Jazz Mafia
Encyclopedia
The Jazz Mafia is a young American musical collective
that incorporates smaller ensembles in a larger family, based in the Mission District of San Francisco, California
, that writes, plays, and arranges Jazz music while incorporating genres such as: electronica, soul, funk, big band
, orchestral-crossover and hip-hop genres. Its founder and leader, trombonist and bass guitarist Adam Theis, participates in at least ten member bands, including Realistic Orchestra, Shotgun Wedding Quintet, Shotgun Wedding Hip-Hop Symphony, Jazz Mafia Horns, Supertaster
, and The Joe Bagale Band.
and Sebastopol, California
. Theis came from a non musical family, yet he began playing trombone in fourth grade after his neighbor introduced him to the instrument. His music teacher Ken Winett turned him on to different genres including jazz, gospel, and Jamaican pre-reggae rhythms. Theis’ passion for jazz changed his junior year of high school. At the time Theis was in a garage band. One day the band was locked out if their practice room and were only left with horn instruments, so they decided to play their band's songs on the horns. That moment changed his perception of Jazz music.
Theis studied jazz composition at Sonoma State University
. His professional career started when he met member from a group called Grand Junction. They asked Theis and his friend to play for their horn section, becoming valuable members to the group and other groups who needed stable and available horn players. In 1998, Theis moved to San Francisco’s Mission District and began founding the San Francisco JAZZ MAFIA which now consists of The Shotgun Wedding Quintet, The Jazz Mafia Symphony, Realistic Orchestra and many more. The first official group under the umbrella of Jazz mafia, Realistic, started when various jazz forces in the Bay Area started to collaborate and jam together. Before organizing the various groups under the Jazz Mafia title, Theis participated in a number of Bay Area
bands including Cannonball, named after Cannonball Adderley. The horn section of the Jazz Mafia started becoming known for backing up such artists as Carlos Santana
, Spearhead
, KRS-1, Zion I
, and Thomas Dolby
.
Theis is the center of Jazz Mafia, playing multiple roles. He is a bassist/trombonist for Jazz Mafia affiliate Shotgun Wedding Quintet which he co-leads with the other 4 members of the quintet, he is the conductor and chief arranger of the 50 piece Jazz Mafia Symphony and leads his own classical/crossover string quartet. He also schedules rehearsals, hustles gigs, and does publicity. One of Theis’ goals was to create a group that centers on the concept of community. Theis knows market for finding gigs is tough, but wants to disband some of the cliquishness of the jazz scene. In 2008, Theis was awarded the prestigious Gerbode-Hewlett Foundation “Emerging Composers” Grant. With the grant secured, Theis was able to schedule The event at the Palace of Fine arts presented by SF Jazz, on April 18th, 2009. Theis composed all new music for a one hour concert featuring a 50 piece version of musicians from the Jazz Mafia.
and J Boogie
, singers Beck, Spearhead, Eric Lindell
and Thomas Dolby
, guitarist Will Bernard
Regular members have included sax/keys player Joe Cohen, vocalist Dublin, drummers Eric Garland and Pat Korte, singers Joe Bagale and Crystal monee Hall and MC's Seneca, Dublin. Aima The Dreamer, Soulati and Infinite
. One writer compared the approach to "what you'd hear if a full-size philharmonic found itself jamming with a classic big band during a street-corner rap battle", and another to Cab Calloway
and his orchestra.
. Their performance that year at the South by Southwest
conference in Austin, Texas
became the basis of a joint album, and was part of the 2000-decade revival of Dolby's live performance career.
In 2008 Theis was commissioned by SFJAZZ (a local jazz organization), under a grant from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
s, to write a symphonic work that would be accessible to a diverse audience. The result, Brass, Bows, and Beats, is an hour-long piece for large brass band, string section, orchestra, turntablist, singers, rappers, and keyboardist. The premier, featuring a 60-piece orchestra at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts
, was sold out and received "ecstatic" reviews. The success of the first performance encouraged the group to continue performing, including 3 sold out performances in August, 2009 at Yoshi's, a large San Francisco Jazz club.
In 2009 the Jazz Mafia played a sold-out tribute to Michael Jackson, also at Yoshi's. The collective has had regular residencies at San Francisco clubs, including Bruno's and Black Cat (both no longer jazz clubs), Coda (where they and bassist Marcus Shelby played opening night)and Yoshi's.
The Jazz Mafia Symphony continued in 2010, performing the "Brass Bows and Beats" symphony at the Playboy, Montreal, Monterey, and Newport Jazz fests- to enthusiastic audiences. In 2011 the ensemble premiered parts of a new work, the "Emperor Norton Suite" (inspired by the life of the eccentric "mascot" of San Francisco during the late 19th century- "Emperor Norton") at the Folsom Three Stages arts center near Sacramento, CA, followed by the full world premier of this work at the Stern Grove festival in June , 2011, to a crowd of 10,000 +, along with bay area based rappers Chali 2na, Lyrics Born, and singer Martin Luther.
Musical collective
Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared. Such entities have transitioned from the traditional hierarchical configuration that features either a frontman , or a plurality of band members in tension for...
that incorporates smaller ensembles in a larger family, based in the Mission District of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, that writes, plays, and arranges Jazz music while incorporating genres such as: electronica, soul, funk, big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
, orchestral-crossover and hip-hop genres. Its founder and leader, trombonist and bass guitarist Adam Theis, participates in at least ten member bands, including Realistic Orchestra, Shotgun Wedding Quintet, Shotgun Wedding Hip-Hop Symphony, Jazz Mafia Horns, Supertaster
Supertaster
A supertaster is a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average. Women are more likely to be supertasters, as are individuals of Asian and African descent. The cause of this heightened response is currently unknown, although it is thought to be, at least in...
, and The Joe Bagale Band.
Adam Theis and History
Adam Theis grew up in Santa Rosa, CaliforniaSanta Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
and Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people...
. Theis came from a non musical family, yet he began playing trombone in fourth grade after his neighbor introduced him to the instrument. His music teacher Ken Winett turned him on to different genres including jazz, gospel, and Jamaican pre-reggae rhythms. Theis’ passion for jazz changed his junior year of high school. At the time Theis was in a garage band. One day the band was locked out if their practice room and were only left with horn instruments, so they decided to play their band's songs on the horns. That moment changed his perception of Jazz music.
Theis studied jazz composition at Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
. His professional career started when he met member from a group called Grand Junction. They asked Theis and his friend to play for their horn section, becoming valuable members to the group and other groups who needed stable and available horn players. In 1998, Theis moved to San Francisco’s Mission District and began founding the San Francisco JAZZ MAFIA which now consists of The Shotgun Wedding Quintet, The Jazz Mafia Symphony, Realistic Orchestra and many more. The first official group under the umbrella of Jazz mafia, Realistic, started when various jazz forces in the Bay Area started to collaborate and jam together. Before organizing the various groups under the Jazz Mafia title, Theis participated in a number of Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
bands including Cannonball, named after Cannonball Adderley. The horn section of the Jazz Mafia started becoming known for backing up such artists as Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, Spearhead
Michael Franti
Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
, KRS-1, Zion I
Zion I
Zion I are a hip hop duo from Oakland, California. The duo consists of producer DJ AmpLive and MC Zumbi. The group is known to its followers for Amp's futuristic production techniques, using a mix of live instrumentation and samples, and Zumbi's positive and socially conscious lyrics. Zion I...
, and Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
.
Theis is the center of Jazz Mafia, playing multiple roles. He is a bassist/trombonist for Jazz Mafia affiliate Shotgun Wedding Quintet which he co-leads with the other 4 members of the quintet, he is the conductor and chief arranger of the 50 piece Jazz Mafia Symphony and leads his own classical/crossover string quartet. He also schedules rehearsals, hustles gigs, and does publicity. One of Theis’ goals was to create a group that centers on the concept of community. Theis knows market for finding gigs is tough, but wants to disband some of the cliquishness of the jazz scene. In 2008, Theis was awarded the prestigious Gerbode-Hewlett Foundation “Emerging Composers” Grant. With the grant secured, Theis was able to schedule The event at the Palace of Fine arts presented by SF Jazz, on April 18th, 2009. Theis composed all new music for a one hour concert featuring a 50 piece version of musicians from the Jazz Mafia.
Members and collaborators
The Jazz Mafia has also collaborated with hip-hop artists DJ Qbert, Zion I, The Grouch, Ledesi, Chief Xcel, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Baby Jaymes, Kid Koala, DJ Logic, EPMD, Digital Underground and Shock G Lyrics BornLyrics Born
Lyrics Born , is a Japanese American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and voice over announcer. He is also one half of the group Latyrx with Lateef the Truthspeaker.-History:...
and J Boogie
J Boogie
Justin "J-Boogie" Boland is an American DJ/producer from San Francisco, California. He was born in September 1973. He is signed to the Om Records label, and has 2 full length Album's as well as several mix cd's. He has also been featured on several compilations such as Mushroom Jazz and the OM...
, singers Beck, Spearhead, Eric Lindell
Eric Lindell
Eric Lindell is an American singer-songwriter, born in San Mateo, California, who came to national prominence after relocating to New Orleans. His recording career began in 1996 as a local/regional New Orleans-based artist. Beginning in 2006, when he was picked up by Alligator Records, he has...
and Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
, guitarist Will Bernard
Will Bernard
Will Bernard is a guitarist and band leader from the San Francisco Bay Area, now living in Brooklyn, New York. He has led the Will Bernard Band, Will Bernard Trio, Will Bernard 4-tet, and Motherbug....
Regular members have included sax/keys player Joe Cohen, vocalist Dublin, drummers Eric Garland and Pat Korte, singers Joe Bagale and Crystal monee Hall and MC's Seneca, Dublin. Aima The Dreamer, Soulati and Infinite
Sound
The various groups' sound has been compared with David AxelrodDavid Axelrod
David Axelrod may refer to:* David Axelrod * David Axelrod , Senior Advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama* David B. Axelrod , poet and educator...
. One writer compared the approach to "what you'd hear if a full-size philharmonic found itself jamming with a classic big band during a street-corner rap battle", and another to Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
and his orchestra.
Notable events and compositions
In 2007 the Jazz Mafia Horns went on a nationwide tour with 1980s new wave musician Thomas DolbyThomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
. Their performance that year at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
conference in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
became the basis of a joint album, and was part of the 2000-decade revival of Dolby's live performance career.
In 2008 Theis was commissioned by SFJAZZ (a local jazz organization), under a grant from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a private foundation, established by Hewlett-Packard cofounder William Reddington Hewlett and his wife Flora Lamson Hewlett in 1967. The Hewlett Foundation awards grants to support educational and cultural institutions and to advance certain social and...
s, to write a symphonic work that would be accessible to a diverse audience. The result, Brass, Bows, and Beats, is an hour-long piece for large brass band, string section, orchestra, turntablist, singers, rappers, and keyboardist. The premier, featuring a 60-piece orchestra at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, is a monumental structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in order to exhibit works of art presented there. One of only a few surviving structures from the Exposition, it is the only one still...
, was sold out and received "ecstatic" reviews. The success of the first performance encouraged the group to continue performing, including 3 sold out performances in August, 2009 at Yoshi's, a large San Francisco Jazz club.
In 2009 the Jazz Mafia played a sold-out tribute to Michael Jackson, also at Yoshi's. The collective has had regular residencies at San Francisco clubs, including Bruno's and Black Cat (both no longer jazz clubs), Coda (where they and bassist Marcus Shelby played opening night)and Yoshi's.
The Jazz Mafia Symphony continued in 2010, performing the "Brass Bows and Beats" symphony at the Playboy, Montreal, Monterey, and Newport Jazz fests- to enthusiastic audiences. In 2011 the ensemble premiered parts of a new work, the "Emperor Norton Suite" (inspired by the life of the eccentric "mascot" of San Francisco during the late 19th century- "Emperor Norton") at the Folsom Three Stages arts center near Sacramento, CA, followed by the full world premier of this work at the Stern Grove festival in June , 2011, to a crowd of 10,000 +, along with bay area based rappers Chali 2na, Lyrics Born, and singer Martin Luther.
External links
- jazzmafia.com - official site
- official Myspace site
- official facebook site