Navigating transitions gracefully is one hallmark of a polished jazz combo, and lately it seems that rarified skill set has flowed from bandstands to front offices, as just about every major jazz organization in the region has undergone a generational shift at the top.
It’s not just that new leadership has taken the helm. From Healdsburg Jazz’s Marcus Shelby and SFJAZZ’s Terence Blanchard to the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Darin Atwater, renowned musicians have stepped up to guide these crucial institutions, replacing founding or longtime directors.
While those changes have been widely noted, the Stanford Jazz Workshop has quietly undergone a similar sea change, with bassist Cory Combs taking over as executive director from Jimmy Nadel, who launched the organization in 1972 and led it for the next five decades.
Combs brings a wealth of experience to his position overseeing the Workshop and its attendant Stanford Jazz Festival, which kicks off June 21 at Bing Concert Hall with a rare performance by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s spacious trio Owl Song with guitar great Bill Frisell and New Orleans drum maestro Herlin Riley. Much like Blanchard and Atwater, Combs didn’t set about to reimagine the organization’s mission or offerings. “I’m focused on continuity,” he said, noting that Nadel and saxophonist Steven Lugerner, the Workshop’s longtime faculty coordinator, ensured a smooth shift. “I didn’t come in wanting to be a change agent.”
If there’s one aspect of the Stanford Jazz Festival that bears amplifying it’s the stellar roster of artists who are otherwise largely absent from Bay Area stages. Often overshadowed by glitzier presenters and high-profile events like San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest (Aug. 9-11), Stanford offers a treasure trove of concerts no one else is presenting. The festival runs through Aug. 3; visit stanfordjazz.org for tickets and more information.
Here are five shows that shouldn’t be overlooked on the packed Stanford Jazz schedule.
Richard Howell: A Love Supreme – A Tribute to John Coltrane: There are few players better equipped to tackle the spiritual realm traversed by John Coltrane than Bay Area saxophonist Richard Howell. Over the years he played movements from Coltrane’s spiritual masterwork “A Love Supreme” as liturgy for Sunday worship at the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, and he presents the suite in its entirety with a superlative Bay Area band featuring pianist Glen Pearson, bassist Gary Brown, and drummer Deszon Claiborne.
Details: 7:30 p.m. June 28; Campbell Recital Hall; $47.
Natalie John featuring Allison Miller: In recent years trumpeter Natalie John has been most visible as part of the onstage band in La Mezcla, the San Francisco dance company that combines son jarocho footwork with African-American tap. Stepping forward as a horn player and vocalist in her first gig under her own name in about a decade, she reimagines American Songbook standards with a band featuring drum star Allison Miller, saxophonist Kristen Strom, and guitarist Terrence Brewer.
Details: 7:30 p.m. July 15; Campbell Recital Hall; $47.
Adi Meyerson’s Dark Matter, with Emily Kuhn Quintet: Offering a case study in how the Workshop feeds into the Festival this double bill features two young bandleaders who are both alumni of SJW’s Mentor Fellowship program. New York City bassist Adi Meyerson’s latest project, Dark Matter, is a pianoless combo echoing the instrumentation of Ornette Coleman’s breakthrough quartet, featuring trumpeter Noah Simpson and altoist Alden Hellmuth. Features pianist Christina Galisatus, Chicago trumpeter Emily Kuhn’s quintet focuses on music from her recent album “Ghosts of Us,” which integrates influences from rock, chamber music, and Americana.
Details: 7:30 p.m. July 18; Campbell Recital Hall; $47.
Sam Reider with special guest Anat Cohen: Whether he’s playing accordion or piano, Sam Reider is one of the most resourceful composers on the Bay Area music scene, with a palette that encompasses an array of folk idioms. His band featuring saxophonist Ben Flocks, recent Oakland arrival Jack Roben on guitar, Berkeley-reared bassist Noah Garabedian, Brazilian-born drummer Ana Barreiro, and special guest Anat Cohen, the clarinet star who performs July 20 at Dinkelspiel with her own Brazilian-inspired Quartetinho.
Details: 7:30 p.m. July 24; Campbell Recital Hall; $47.
Carmen Lundy: The festival closes with jazz vocalist and songwriter Carmen Lundy, a timeless artist who expands on the blues-tinged legacy of storied 1950s stylists like Ernestine Anderson and Etta Jones. Her band brims with exceptional young talent, starting with 25-year-old Haitian-American pianist “Orange” Julius Rodriguez. Bassist/producer Ben Williams, guitarist Andrew Renfroe and drummer Terreon Gully, who spent years touring and recording with Christian McBride, round out the combo.
Details: 8 p.m. Aug. 3; Dinkelspiel Auditorium; $62
Contact Andrew Gilbert at jazzscribe@aol.com.