San Francisco experienced a heartfelt, generous homage to Wayne Shorter on Sunday afternoon when the SFJAZZ Collective presented its second of three shows, the Native Dancer project, at Miner Auditorium.

Led by music director and multi-reedist Chris Potter, the seven musicians approached Shorter’s 1975 collaboration with Milton Nascimento as an open exploration rather than a fixed document, and the packed audience sensed that openness from the first tune. Potter’s front line, including David Sánchez (tenor saxophone and congas) and trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, was complemented by Warren Wolf’s vibraphone, pianist Edward Simon’s lyrical authority, Matt Brewer’s steady bass, and Kendrick Scott’s dynamic and deeply musical drumming.

This ensemble had recently spent time together in Oakland at Tiny Telephone recording studio, with each member bringing a personal interpretation of a Native Dancer piece, so the matinee didn't sound like a group still learning its parts. It sounded like a band speaking one language. Potter has said that this version of the Collective can reach a level that's hard to achieve without extensive rehearsals and shared trust, and that depth was evident in how smoothly parts moved between players without strain.

The 90-minute program started with Milton Nascimento’s “From The Lonely Afternoons,” arranged by Rodriguez. Sánchez delivered the first extended statement, creating a strong rhythmic pull against the piano, bass, and drums; the horns responded with bright phrases that lifted the melody. Rodriguez followed with clear, singing lines, and Potter, first on bass clarinet and then on soprano saxophone, completed the sequence so that the piece felt like sound passed from one voice to another rather than soloists stepping forward in turn. The Collective let the rhythm section breathe, which gave the opener a sense of motion and curiosity.

Potter’s arrangement of Shorter’s “Ana Maria” transformed the room’s atmosphere. Sánchez moved to congas, adding a Brazilian glow to the groove, while the horns floated melodies that balanced tenderness with a hint of melancholy. The rhythm shifted between a gentle sway and a more assertive, funk-leaning feel, so the tune seemed to expand and contract like a tide. It was one of many moments when the audience could hear how carefully this band listened to one another.

Brewer’s original, “Everything So Far,” reminded listeners that the concert was also a snapshot of the Collective right now. He introduced a slow, dreamy theme; halfway through, the horn section erupted into a brief, many-voiced exchange that created a feeling of ordered chaos, after which the music returned to Simon’s haunting line. The piece demonstrated how the group could seamlessly incorporate new compositions into Shorter’s and Nascimento’s memorable sound.

Simon then brought out “Tarde,” one of Native Dancer’s most intimate songs. He shifted to keyboards and crafted the arrangement into a luminous ballad with rich, almost otherworldly harmony. Before playing, he spoke about the vulnerability in Nascimento’s voice, and the ensemble honored that feeling by leaving wide spaces and letting the melody linger over the rhythm section. It was the concert’s quietest but perhaps most focused passage.

Later came “Ponta de Areia,” the tune Potter called an earworm in the best sense. Sánchez’s arrangement preserved the nine-beat sway of the original. Still, it restructured the form so that Simon’s piano, Rodriguez’s clear trumpet, and Wolf’s vibraphone could each step forward while the song’s folklike refrain remained close at hand. At the end, Brewer bowed the melody alone, and the rest of the group rejoined him for a final, gentle cadence. The audience responded with that soft murmur that signals recognition and gratitude.

Kendrick Scott introduced “Milagre dos Peixes” by recalling the history behind Nascimento’s censored lyrics. The Collective responded to that history with energy. Their version was bright and lively, and Potter followed Scott’s drumming with a creative, forward-moving solo, so what could have been a solemn history lesson turned into a celebration of artistic resilience.

Another reflective high point arrived when Brewer turned to Herbie Hancock’s “Joanna’s Theme.” He began with a bowed, slightly eerie line that he looped through an interface into Abelton where the software processed and sent it back to the house mix, then he plucked over. Simon and Wolf added soft colors, and Scott stayed on mallets to keep the texture hushed. The episode lasted about seven minutes and felt like a contemplative center inside a concert otherwise full of rhythm and melody.

The main set ended on an energetic note with Scott’s funky reading of Shorter’s “The Beauty and the Beast,” demonstrating that this group can deliver weight and streetwise rhythm when they choose to. After the standing ovation, the seven musicians returned for an encore. Potter mentioned that they would conclude with an original piece he wrote for two longtime trio partners, whose nicknames are Z (Zakir Hussain) and D (Dave Holland). He dedicated “Ziandi” to Hussain, a beloved artist the community had recently lost. The piece served as a graceful closing, honoring Bay Area musical history while keeping the afternoon alive in celebration of creative friendship.

This afternoon’s concert confirmed that the SFJAZZ Collective remains a rare resident ensemble that feels both deeply rooted in its tradition and eager to reinvent itself. The musicians approached Native Dancer as a living repertoire that still invites risk, and the audience heard seven individual voices collaborating with mutual respect for Wayne Shorter’s imagination. This was Wayne Shorter, celebrated as living music, full of color and forward momentum.

Program Notes

Musician/Band Name: SFJAZZ Collective

Venue: Miner Auditorium

Event: Music Of Wayne Shorter's Native Dancer

Location: San Francisco, California

Date/showtime: Sunday, November 2, 2025. 3:00 p.m.

Website: https://www.sfjazz.org/discover/sfjazz-collective/

Personnel:

Chris Potter: Music director, Tenor and soprano saxophone, and bass clarinet.

David Sánchez: Tenor saxophone and congas.

Mike Rodriguez: Trumpet

Warren Wolf: Vibraphone

Edward Simon: Piano

Matt Brewer: Bass

Kendrick Scott: Drums

Chris Edwards: Manager, and Production Manager

Setlist: “From The Lonely Afternoons,” “Ana Maria,” “Tarde,” “Everything So Far,” “Ponta de Areia,” “Milagre dos Peixes (Miracle of the Fishes),” “Joanna’s Theme,” “The Beauty and the Beast.”

Encore: “Ziandi.”

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