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Charles Chen

@charlesperforms

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CHARLES CHEN — SUMMER 2026 GIGS

JUNE
Jun 6 — Nathan Tokunaga Quartet — Jazz on the Hill Festival, San Mateo, CA — 11 AM (free!)
Jun 13 — Nathan Tokunaga Sextet — Bootleggers Ball, San Francisco, CA — 7–10 PM
Jun 19 — Kamrin Ortiz's Knock-Outs — Local Edition, San Francisco, CA — 8:30–11:30 PM (no cover!)
Jun 28 — Charles Chen Quartet (The Long Way Home release party) — Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club, San Francisco, CA — 6 PM and 7:45 PM

JULY
Jul 10 — Félix Lemerle Quartet w/ David Wong and Roy McCurdy — Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club, San Francisco, CA — 6 PM and 7:30 PM
Jul 12 — Charles Chen Quartet (The Long Way Home release party) — Piedmont Piano, Oakland, CA — 5 PM
Jul 18 — Nathan Tokunaga Quartet — The Sound Room, Oakland, CA — 7:30–10 PM

AUGUST
Aug 15 — Nathan Tokunaga Quartet — Bird & Beckett, San Francisco, CA — 7:30–9:30 PM
Aug 22 — Tim Lin Quartet — Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club, San Francisco, CA — 6 PM and 7:45 PM
Aug 29 — Tim Lin Quartet — Meyhouse, San Ramon, CA — 5 PM and 8:30 PM by @charlesperforms

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5 months ago

almost fell off the bench

#dukeellington #preludetoakiss by @charlesperforms

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19 days ago

Bay Area friends, come hear us live next week! We’re playing songs from my new album at The Backroom in Berkeley next Friday, September 4, at 8pm. Tickets in my bio. Can’t wait to see you there! taken in Berkeley, California by @charlesperforms

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2 months ago

It was great playing a string of concerts in the Bay Area this summer. Thank you so much to everyone who packed the room at every gig. It was a pleasure playing music at some of my favorite listening and dance venues in the Bay Area like @meyhousejazz, @thesoundroomoakland, @sfbalhaus, and @sfbootleggersball.

Here’s a clip of “Echoes of Spring” from @bird.beckett with Charles Chen, Mikiya Matsuda, and Benny Amon.

Looking forward to heading back to NYC for another great semester!

#livejazz #clarinet #piano #stride #swing taken in Bird & Beckett Books by @charlesperforms

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2 months ago

An unforgettable evening celebrating the release of “The Long Way Home” with the Charles Chen Quartet. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night of incredible music in our intimate concert space.

If you haven’t experienced a live performance at Piedmont Piano Company, we’d love to welcome you. From rising artists to jazz legends, our concert series brings world-class musicians together in a setting unlike any other.

🎟 View our upcoming concerts and reserve your seats: piedmontpiano.com/concerts

📸 Photo credit: Mike Lisching (@Offbeat Exposures)

@charlesperforms @offbeat.exposures taken in Piedmont Piano Company by @charlesperforms

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3 months ago

Looking forward to my debut gig as a leader in San Francisco at @mrtipplessf tomorrow, Friday, July 10, 2026, sets at 6 & 7:30pm. My quartet will be featuring @charlesperforms, David Wong & the legendary @rwmccurdyjr! Come support the music. taken in Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club by @charlesperforms

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3 months ago

🎶 THIS SUNDAY! Charles Chen Quartet⁠
Album Release "The Long Way Home"⁠
Sunday, July 12, 2026 | 5:00 PM⁠
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The Long Way Home is pianist Charles Chen's upcoming album, recorded in New York with nonagenarians, bassist Bill Crow (98) and drummer Steve Little (91), along with guitarist Félix Lemerle. On the album, the band plays standards, and Charles interviews Bill and Steve about their legendary careers in jazz. Félix will be joining Charles this evening, as well as bassist Nico Martinez and drummer Brian Fishler.⁠
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📍 Piedmont Piano Company⁠
1728 San Pablo Avenue⁠
Oakland, CA 94612⁠
⁠
🎟 Visit our website or click the link in our bio to purchase tickets before they're gone!⁠

@charlesperforms
⁠
#jazzmusicoakland #bayarealivemusic #oaklandlivemusic #livejazzsf #LiveMusicBayArea taken in Piedmont Piano Company by @charlesperforms

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3 months ago

The Long Way Home is OUT! You can listen on all streaming platforms (link in bio) or buy digital or physical (CD or LP) on Bandcamp.

Here's Bill talking about Paul Chambers, Miles Davis, and Curtis Fuller.

#longwayhome #jazz #jazzpiano #newrelease by @charlesperforms

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4 months ago

Dream Dancing is out on all streaming platforms! View link in bio.

#dreamdancing #streamdreamdancing #streambig #jazz #jazzpiano by @charlesperforms

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5 months ago

Hear Bill Crow talk about Bird from the session of my upcoming album The Long Way Home! clips of the interview will be on streaming but I'll put the full interview up on YouTube.

#newrelease #jazz #thelongwayhome by @charlesperforms

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5 months ago

Last summer, in addition to a soloist appearance with the Oregon coast festival orchestra, I also played as a soloist with a 50 piece orchestra put together by my friend, pianist Charles Chen. This was a live concert we did at San Jose State university featuring Nathan Tokunaga and also featuring great jazz musicians from both coasts including Bob Sheppard, Tim Lin, Gordon Au, Riley Baker, Vic Wong and many others. The studio recording, “All the strings you are” was done throughout the following week in Oakland and will be out in the next year! This was a memorable experience for me and led to Nathan studying with me privately through the new school as well as joining my band at smalls, Boplicity. Here’s a sample of me playing East of the Sun (the bird with strings arrangement). #jazz #saxophone #orchestra #soloist taken in San Jose State University by @charlesperforms

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5 months ago

This Thursday 5/14 is the birthday of one of my greatest heroes, Sidney Bechet. This afternoon, I had the great pleasure of joining host Matthew “Fat Cat” Rivera and dear friend Michael Steinman on WKCR 89.9 FM, playing some of our favorite Bechet records.

I was honored to play and record Bechet’s beautiful composition Premier Bal (arr. Charles Chen) with a fantastic 50-piece orchestra and big band last summer.

The soprano saxophone I am playing in this clip was owned the late great Richard Hadlock, who was one of Bechet’s students. Bechet played the very instrument featured in this video for a week in the 1950s. Thank you to Clint Baker, one of my earliest mentors, for introducing me to Richard and to so many of the great Bechet records that we played on WKCR today.

This is just a taste of “All The Strings You Are” - an album coming out February 2027, featuring arrangements written by Charles Chen for an incredible 50-piece ensemble.

(Video is from a live concert on June 15th, 2025 at San Jose State University Concert Hall)

#jazz #saxophone #sidneybechet by @charlesperforms

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5 months ago