Saxofonist

Leimert Park Jazz Festival brings its popular Sunday Jazz monthly concert series to The Ford to celebrate the centennial birthday of the legendary trumpeter Miles Davis. Grammy-nominated pianist John Beasley, a former member of Miles’ band, traces the evolution of Miles through distinct creative eras. He and his band illuminate Miles’ relentless commitment to reinvention, from the groundbreaking Birth of the Cool to the lyricism of Kind of Blue to the electric and fusion explorations of the 1970s and beyond. On the program’s second half, innovators from the Leimert Park Jazz Festival Emerging Artists Collective enter into new artistic terrain, following the tradition of evolution that Davis embodied. Join us for a night that is a living exploration of Miles Davis’ spirit of risk, experimentation, and forward motion.

John Beasley’s UNLIMITED MILES: MILES DAVIS AT 100

The Ford

“One of the premier musicians of his generation” (DownBeat), eight-time Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride leads an all-star quartet that draws on the powerhouse connection between McBride and drummer Nasheet Waits. The frontline of Josh Evans (trumpet) and Marcus Strickland (sax) soar as they are propelled by one of the world’s greatest rhythm sections with no piano or guitar chords to ground them. One thing is guaranteed, this band will swing!

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Christian McBride's New Jawn

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Beyond his incomparable reputation as the standard-bearing bassist in modern jazz, Christian McBride has always been a restless explorer, constantly immersing himself in different musical environments with stimulating collaborators. After seven years of SFJAZZ performances that have run the gamut from bass duo and classical sextet to big band and his funk-infused Situation band, McBride presents the long-awaited return of New Jawn, a quartet named in reference to that most Philadelphian of indefinable words. Echoing the two horns/no piano lineup of the classic Ornette Coleman quartet, New Jawn is comprised of some of the most forward-thinking jazz artists on today’s scene. First recorded on their 2018 eponymous debut, they return with music from their 2023 Mack Avenue follow-up Prime.



SFJAZZ Center

Eight-time Grammy-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride fuses the fire and fury of a virtuoso with the depth and grounding of a seasoned journeyman. Powered by relentless energy and a boundless love of swing, McBride’s career is now blazing into its third decade and he is one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in music.

Christian McBride’s New Jawn

Irvine Barclay Theatre

A towering figure in the 1960s and 70s post-Coltrane movement now known as “spiritual jazz,” trumpeter and composer Charles Tolliver honors the legacy of John Coltrane for his centennial, performing the jazz legend’s landmark 1961 large ensemble album Africa/Brass with his power-packed quintet and brass orchestra.

Saxofonist

Marcus Strickland

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 25, 2026

Charles Tolliver · San Francisco Jazz

Past events

Jul 19, 2026

John Beasley’s UNLIMITED MILES: MILES DAVIS AT 100 · The Ford

Nov 4, 2023

Christian McBride's New Jawn · The Royal Conservatory of Music

About

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