TICKETS

$40–$67 + fees

MEMBER PRE-SALE: Wed, Jan 21, 10 am. Want pre-sale access? Become a Lensic member!
PUBLIC SALE: Fri, Jan 23, 10 am. 

For online ticketing sales & support, contact the Lensic box office: 505-988-1234.

For in-person sales, visit the Lensic box office. 

VENUE: LENSIC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SEATING: Yes 

ALCOHOL: Yes, there are two bars in the inner lobby

OUTSIDE FOOD/DRINK: No

PARKING: Yes, you can pre-pay for parking validation in the Sandoval garage (across the street) during your checkout

ADA: Yes, please notify a box office representative of your accommodations prior to the show

Please be advised that by entering this event, you are agreeing to being filmed and/or photographed, and the resulting assets may be used for Lensic marketing or promotional purposes. Should you wish not to be photographed or recorded on video, please notify a staff member or one of the event photographers/videographers.

JULIAN LAGE QUARTET

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation and “highest category of improvising musicians” (New Yorker), Julian Lage has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via impeccable technique, free association and a spirit of infinite possibility.

In the waning days of 2024, Lage began what he calls a writing sprint. Lage has long been prolific: In the three decades since the documentary Jules at Eight identified him as a prodigy, Lage has made a dozen records with his own bands and duos, and three times that many with leading lights of his artistic orbit, like John Zorn, Gary Burton, and Charles Lloyd. But Lage was preparing for a four-day residency at SFJAZZ, plus the premiere of a new quartet of old collaborators and friends who had strangely never recorded together: Lage with steadfast bassist Jorge Roeder, dynamic drummer Kenny Wollesen, and vaunted keyboardist John Medeski. As he thought about their qualities as players and hypothesized about how they might interact, he set a timer for 20 minutes, wrote a tune, recorded it once, and then began again.

Lage called one particular tune he loved during that sprint, “Storyville.” It’s quick, flickering riff felt like an invitation for conversation, exactly the kind of thing he hopes to find in such a sprint. “My dream with composing, really, is to have something to talk about once we’re together,” he says. “It’s not the end-all, be-all.” Hearing what the quartet created with the piece in the studio is like watching a pot of water boil and observing not the chaos but the order, the way every molecule is pushing against the other with purpose.

That is the spirit of Scenes from Above, Lage’s second full-length album with the producer Joe Henry and his first with this striking quartet. Where 2024’s Speak to Me was Lage’s grand statement as an improvising bandleader capable of helming a relatively large ensemble through a diverse set of tunes, Scenes from Above is about being a band member himself, about Lage exploring the tunes he has written with a crew he has built with that entirely in mind. Its nine tracks frame a brilliantly open experience, with four astounding players giving and taking space in equal measure as they explore these songs in one space, in real time.

LAURA ITANDEHUI

Singer, composer, and artist from Oaxaca, Mexico, Laura Itandehui has emerged as one of the  most authentic and forward-thinking voices in contemporary Latin music. Her work is rooted in  a deep musical exploration that blends jazz, vocal improvisation, and Latin American popular  rhythms, shaped by a poetic, luminous, and distinctly personal sensibility. 

Her musical path began in early childhood, when she first took up the violin and discovered the  sounds of huapango, bolero, and jazz. Growing up, she was deeply influenced by iconic  songwriters and performers such as José Alfredo Jiménez, Benny Moré, Joan Manuel Serrat,  Víctor Jara, and Héctor Lavoe—figures whose emotional honesty and musical depth would later  resonate in her own songwriting. From an early age, music became her native language and a  central force in her life. 

Laura later pursued formal training in Singing and Scat at the Jazz Academy of the Escuela  Superior de Música, building a strong technical foundation that supports her artistic freedom and  experimental spirit. Her work stands at the crossroads of tradition and exploration, revitalizing  the essence of the Latin American song through her own sense of Mexican identity. 

In 2021, she released her independent debut album, Laura Itandehui, born almost organically  from a period of intense composition and live performance. The record weaves together jazz  influences with bolero, ranchera, and other traditional forms, revealing an intimate and honest  voice that quickly connected with audiences. Following its release, she performed across South  America, Europe, and the United States, establishing an artistic profile with growing  international presence. 

Her second album, Si me ven alegre (2025), represents a clear evolution in both sound and  perspective. More expansive and celebratory, the album explores rhythms such as cumbia, son,  bolero, vallenato, salsa, danzón, and habanera, all filtered through an authorial lens marked by  joy, emotional balance, and expressive nuance. While her songwriting remains deeply personal— hovering between autobiography and autofiction—the music embraces movement, dance, and a  renewed sense of vitality. Freshness, humor, and a powerful vocal expressiveness define a body  of work that connects directly and honestly with listeners. 

As a live performer, Laura Itandehui possesses a magnetic presence. Whether accompanied by a  full band or performing with minimal instrumentation, she captivates audiences through  improvisation, subtle playfulness, and an instinctive dialogue with the public—an approach  deeply informed by her jazz background. 

As an independent artist, she has built a solid and coherent career guided by artistic integrity and  collaboration. She has worked with musicians from diverse scenes, participated in major  festivals, and continues to expand her musical universe while remaining faithful to her roots.  Through her authenticity, innovation, and growing international impact, Laura Itandehui  powerfully embodies the spirit of contemporary Latin music: vibrant, rooted, and constantly  evolving.