Jazz Articles

SFJAZZ Collective: Live: SFJAZZ Center 2016 - Music of Miles Davis & Original Compositions

by John Kelman
June 13, 2017

In the thirteen years since the SFJAZZ Collective first came together in February 2004, this revolving door octet (septet, in 2009) of “cream of the crop" US-based jazz musicians has, most years, followed a consistent modus operandi: select a well-known jazz (and, in two cases, beyond jazz) musician and pay tribute through innovative arrangements of his/her music, alongside a set of new original compositions--in almost every case, one each contributed by every member of the Collective. In the ...

SFJAZZ Collective: Live SFJAZZ Center 2013 - The Music of Chick Corea & New Compositions

by John Kelman
January 1, 2014

Some things change, some things stay the same. After two successive recordings and tours with an identical lineup--a first in its now 10-year history--the SFJAZZ Collective once again undergoes some minor personnel shifts. More important, however, is that Live SFJAZZ Center 2013: The Music of Chick Corea & New Compositions comes a full two years after Live in New York Season 8--Music of Stevie Wonder (SFJAZZ, 2011), the first time that the collective has not devoted itself to the music ...

SFJAZZ Collective: Live in New York Season 8 - Music of Stevie Wonder

by John Kelman
September 7, 2011

SFJAZZ Collective Live in New York Season 8: Music of Stevie Wonder SFJAZZ 2011 One old adage says, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But another says, “Change is good." For the first time in its eight touring seasons, the SFJAZZ Collective has found a way to manage both. This is the first time that the lineup has remained constant from one year to the next, with the 2011 incarnation identical to ...

SFJAZZ Collective: Live 2010: 7th Annual Concert Tour

by John Kelman
January 3, 2011

Despite a format that's become, by definition, formulaic, the SFJAZZ Collective has managed to defy weary predictability, releasing a new collection, each and every year, which pays a most modern tribute to another of jazz's most iconic figures. Every year since 2004, the Collective's members each select music from the chosen artist's discography, creating arrangements with both respect and a healthy dose of irreverence, in addition to contributing a new piece of original music intended to somehow fit within the ...

SFJAZZ Collective: Live 2009

by John Ferrell
December 26, 2009

From its formation in 2004, SFJAZZ Collective has demonstrated a unique ability to showcase individual talent while simultaneously maintaining a unified ensemble sound. Live 2009 is a magnificent representation of this delicate balance. The Collective's 2009 tour featured compositions by pianist McCoy Tyner arranged by members of the collective, and one original composition by each player.

The arrangements portray the diverse styles and musical backgrounds of the Collective's members, while keeping the spirit of the original recordings. Pianist Renee Rosnes' ...

SFJAZZ Colective: Live 2008: 5th Annual Concert Tour

by Joel Roberts
March 19, 2009

Each year since 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective has brought together eight of the top names in jazz (including, in its latest lineup, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Stefon Harris and Miguel Zenon) to focus on the work of a single modern jazz giant. Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock were featured in past years and in 2008 the spotlight was on the music of Wayne Shorter--an inspired, if obvious, choice, given Shorter's profound influence on today's jazz scene ...

SFJazz Collective: Live 2008: 5th Annual Concert Tour

by J Hunter
October 17, 2008

SFJazz Collective is not unfamiliar with personnel turnover. Since the octet's debut in 2004, there has been at least one lineup change every year. This season, though, saw three new arrivals--the most notable being Joe Lovano, who succeeds Joshua Redman as Artistic Director. When you factor in Dave Douglas' addition in 2007, that means half the band (and most of the front line) was switched out in just over a year. As such, Live 2008 could be forgiven ...

SFJazz Collective: Live 2007: 4th Annual Concert Tour

by J Hunter
October 1, 2007

After releasing the outstanding double-disc Live 2006: 3rd Annual Concert Tour (SFJazz Records, 2006), the SFJazz Collective could have pulled up their laurels and rested for a spell. Instead, the eight-piece super-band has punched out Live 2007: 4th Annual Concert Tour, another two-disc set that is a fine portrait of a group ably navigating transition.

Thelonious Monk gets the star treatment that Herbie Hancock received on 2006, with three significant differences.

First, while Hancock shared Miles Davis' exploratory ...