Bayview Sessions

Bayview Sessions is a new live music series curated by bassist, producer, and artist Giulio Xavier Cetto, bringing together some of the Bay Area and international jazz community’s most exciting musicians for a series of intimate performances, collaborations, and musical explorations.

Hosted at the historic Ruth Williams Opera House, Presented by the "Art is Resistances" Artist in residence Program in Collaboration with La Fauna Music Productions the series celebrates jazz as a living art form connecting improvisation, Black American music, Latin and Caribbean traditions, hip-hop, contemporary sounds, and the diverse musical traditions of the African Diaspora.

Each session features a different guest artist and ensemble, leading toward a special headline performance featuring Giulio Xavier Cetto and an all-star ensemble.

BAYVIEW SESSION 1 JAM

October 12, 2026

DOOR 7PM

Main Featured Artist: Kazemde George – Saxophone -

IG: @kazemde

Video: https://youtu.be/ZVOMwtnXOwE?si=PuC-qRhTufCs81ZN

Featuring:

• Kazemde George – Saxophone
• Miles Turk – Drums
• Kai Lyons – Guitar
• Giulio Xavier Cetto – Bass

Oakland-based saxophonist, composer, and educator Kazemde George brings a deep musical perspective shaped by jazz, hip-hop, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Brazilian, and African-American musical traditions.

Raised in Berkeley by Caribbean parents, Kazemde developed his musical voice through improvisation, composition, electronic music, and extensive study. His work reflects a commitment to exploring the musical traditions of the African Diaspora and connecting those traditions to contemporary music.

His career has included performances with artists such as Solange Knowles and Saint Heron, David Murray, Jason Moran, Norah Jones, and Ethan Iverson, as well as appearances at major venues and festivals including the Panama Jazz Festival, AfroPunk, Big Ears Festival, and Lincoln Center.

This opening session sets the tone for the series with an evening of adventurous improvisation, composition, rhythm, and collaboration.

BAYVIEW SESSION 2 JAM

October 19, 2026

DOOR 7PM

Main Featured Artist: Thomas Pridgen – Drums -

IG: @thomaspridgen

VIDEOS:

1.- https://youtu.be/v-ObFw81sPc?si=J2VSN0-fhS29Ddm5

2.- https://youtu.be/lGZt1BkfNBI?si=51b1n4V7aZdX3klN

Featuring:

• Thomas Pridgen – Drums
• Michael Louis Aaberg – Keys / Multi-Instrumentalist
• Giulio Xavier Cetto – Bass

This session puts the spotlight on the powerful and dynamic drummer Thomas Pridgen, bringing his unique approach to rhythm, improvisation, and contemporary jazz. Joined by Michael Louis Aaberg and Giulio Xavier Cetto, the trio will explore the space between jazz, funk, soul, improvisation, and contemporary Black American music.

THOMAS PRIDGEN — DRUMMER PHOTO

Thomas Pridgen is an internationally recognized American drummer whose explosive technique, musical versatility, and powerful improvisational voice have made him one of the most distinctive drummers of his generation.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Pridgen began playing drums at a remarkably young age. He was performing in church as a child and, at just nine years old, won the Guitar Center Drum-Off. At ten, he became the youngest recipient of a Zildjian endorsement at the time. His early development was shaped by the Bay Area's rich gospel, jazz, R&B, and improvisational music traditions.

At 15, Pridgen received a four-year scholarship to Berklee College of Music, becoming the youngest recipient of the scholarship in the school's history at that time. He continued developing a career that moves fluidly between jazz, rock, gospel, funk, hip-hop, progressive music, and experimental improvisation.

Pridgen became internationally known through his work with The Mars Volta, joining the band in 2006 and making his live debut in 2007. He recorded on the band's acclaimed albums The Bedlam in Goliath and Octahedron and toured internationally with the group.

Beyond The Mars Volta, Pridgen has built an expansive career as a recording and touring musician, collaborating with artists including Christian Scott, Eric Gales, Omar Rodríguez-López, dUg Pinnick, Keyshia Cole, Wicked Wisdom, Suicidal Tendencies, Thundercat, and many others. His work has crossed musical boundaries from contemporary jazz and gospel to progressive rock, funk, metal, and experimental music.

Pridgen is also a bandleader and creator, having developed projects including The Memorials and Pinnick Gales Pridgen, while continuing to work across recording, touring, education, and live performance. His career has taken him to stages and festivals throughout the United States and internationally

Known for his extraordinary speed, precision, power, and ability to turn rhythm into a lead voice, Thomas Pridgen approaches the drums as both an instrument of rhythm and a vehicle for composition and improvisation. His playing reflects a lifetime of absorbing gospel, jazz, hip-hop, funk, rock, and the broader traditions of Black American music.

Today, Pridgen continues to push the boundaries of contemporary drumming through performance, recording, collaboration, and his ongoing exploration of rhythm and sound.

BAYVIEW SESSION 3 FINAL JAM

October 26, 2026

DOOR 7PM

Main Featured Artist: Javier Santiago – Piano -

IG: @javiersantiagomusic

Video

Featuring:

• Javier Santiago – Piano
• Michael Isaac Mitchell – Drums
• Kazemde George – Saxophone
• Giulio Xavier Cetto – Bass

Minneapolis-born, Los Angeles-based pianist and composer Javier Santiago brings together jazz, hip-hop, beat-making, composition, and contemporary musical language.

An alumnus of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA and the Brubeck Institute Fellowship Program, Santiago has performed with artists including Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Louis Cole, Alex Isley, Jonathan Kreisberg, Braxton Cook, Kassa Overall, and Yosvany Terry.

For this session, Santiago will be joined by Michael Isaac Mitchell on drums, Kazemde George on saxophone, and Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass for a powerful quartet exploring the intersection of jazz, rhythm, improvisation, and modern production.

BAYVIEW SESSIONS MAIN SHOW

October 24, 2026

DOOR 7PM

Main Giulio Xavier Cetto & Friends

IG: @thejazzthug

Video:1.- https://youtu.be/9PbbHpaVXGk?si=e7D4bSymrZXfKASD2 https://youtu.be/wwv1zzM3xo0?si=6-azeX1sAu3z8Ek2

Headliner: Giulio Xavier Cetto

Featuring an all-star ensemble:

• Javier Santiago – Piano
• Kazemde George – Saxophone
• Michael Isaac Mitchell – Drums
• Kai Lyons – Guitar
• Giulio Xavier Cetto – Bass

The series culminates in a special performance led by Giulio Xavier Cetto, bringing together musicians from across the Bay Area and beyond for an evening built around collaboration, improvisation, and musical exchange.

This final performance brings together the artists and ideas explored throughout the Bayview Sessions, creating a unique live experience where the music can move freely between jazz, Latin and Caribbean influences, hip-hop, funk, and contemporary improvisation.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Javier Santiago

Pianist, composer, producer, beatmaker, arranger, and educator, Javier Santiago is one of the exciting voices in contemporary jazz and beat culture. Based in Los Angeles, he has performed with Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Louis Cole, Kassa Overall, Yosvany Terry, and many other celebrated musicians.

Michael Louis Aaberg

Raised in Oakland, Michael Louis Aaberg is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and educator whose work is deeply influenced by Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Parliament/Funkadelic, and the rich history of Black American music.

Michael Isaac Mitchell

Brooklyn-born and now based in Oakland, drummer Michael Isaac Mitchell began playing professionally at a young age and has developed a career as both a performer and educator. His musical background spans jazz, soul, reggae, and the broader traditions of Black American music.

Kai Lyons

A San Francisco native from the Excelsior District, Kai Lyons is a guitarist whose musical journey has taken him from classical guitar to jazz and extensive international study and performance. His experiences in Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, Ghana, New Orleans, and New York have helped shape his broad musical perspective.

Kazemde George

Kazemde George is an Oakland-based saxophonist, composer, and educator whose work connects jazz and improvisation with Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Brazilian, African-American, and hip-hop traditions.

Giulio Xavier Cetto

Giulio Xavier Cetto is the artist producer, musical director, and curator of the Bayview Sessions. Through this series, he brings together a diverse group of musicians to create a space for collaboration, experimentation, and community-centered live music.

COME EXPERIENCE THE BAYVIEW SESSIONS

The Bayview Sessions is more than a concert series. It is a meeting place for musicians, artists, students, educators, families, and music lovers to experience the power of live jazz and the creative possibilities that emerge when different musical backgrounds come together.

Join us at the Bayview Opera House for an exciting series celebrating jazz, improvisation, cultural connection, and community.

Limited seating available.

Come hear the music.
Come meet the artists.
Come be part of the Bayview Sessions.