($30-$40 + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) A centennial reflection on Miles Davis, one of the most transformative figures in twentieth-century music, led by acclaimed historian Ashley Kahn. From the cool restraint of Birth of the Cool through the modal innovations of Kind of Blue to the electric upheaval of Bitches Brew, Davis continually redefined the language of jazz, assembling forward-looking ensembles and reshaping the role of the bandleader as curator, catalyst, and disruptor.

Ashley Kahn:

Born in the Bronx and educated at Columbia University, Kahn has built a career documenting the inner workings of landmark recordings and the artists behind them. His work includes definitive books on Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme, as well as Grammy-winning liner notes for Offering: Live at Temple University and Miles ’55: The Prestige Recordings. His writing combines historical precision with close attention to the musical decisions that shaped these recordings.

This program situates Davis’s work within a broader musical and social context, examining how each phase of his career reframed improvisation, production, and audience expectation. Through Kahn’s perspective, the music emerges as a continuous process of reinvention. For this performance, Kahn will be joined by Jason Carder (trumpet) Morani Sanders (trumpet) Cameron Davidson (trumpet) Max Goldschmid (trumpet) Angelo Versace (piano) Colin McIlrath (bass) Arthur Vint (drums)

($5-$10 + DICE fees | 10:30pm Show) After Saturday night’s show, stick around for late night with legendary Tucson bassist Colin McIlrath and his band of freewheeling jazz artists! Guarantee a seat by the stage with an advanced ticket – walkins are FREE for the lounge and bar!

($30-$40 + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows)

Trumpeter, vocalist, and percussionist Pete Rodríguez carries the bloodline of Nuyorican salsa as he takes his unique brand of jazz to exciting new places. Son of salsa singer Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez and godson of Fania Records bandleader Johnny Pacheco, Rodríguez cut his teeth playing with some of the greatest names in Latin music.

By age 19, he was musical director of his father’s band. As a vocalist, he sang on Tito Puente’s Grammy-award winning Mambo Birdland. As an instrumentalist, he’s appeared with legends including Celia Cruz, Chico O’Farrill, Bebo Valdez and Eddie Palmieri, including performing on the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project’s Grammy-winning release, Simpatico.

As a bandleader, Rodríguez draws on his diverse upbringing—including living through the birth of Hip Hop in the Bronx and becoming an accomplished classical trumpeter as an adolescent in Puerto Rico—to create his own brand of jazz that defies categorization. ”

Rodríguez showcases remarkable chops, the notes flying from his horn in rapid, fluid succession … [he] needn’t worry about being obscured by his dad’s legacy – he’s an instrumental and compositional powerhouse with creativity and soul to spare.” (Jazziz).

His music demonstrates his aptitude for hard-driving, modern post-bop jazz, as much as melodic Latin variants and R&B-tinged grooves. Rodríguez has released a series of acclaimed albums as a leader, including Mind Trip, The Alchemist, Caminando con Papi (Destiny Records), El Conde Negro (Destiny Records), Obstacles (Sunnyside Records), and his most recent, I’m Pete Rodríguez, Vol. 1 (Sunnyside Records), named one of the Best of 2024 by the New York City Jazz Record. His forthcoming I’m Pete Rodríguez, Vol. 2 continues his exploration of identity, resilience, and innovation.

Band Lineup

Pete Rodriguez (trumpet & percussion) Raul Reyes (bass) Angelo Versace (piano) Julian Miltenberger (drums)

($5-$10 + DICE fees | 10:30pm Show) After Saturday night’s show, stick around for Late Night with drummer Joshua Carruthers and his band. Guarantee a seat by the stage with an advanced ticket – walkins are FREE for the lounge and bar!

( $15-25 + Dice fees | 4:30pm Matinee) Come wish founding Tango Guitar Project member Andrés Pantoja well before he returns home to Chile!

TGP invites audiences to experience the power, energy, and elegance of tango, reimagined for three guitars. Their unique formation—a trio of classically trained guitarists are rarely seen in the U.S. Performances feature a virtuoso interpretations of classics like “Libertango” and “La Cumparsita” with spontaneous improvisation and exhilarating arrangements that make every concert a thrilling and unforgettable experience. The Tango Guitar Project brings together three world-class classical guitarists from three countries. Led by Maxi Larrea (Argentina)—award-winning tango guitarist, composer,and author of a recently published tango guitar book—the trio also features Misael Barraza-Díaz (México), a flamenco virtuoso with ten international competition wins, and Andrés Pantoja (Chile), an acclaimed guitarist with multiple international awards and recorded albums.

($5-$10 + DICE fees | 6:30pm-9:30pm) Come sit in with trumpeter Cameron Davidson and the Century Room house band! Band opens up with a short set followed by an instrumental jam until 9:30pm. Musicians who sit in get in free thanks to the Sonora Arts & Music Initiative!

($20-$35 Tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8pm Sets) Vocalist Annamarie Smith-Butz fronts the 17-piece Century Jazz Orchestra!

ANNAMARIE SMITH-BUTZ

A passionate interpreter of the Great American Songbook, Annamarie is known for her warm, luminous voice & deeply heartfelt performances. With a mission to preserve & reimagine timeless standards, she brings emotional authenticity & vocal elegance to every stage she graces.

Captivating audiences around the world—from renowned venues like Don’t Tell Mama & Birdland in New York City, The Side Door at the Palladium in St. Petersburg, FL to Holland America Line cruises— her performances resonate with intimacy, storytelling, & soul. Annamarie also lends her voice to meaningful causes, headlining benefit concerts in support of arts education, mental health, social justice, & humanitarian relief.

Her musical roots run deep, shaped by early piano & voice studies, decades of musical theatre experience & formative years as a church cantor. These influences inform her expressive phrasing & signature sense of connection.

For Annamarie, each performance is more than a show—it’s a conversation. A moment to feel, remember, & connect. With grace, passion, & open-hearted joy, she continues to carry the torch of America’s classic vocal tradition.

CENTURY JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Inspired by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the 17-piece Century Jazz Orchestra performs every Monday night at the Century Room starting at 6:30pm. An intergenerational ensemble, the CJO fosters community with students, teachers and professionals performing alongside each other and is supported by the Sonora Arts & Music Initiative 501(c)3. Come relive the magic of the big band era every Monday as the CJO keeps the music alive and thriving in the 21st Century!

($10-$15 + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8pm Sets) Multi-instrumentalist Marco Rosano leads Marco & The Polos through a swingin’ night of traditional New Orleans jazz! Expect Marco to play bass sax, clarinet, piano, and more…