Jazz Mafia: Miles & Mingus Reimagined

Part of Jazz Mafia's ongoing Reimagined series — which has explored the music of Stevie Wonder, Prince, and The Beatles — this performance turns to two of jazz's most fearless innovators, Miles Davis and Charles Mingus. The San Francisco collective's core acoustic ensemble presents bold new arrangements of classic material while honoring the restless spirit that defined both artists.

Led by founder and bandleader Adam Theis on trombone, the seven-piece group features trumpet (Mike Olmos), alto sax (Laurel Fink), tenor and bari sax (Tommy Occhiuto), keys (Colin Hogan), upright bass (Joshua Thurston Milgrom), and drums (Henry Plumb). This instrumentation brings together longtime collaborators and rising talent for a night of deep grooves, inventive arrangements, and high-level interplay.

Jazz Mafia built its reputation as an eclectic artist collective that blends jazz with electronica, hip-hop, funk, classical, and world music genres. Founded in 2000 in San Francisco's Mission District, the group has performed at major venues including the SFJAZZ Center and Kennedy Center. Their approach is collaborative and risk-taking, creating what's been described as "forward-thinking music" that maintains jazz's exploratory spirit while pushing into new territory.

Expect to hear reimagined versions of Miles and Mingus classics filtered through Jazz Mafia's distinctive lens — music that maintains the harmonic sophistication and rhythmic complexity of the originals while adding contemporary touches. The acoustic format strips away the electronic elements that sometimes appear in Jazz Mafia's larger productions, focusing attention on the intricate arrangements and the musicians' ability to communicate through pure improvisation and interplay.

This is music for listeners who appreciate both reverence for jazz tradition and bold creative reinterpretation. The performance promises the kind of inventive arrangements and deep musical dialogue that made both Davis and Mingus legendary innovators in their own time.