Given the extraordinary talent assembled in the SFJAZZ Collective—eight of the most accomplished and acclaimed performer/composers in jazz today—it is tempting, on first glance, to think of this ensemble as an “all-star band,” pure and simple. But as the “Collective” portion of the group’s name suggests, these exceptional artists have come together in pursuit of a larger purpose—namely, the celebration of jazz not only as a great art form, but as a constantly evolving, ever-relevant, quintessentially modern art form. In
The New York Times’ emphatic words: “Modernity is the mantra of the SFJAZZ Collective.” ...
read full bioMark Turner, Saxophones
Miguel Zenón, Alto saxophone, flute
Avishai Cohen, Trumpet
Robin Eubanks, Trombone
Stefon Harris, Vibes & marimba
Edward Simon, Piano
Matt Penman, Bass
Eric Harland, Drums
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 nonprofit jazz institution and the presenter of the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival—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 compositions by a modern jazz master and new pieces by the 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-relevant art form.
To cultivate its distinctive sound, the SFJAZZ Collective convenes in San Francisco each spring for a multi-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.
After exploring the work of Ornette Coleman (2004), John Coltrane (2005), Herbie Hancock (2006), Thelonious Monk (2007), Wayne Shorter (2008), McCoy Tyner (2009) and Horace Silver (2010), the Collective takes on the material of pop music icon Stevie Wonder for its 2011-2012 tour. While Wonder represents a departure from each of the previous tributes to jazz giants, his songs have had a profound impact on musicians of every stripe and our culture overall.
Their latest release, Live in New York 2011-Season 8, was recorded at The Jazz Standard in New York City across a five-night run. It is the definitive document of the Collective’s 2011 repertoire, including fresh arrangements of Stevie Wonder classics and original compositions by group members.
Last updated September 2011. Contact Opus 3 Artists for the most up-to-date version.
