ONE OF THE BEST THINGS about writing this column is that I get to give some much-needed ink to some of the nicest men and women in the local music community. Bay Area jazz musicians tend to be exceptionally polite, warmhearted and friendly.

Maybe that's just the way they are with me, since I'm a guy who can give them press. I prefer, however, to think that they are equally nice to everyone — and anybody who has read my reviews knows I'm no Pollyanna.

Terrence Brewer has always come across like a swell guy whenever we've met or corresponded. So it didn't come as a surprise when I heard that he was set to do something nice for locals. The jazz guitarist will be the first artist to take the stage during the new "Concerts for the Community" series at Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Oakland.

The concert, set for Sunday afternoon, is open to the public and it's technically free of charge. The hope is that jazz fans will turn out and make monetary donations, which will then go directly to Glenview and Edna Brewer public schools in Oakland.

"If I can use my passion for music to help further Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church's efforts to benefit the community, especially the schools, I'm happy to do it," Brewer says.

Now, I shouldn't have to list too many selling points for this concert. The obvious one, getting to hear tunes while helping out Oakland public schools in the process, should

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be more than enough. I will add that Brewer, besides being a nice guy, is a tremendously talented player. For this set, he'll likely be performing from his recently released third album, "QuintEssential," which has gotten great reviews.

Showtime is 2 p.m. The church is at 4101 Park Blvd. in Oakland. Contact 510-530-5311 or www.pbpc.org. For more information on the featured artist, check out www.terrencebrewer.com.

The Shorter list: Wayne Shorter's show last month at the Nob Hill Masonic served as a wonderful reminder of the saxophonist/composer's contribution to American music. I sometimes forget to include him when I talk about the greatest living jazz musicians (guys like Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins), but he certainly deserves to be in that discussion.

If you missed that Masonic show, or if you want another dose of the legend's music, think about attending the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars concert on June 1 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. This "audition-only" ensemble, featuring some of the Bay Area's brightest young talents, will be performing arrangements of Shorter compositions and will be joined by SFJAZZ Collective alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon.

Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets are $10-$15. The Herbst is at 401 Van Ness Ave. Contact 866-920-JAZZ or www.sfjazz.org.

Hear the "Jazz Professor": Bill Bell's first gig in the East Bay was as a teacher at Elmhurst Junior High School, where he worked from 1963 to 1968. The Illinois native, who toured as the musical director with vocalist Carmen McRae, then moved over to the College of Alameda in 1970 and became the chair of its music department.

He "retired" in 2001, but has kept quite busy over the years. He's been an adjunct professor at both Stanford and UC Berkeley, as well as the founder and director of the Oakland Bay Area Community Chorus. He also maintains a healthy schedule recording and performing as a jazz pianist.

Bell, who's known around these parts as the "Jazz Professor," will give a talk on June 2 as part of the Brown Bag Speakers Forum at the Albany Library. For this program, Bell will trace the origins of African-American music from spirituals to jazz to contemporary pop.

The talk is scheduled for 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Admission is free. It will be held in the Edith Stone Room at the library, which is at 1247 Marin Ave. For more information, call Julie Winkelstein at 510-526-3720, Ext. 17.

sonoma jazz . . . And there's wine, too: Just moments ago, I got off the phone with Herbie Hancock. He's excited about his performance next week at the Sonoma Jazz + festival. I'm also excited: The event is one of the best festivals in Northern California. Since I already previewed the fest in a recent column, consider this just a reminder: You don't want to miss Sonoma Jazz. The fourth annual event kicks off Thursday and runs through May 25 in downtown Sonoma. In addition to Hancock, the lineup features such stellar talents as Al Green, Diana Krall and Bonnie Raitt. For more, contact 866-527-8499 or www.sonomajazz.org.

And the Grammy goes to "... : I've just finished listening to the record that will win the 2009 Grammy for best jazz album. That's a bold prediction, I know, especially since the nominations won't even be made for another six months or so. Yet I understand what the Grammy voters look for in an album.

They like cross-genre musical efforts and collaborations between proven winners. This future Grammy-winner has both. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the album is sensational from start to finish.

Thus, I'm going on record now that Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis' "Two Men With the Blues" will take home Grammy gold come February. The album doesn't hit stores until July 8, but when it does it's going to knock the socks off fans of both artists.

The country star and the jazz giant mesh incredibly well on this disc, serving up vastly entertaining versions of such Willie staples as "Georgia on My Mind" and "Night Life."

While I'm in the mood to forecast the future, I can also state with much confidence that my Oakland A's will win their fifth World Series championship. Unfortunately, I just can't tell you when.

Reach Jim Harrington at jharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com. Read his Concert Blog at www.ibabuzz.com/concerts.