SFJAZZ Collective
Encyclopedia
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
ensemble comprising eight performer/composers. Launched in 2004 by SFJAZZ , a West Coast non-profit jazz institution and the presenter of the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival
San Francisco Jazz Festival
Debuting in 1983, the San Francisco Jazz Festival is an annual three-week celebration of today's best music, with over 30 concerts. Produced by SFJAZZ, a non-profit organization dedicated to jazz and jazz education...
, with funding from the James Irvine Foundation
James Irvine Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation is a philanthropic nonprofit organization established to benefit the people of California. It seeks to promote social equity and enrich the cultural and civic life of America’s most populous state through its grants in three areas: the arts, youth and education, and...
, the Collective was critically acclaimed by The New York Times on its debut: “A serious jazz band rises in San Francisco.”
Collective activities
The SFJAZZ Collective performs a new repertoire each year, one that balances the works of a great modern jazz composer from the post-1960 era and eight new compositions (commissioned by SFJAZZ), one from each band member. To date, the composers of focus have been Ornette ColemanOrnette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
(2004), John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
(2005), Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
(2006), Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
(2007), Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
(2008), McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
(2009), and Horace Silver
Horace Silver
Horace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
(2010). In an interesting departure from what is considered the "standard" jazz canon, the chosen composer for the 2011 season is Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
The SFJAZZ Collective convenes in San Francisco each spring for a three-week residency. Throughout this rehearsal period the octet workshops the season’s new repertoire and interacts with the Bay Area community through SFJAZZ’s education programs for youth and adults.
Following each year’s season, SFJAZZ Records releases a limited-edition CD set.
Members
The current lineup for 2010 is as follows:- Mark TurnerMark Turner (musician)Mark Turner is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist with several recordings to his credit.-Biographical information:Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in Southern California, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto...
: Tenor Saxophone - Avishai CohenAvishai Cohen (trumpeter)Avishai Cohen Is a New York City based Jazz musician originally from Tel Aviv, Israel.Cohen is an internationally recognized influential jazz trumpet player, composer, and bandleader. His playing style reflects a heavy influence from the Bebop and Post-bop traditions. However elements of...
: Trumpet - Stefon HarrisStefon HarrisStefon Harris is an American jazz vibraphonist. In 1999, the Los Angeles Times called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz" who is "at the forefront of new New York music" and "much in demand as a star sideman"...
: Vibraphone/Marimba - Miguel ZenónMiguel ZenonMiguel Zenón is an alto saxophonist, composer and bandleader.-Biography:Miguel Zenón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While studying at the Escuela Libre de Musica in San Juan, he won a scholarship to the “Berklee in Puerto Rico” program of the Berklee College of Music and a scholarship to...
: Alto Saxophone/Flute - Robin EubanksRobin EubanksRobin Eubanks is an American jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks.-Biography:...
: Trombone - Edward Simon: Piano
- Matt Penman: Bass
- Eric HarlandEric HarlandEric Harland is an American jazz drummer.Besides leading his own group Harland has performed with many renowned artists, including Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Ravi Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, Dave Holland, Charles Lloyd, Michael Brecker, Terence Blanchard, Walter Smith...
: Drums
Previous members
(list may be incomplete)- Joshua RedmanJoshua RedmanJoshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...
: Tenor Saxophone (2004–2007: Artistic Director) - Andre Hayward: Trombone (2004–2007)
- Bobby HutchersonBobby HutchersonBobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern...
: Vibraphone/Marimba (2004–2007) - Nicholas PaytonNicholas PaytonNicholas Payton is a jazz trumpet player from New Orleans, Louisiana.-Biography:The son of bassist and sousaphonist Walter Payton, he took up the trumpet at the age of four and by the time he was nine he was playing in the Young Tuxedo Brass Band alongside his father...
: Trumpet (2004–2006) - Josh RosemanJosh RosemanJosh Roseman is an American jazz trombonist.Roseman was born in Boston, and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. Roseman toured Jamaica with The Skatalites and in Australia with the Christopher Hale Ensemble...
: Trombone (2004) - Isaac SmithIsaac Smith-People:* Isaac Smith , Royal Navy officer and the first European to set foot in eastern Australia* Isaac Smith , United States Representative from New Jersey...
: Trombone (2004–2005) - Robert HurstRobert Hurst (musician)Robert Hurst is an American jazz bassist.Hurst played guitar early in his career before concentrating on bass. He worked with Out of the Blue in 1985 and also did work with musicians such as Tony Williams, Mulgrew Miller, Harry Connick Jr., Geri Allen, Russell Malone, and Steve Coleman...
: Bass (2004) - Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
: Drums (2004) - Renee RosnesRenee RosnesIrene Louise Rosnes , professionally known as Renee Rosnes , is a pianist, composer and arranger in the hard bop and post-bop mediums.-Biography:...
: Piano (2004–2009) - Joe LovanoJoe LovanoJoseph Salvatore "Joe" Lovano is a post bop jazz saxophonist, alto clarinetist, flautist, and drummer. Since the late 1980s, Lovano has been one of the world's premiere tenor saxophone players, earning a Grammy award and several nods on Down Beat magazine's critics' and readers' polls...
: Tenor Saxophone (2008–2009) - Dave DouglasDave Douglas (trumpeter)Dave Douglas is an American jazz trumpeter and composer whose music derives from many non-jazz musical styles, including classical music, folk music from European countries and Klezmer. He has been a member of the experimental big band Orange Then Blue...
: Trumpet (2007–2009) - Gil GoldsteinGil GoldsteinGil Goldstein is American jazz pianist and synthesizer player who started on the accordion.He began studying accordion at age 5, but later moved on to cello and piano. He studied at the Berklee College of Music and by 1973 was working with Pat Martino, Lee Konitz, and others. He started with the...
: Arranger: Original compositions (2004–2006)