Pacific Jazz Orchestra Presents 'Miles & Trane at 100' at The Wallis, 5/28

Pacific Jazz Orchestra (PJO) presents “Miles & Trane at 100,” a powerful tribute to two of the most influential figures in jazz – trumpeter Miles Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane – on Thursday, May 28, 2026, 7:30 pm, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The seminal artists, who were both born in 1926, would have turned 100 this year.

Noted guest artists Sean Jones, trumpet, Emmet Cohen, piano, and PJO’s own Jacob Scesney, saxophone, are featured with the 40-piece LA-based hybrid big band and string orchestra.

Seven-time GRAMMY®-nominated composer/arranger Chris Walden, the founder and artistic director of Pacific Jazz Orchestra, conducts the program, which includes newly arranged versions of some of Miles and Trane’s classic works that helped shape the course of modern jazz.

“Miles Davis and John Coltrane are towering jazz figures whose remarkable musical innovation continues to influence the landscape of modern music,” says Walden. “Pacific Jazz Orchestra is proud to honor their legacy and celebrate their timeless music.”

Davis and Coltrane created a seismic shift in jazz during their fertile five-year musical collaboration from 1955 to 1960. They are hailed for producing landmark albums infused with a then-novel style of jazz called modal improvisation, which focuses on color and tonality for the harmonic framework, rather than chord progressions, providing the soloist greater freedom when improvising. Davis and Coltrane’s own individual artistic styles and other artistic endeavors also proved groundbreaking. Davis, known for his iconic smooth, subdued tone, was a cool jazz and jazz fusion pioneer as well as a visionary bandleader who championed rising artists. Coltrane’s instantly recognizable dark, brooding sound and virtuosic control of the saxophone place him among the pantheon of jazz players with many of his recordings reaching classic status, among them Blue Train, Giant Steps, and A Love Supreme.

Sean Jones (trumpet), who has worked with such major figures as Joe Lovano, Chico O’Farrill, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster, and Dianne Reeves, previously served as lead trumpet for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (2004-2010) and was a member of the SFJAZZ Collective (2015-2017), which produced eight albums on Mack Avenue Records under his leadership. Jones, who joined Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter for their “Tribute to Miles” tour in 2011, is featured on three Grammy Award–winning albums: Dianne Reeve's Beautiful Life, Nancy Wilson's Turned to Blue, and Gerald Wilson's New York, New Sound.

Emmet Cohen (piano), widely recognized for his virtuosity and deep swing, has released 12 albums as a band leader and is the producer and creative force behind “Live From Emmet’s Place,” a landmark series comprising over 140 two-hour livestream performances featuring hundreds of musicians, which has had more than 100 million views. A Mack Avenue recording artist, Cohen has performed in more than 40 countries and was selected to be the Artistic Partner of the 2027 American Piano Awards. He was named DownBeat Readers Poll Pianist of the Year in 2025. In 2023, he garnered both Pianist of the Year and Livestream Producer of the Year honors from the Jazz Journalists Association.

Jacob Scesney (saxophone) is a rising star of the LA jazz and studio scene. He has performed around the globe with world-renowned acts such as Maroon 5, The Jonas Brothers, Shawn Mendes, and John Legend. He has played at Wembley Stadium, Crypto.com arena, Red Rocks, and Wrigley Field, among other iconic venues. Scesney has also appeared on the soundtracks of epic films such as Babylon and numerous hit TV shows, including Glee, The Voice, American Idol, The Ellen Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Pacific Jazz Orchestra has received critical acclaim for thrilling performances that “entertain, inspire, and enrich” (Variety). Thanks to the generosity of The Herb Alpert Foundation (HAF), the Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s inaugural season was fully funded, and HAF continues to support the ensemble in its 2025-26 season. Additional support this season is provided by Grow @ Annenberg.

The Wallis is located at 9390 N Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. For tickets ($53.90-$108.90) and information, visit www.pacificjazz.org or call 310-746-4000.