SFJAZZ presents SFJAZZ Collective
Robert M. Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA
3:00 PM, Sunday, October 27, 2024

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[3:00 PM] {lights down, introductory video}
[3:02 PM] {performers out}
[3:02 PM] {CP introduces the members of the collective, then talks about the artwork that inspired his composition; CP starts on tenor saxophone}

Chris Johanson: Unknow Know With What Is #8 (2021)

1. [3:07 PM] Unknow Know With What Is (Chris Potter)
   [3:17 PM] {Greetings from MR; MR story about his new tune}
   
2. [3:20 PM] Walking in Rainbow Rain (Mike Rodriguez)
   [3:30 PM] {ES says hello‚ then tells us about the first of his two tunes; CP swaps to bass clarinet}
   
3. [3:33 PM] Guardian of the Oceans (Edward Simon) » {CP swaps from bass clarinet to soprano saxophone for the conclusion of the piece} [3:40 PM] {WW lauds ES‚ then introduces his piece; CP swaps back to tenor saxophone; ES swaps from piano to Nord keyboard for this piece; DS swaps from tenor saxophone to congas}
   
4. [3:42 PM] My Father's FBI Files (Warren Wolf) » {DS swaps back to tenor saxophone for a nice solo}
   [3:55 PM] {KS lauds WW‚ then talks about his new work; CP swaps to bass clarinet; MR swaps from trumpet to flugelhorn; ES back on piano}
   
5. [3:58 PM] The Child Opens Its Eyes to the Earth (Kendrick Scott) » {CP swaps back to tenor saxophone for a solo, then returns to bass clarinet for the end of the tune}
   [4:12 PM] {MB lauds KS‚ then talks about the art that inspired his new tune}
   
6. [4:14 PM] Te Quiero Inti (Matt Brewer)
   [4:24 PM] {DS lauds MB‚ then tells us about the sculpture that inspired him; CP swaps back to tenor saxophone; ES swaps from piano to Nord keyboard for this piece}
   
7. [4:28 PM] Listo (David Sánchez)
   [4:40 PM] {applause at end of set; band off}
   
   Encore
   [4:41 PM] {ES tells us about the second of his two tunes; CP on bass clarinet; MR on flugelhorn}
   
8. [4:43 PM] Guardian of the Forests (Edward Simon)
   [4:50 PM] {applause at end of show}
   [4:51 PM] {show ends}

SFJAZZ Collective

• Matt Brewer: contrabass;
• Chris Potter: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet;
• Michael Rodríguez: trumpet, flugelhorn;
• David Sánchez: tenor saxophone, percussion;
• Kendrick Scott: drums;
• Edward Simon: piano, keyboards;
• Warren Wolf: vibraphone, vox.

The SFJAZZ Collective was given a new directive this year: to compose new works inspired by pieces of modern art selected from the About Place collection at the de Young Museum. Seems to me like the exercise worked, inasmuch as I liked today's show more than my recollection of past seasons' efforts. I look forward to hearing the group's official release of these tunes once it's available!

I looked briefly and couldn't easily find a collection of the images online (seems like a missed marketing opportunity there, eh?), but I did my best, then inserted them above, preceding the appropriate tune. The only work that flummoxed me was my favorite, but for that one I turned up an earlier painting by Chris Johanson (#8 in the series, rather than the somewhat more pastel #12 that inspired Chris Potter).

I also liked today's multimedia presentation – it was clearly inspired by the artwork selected by the members of the Collective, and for the most part, was creative and interesting enough to capture my attention when the musical action onstage didn't compel it instead.

Midway through the show I realized that I was missing the sound of Robin Eubank's trombone: absence of that timbre had been nagging at me ('something's different about the group this year…'). Hopefully they'll bring him back on next season!

Andrew Gilbert posted a review of the Thursday night show with SFCV that seems to me to lean a bit too much towards harsh comments that tell us more about the reviewer more than the performance. I'm disappointed!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!