EVOLUTION OF THE MONDAY NIGHT BAND

January 16, 2016 | by Adam Theis

All photos courtesy of Bill Evans

It’s been an exciting ride to watch the SFJAZZ Monday Night Band carve out its place in the tradition of SF-Bay Area jazz groups. The band has performed six sessions over the past three years, each a completely new and different repertoire spanning genres of jazz from early 20th Century Ragtime to futuristic film scores, and everything in between. We keep things fresh by adding unexpected elements – from experimenting with unconventional big band instruments like the harp, oboe and French horn, to sectionalizing the band into different corners of Miner Auditorium and converging onto the stage, to asking the entire audience to make birdcalls during a piano intro.

From the beginning, I’ve encouraged members to bring in original material, which is now a fixture of the band. Composers get the rare opportunity to have their arrangements workshopped for twelve weeks and then performed, one of the most rewarding aspects of the MNB for me personally. The MNB also serves as a place for musicians new to the area to quickly connect with a happening music scene. I’m proud to have seen the MNB go on to lead a whole life of its own, with numerous small combos and collaborations born out of the community the band creates. I also discover great new talent for my own projects from the players who come through the MNB.

I’m excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what the band can achieve, opening it up to new perspectives and experiences beyond just performance-based goals. Adding clinics and community concerts to our regular twelve Monday night meetings will allow more time to dig deeper into what makes the big band so special and powerful. We've also started inviting special guests to perform with the band. At December's showcase concert, NYC-based drummer Matt Wilson sat in with the MNB, as you'll see in the "Rollin' In Da Hood" video below.

Sign up to audition for the Monday Night Band

Adam Theis is a multi-instrumentalist bandleader/composer/producer active in the San Francisco-Bay Area music scene for the past 15+ years. Adam has directed the Monday Night Band since its inception in 2013.