2014-2015 High School All-Stars Album

Listening to the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars begin their season in the fall is like watching a paddock full of colts all jockeying to make it to the Derby in May. These colts are the myriad of charts with which they begin their run, and from them emerge a select few that clicked and have been worked and worked for months until they shined. In other words, these sonic American Pharoahs are the tunes you hear on their double album each year.

After all of the concerts and festivals and competitions and awards, May marks studio season. The All-Stars head to the recording studio to spend a full weekend in headphones, baffling, and iso-booths, because (in case you were unaware) a jazz big band is one of the most challenging ensembles you can possibly record. Then the process of mixing and mastering begins – and if recording a jazz big band is challenging, it’s no match for mixing one. These engineers work for over a month with the band directors to make sure the recordings are faithful and clear.

As for design, this year’s album jacket was the lucky winner of several contenders; the warm/cool, chiaroscuro look reminds us of the intense span of sounds these young musicians can access.

Lastly, fully eleven of the final eighteen tracks across both albums are original arrangements or compositions. Eleven! We’ll leave you with some of our recommendations to listen closely to:

Disc 1
Track 4 – Kenny (this lush, symphonic tune was the inaugural winner of the SFJAZZ Alumni Commission Award, composed by alumnus Aaron Bahr)
Track 7 – Gesundheit! (written by pianist Matt Wong, this tune is a funk-laden imagining of the motif from the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3)

Disc 2
Track 6 – Must Be Bop (Combo alto player Matt Richards told us that he wrote this tune, chosen by the San Francisco Ballet School Trainees to be choreographed this spring, because there needed to be more “happy jazz”)
Track 8 – Dream On (penned by Combo trumpeter Akili Bradley, this tumbling, cascading tune is like a celebration of the trumpet)

 Be sure to pick up the 2014-2015 High School All-Stars double album (Disc 1: All-Stars Orchestra; Disc 2: All-Stars Combo) the next time you are at the Center for a show or when you are down at the Monterey Jazz Festival -- the $15 donation goes straight back to the All-Stars program.

SFJAZZ Collective's Miguel Zenón: Notes on Joe Henderson's "Recorda-Me"

Miguel Zenón © Jay Blakesberg

“I wrote this arrangement using the bass line from the intro of the original recording by Joe (from Page One) as the main motive. This is enhanced by layers of horn backgrounds under the main soloist, which build and climax towards the end of the chart, where the melody appears just once and fades to the end. The main groove is inspired by Afrobeat music, and I wanted to channel some of that with the arrangement as well.”

— Miguel Zenón, album notes from the SFJAZZ Collective's new album

The Music of Joe Henderson and New Compositions, now available!

See the SFJAZZ Collective's April Tour Dates!

In Rehearsal, Pt. 2: SFJAZZ Collective plays Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus"

Check out footage of the SFJAZZ Collective rehearsing trombonist Robin Eubanks' arrangement of Joe Henderson's standard "Black Narcissus" in the SFJAZZ Center's Joe Henderson Lab. The Collective takes the music of Henderson + original compositions on the road throughout 2014-15. Next up: a 4-night residency and live recording at SFJAZZ this week (October 23-26).

Also, check out the Collective's new live retrospective album!

SFJAZZ Collective drops new album "SFJAZZ Collective: 10"

SFJAZZ Collective at SFJAZZ Center, October 2013 ©Chuck Gee

The SFJAZZ Collective's newest album SFJAZZ Collective: 10 drops Wednesday, Oct. 22nd (available digitally in early November). This 10-track CD, recorded live during the Collective’s four-night residency at the SFJAZZ Center in October 2013, celebrates its 10-year musical legacy. In anticipation of the release, check out a "leaked" excerpt on Soundcloud: Eric Harland's "Union," performed by the current Collective lineup.

>

The album release also coincides with the Collective's 2014-15 Tour: "The Music of Joe Henderson & Original Compositions"—each Collective member arranged a composition by the great Joe Henderson and composed an original. The all-star octet kicked off the tour last weekend at the Kennedy Center in DC, and now return home to the SFJAZZ Center for a four-night residency in Miner Auditorium, with CD signings for the new CD each night!

Previews the SFJAZZ Collective's 2014-15 Tour with exclusive rehearsal footage of saxophonist Miguel Zenón's arrangement of Henderson's classic "Recorda-me."

Order SFJAZZ Collective: 10 today. Also, check out all the Collective's tour dates.

Collective Lineup: alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, tenor saxophonist David Sánchez, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, trombonist Robin Eubanks, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Obed Calvaire.

In Rehearsal: SFJAZZ Collective plays Joe Henderson's "Recorda-me"

The SFJAZZ Collective rehearses Miguel Zenón's fresh arrangement of Joe Henderson's classic "Recorda-me" in Joe Henderson Lab at the SFJAZZ Center. The Collective takes the music of Henderson and original compositions on the road throughout 2014-15, including a 4-night residency and live recording at the SFJAZZ Center (October 23-26).

See all Collective 2014-15 tour dates.

New SFJAZZ Collective album now available on iTunes

The digital release of the SFJAZZ Collective’s ninth limited-edition set, Live at SFJAZZ Center: Music of Chick Corea and New Compositions was officially announced today! Recorded live March 28-31, 2013 at the new SFJAZZ Center, the digital release features new arrangements of the classic works of Chick Corea, such as "Spain," "La Fiesta" and "Crystal Silence," as well as new original compositions by Collective members. Available for download on iTunes, the new album is the definitive recording of the all-star jazz ensemble’s ninth year!

SFJAZZ Collective:

Miguel Zenón – Alto Saxophone
David Sánchez – Tenor Saxophone
Avishai Cohen – Trumpet
Robin Eubanks – Trombone
Stefon Harris – Vibraphone
Edward Simon – Piano
Matt Penman – Bass
Obed Calvaire – Drums


Get a digital copy of Live at SFJAZZ Center: Music of Chick Corea and New Compositions on iTunes today!