SFJAZZ Collective

Founded in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is our all-star resident ensemble and composer’s workshop featuring music director and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, tenor saxophonist David Sánchez, trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Kendrick Scott.

The concept behind the Collective’s yearly focus has been to perform newly commissioned pieces by each member and fresh arrangements of works by modern masters. Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring music’s greatest figures while championing jazz’s up-to-the-minute directions, the SFJAZZ Collective has embodied the organization’s commitment to jazz as a living, ever-relevant art form.

For the 2025-26 Season, the septet turns its attention back to the late saxophone genius Wayne Shorter, whose work was the focus of the 2008 season, celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of his landmark albums. Shorter’s 1975’s Native Dancer was a high watermark in his output — a hugely influential collaboration with Brazilian legend Milton Nascimento whose influence continues to resonate. The Collective bring their interpretive power to the material, along with a fresh batch of original compositions inspired by Shorter’s mid-decade masterpiece.