SFJazz celebrates 5th anniversary with tribute to Zakir Hussain

There was a seated VIP dinner in the upstairs lobby of SFJazz for its fifth anniversary gala Wednesday, Jan. 18, and I got a glimpse of long tables neatly set with flowers, place cards and the stately accoutrements of such events.

The crowd was so big that there was pleasant jostling, a buzz, and people jammed into a jitterbuggingly crooked line to pick up tickets, good-naturedly stood elbow-to-elbow at the bar.

(Every guest was given a red or pink linen scarf with a note: “As a symbol of our honoree, music and culture, we invite you to wear this scarf in a manner that inspires you!”) The honoree, especially known for his collaboration with other musicians, was on stage during much of the concert that was the gala’s main event.

Watching Hussain’s fingers flicking over the surfaces of his drums was as much fun as counting the heads of audience members who can’t keep still when the drums are playing.

Right at the concert’s start, as tenor saxophonist David Sánchez sounded the first notes while making his way to the stage from the back of the hall, we noticed a man sitting in the second seat in just across the aisle, wrapping his left hand around the exposed right thigh of the woman in the aisle seat, whose red dress had ridden up around her legs.

Next night it was on to the San Francisco Ballet gala, where most well-behaved audience members are likely to keep their eyes on the performers’ bodies and their hands to themselves.

[...] as the days dwindled down to inauguration day, one man took to NextDoor in my own hood, the central Haight, to look for suggestions for protest signs for his girlfriend, who was on her way to Washington, D.C. Neighbors suggested he turn to http://jointheuproar.com, where suggestions ranged from the powerful “Resist” to the playful “Stay Nasty.”

[...] (there’s always a biz angle), the Oakland graphic design marketplace 99designs is offering tips for sign-makers — perhaps too late for inaugural demonstrations, but in the next four years there may be other opportunities — (1) Be clear; (2) Use humor and wit; (3) Be brief; (4) Presentation matters; (5) Have some heart/ be passionate/ be genuine.

Allen Matthews’ NextDoor listing included a guilt-laden plea from a writer looking for a cozy place “around Oakland where I can sit with my laptop for a few hours without spending $$$ on a meal? I don’t mind buying coffee and a sandwich, perhaps, but I usually feel weird if I don’t buy more.”

Leaving a funeral at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, Phil Abrams overheard one person commenting to another about the music the family had arranged to be played, in honor of the deceased.