SF Jazz Presents - Profile of American Jazz Masters - Javon Jackson

The SF Jazz Festival experience is the hotplate where locals meet legends from the Bay Area and abroad in one of the most brilliant musical art forms.

Now in its 29^th year, SF Jazz has been a Bay Area cultural institution for nearly three decades. Founded in 1983, it is the largest jazz presenting venue and educational institution on the West Coast.

Offering extensive productions of a phenomenal array of jazz and world music artists at venues throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area, their year-round educational programs brings great artist to the Bay Area.

The Friday, October 28^th performance was held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, located at 701 Mission Street in San Francisco. The location is easily accessible by public transportation on either Muni or if traveling on BART, one can take either the Montgomery or Powell Street exits.

The venue’s contemporary arts center offers visual arts performances of music, film and media exhibitions. It is the perfect place for students and community residents looking for fun things do on weekends in beautiful downtown San Francisco.

Javon Jackson - www.2downfront.com

Of the many tributes to legendary John Coltrane, tenor saxophone mastermind Javon Jackson stood beyond the ordinary in his project focusing on Coltrane’s associated compositions and immortal recordings featuring four veteran masters with close spiritual and professional ties to Trane.

Heating up the stage on drums was Jimmy Cobb, pianist Mulgrew Miller and Nat Reeves on bass.

The highly esteemed musical masters were especially honored to share the bandstand with Jackson.

Jimmy Cobb - http://www.absoluteastronomy.com

“I love playing with Javon,” says Cobb who is still going strong at 82. Having collaborated extensively with Coltrane during their years as Miles Davis’ sidemen, he appeared together on the epochal album Kind of Blue and today he continues to lead his hard hitting bands and teaching jazz workshops at Stanford University for the past 9 years.

Mulgrew Miller

“Seeing Bobbie Hutcherson in the audience and being on the bandstand with Jimmy Cobb, I appreciate Jackson’s energy, says Miller, a potent leader himself who has been consistent across the years, having released several albums to date including, Live At Yoshi's Vol. 1 (2004), Live At Yoshi's Vol. 2 (2005), Live At The Kennedy Center Vol. 1 (2006), and Live At The Kennedy Center Vol. 2 (2007). Miller is the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University and was the Artist in Residence at Lafayette College for 2008-2009.

Nat Reeves

“Sensing the energy all around me, especially the audience, while playing with Javon, I forget I’m onstage,” says world renown bass player Reeves who has been teaching at the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut and the University of Hartford. Reeves have also performed internationally with a number of jazz artists including the legendary Jackie McLean.

The highly esteemed hip sophisticated crowd in the house for Jackson’s performance, included world renown Bay Area musicians, John Handy, former Jazz Studies Professor at San Francisco State, Bobby Hutcherson and Herbie Hancock, to name a few.

Having transcended his young lion status to become a noted composer and bandleader, Jackson has headed up acclaimed sessions for Blue Note, Criss Cross and Palmetto.

Michel Rabouin, Javon Jackson

“I’ve attended Javon’s performances for a number of years,” says Michel Rabouin of San Jose.

Jackson came on the jazz scene gaining attention while apprenticing with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the 80s and had memorable stints with molten drummer Elvin Jones, a member of Coltrane’s “classic” quartet.

“The most important thing I learned from Art Blakely was never forget to thank the audience, and to play as if it were your last time,” said Jackson.

A very versatile and eclectic musician, Jackson feels that doing different types of music helped him find his own style.

“Starting the day listening to classical music every morning relieves me from stress and helps center me for the day,” said Jackson.

Having collaborated with artists in other music genres, Jackson has also been known to work with R&B/soul singer, songwriter, and producer, Kem, and recording artist Carlos Santana.