Born and raised in Oakland, California, saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee embodies a striking mix of sounds deriving from improvised, vocal, blues, and jazz traditions. He is a graduate of The New School's Jazz and Contemporary Music program, where he studied with luminaries such as Melissa Aldana, Darius Jones, Tivon Pennicott, David Glasser, Or Bareket, Jon Irabagon, Anat Cohen, Joshua Rubin, and Ismail Lumaneovsky. In Oakland, Nathan has taught at Oakland Summer Music, Oakland Public Conservatory, and his alma mater Claremont Middle School, providing music education at no cost to middle schoolers.

As a performer, Nathan has appeared alongside generational artists such as Billy Martin, Faye Carol, Azure McCall, William Parker, Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson, and Mali Obomsawin. He has performed internationally in Tokyo, and the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland, in the Bay Area at Yoshi's Oakland, and The Soundroom, and NYC at Dizzy’s Jazz Club, The Stone, and Le Poisson Rouge. A big supporter of community organizing, Nathan hosts eclectic house shows, and continues to compose, improvise, and perform in New York City and the Bay Area.

Henry Plotnick is a San Francisco-born, Brooklyn-based pianist active in a wide range of styles including jazz, rock, country and improvised music. His recorded output ranges from minimalist and experimental music created at age 12 (Fields, 2013), to intricately arranged modern jazz conceived a decade later. (Tributaries, 2025).

Since moving to New York in 2019, he has developed an active gigging schedule performing everywhere from jazz hotspots (Dizzy’s Club, Close Up) to country bars (Skinny Dennis, Lucinda’s, the Jalopy) to experimental venues (The Stone, Ibeam) and New York institutions including Carnegie Hall and The Tonight Show.

He performs with an uncompromising expressivity and energy, incorporating his love of the blues, world music, early jazz, and free improvisation. Henry is also an educator, conveying the same passion for music in piano and songwriting lessons at all age levels, and as the piano instructor at Uncommon Prep High School in Canarsie.

Tickets are $20 general admission. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.

Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

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Please refrain from using your phone during performances, and if you use your camera or video, please disable the flash.

Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.

Thank you for your support!

Contact the host of Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee and Henry Plotnick Duo

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