Founded by SFJAZZ in 2004, this Collective of all-star musicians represents SFJAZZ’s commitment to jazz as an ever-evolving art form
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (February 6, 2025) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s (DSO) Paradise Jazz Series will host the SFJAZZ Collective: 20th Anniversary Celebration on February 22 at 8 p.m. in Orchestra Hall. The SFJAZZ Collective will present a program that commemorates the past two decades of their work while looking forward at what is to come.
The Collective was formed in 2004 to perform newly commissioned works by their own members and fresh arrangements by modern jazz composers. For their anniversary, the current lineup wrote the 20th Anniversary Suite inspired by the history of the ensemble. Under the direction of Chris Potter as music director and tenor and soprano saxophonist, this current lineup of the Collective includes David Sánchez on tenor saxophone, Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Warren Wolf on vibraphone, Edward Simon on piano, Matt Brewer on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums.
Tickets for this performance start at $20 and can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Prior to the SFJAZZ Collective performance in Orchestra Hall on February 22, the Civic Jazz Orchestra, part of the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles, will give an opening performance in the Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube (The Cube) at 7 p.m., directed by Vincent Chandler. Click here to purchase tickets.
Currently in its 26th season, the Paradise Jazz Series is named for and honors the legacy of the Paradise Theatre, the historic Detroit jazz venue that was on the site of Orchestra Hall from 1941–1951. The DSO is one of few major American orchestras to present regular jazz programming on its main stage. Learn more about the series at dso.org/jazz.
The Paradise Jazz Series is supported by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Huntington, MGM Grand Detroit, and DownBeat Magazine.
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Paradise Jazz Series
Saturday, February 22 at 8 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Chris Potter, music director and soprano saxophone
David Sánchez, tenor saxophone
Mike Rodriguez, trumpet
Warren Wolf, vibraphone
Edward Simon, piano
Matt Brewer, bass
Kendrick Scott, drums
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the SFJAZZ Collective presents a retrospective featuring works from icons such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, and more; as well as selections from the 20th Anniversary Suite, which was collectively composed by the current band, and inspired by the history of the ensemble. Under the direction of Chris Potter, this lineup of the Collective—including David Sánchez, Mike Rodriguez, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, and Kendrick Scott—is among the most dynamic ever; ensuring each performance is fresh, fun, and full of surprises.
An all-star ensemble comprising the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today, the SFJAZZ Collective was conceived to create fresh arrangements of works by modern masters 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 has embodied SFJAZZ’s commitment to jazz as a dynamic, ever-evolving art form.
Please note: Program duration and the inclusion of an intermission are subject to change depending on the program.
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About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a robust performance schedule that features classical, pops, jazz, and family concerts, plus community performances. Enrico Lopez-Yañez was named Principal Pops Conductor in 2023, trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard serves as the orchestra’s Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair, and Tabita Berglund began her tenure as Principal Guest Conductor in the 2024–25 season. A dedication to broadcast innovation and technology began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.
The DSO’s distinguished history of recordings—many led by its renowned music directors—spans nearly a century, beginning with the orchestra’s first 78 rpm singles with Ossip Gabrilowitsch released on the Victrola label in 1928. A steady recording output has continued since then, with highlights including more than 20 releases with Paul Paray for Mercury’s Living Presence series, and 27 under the baton of Neeme Järvi, mostly on the Chandos label. In the 1970s, the DSO took part in the historic Black Composers Series for Columbia Records led by its then-Associate Conductor Paul Freeman and later made several acclaimed recordings with Antal Doráti for the Decca label. More recently, under the direction of Leonard Slatkin, the DSO recorded music by Rachmaninoff, Copland, and John Williams for the Naxos label, earning its first GRAMMY® nomination in 2017 for Copland’s Third Symphony / Three Latin American Sketches. The first recording with Jader Bignamini, of Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony, will be released in 2025 on the Pentatone label.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.