Navigating transitions gracefully is one hallmark of a polished jazz combo, and lately it seems that rarified skill set has flowed from bandstands to front offices, as just about every major jazz organization in the region has undergone a generational shift at the top. It’s not just that new leadership has taken the helm. From Healdsburg Jazz’s Marcus Shelby and SFJAZZ’s Terence Blanchard to the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Darin Atwater, renowned musicians have stepped up to guide these crucial institutions, replacing founding or longtime directors.
While those changes have been widely noted, the Stanford Jazz Workshop has quietly undergone a similar sea change, with bassist Cory Combs taking over as executive director from Jimmy Nadel, who launched the organization in 1972 and led it for the next five decades. Combs brings a wealth of experience to his position overseeing the Workshop and its attendant Stanford Jazz Festival, which kicks off June 21 at Bing Concert Hall with a rare performance by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s spacious trio Owl Song with guitar great Bill Frisell and New Orleans drum maestro Herlin Riley. Much like Blanchard and Atwater, Combs didn’t set about to reimagine the organization’s mission or offerings.
“I’m focused on continuity,” he said, noting that Nadel and saxophonist Steven Lugerner, the Workshop’s longtime faculty coordinator, ensured a smooth shift. “I didn’t come in wanting to be a change agent.” If there’s one .
