Usually, all star summits, be they in sports or in music, end up with polite and sterile affairs. The SF Jazz Collective has been able to avoid this pitfall, maybe because they keep stirring up the lineup and material to get everyone on their collective toes. Miguel Zenon/as has been with the group the longest, and keeps the rest of the band quite inspired. The band consists of stud muffins David Sanchez/ts, Avishai Cohen/tp, Robin Eubanks/tb, Warren Wolf/bib, Edward Simon/p, Matt P enman/b and Ebed Calvaire/dr, and during this gig at the SFJazz Center in 2014, they explore the Joe Henderson songbook with creativity along with bringing some new material into the picture.
They do some clever arrangements, such as the lithe groove on “ Recorda-Me” which features Cohen’s muted horn, and a cleverly constructed “Black Narcissus” which has Eubanks doing some wonderful pastel work. A reading of “Inner Urge” includes some fascinating mix of jazz and almost modern classical modes and themes, while “Fire” has a nifty bass line that takes the music on an intriguing path.
Original pieces are splattered around, with Wolf’s “Four Stars From Heaven” a beautiful exposure on the vibes. Zenon’s three part “Synthesis of a Band” features a Sanchez’s warm tenor which segues to spotlights for Eubanks and Cohen. This full feast of music could have been a cerebral and sterile affair, but the sparks fly throughout the session, showing the mix of macho chops and clever minds along with celebration of one of the greats in jazz. A cooker on this limited edition set.
They’re also on tour right now, coming to LA April 19. Check them out!
SFJazz Records