Performance Tribute to Jazz Legend Mark Izu

Musicians, spoken word artists, and dancers from across the US and abroad will gather for a tribute performance celebrating the life and legacy of jazz innovator Mark Izu, a founding father of Asian American Jazz. This multidisciplinary event presents a powerful afternoon of Japanese/Japanese American Jazz, evocative storytelling, puppetry, and dance. The performance features artists from New York, Los Angeles, Fukushima and the Bay.

Created and conceived by Brenda Wong Aoki, Mark Izu's wife and creative partner for nearly 50 years, and produced by First Voice, the non-profit the two co-founded, this special performance is a heartfelt remembrance by Mark's cherished friends and colleagues, a love song to San Francisco, and a rare convergence of master artists, offering an uplifting chance to witness this deeply personal commemoration of the artist, who died January 12, 2025, and leaves an indelible legacy.

"Our life's work, Mark's and mine, is to uncover the Light," says Brenda Wong Aoki. "We believe everyone possesses this Light, even when it gets covered with the dust of life. This tribute, a gathering of hearts and voices in San Francisco, honors Mark and seeks to wash away the dirt, the darkness - so our collective Light shines and grows. Even as I mourn my husband, I know many of us mourn what is happening to our own loved ones in these dark times. I want everyone to gather and remember -We have each other."

Category: Arts | Performing Arts | Music