One of the most influential and distinctive figures on the jazz scene since his late '60s and early '70s contributions to a variety of CTI and Groove Merchant albums by the likes of George Benson and Lonnie Smith, Joe Lovano came into his own as a leader starting in the 1980s. With his recordings consistently topping critics' year-end "Best of" lists, Lovano (along with the late Michael Brecker) rose to prominence during the 1990s to become among the most in-demand tenor players in jazz.

Since 2009, Lovano’s main vehicle for his exploration has been Us Five, a dynamic band featuring a number of young collaborators. Their most recent release - Bird Songs— Lovano's 22nd album for Blue Note Records (the release of which marked his 20th year on the label) is an exploration of the Charlie Parker songbook that breaks the mold of Bird tribute records.The group features James Weidman on piano, celebrated bass virtuoso Esperanza Spalding and dueling drummers Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela. The group holds forth for three nights through Saturday at Yoshi's Oakland location.

Joe Lovano and Us Five
Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 24-26, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $20-$25
Yoshi's Oakland