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SFJAZZ Collective at SFJAZZ

Courtesy Don Dixon
SFJAZZ Center
San Francisco, CA
October 31, 2021
Established by SFJAZZ, the San Francisco music-presentation nonprofit which hosts most events at its own San Francisco edifice, the

SFJAZZ Collective
band / ensemble / orchestrab.2004

Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991

Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
Taking the stage at SFJAZZ's expansive Miner Auditorium, the ensemblenow led by virtuoso saxophonist

Chris Potter
saxophone, tenorb.1971
Martin Luther McCoy
vocals
Gretchen Parlato
vocals
Edward Simon
pianob.1969

Matt Brewer
bassb.1983

Kendrick Scott
drumsb.1980

Warren Wolf
vibraphoneb.1979

David Sanchez
saxophone, tenorb.1968

Abbey Lincoln
vocals1930 - 2010

Etienne Charles
trumpetb.1983
"And keep your hand wide open Let the sun shine through 'cause you can never lose a thing If it belongs to you," sang Parlato.
Pianist Simon then introduced "8'46," an eloquent new composition which is exactly 8 minutes and 46 seconds long, corresponding with the exact interval in which Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck to execute him. With this composition, Simon intends to spread awareness of this brutal act, as well as the nation's chronic problems with police brutality. Parlato and McCoy added vocal tonalities, and the piece also featured Charles on trumpet and flugelhorn.
McCoy then led the charge into a rollicking version of " data-original-title="" title="">Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On" which featured punctuation by Charles; then Sánchez leapt into a solo while Brewer and Scott held down the backbeat; Wolf's vibraphone added eloquence, as Charles responded to the musical flow.
Octavia Butler's 1993 apocalyptic science fiction novel Parable of the Sower which takes place in a dystopian 2024 provided the inspiration for the tune "The Sower" which featured the vocalists harmonizing with the horns.
Sánchez spoke of the plight of marginalized Afro communities (which exist in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Honduras, Brazil and elsewhere) while introducing his dynamic composition "Ay Bendito" which featured blazing playing by Sánchez and Potter. The band devolved to a quartet before the other players re-entered to conclude.
With a heartfelt "Happy Halloween," Potter introduced his composition "Can You See/Mutuality." Vibes and drums offered percussive accents while as well as lyrical flute from Potter, harmonies from butterfly-caped Parlato, a duet between Potter and Kendrick and a solo from Charles near its conclusion.
Next up, Wolf's "All There Inside" featured vocals from, a vibraphone solo from Wolf, "Already Died For Her" again offered vocals from Parlato ("Don't you see where my heart has died"), Charles on flugelhorn and trumpet, Potter on bass clarinet, and Brewer on electric bass.
A standing ovation followed. The band exited and returned for "Unity"a song which would not be out of place in a

Sun Ra Arkestra
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1956
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Live Review
SFJAZZ Collective
Harry S. Pariser
United States
California
san francisco
SFJAZZ
Miles Davis
Herbie Hancock
Chris Potter
Martin Luther McCoy
Gretchen Parlato
Edward Simon
Matt Brewer
Kendrick Scott
Warren Wolf
David Sanchez
Abbey Lincoln
Etienne Charles
Marvin Gaye
Sun Ra Arkestra
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About SFJAZZ Collective
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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