In the East Coast/West Coast debate, the West just won another point. As a native New Englander, the SFJAZZ Collective was a wholly foreign entity to me until a month ago, when I first heard Live 2007: 4th Annual Concert Tour, the Collective's limited-edition double album containing their entire repertoire last year. SFJAZZ, the non-profit giant behind the San Francisco Jazz Festival and countless educational initiatives, has been commissioning an octet of musicians known as The Collective to compose and perform elegant jazz all around the world for the past four years. The ensemble had been directed until 2008 by Joshua Redman, saxophonist to the stars and frequent collaborator on a number of national projects. While Redman's background is impressive (eleven albums; recordings with Corea, Mehldau, & Metheny), the rest of the team shines with an equal brilliance.
The horn section is rounded out by André Hayward (trombone), Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone) and Dave Douglas (trumpet). The legendary Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone) makes his distinct impression on the album, as well as Matt Penman(bass), Renee Rosnes (piano) and Eric Harland (drums).
Click here to read the rest of Trevor Pour's article at jambase.com.
