Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
The SFJAZZ Collective performed the music of Michael Jackson at the Dakota in Minneapolis on April 3.
(Photo: Jay Blakesburg)With the sound and energy one might expect from an 18-piece orchestra, the eight-piece SFJAZZ Collective played the music of Michael Jackson and original compositions in front of a packed house at the Dakota in Minneapolis on April 3, the first night of a two-night stint.
Several members of this versatile ensemble—alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, trombonist Robin Eubanks, tenor saxophonist David Sánchez, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Penman, drummer Obed Calvaire and trumpeter Avishai Cohen (sitting in for the collective’s newest member, Sean Jones)—spoke passionately about Jackson’s profound influence and the impact of his music, which is presented on the band’s most recent album, The Music Of Michael Jackson And Original Compositions, released in March.
The SFJAZZ Collective has performed regularly at the Dakota since 2004, when the band started its first season and began touring. The collective, which features highly accomplished and adventurous musicians, has evolved over the years with frequent changes in personnel.
The collective opened the set with “The Love You Save” (a 1969 hit single by the Jackson 5) and closed with the encore “Human Nature” (a track from Jackson’s 1982 blockbuster album, Thriller).
The program also included original compositions that were written by Simon, Wolf and Zenón. All the music was delivered in an uncluttered way and with considerable power.
Recently, many artists from the world of jazz and beyond have performed and recorded Jackson’s music, but none have done so quite like this collective. Throughout the set, members shared their strong feelings about how and why they chose to write their own compositions in addition to the Jackson songs they had arranged. What those comments had in common was a feeling of sincere respect and admiration for Jackson as a true artist.
Whenever musicians interpret another artist’s body of work, they run the risk of sounding more like imitators than originators. The SFJAZZ Collective largely rose above that challenge, adding its own spin on this classic pop material in profoundly entertaining, memorable ways.
In recent years, a new, sophisticated audience for jazz has emerged, one with a ravenous appetite for innovation that is beyond provocative. The SFJAZZ Collective’s Dakota performance catered to such demands, and in doing so demonstrated that the definition of jazz is perpetually expanding.
Performing the music of legendary composers like Stevie Wonder, Wayne Shorter, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane is what this collective does best. If the ultimate purpose of a tribute concert is to enhance iconic music in a striking way, then the SFJAZZ Collective achieved its goal. DB
(Note: To read about a new joint-degree program from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and SFJAZZ, click here.)
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM
After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
