La Jolla Music Society’s Jazz Mini Festival Honors Miles & Coltrane at 100
If live jazz is your kind of night out, La Jolla Music Society’s Jazz Mini Festival is bringing an incredible lineup to town – all centered on honoring two icons who shaped modern music: Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
From intimate sets with full bar and table service at The Jai to headline performances at The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, this week gives us plenty of ways to experience the music – whether we want a cozy listening room vibe or a full concert hall moment.
Emmet Cohen – Miles and Coltrane at 100
Multi-award-winning pianist Emmet Cohen leads an all-star quintet in celebration of the centennial of Davis and Coltrane. Joined by saxophonist Tivon Pennicott and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, Cohen revisits the groundbreaking work of these legends with bold, reimagined interpretations that honor their spirit while pushing the music forward.
📆 Monday, April 6, 2026 • 5:30 PM & 8 PM | Tuesday, April 7, 2026 • 5:30 PM & 8 PM
📍 The Jai
🎟️ Tickets: April 6 | April 7
Jazz Encounter: A Conversation With Emmet Cohen & Joe Farnsworth
For those who want to go deeper, this afternoon conversation brings together Emmet Cohen, drummer Joe Farnsworth, and journalist Robert John Hughes.
Expect thoughtful discussion around the innovations of Miles and Coltrane and how their influence continues to shape today’s jazz landscape.
📆 Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 1 PM
📍 The Jai
🎟️ Purchase tickets here
Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane
In a rare collaboration, trumpeter Terence Blanchard and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane share the stage to reinterpret the music of Davis and Coltrane.
Backed by a stellar ensemble, this performance looks ahead as much as it looks back – honoring a century of jazz while imagining its future.
📆 Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 7:30 PM
📍 Balboa Theatre
🎟️ Purchase tickets here
COLTRANE 100
Closing out the festival, Joe Lovano, Melissa Aldana, Nduduzo Makhathini, Linda May Han Oh, and Jeff “Tain” Watts come together for a collective tribute reflecting Coltrane’s enduring influence across generations and continents. Rather than recreate the past, this quintet uses Coltrane’s compositions as a springboard for fresh expression.
📆 Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM
📍 The Baker-Baum Concert Hall
🎟️ Purchase tickets here
See you there!
We’ll be finding our seats early, drink in hand, ready for a week that reminds us why jazz still hits as hard as ever.
ℹ️ More info here
See you there, San Diego!
