At this lovingly curated annual jam session, you’ll hear parings and combinations of jazz artists you’ll never hear any place else. In duet, trio, quartet, and larger ensembles, these amazing top-tier players can let their unbridled creativity soar. Though the list is subject to change, it’s likely that you’ll experience the playing of amazing artists such as pianists Kris Davis, Dena DeRose, Taylor Eigsti, and Edward Simon; guitarists Camila Meza and Matthew Stevens; bassists Or Bareket, and Ben Williams; saxophonists Caroline Davis and Tivon Pennicott; trumpeter Dave Douglas; and drummers Obed Calvaire and Matt Wilson. The SJW All-Star Jam is always the highlight of the season! 

“Eigsti exudes fearlessness and joy, secure in the belief that he can make music with anyone.” —Variety

Pianist Taylor Eigsti has been busier than ever since winning a Grammy for Best Instrumental Album in 2023. Having just released another new album this February called Plot Armor, Taylor is back on the road with Terence Blanchard, Lisa Fischer, Ben Wendel, and his own group. 

And no surprise. Tons of great musicians love playing with him, and thousands love listening to him. Taylor weaves together intricate melodies, rhythms that are angular yet infectious, and deep grooves into a soundscape that’s anything but predictable. You’ll hear echoes of electronica, hip-hop, rock, and even classical, all seamlessly blended into a sonic journey that will captivate you. His passion and energy are astonishing yet inviting, drawing you into the heart of his music. He’ll conjure a kaleidoscope of emotions – from playful joy to introspective reflection.

This will be a special first-time meeting of these four musicians, all of whom have a lot of independent history. Taylor will also be adding a lot of SJW faculty artists, too!

“Dave Douglas is the unassuming king of independent jazz.” —Downbeat

Dave Douglas is a trumpet player of rare abilities, and his virtuosity always serves his expansive compositional vision. A Dave Douglas performance is a musical journey, and for this trip, Dave is performing music from his Gifts project, which is inspired by the life and music of the great woodwind master, Charles Lloyd. The music of Gifts reflects on the wisdom and positivity of the great jazz legend, exploring in particular Charles’ fascination with the music of Billy Strayhorn, the composer of “Take the A Train” and “Lush Life,” among many other jazz classics. The band focuses its improvisations on song forms and the manipulation of tone in their interpretations of each piece. You can expect an atmospheric approach, evocative and melodic.

“[Caroline Davis is in] the company of vital artists at the frontier of jazz.”—Something Else

“It’s just the right amount of unsettling — like what you’d expect to hear in the background after a confounding, climactic scene in a great Lynch film.”—The New York Times

When Caroline Davis writes music, she goes deep. The inspiration might be a scientific or biological topic, such as Alula, which is part of the leading edge of a bird’s wing, or Heart Tonic, which explores the physical mechanics of the human heart. Described by Caroline as an immersive sound experience, this stunning concert focuses on a very personal topic: Caroline’s Portals compositions draw upon the idea of mourning and ancestral communications as textural entities. Caroline wrote the music to offer connections to her ancestors, biological and chosen. The band will play original pieces from Portals, Volume 1: Mourning (2021) and Portals, Volume 2: Returning (to be released later in 2024).