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  • SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE, UNDER ARTISTIC DIRECTION OF JOSHUA REDMAN, SPOTLIGHTS MUSIC OF JOHN COLTRANE AS PART OF LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC'S 2004/2005 JAZZ SERIES AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
  • Apr. 8, 2005
  • All-Star SFJAZZ Collective, Celebrating Second Season, is Devoted to Music of Jazz's "Modern" Era - From 1960's Onward


    FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2005, AT 8 PM

    Media Support provided by KKJZ 88.1 FM

    The all-star SFJAZZ Collective, led by Artistic Director Joshua Redman and described by Variety as "unconventional, sophisticated and unpredictable," celebrates the seminal work of John Coltrane at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday, April 8, at 8 p.m. The in-depth retrospective, featuring arrangements by Grammy-winning arranger Gil Goldstein, is part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2004/2005 Jazz series.

    Established in 2003, the Collective is the resident ensemble of SFJAZZ. The New York Times proclaimed its debut "a eureka moment." Devoted to the music of jazz's "modern" era - from the early 1960s onward - the groundbreaking octet has been hailed for its "sheer out-of-the box musicality" (Los Angeles Times). In addition to Redman, the SFJAZZ Collective includes vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Renee Rosnes, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, trombonist Isaac Smith, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. The concert is part of a national tour that includes stops at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center and Chicago's Symphony Center.

    Concluding the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2004/2005 Jazz series is James Moody's 80th Birthday Celebration on Sunday, April 30, 2005, at 7:30 p.m.

    When the SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE, the all-star resident ensemble of San Francisco Jazz, made its debut last season, it was both a historical event in jazz and a critical turning point in the organization. Devoted to the music of jazz's "modern" era - from the early 1960s onward - the groundbreaking octet performed original works by the group's members and showcased the work of jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman. SFJAZZ Collective, currently in its second season, is under the leadership of renowned saxophonist Joshua Redman, the Artistic Director. This year, returning members include vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, a longtime Bay Area resident and one of the most influential musicians in jazz since the 1960s. Younger players trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Renee Rosnes, and alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, welcome to its ranks three new rising stars: trombonist Isaac Smith, whose diverse talents have seen him play with the likes of Chick Corea, Patti LaBelle, and Ray Charles, and cutting-edge groups including the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Village Vanguard Orchestra, and Mingus Big Band; New Zealand-born bassist Matt Penman, a compelling composer whose "vivid, reflective…crafty writing" (All Music Guide) gained him a nomination for his homeland's Best Jazz Album of the Year before he attended Berklee School of Music; and drummer Eric Harland, one of New York's hottest commodities who has already performed with legends McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, and Wynton Marsalis, as well as leading-edge contemporaries like Jason Moran, Stefon Harris, Terence Blanchard, and Coltrane's son, Ravi. Called "an agile and graceful drummer" by The New York Times, Harland employs "heavily accented, strong hitting and complicatedly broken-up drum patterns…creating tensions and altering the course of the music."

    This year, the groundbreaking project will be consummately documented as a fully live "best of the best CD," including all eight new compositions by the Collective members, plus the new arrangements of Coltrane's masterworks. Based on last year's Inaugural Season Limited Edition CD, a "triumphantly documented" (Sacramento Bee) three-disc set, the 2005 CD will feature the best performance of each piece and will be available this summer.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    FRIDAY, APRIL 8, AT 8 PM

    Walt Disney Concert Hall

    111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

    SFJAZZ Collective

    Joshua Redman, artistic director/tenor saxophone

    Bobby Hutcherson, vibraphone

    Nicholas Payton, trumpet

    Renee Rosnes, piano

    Miguel Zenón, alto saxophone

    Eric Harland, drummer

    Matt Penman, bass

    Isaac Smith, trombone

    Music of John Coltrane arranged by Gil Goldstein

    An Upbeat Live pre-concert event takes place in BP Hall one hour prior to the performance; it is free to all ticketholders.

    Media Support provided by KKJZ 88.1 FM

    Tickets ($25 - $80) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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  • Contact:

    Adam Crane, 213.972.3422; Cathy Williams, 213.972.3689; photos: 213.972.3034