Saxophonists Joshua Redman (center) and Joe Lovano (left) lead a performance at the SFJAZZ Center grand opening.

Once he had established himself as a world-class saxophonist, Joshua Redman moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he grew up. Soon afterward, he co-founded the SFJAZZ Collective. With his successor in the tenor sax chair, Joe Lovano, the band runs through "Blackwell's Message," a jaunty, open swinger to ring in the opening of the new SFJAZZ Center.

Once he had established himself as a world-class saxophonist, Joshua Redman moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he grew up. Soon afterward, he co-founded the SFJAZZ Collective, an all-star resident ensemble and touring group, and served as its artistic director for several years. When he stepped down from his post, his replacement was another titan of the tenor sax: Joe Lovano. Both were invited to ring in the new SFJAZZ Center with this performance of Lovano's "Blackwell's Message," an jaunty, open tribute to drummer Ed Blackwell which the saxophonists darted in and out of complementarily.

Personnel

• Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone
• Joshua Redman, tenor saxophone
• Matt Penman, bass
• Jeff Ballard, drums
• John Santos, percussion

Credits

Producers: Anya Grundmann, Mito Habe-Evans, Suraya Mohamed. Audio Engineers: Damond Jacob, Tony Guillory. Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, Clare Major. Emcee: Bill Cosby. Special thanks to WBGO, WWOZ and SFJAZZ. Recorded Jan. 23, 2013 at the SFJAZZ Center.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Filed in:

• Music Videos
• Concerts
• Music