Marcus Shelby New Orchestra

For his second 2025-26 Season performance, bassist and bandleader Marcus Shelby and his New Orchestra tackle the era-defining music trumpet icon Miles Davis and his nonet recorded in 1949 and 1950 that was released under the name Birth of the Cool — a pivotal moment in the development of “cool jazz.”  

Bassist, composer, arranger, educator and bandleader Marcus Shelby is a figure synonymous with Bay Area jazz and the spirit of collaboration. A recipient of the Charles Mingus Scholarship, Shelby attended Cal Arts and studied with Charlie Haden and James Newton while working simultaneously with the all-star jazz ensemble Black/Note, who released a series of highly regarded albums in the 1990s. Since moving to the Bay Area, he has led a highly regarded jazz orchestra and numerous small groups, with large-scale commissions focused on the history, present, and future of the African-American experience.

Released by Capitol Records in March of 1957, Birth of the Cool features a nine-piece band that emerged from loose jam sessions held at arranger Gil Evans’ apartment, inspired by European impressionist composers and utilizing layered sonorities and lyrical approaches rather than the high-energy bebop style. Produced by Pete Rugalo and featuring Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, J.J. Johnson, and Max Roach, the album is comprised of tracks from a series of sessions recorded in 1949 and 1950.