SFJAZZ Collective: Dave Douglas Replacing Nicholas Payton

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SFJAZZ, the presenter of the San Francisco Jazz Festival, has announced the Spring 2007 touring line-up of its all-star octet, the SFJAZZ Collective. Named "Rising Star Jazz Band of the Year" in DownBeat's 2006 International Critics Poll, the Collective returns in 2007 with seven of the eight band members from 2006: tenor saxophonist and artistic director Joshua Redman; vibraphonist and jazz living legend Bobby Hutcherson; alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon; trombonist Andre Hayward; pianist Renee Rosnes; bassist Matt Penman; and drummer Eric Harland. Debuting in the trumpet chair in 2007, replacing Nicholas Payton, is the celebrated instrumentalist and composer Dave Douglas (see photo), the DownBeat poll's 2006 "Trumpeter of the Year" and a past "Jazz Artist of the Year."

In its repertoire, the Collective is devoted to exploring jazz's modern expressions--from roughly the mid-20th century to the present day. For the 2007 season, the group will divide its repertoire between all-new compositions by the band members themselves (commissioned by SFJAZZ) and the works of one of jazz's quintessential modernists: the iconic pianist, composer, and bebop pioneer Thelonious Monk.

"This new season promises to bring some of our greatest musical challenges and rewards to date, " Redman noted. "Thelonious Monk is the earliest of the 20th- century jazz masters whose compositions we have performed thus far. And yet, there is such an innate sense of modernism in his works, something invariably fresh and compelling-- melodies that are deceptively simple on first hearing, framed by harmonies that are so rich and complex, and driven by rhythms that are so compelling and infectious. To rehearse and premiere our own originals in the context of Monk's music is sure to inspire exciting new directions in the Collective's sound."

The addition of trumpeter Dave Douglas also promises to contribute new accents to the overall group sound. Widely renowned for his formidable horn technique and his prowess as a band leader and composer, Douglas is also admired as one of the most eclectic musicians in jazz today. From his ongoing work with John Zorn's Masada to the many ensembles he himself has led over the years, Douglas has embraced influences as wide-ranging as post-bop, Miles Davis-inspired electric jazz, Middle Eastern and Balkan folk musics, contemporary chamber music, and electronica. His past collaborators have included artists as diverse as Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, Don Byron, Trisha Brown, Tom Waits, Andy Bey, Suzanne Vega, and pop group Cibo Matto. His awards and honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Meet the Composer, along with multiple wins for jazz artist, trumpeter, composer, and album of the year from top jazz organizations and magazines such as the New York Jazz Awards, DownBeat, Jazz Times, Jazziz, and the Italian Jazz Critics' Society. The Artistic Director of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, Douglas has also given master classes and workshops at prestigious universities and colleges worldwide, including Harvard College, University of North Texas, Eastman College, and New York University.

The SFJAZZ Coll ective launches its 2007 season in February with its fourth annual residency in San Francisco, followed by its first-ever tour of Asia and the Pacific Islands, with stops in Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Jakarta. In March, the ensemble returns to San Francisco to perform two concerts as part of the SFJAZZ Spring Season. March also finds the group hitting the road for its fourth annual stateside tour, with stops to date booked for the West Coast, the Southwest, Texas, and the Midwest, and more destinations soon to be announced.

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