An all-star ensemble comprising the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today, the Collective assembles each year to create fresh arrangements of works by a modern master and newly commissioned pieces by each member of the band. Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring music's greatest figures while championing jazz's up-to-the-minute directions, the Collective embodies SFJAZZ's commitment to jazz as a living, ever-relevant art form. This year the Collective celebrates the 50th Anniversary of two of the essential albums in popular music, Sly and Family Stone's Stand! and Miles Davis' In a Silent Way, featuring guest vocalist Martin Luther McCoy and guitarist Adam Rogers - the first time the band has collaborated with guest artists during their residency.
Rogers is best known for his work with Chris Potter, David Binney, and Randy Brecker in addition to his work as a bandleader, and McCoy is a masterful soul singer known for his work with The Roots and his memorable performance in director Julie Taymor's Beatles-inspired film Across the Universe. Released respectively in May and July 1969 by a pair of artists connected by mutual respect, inspiration, and a commitment to artistic exploration, Stand! and In a Silent Way were beacons of hope and new possibilites during a turbulent time in America's history. Sly's classics "I Want to Take You Higher," "Everyday People" and "Sing a Simple Song" have become timeless expressions of joy and positivity, while Davis' evocative work on In a Silent Way pushed jazz into bold new directions influenced by pop, R&B, and funk.