SFJAZZ Collective plays the music of Joe Henderson

April is Jazz Appreciation Month and there are multiple events happening all over the world to celebrate jazz music. For clubs like Jazz Standard, celebrating jazz music is a way of being. Its program always brings amazing music for the enjoyment of the public. SFJAZZ Collective is not an exception – the four-day residency of the band is one of April’s highlights at the club.

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SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star band with a lot of international flavor. One of the founding members of the band, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon is from Puerto Rico whereas the newest addition to the Collective, drummer Obed Calvaire, brings latin vibe to the music. The horn section is a delight in itself featuring Avishai Cohen on trumpet, David Sanchez on tenor saxophone and Robin Eubanks on trombone. Add Edward Simon (piano), Matt Penman (bass), and Warren Wolf (vibraphone) to the mix, and you have a band that is absolutely fantastic.

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SFJAZZ Collective returned to Jazz Standard to play the music of Joe Henderson, a giant of jazz whose legacy and influence is not to be underestimated. In addition, they played a number of original compositions including tunes by Obed, Miguel and Robin Eubanks. The standard practice of the Collective is to have each band member compose original music to be performed by the band and also do arrangements of the works of the jazz greats. Past accomplishments included arrangements of John Coltrane, McToy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, and Chick Corea. They also performed tunes by Stevie Wonder.

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The band opened with a beautiful arrangement of Joe Henderson’s ‪Y Todavia La Quiero and then dived straight into a rendition of Afro-Centric highlighting Miguel Zenon’s masterful control of the saxophone. Miguel’s original compositions “Synthesis” was actually inspired by the horn section and it was a beautiful and intricate tune. The band’s stage presence was relaxed and focused and everyone got plenty of space to solo and show what they bring to the music without leaving anyone in the shadow. The synergy between the band members and their attentiveness to each other throughout the whole set was incredible. The true collective spirit of this group was felt throughout the night and the beauty of the music left the audience in awe.

Anna Yatskevich is Flowers In A Gun’s glamorous jazz & beyond critic! Catch more reviews from her here and follow her on IG and Twitter @jazzaddikt.