MILES DAVIS-JOHN COLTRANE CENTENNIAL

Miles Davis and John Coltrane were two of jazz's most influential solo artists and bandleaders. Between 1955 and 1960, they performed together in Miles' quintet and sextet, creating landmark albums such as Kind of Blue and Round About Midnight. They later pursued separate careers: Miles explored many styles across different lineups, while John focused on his celebrated quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones, producing seminal works like A Love Supreme. Their compositionssuch as So What by Davis and Giant Steps by Coltraneare now essential to the jazz canon. Both musicians would have turned 100 in 2026, making this program a fitting tribute with leading experts in their art form. Joe Magnarelli, a New York trumpeter, has been active for over thirty years; he studied at SUNY-Fredonia before moving to New York and worked with Lionel Hampton's big band and organist Jack McDuff. In 1991 he formed the New York Hard Bop Quintet and later led groups featuring John Swana and Jerry Weldon, while also performing as a sideman for artists including Toshiko Akiyoshi, Laverne Butler, Harry Connick Jr., Buddy Rich's band, Maria Schneider, Grant Stewart, Ray Barretto, and others. Jerry Bergonzi is a celebrated jazz musician who has collaborated with Dave Brubeck and led his own ensemble for more than forty years. This tour also features young Canadian clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, an emerging figure in North American jazz. The group includes pianist Jeb Patton, known for his work with the Heath brothers; bassist John Lockwood, a long-standing New England artist; and Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter, who won the Hans Koller Prize in 2006 and now lives part-time in New York City. He has performed with Don Menza, Charles Davis, Harold Mabern, Cyrus Chestnut, Kirk Lightsey, Mundell Lowe, Steve Grossman, Claudio Roditi, and many others. This international lineup of artists from the United States, Canada, and Austria offers a top-tier evening under the theme Swinging Jazz at Its Best.