When: Friday, April 1
Where: Healdsburg Center for the Arts, 130 Plaza St.
Time: Two sets, 7:30 and 9:00 pm

April 1 is usually a day to approach with some vigilance – practical jokes and pranks prevail. But that Friday night in Healdsburg, at 7 pm in the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, a no-foolin’ great night of jazz awaits at the second of three “Jazz in the Gallery” benefit concerts for the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.

Headlining will be Babatunde Lea, the popular percussionist who is familiar to many in town from his work with Operation Jazz Band in bringing jazz education to area schools. With him will be a truly exceptional group of jazz musicians, including Azar Lawrence on saxophones, Angela Wellman on trombone, Rhonda Benin on vocals, with keyboardist Frank Martin and Gary Brown on bass rounding out the combo.

The first of the “jazz in the gallery” benefits, held Feb. 23, was a memorable and successful evening at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts (HCA) gallery at 130 Plaza St.  Mario Guarneri brought two quartets to town for some sophisticated musical exploration. These concerts are co-presented by the HCA and the HJF, to raise money for the Festival’s operating expenses and education programs. The HCA is a non-profit community art center which hosts art exhibits, art classes, and supports art education in area schools.

Babatunde’s charismatic style breaks the boundaries of percussion with every performance. The pan-national percussionist has played with everyone from Pharaoh Sanders, as well as Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Van Morrison, Oscar Brown, Jr., and a host of other jazz luminaries. His most recent CD is “Umbo Weti,” a tribute to composer and vocalist Leon Thomas.

Saxophonist Azar Lawrence has played several times in Healdsburg, and is noted for his association with bands fronted by Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and McCoy Tyner — Lawrence was Tyner’s pick to succeed John Coltrane following the latter’s death in 1968. Seeing a musician the stature of Azar Lawrence in the intimate setting of the café-style Healdsburg Center for the Arts is sure to be a memorable experience.

Vocalist Rhonda Benin is an unforgettable stage presence, whose performance in the 2010 Operation Jazz Band concert at the Raven made hundreds of kids scream “I love jazz!” Trombonist Angela Wellman is another recurring presence in Operation Jazz Band, with her roots in Kansas City and her current energies spent in Oakland.

Tickets are sold out for this show. Wine and dessert snacks will be available. The Healdsburg Center for the Arts gallery holds only about 70 people for these concerts, so jazz lovers are advised to make your plans and get your tickets soon.