Jeff Bordes & Friends: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong
A Tribute to Louis Armstrong featuring Jackie Gage
Led by Jeff Bordes
A Tribute to Louis Armstrong featuring Jackie Gage is a joyful, soulful celebration of one of America’s most beloved musical icons. Led by acclaimed Bay Area trumpeter and bandleader Jeff Bordes, the show honors Armstrong’s timeless influence through New Orleans swing, early jazz, blues, ballads, and the unmistakable spirit of joy that made Louis Armstrong a global legend.
Rather than attempting to imitate Armstrong, Bordes and his ensemble bring fresh life to the music, celebrating the songs, feeling, humor, and humanity that defined Satchmo’s legacy. Featuring the velvet-toned vocals of international recording artist Jackie Gage, the evening blends beloved Armstrong classics, rich improvisation, warm storytelling, and the uplifting energy of a world-class jazz ensemble.
Jeff Bordes is a seasoned trumpeter, composer, bandleader, educator, and recording artist with a wide-ranging career across jazz, funk, Latin, rock, soul, and contemporary music. Over the course of his career, he has performed live or recorded with an extraordinary range of artists, including Jon Faddis, Branford Marsalis, Alex Acuña, Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, Richie Cole, David Garibaldi, Tom Petty, Steve Earle, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Karl Denson, Sugarhill Gang, Dana Carvey, and John Mellencamp. He has toured throughout the United States and Japan with a variety of ensembles and has recorded with numerous groups across multiple genres.
Known for his soulful tone, adventurous improvisation, and deep musical versatility, Bordes brings both reverence and personal fire to this celebration of Armstrong’s music. His approach honors the heart of Louis Armstrong’s sound - warmth, swing, melody, humor, and humanity - while allowing the music to breathe in a fresh, contemporary way.
Jackie Gage is an international recording artist whose velvety voice and uplifting presence have captivated audiences across jazz clubs, concert halls, festivals, and intimate listening rooms around the world. Blending jazz, folk, soul, and R&B, Gage’s music carries a warmth and emotional clarity that feels both timeless and deeply personal. She has performed with artists including Marc Cary, Kim Nalley, Richie Goods, Theo Croker, Jerome Jennings, and Niall Connelly, and has opened for celebrated acts such as Darlene Love, Digable Planets, Eric Benét, Tony! Toni! Toné!, The Brand New Heavies, Angie Stone, and Marsha Ambrosius.
A San Jose native, Gage grew up surrounded by a rich musical landscape, from gospel and soul to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duets. Her career has taken her from Bay Area stages including Yoshi’s, The Sound Room, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Fillmore Jazz Festival, Freight & Salvage, and Bach Dancing & Dynamite, to New York venues such as Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, The Bitter End, Minton’s, BB King’s, Harlem Stage, and Lincoln Center Atrium. Her international performances include tours in Russia and Ukraine, and she has become known for creating a sparkling, peaceful, and deeply uplifting atmosphere wherever she performs.
Together, Jeff Bordes and Jackie Gage bring a fresh, heartfelt, and highly musical approach to the Armstrong songbook. With trumpet, voice, rhythm, swing, and soul at the center, A Tribute to Louis Armstrong is not a museum piece — it is a living celebration of joy, resilience, connection, and the enduring power of American jazz.