New Jam session at Pearl's

BJ Papa host's the Sunday night jam session at Pearl's in San Franciso that started in July. This article in the Chronicle's Pink section Datebook talks about the sessions and about the house band leader on the piano, BJ Papa.

...it's fair to say that the San Francisco jazz scene will have regained an important spirit if the Pearl's session takes hold in North Beach. Given the start it's made, it may well be on the right track.

On a recent Sunday night, trumpeter Mike Olmos, a brassy, expansive soloist and one of the city's busiest horn men, is trading shining, charged phrases with fellow trumpeter Henry Hung on a swinging rendition of "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise." Hung, an audacious musician himself, is a member of the house band, which on this night also includes saxophonist Marcus Stephens, bassist Attila Medveczky and drummer Jamal Ramirez.

BJ PAPA BAND performs at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Sundays at Jazz at Pearl’s, 256
Columbus Ave., San Francisco. $5. (415) 291-8255.