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| SFJAZZ: 8th Annual Spring Season Randall Kline, the Executive Director of SFJAZZ--the leading non-profit jazz organization on the West Coast and the presenter of the San Francisco Jazz Festival-- along with Spring Season Artistic Director Joshua Redman today announced the complete artist line-up for the Eighth Annual SFJAZZ Spring Season. The four-month-long curated concert series will begin on March 8th with an opening weekend that includes Etta James, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, the SFJAZZ Collective, the Omar Sosa Quartet, and a rare solo performance by Fred Hersch at the SFMOMA. The season will continue through June 23 and will include some of the most illustrious names in jazz, including: Dave Brubeck, Carlinhos Brown, Bill Frisell, Poncho Sanchez, Dave Holland, Dianne Reeves, McCoy Tyner, Brad Mehldau, Allen Toussaint, Paula West, Joey DeFrancesco, and Eddie Palmieri. For this year's Spring Season, SFJAZZ is conducting "The Monk Project, " a wide-ranging exploration of the music and legacy of Thelonious Monk. Along with this project, SFJAZZ is offering distinctive ancillary programming designed to complement and enhance the concert experience. This includes "Discover Jazz, " a five-part jazz education course, "Inside Jazz" pre-concert talks, and the popular Family Matinees: shorter, discount-priced events for jazz fans young and old. SFJAZZ Executive Director Randall Kline commented, "The Spring Season is always an exciting time for SFJAZZ. The year's programming is expansive and diverse, ranging from New Orleans cultural ambassador Allen Toussaint, the legendary Etta James, Brazilian master Carlinhos Brown and the new orchestral sounds of pianist and big band leader Guillermo Klein. I am equally thrilled for the SFJAZZ Collective, embarking on their first Asian Tour and welcoming new member Dave Douglas, and our wide-ranging Monk Project that encompasses so many events celebrating this American jazz icon." In what would have been his 90th year, Thelonious Monk continues to exert a profound influence on the world of jazz--as a bebop pioneer, as the composer of some of jazz's most evergreen standards, and as a stride-influenced yet wholly original pianist. The 2007 Spring Season pays tribute to that legacy in "The Monk Project"--concerts, education events, and more devoted to the history and present-day impact of Monk's music. Featured programs include Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau in a one-of-a-kind reinterpretation of music from the great Monk and Coltrane "Carnegie Hall Concert" (5/4); Jason Moran, Thelonious' son T.S. Monk, and others revisiting Monk's "Town Hall Concert" (5/19); a stride-piano exploration of Monk's musical roots with Dick Hyman and others (6/17); and more. Jazz aficionados and newcomers alike will enjoy these weekly evening classes for adults, presented at and in association with the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. With each class led by an expert in a particular aspect of jazz, the course offers an entertaining and informative overview of the music's history, culture, and ongoing development. Registration may be purchased for individual class meetings or--at a discount--for the entire course. One of the many benefits of SFJAZZ Membership is unparalleled access to the music and musicians. The 2007 Spring Season continues this tradition with a variety of exciting SFJAZZ Members-Only events and other special perks. The SFJAZZ Gala, an annual benefit for SFJAZZ artistic and education programs, will be held on Friday, February 23, at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. In keeping with the Spring Season's "Monk Project, " the night pays tribute to the musical legacy of Thelonious Monk, featuring performances by the SFJAZZ All-Star High School Octet and the SFJAZZ Collective premiering their 2007 repertoire featuring new original compositions and classic Monk tunes. The party will also includes a silent auction, signature cocktails, dinner in the elegant Four Seasons Veranda Ballroom, and the "SFJAZZ After-Jam" - featuring the Collective, the All-Stars, and a number of surprise musical guests. Named "Rising Star Jazz Ensemble of the Year" in DownBeat's 2006 Critics Poll, the SFJAZZ Collective returns in 2007 with an all-new repertoire of original compositions and works by Thelonious Monk. The 2007 Collective roster includes seven returning veterans from 2006: tenor saxophonist and artistic director Joshua Redman; vibraphonist and jazz living legend Bobby Hutcherson; alto saxophonist Miguel Zenn; trombonist Andre Hayward; pianist Renee Rosnes; bassist Matt Penman; and drummer Eric Harland. Debuting in the trumpet chair in 2007 is Dave Douglas, the DownBeat poll's 2006 "Trumpeter of the Year" and a past "Jazz Artist of the Year." On the topic of Monk's music, Redman notes, "There is such an innate sense of modernism in his works, something invariably fresh and compelling. 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." write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |