Marcus Shelby Nonet: “Birth of the Cool Revisited”
Advertisement
In celebration of the Miles Davis centennial, bassist and composer Marcus Shelby leads his nine-piece Bay Area nonet in a performance of Birth of the Cool in its original instrumentation. Shelby’s deep roots in socially conscious jazz composition make him a natural steward of Miles’ landmark 1949 recording.
Shelby received the Charles Mingus Scholarship to attend CalArts in 1990, studying composition with James Newton and bass with Charlie Haden. He is currently Artistic Director of Healdsburg Jazz and has composed an ambitious body of work rooted in African American history and social movements, including oratorios honoring Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His orchestra’s recording Soul of the Movement reached No. 2 on the national jazz radio charts in 2011. He also composed the score for Anna Deavere Smith’s HBO film Notes from the Field and is the voice of Ray Gardener in the Oscar-winning Disney Pixar film Soul.
Birth of the Cool was not a singular session but the composite work of a young visionary surrounded by forward-thinking musicians, composers and arrangers. The Marcus Shelby Nonet draws from the same Bay Area master musicians who comprise his New Orchestra, which has five recordings to its name. This performance is a rare opportunity to hear one of jazz’s most enduring works as it was originally conceived, interpreted by some of the top jazz musicians in the region.
Shelby received the Charles Mingus Scholarship to attend CalArts in 1990, studying composition with James Newton and bass with Charlie Haden. He is currently Artistic Director of Healdsburg Jazz and has composed an ambitious body of work rooted in African American history and social movements, including oratorios honoring Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His orchestra’s recording Soul of the Movement reached No. 2 on the national jazz radio charts in 2011. He also composed the score for Anna Deavere Smith’s HBO film Notes from the Field and is the voice of Ray Gardener in the Oscar-winning Disney Pixar film Soul.
Birth of the Cool was not a singular session but the composite work of a young visionary surrounded by forward-thinking musicians, composers and arrangers. The Marcus Shelby Nonet draws from the same Bay Area master musicians who comprise his New Orchestra, which has five recordings to its name. This performance is a rare opportunity to hear one of jazz’s most enduring works as it was originally conceived, interpreted by some of the top jazz musicians in the region.
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
310 S. First Street, San Jose, CA, United States, California 95113
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherSan Jose Jazz
