"Fat Albert: Live Jazz + Classic Cartoons"
SFJAZZ All-Star High School Ensemble
w/special guest Joshua Redman
Saturday, June 3 • 8pm
$15 (GA)
$10 (GA - ages 18 and under)
Fun for the whole family, onstage and on-screen
TV's hilarious Fat Albert cartoons take to the silver screen, with the series'
original, Herbie Hancock-penned music performed live by SFJAZZ's “dynamite”
(JazzTimes) high school ensemble, joined by the “fearless improvisational
skill and mature melodic sense” (Time) of saxophone virtuoso Joshua Redman.
The Three Vernas
Program Notes
TV’s hilarious Fat Albert cartoons take to the silver screen, with the series’
original, Herbie Hancock–penned music performed live by SFJAZZ’s beloved “dynamite”
(JazzTimes) All-Star High School Ensemble, joined by the “fearless improvisational
skill and mature melodic sense” (Time) of saxophone virtuoso Joshua Redman.
This evening’s program is more than music meets cartoon—it’s a celebration
of and exploration into the positive social values evoked by Bill Cosby’s groundbreaking
series.
In the early 1970s, Bill Cosby was a national phenom, winner of seven Grammy Awards and
four Emmys for his unique hybrid of stand-up comedy and theater. Meanwhile, Herbie Hancock
had emerged as the most singular, influential jazz pianist of his generation. Having just
finished a five-year stint with Miles Davis, Hancock got a call from “The Cos”
inviting him to compose the soundtrack to a cartoon series he was developing—a cartoon
show that, for the first time on American TV, would focus on young African American characters.
“Herbie” (as he’s singularly known in the jazz world) took the gig,
and the rest is not only history, but the recipe for tonight’s unique program.
Herbie’s Fat Albert Rotunda music represented not only his first—and
prophetic—full-fledged venture into jazz-funk, but also a snapshot into the consciousness
of the Fat Albert crew. Romping, rolling vintage R&B sounds and rhythms accompany
funky song titles like “Wiggle Waggle” and “Fat Mama.” Cosby and
Hancock’s shared creation produced a fun-loving, creative approach to positive values
like friendship, honesty, loyalty, community, school, and family—all with Fat Albert’s
trademark jolly swagger.
The SFJAZZ All-Star High School Ensembles program provides advanced-level training and
performance opportunities for some of the most talented musicians in the nation. Selected
annually by competitive audition, the All-Stars rehearse and perform throughout the school
year with today’s top jazz educators and artists (including the members of the SFJAZZ
Collective). The rewards are evident in their performances, which give “testimony
to the continuing persistence of the creative spirit” (Los Angeles Times).
“These kids are amazing,” wrote the San Jose Mercury News. “Jazz
has a future!”
— Drew Foxman
