Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane

Grammy-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard joins saxophonist Ravi Coltrane for a special centennial celebration honoring the legendary partnership of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. This residency celebrates the centennials of both jazz icons, focusing on their transformative five-year collaboration in Miles's "First Great Quintet" that produced the classic 1956 Prestige recordings Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin', as well as groundbreaking Columbia albums Milestones and Kind of Blue.

Blanchard brings his powerful, cinematic approach to the trumpet — what The New York Times calls "expressive urgency." As SFJAZZ's Executive Artistic Director and an eight-time Grammy winner, he's known for his commanding stage presence and storytelling through music. His live performances blend modal jazz and post-bop with electronic effects, creating larger-than-life instrumental narratives that can shift from intimate ballads to intensely dramatic moments.

Ravi Coltrane has carved his own distinctive path on tenor and soprano saxophones, extending far beyond his iconic family name. The son of John and Alice Coltrane, he developed his expansive aesthetic through early experience with Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine and Steve Coleman's M-Base movement. Okayplayer notes his approach of "embracing jazz's past only as a means to communicate his own modern-day voice."

The sextet features guitarist Charles Altura, known for his melodic fluidity and work with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke; pianist Julian Pollack, who blends jazz with electronic and fusion elements; bassist David Ginyard Jr., a key member of Blanchard's E-Collective; and drummer Oscar Seaton, a long-time collaborator with Ramsey Lewis who has appeared on over 80 albums.

Expect an evening that balances reverence for Miles and 'Trane's revolutionary music with fresh interpretations. Blanchard's concerts are known for their emotional range — from spine-tingling trumpet solos to moments of collective musical storytelling. His ability to create "suspension of time" through music, as one reviewer noted, makes for performances that feel both deeply personal and cinematically grand.