Scott Amendola: drums/percussion/electronics

Putting together 3 creative forces to one end goal: dig deep, jump in the pocket, be creative, invite the audience in, and have a blast doing it. There’s a long history of saxophone bass, and drum trios. We carry that torch with the idea of bringing our vibe to the concept. From our own compositions with a lot of improv, to groove to free playing, to some interesting cover songs, and everything in between. Hold on to your hat! It’s going to be a fun ride.

For Scott Amendola, the drum kit isn’t so much an instrument as a musical portal. As an ambitious composer, savvy bandleader, electronics explorer, first-call accompanist and capaciously creative foil for some of the world’s most inventive musicians, Amendola applies his wide-ranging rhythmic virtuosity to a vast array of settings. His closest musical associates include guitarists Charlie Hunter, Nels Cline, and Jeff Parker, Hammond B-3 organist Wil Blades, violinist Jenny Scheinman, saxophonist Phillip Greenlief, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassists Trevor Dunn, and Todd Sickafoose, players who have each forged a singular path within and beyond the realm of jazz. As a sideman, Amendola has performed and recorded with a vast, stylistically varied roster of artists, including Bill Frisell, Regina Carter, Pat Metheny, John Zorn, Mike Patton, Mondo Cane, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Laurie Anderson, Cibo Matto, David Torn, Michael Manring, Deerhoof’s John Dieterich, Wadada Leo Smith, Bruce Cockburn, Madeleine Peyroux, Cris Williamson, Joan Osborne, Jacky Terrasson, Shweta Jhaveri, Phil Lesh, Sex Mob, Kelly Joe Phelps, Larry Klein, Johnny Griffin, Julian Priester, Pat Martino, and many others.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Amendola has forged deep ties across the country, and throughout the world. As an ambitious composer, savvy bandleader, electronics explorer, first-call accompanist, and capaciously creative foil for some of the world’s most inventive musicians, Amendola applies his wide-ranging rhythmic virtuosity to a vast array of settings.

Kasey Knudsen is a San Francisco-based saxophonist, composer & educator. She has been dubbed "one of the region's most esteemed saxophonists," (Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Classical Voice, 2018) and has "quietly become one of the essential voices in the Bay Area jazz scene" (Andrew Gilbert, East Bay Express, 2014). Knudsen was included in a list of "10 Female Instrumentalists Who Redefine Jazz" by Alexa Peters of Paste Magazine (2016) and voted "One of the Best Female Jazz Musicians in the East Bay" (CBS SF Local Bay Area, 2013).

In addition to leading a number of her own projects, as a co-leader, she is involved in several groups, including the Schimscheimer Family Trio, the Holly Martins, and the Klaxon Mutant Allstars. Knudsen collaborates frequently with many of the most unique musical voices in the Bay Area, including multiple performances across the US and Europe with Tune-Yards, Fred Frith and the Gravity Band, the Charlie Hunter Quartet, Erik Jekabson, the Ian Carey Quintet + 1, Ben Goldberg, Beth Schenck, and many more.

Mat Muntz is a bassist, composer, and bagpiper whose work fuses jazz improvisation, microtonality, and non-Western instrumentation into a dynamic, experimental sound. Known for creating music that balances intensity with emotional depth, his compositions have been praised by The Wire as “rare and rewarding... possessing a strangeness which is positively thrilling,” and The Guardian for their “wild, distorted energy.”

Mat has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Blue Note Beijing, and the Umbria Jazz Festival, while his compositional portfolio spans collaborations with cutting-edge ensembles like Yarn/Wire, Del Sol Quartet, and Wet Ink. He is also a co-leader of The Vex Collection, an experimental ensemble blending cross-cultural sounds with avant-garde techniques and newly invented instruments. Mat's debut album, Phantom Islands (2023), was nominated for a 2024 German Jazz Prize for International Debut Album.

Mat’s work has earned him awards from The Shed, Brooklyn Arts Council, and NYSCA, and in 2022 he was selected for the International Gugak Workshop in Seoul, furthering his engagement with global music traditions. He holds a BM in Jazz Bass Performance from Manhattan School of Music (2016) and an MA in Music Composition from UC Berkeley (2024).

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. 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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Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.