The 11 jazz shows we are most excited about this fall

Jazz always evolves by bridging past and present, but the evidence of that can still come as a shock.

In the middle of “Amaranthine,” an otherwise thoroughly modern piece on Mary Halvorson’s latest album, About Ghosts, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill suddenly quotes the melody of the classic standard “My Ideal.”

The moment passes as quickly as it arises, but it’s a bracing reminder that the tradition remains even at its most unrecognizable.

That idea will manifest in a number of different ways in this fall’s jazz concerts, including two hip-hop-reared drummer-producers offering postmodern mash-ups, a span of generations sharing a single stage, and other provocative sounds.

Below are 11 highlights of the coming months’ offerings, though each of these venues and presenters are offering a full calendar worth delving into.

The expansive ground that Joe McPhee has covered is remarkable, even for his 85 years. McPhee is a multi-instrumentalist, equally accomplished on a variety of saxophones and trumpets, on top of being a poet of visceral emotion. Emerging from the free jazz crucible of Coltrane, Ornette, and Ayler, McPhee has been voracious in his improvisatory appetites, forging strong collaborations with scenes in NYC, Chicago, and Europe. For this Fire Museum-presented date, he’ll partner with the Ghost, a queer-centric trio led by saxophonist Michael Foster. firemuseumpresents.com

Thirty years ago, it seemed innovative when jazz and hip-hop converged. Now, it seems inevitable, less a convergence than evidence that both emanated from a common root. So it’s unsurprising that so many jazz drummers also make creative producers in the hip-hop world — Kassa Overall, who played Solar Myth earlier this month, is another case in point. Within one week in October, Philly audiences will have three chances to catch the recombinant, free-improv style of Makaya McCraven, while veteran drummer-turned-viral-sensation Nate Smith brings his memoiristic beat science to the Perelman Theater for one night. arsnovaworkshop.org; ensembleartsphilly.org

It continues to be nothing less than remarkable that saxophonist Marshall Allen is still going strong well past his 101st birthday. His new album, The Omniverse Oriki, grew out of a Halloween night concert in 2023, when Allen’s trio joined the Afro Cuban Yoruban percussion ensemble, Ade Ilu, onstage. Then again two days later in the studio to recapture the magic. Philly percussionist and bandleader Kevin Diehl will reconvene the raucous and questing crew once more to celebrate the album’s release. firemuseumpresents.com

When flutist Nicole Mitchell, cellist Tomeka Reid, and drummer Mike Reed first got together a decade ago, all three were representative of a younger generation of artists nurtured by Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Their first album was an homage to the organization’s elders, reimagining works by the likes of Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, and Amina Claudine Myers. Their 2021 follow-up, …and Then There’s This, largely consisted of originals by the trio, all by now well established as vital figures advancing the AACM’s “ancient to the future” ethos. arsnovaworkshop.org

It’s well established that Cécile McLorin Salvant is the most visionary jazz vocalist of her generation. But since signing onto the genre-averse Nonesuch label, she’s turned her instinct for reinvention inward. Her latest, Oh Snap, is ferociously playful, as it juggles ’70s soul, psych-folk, show tunes, blues, and disco, and captures moments in unconventional spaces. It experiments with tech like Auto-Tune and GarageBand with a hobbyist’s glee and a virtuoso’s inventiveness. pennlivearts.org

The best way to avoid Shore traffic is to wait until summer’s over altogether. Twice-a-year festival Exit Zero offers a number of good reasons to visit Cape May in the offseason. This fall’s iteration of the fest is highlighted by the return of long-dormant vocalist Cassandra Wilson, celebrating the 30th anniversary of her landmark Blue Note album New Moon Daughter; the revival of Crisol, the Latin-tinged sextet formed by the late trumpet great Roy Hargrove; and a sure-to-be-crowd-pleaser of a set by Philly-born bass legend Stanley Clarke. exitzerojazzfestival.com

Though she’s 25, Samara Joy has ascended to the jazz vocal pantheon in a breathtakingly short time, and her year-end shows are fast becoming a Philly holiday tradition. In recent years, she’s been joined by her family, including members of Philly gospel group the Savettes. But this time around, the spotlight will be on Joy and her warm, radiant voice, and her elegant but never hidebound take on the tradition. ensembleartsphilly.org

In recent years, saxophonist Henry Threadgill has firmly established himself among the pantheon of modern composers, earning a Pulitzer Prize for music, being named an NEA Jazz Master, and publishing an acclaimed memoir. The uniqueness of his vision has been dazzlingly evident since he emerged in the 1970s with Air, his singular trio with bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Steve McCall. That early music lives on with this new trio, led by Threadgill’s own choice, multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich, with drummer Pheeroan akLaff, and bassist Hilliard Greene. arsnovaworkshop.org

Six-string aficionados have reason to give thanks this year, as two of jazz’s most scintillating guitarists share the stage at Chris’ over the holiday weekend. Peter Bernstein is an ingenious and eloquent player with an effortless but profound sense of swing and a rapid-fire wit. A frequent visitor to the club, he’ll be joined this time by Bobby Broom, a longtime Chicagoan best known for his long association with Sonny Rollins with a penchant for organ trio (which will find him right at home in Philly) and a raucous blues flavor to his sound. chrisjazzcafe.com

Singer Dianne Reeves has released dozens of albums during her four-decade career, including a memorable 20-year run on Blue Note, that helped earn her Jazz Master status and five Grammys. Only one of those albums celebrates the holidays — 2004’s Christmas Time is Here — but one is all it takes to become a perennial. It helps that the album boasts an all-star band that ensures it doesn’t wear out its welcome amid the glut of ubiquitous Christmas songs. Reeves revisits those yuletide classics at the Annenberg this season. pennlivearts.org

A rollicking drummer with a buoyant swing feel, Joe Farnsworth spent much of his career as the first call for a number of legendary elders: McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Harold Mabern, Benny Golson. Lately he’s graduated to mentor status himself, leading bands for the first time where he’s the oldest cat in the room. At Chris’, he’ll play host to one of that new generation, the pianist Emmet Cohen, who has amassed an enormous internet fan base while also seeking out legends to learn from. chrisjazzcafe.com