Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Vocalist Andy Bey Dies at 85
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
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.)
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
May 20, 2025 11:58 AM
Branford Marsalis was on the road again. Coffee cup in hand, the saxophonist — sporting a gray hoodie and a look of…
“What did I want more of when I was this age?” Sasha Berliner asks when she’s in her teaching mode.
May 13, 2025 12:39 PM
Part of the jazz vibraphone conversation since her late teens, Sasha Berliner has long come across as a fully formed…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
