SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE PARADISE JAZZ SERIES CONCERT HEAVY ON ORIGNALS, LIGHT ON DAVIS' CLASSICS

SFJazz Collective

The SFJazz Collective has played the Paradise Jazz Series at Detroit’s Orchestra Hall twice. The collective doesn’t market itself as an all-star ensemble, but there isn’t a better way to characterize it. Anyway, the first time out the collective presented the music of Michael Jackson. As I listened to the collective run through some of Jackson’s greatest hits, I recalled trumpeter Wynton Marsalis words there’s nothing sadder than jazz musicians playing funk/pop music. I’m not suggesting the collective’s first go around in Detroit was a flop. That evening the original tunes the collective performed brilliantly. Friday evening, the collective returned to the Paradise Jazz Series. This time out, the collective was supposed to present an evening of the music of jazz icon Miles Davis, or the concert was advertised as such. The collective instead performed mostly originals from ensemble members --Sean Jones, David Sanchez, Robin Eubanks, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Penman, Obed Calvaire, and Miguel Zenon--, which I surmised was a little disappointing for those of us expecting to experience an hour-plus of Davis’ classics. (For the sake of fairness to the organizers of this wonderful, long running jazz concert series, the goal is not to satisfy or meet this reviewer's expectations.)The concert opened well enough with “Tutu,” a composition immortalized by Davis but written by the great bassist Marcus Miller. Next, the collective played a gorgeous version of Davis’ “So What,” and from there the collective performed originals such as Penman’s “June for June,” Sanchez’s “Leaving the Questions,” and Simon’s “United Venezuela”. The originals served up during the concert were excellently rendered, and there was some mic dropping moments from Calvaire and Sanchez, particularly Calvaire, who has a funk drummer streak. His drumming was over the top, but midway through his solos on Wolf’s “Give the Drummer Some,” the audience roared. During the second set, the collective performed Davis' "Nardis," and a modernized version of "Bitches  Brew". I can only speak for myself in that I wanted to hear more of Davis’ music. Honestly, midway through the concert, I felt short-changed, but I remained somewhat hopeful that if the collective were summoned for an encore it would send the audience home with a Davis gem. At the end of the concert, the collective received an ovation, returned to the stage for an encore, and sent  the audience off with another original.