The SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star jazz ensemble comprising eight of the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today. Launched in 2004 by SFJAZZ--the West Coast’s largest non-profit jazz institution and the presenter of the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival--with invaluable start-up funding from the James Irvine Foundation, the Collective has quickly become one of the most exciting and acclaimed groups on the American and international jazz scenes. As The New York Times hailed the Collective upon its debut: “A serious jazz band rises in San Francisco.”
In addition to its outstanding line-up, the SFJAZZ Collective has been praised for its innovative approach to repertoire. Each year, the ensemble performs an entirely new list of works, consisting of compositions by a modern jazz master (in new octet arrangements by Grammy-winner Gil Goldstein) and one new piece by each of the eight Collective members (commissioned by SFJAZZ). Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring jazz’s recent history while championing the music’s up-to-the-minute directions, the Collective embodies SFJAZZ’s organizational commitment to jazz as a living, ever-changing, and ever-relevant art form.
The SFJAZZ Collective also stands out among all-star ensembles for the cohesion among its members, including renowned saxophonist and Artistic Director Joshua Redman and vibes legend Bobby Hutcherson. As Redman explains: “This is why we chose the name ‘Collective.’ Beyond each member’s individual credentials as a world-class instrumentalist, composer, and band leader, I believe everyone shares the essential values of spontaneity, flexibility, and empathy, along with a firm commitment to an integrated group sound.”
To cultivate its distinctive sound, the SFJAZZ Collective convenes in San Francisco each spring for a three-week residency. Throughout this extended rehearsal period--a rarity in today’s jazz--the octet workshops the season’s new repertoire and interacts with the Bay Area community through SFJAZZ’s education programs for youth and adults. The Collective then takes to the performance stage, including home season concerts under the auspices of the SFJAZZ Spring Season and a national and international tour, with stops in a number of the world’s most prominent concert halls.
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