Last seen on the Freight stage leading her inventive ensemble,Clarinet Thing, Beth Custer returns to wow us with an evening of original jazz/funk/Latin/rock fusion. A group of virtuosos that meld Beth's vision of the whole world as a musical style, her Bay Area-based ensemble includes long-time collaborator Jan Jackson on drums (Will Bernard's Motherbug), guitarist David James (Sila, Spearhead), iconic pianist Graham Connah, and bassist Mark Calderon (The Meters, Roots).

Culling from Beth's richly varied repertoire, the ensemble integrates pieces from her soundtracks for Melinda Stone's documentary, A Trip Down Market Street, and silent films My Grandmother and A Glimpse of Soviet Science, as well as gems from her past projects including trip-hop influenced Eighty Mile Beach and the Latin-jazz-rock influenced Dona Luz 30 Besos. The ensemble also spotlights tunes from their recent CD, Respect as a Religion.

San Franciscan Beth is well known across a wide spectrum of local scenes for her cutting edge work with adventurous groups like Club Foot Orchestra and Trance Mission, not to mention her award-winning dance and theater compositions.