East Bay public schools, the Living Jazz Children's Project gives students a strong foundation for future music and dance learning, inspires and empowers them, and promotes school values and building community.
PARTICIPATING LIVING JAZZ CHILDREN’S PROJECT OAKLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Living Jazz invited participants from our 2nd and 3rd grade choral program to unite in the Living Jazz Children’s Project Choir to honor both the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the music of Aretha Franklin. This evening’s performance includes over 150 students from Carl B. Munck, Cleveland, and Glenview elementary schools. Oakland, time to be proud!
Oakland Unified School District
Arise High School*
Burckhalter*
Carl B. Munck*
Claremont
Cleveland*
Glenview
Thornhill
West Contra Costa County USD
Bayview*
Chavez*
Dover*
Harding*
Highland*
Nystrom*
Riverside*
Shannon*
Stege*
Stewart*
Tara Hills*
* - Indicates Title One School
OAKTOWN JAZZ WORKSHOPS
Oaktown Jazz Workshops is a nonprofit, community based, cultural education organization dedicated to passing on the tradition of jazz music to young people through music instruction, educational presentations, and live concerts.
Founded by the late great trumpeter Khalil Shaheed in 1994, Oaktown Jazz Workshops’ mission is to provide youth – particularly underserved youth – with the support, opportunity, and agency to build their skills, creativity, and confidence within the uniquely American art-form of jazz music. Our intergenerational community of teachers, mentors, and storytellers challenge youth from all backgrounds to develop the skills and discipline needed to succeed in any field they choose to pursue.
Oaktown Jazz Workshops' Performance Ensemble features young musicians ages 12-18 who perform a variety of exciting and challenging jazz classics. Our young musicians learn from professional master musicians and perform for audiences throughout the Bay Area.
Featuring Oaktown Jazz Workshops’:
Max Ehrhardt - trumpet; Max Nguyễn -alto saxophone; Paulos Thomas - tenor saxophone; Jordon Dabney - tenor saxophone; Teo Quale - guitar; Niko Quale - violin; Lucy Khadder - violin; Alan Rios - alto saxophone; Coen Stockett - trombone; Mateo Martinez Lawrence - tenor saxophone; Mark Lee - drums (Lead Instructor); Ravi Abcarian - bass (Executive Director); Richard Howell - tenor saxophone (Lead Instructor)
AWESÖME ORCHESTRA
Awesöme Orchestra brings together Bay Area music-lovers for orchestral adventures. The exciting energy and sound of 100+ musicians playing together is just one of the many factors that make us awesome. What makes us different is that we bring classical music out of the symphony concert halls and into the streets, parks, and rock venues of the Bay Area; we take orchestral music out of films and video games and bring the music to the fore. Our sessions are open to any musicians who want to join us. Visit www.awesomeorchestra.org for info about how to sign up to play.
David Möschler, Founder & Conductor
Flute/Piccolo
Arturo Rodriguez
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Alexandra Simmons
Horn
Phil Hobson
Trumpet
Justin Smith
Trombone
J. Maddox
Percussion
Sage Baggott
Harp
Destiny Muhammad
Violin I
Amanda Mok
Aaron Colverson
Nina Han
Angela Hsieh
Stephania Diamant
Violin II
Amy Loftus
Sandy Poindexter
Andy Hsiao
Adriana Ramirez Mirabal
Brad Girardeau
Ann Eastman
Viola
Lo Weseley
Susanne Gahl
Jarrod Powell
Gar Wei Lee
Kelly Wong
Cello
Georgia Martin
Nathaniel Fruchter
Laura Boytz
Andrea Landin
Ken Ferry
Double Bass
Amanda Wu
Joe Belson
MIKE BLANKENSHIP - ARRANGER
Mike Blankenship is a renowned pianist, keyboardist, composer, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a career spanning over two decades, Mike has toured globally and performed with legendary artists, including Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sheila E., Ledisi, and Miss Lauryn Hill. He is celebrated for his dynamic musicality and versatility across genres, from jazz and soul to hip-hop and R&B.
Beyond the stage, Mike is deeply committed to arts education as the Managing Director of Yeah, Art!, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through music and creative expression. He has developed innovative curricula for songwriting, music production, and digital art that inspire and amplify the voices of young artists.
Mike is also a proud Governor of the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy and a passionate advocate for music's transformative power. Through his work, he continues to honor the legacies of musical greats and foster the next generation of talent.
VINCENT RILLERA - ARRANGER
As a multi-instrumentalist and a father of 3 from Vallejo, California, Vince Rillera is no stranger to multi-tasking. With over 25 years of musical experience he has built a career centered around being in 3 places at the same time: the stage, the studio, and the classroom. In an attempt to stay out of trouble, his Dad got him playing gigs at 14 years old which quickly developed into a love for writing, producing, and arranging. Now with a B.M. in Music Education from SFSU under his belt, and endlessly developing home studio and over 15 years with his lesson company RealEraMusic, he continues to teach, create, and perform on a regular basis.
BRIAN ADAM MCCUNE - ARRANGER
Brian Adam McCune, a Colombian-American composer based in Oakland, serves as the Associate Music Director of the Awesöme Orchestra Collective, where he conducts and has contributed to over numerous arrangements and orchestrations in the group's 10-year history. His music has been played all over the U.S., from Hawaii to Kalamazoo to the stage at Carnegie Hall. A particular point of pride for Brian is having his arrangements played by Oakland Symphony over the last several years. He holds a Bachelor's in Music Performance from UNC Chapel Hill and a Master's in Music Composition from New School University, New York. Beyond his musical endeavors, Brian is an avid D&D player, a video game developer, and a happy DogDad.