The Civic Center nonprofit raised $1.4 million for music education
Words by CATHERINE BIGELOW
Photography by DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY
Resounding grooves by a roster of renowned musicians raised the roof on Thursday, June 12, at the SFJazz Gala, which honored legendary producer, multiple Grammy–winning musician, and Blue Note Records president Don Was with the SFJazz Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual fundraiser has previously recognized artists like Wynton Marsalis, Mavis Staples, Herbie Hancock, and Joni Mitchell.
In addition to heartfelt video tributes from the likes of such superstars as Norah Jones, Keith Richards, Rosanne Cash, and Ringo Star, the honoree was also heralded by musician, Blue Note artist, and SFJazz artistic director Terence Blanchard.
“Don Was honors jazz, without putting it in a box. We all believe in the power of this music. And at a time when this country is divided, we understand how this music can bring us together,” said Blanchard, now in his second year of leading SFJazz. “But being from New Orleans, it’s still a hard thing for me to root for the 49ers.”
Led by Jeffrey Whipps, an SFJazz trustee and Google Brand Studio VP, with his spouse, Susan Greenleaf Whipps — and emceed by award-winning actor Delroy Lindo — this joyful, sold-out jam of 550 supporters enriched the coffers of SFJazz’s artistic programming and free music education to the tune of $1.4 million.
In addition to astounding performances, the swinging soiree included cocktail klatches and a lively after-party. A block away, a tricked-out tent featured elegant VIP speakeasy-style banquettes, upon which Paula LeDuc Catering set improv-inspired, shared platters of Peking duck, corn risotto, Korean fried chicken, and bumps of Tsar Nicoulai Classic Caviar.
SFJazz Festival was founded in 1983 by Randall Kline. His storied endeavor now includes a year-round repertory season, summer festival, workshops, and classes, as well as the award-winning SFJazz Collective and the High-School All-Stars. The building, located in the Civic Center performing arts district, debuted in 2013 as the inaugural stand-alone venue in the U.S. devoted to this most American of art forms.
Designed by architect Mark Cavagnero atop the bones of a former muffler shop, the sleek, 35,000-square-foot venue houses the 700-seat Robert N. Miner Auditorium (replete with cushy seats and cocktail cup holders), which adjoins the 100-seat Joe Henderson Lab. Through the glass-walled ground floor, attendees of all ages can gaze across the street at a rotating photo exhibition of jazz icons, featured in the window frames of a former S.F. school building.
Among the cool cats: vocalists Lisa Fischer, Kurt Elling, and Gabrielle Cavassa; guitar icon Bill Frisell; drummer Eric Harland; pianist Edward Simon and saxophonist Melissa Aldana; Mayor Daniel Lurie; SFJazz benefactress Mary Miner; philanthropists Darian and Rick Swig; Lisa Pritzker; vocalist Monica Mancini and her husband, drummer Gregg Field; SF Opera Board President Jack Calhoun; SFJazz CEO Gabrielle Armand and trustees, including Angela Davis, Ravin Agrawal, Sid Ganis, and Michael Mauzé, as well as board chair Molly Joel Coye, who proclaimed the art form “a voice for freedom and beauty.”
In a surprise onstage appearance, actor Paul Reiser extolled the genius of Don Was. He recalled their serendipitous 1992 airport meetup, with his then costar Helen Hunt, which resulted in the rapidly composed theme song, “The Final Frontier,” for Reiser and Hunt’s sitcom Mad About You. “Meeting Don was the coolest thing that ever happened to me,” Reiser said. “Then [in 1996], NASA used Frontiers as the wake-up call for the [Sojourner] Rover on Mars. It wasn’t the biggest hit on Earth. But on other planets, it’s quite significant.”
Still, Reiser admitted to nerves over their initial meeting, trading jams that same night that resulted in the television show’s iconic theme song: “What I learned from Don is, Don’t be scared of your own inhibitions. Just keep saying yes.”
June 12, 2025
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