John Beasley’s UNLIMITED MILES at The Ford Theatre – Hollywood, CA
In a joint production alongside the Leimert Park Jazz Festival, John Beasley presented Unlimited Miles: Miles Davis at 100 at the inaugural Sunday Jazz at The Ford (in partnership with The Ford/LA Phil). Beasley’s Unlimited Miles band has Beasley on the piano and synthesizer, Sean Jones on trumpet (and flugel horn), Marcus Strickland on the tenor saxophone, Ben Williams on bass, and John Davis on the drum kit.
8 songs. 4 decades. 60 minutes. Unlimited Miles’ incredible setlist included fabulous walking bass lines from Wiliams great rimshot accents and delicate high-hat work from Davis, and tight soli sections and cutoffs on “Seven Steps to Nirvana” (Beasley’s renaming of “Seven Steps to Heaven”). A medley of “Teo” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” (lead track to Miles’ 1961 album of the same name) followed, with ethereal synth work from Beasley, more great cymbal work from Davis, perfectly placed fat upright bass lines from Wiliams, and gentle horn stylings from Jones.
A medley joining “Moon Dreams,” “Sanctuary” and “Fat Time,” included a gorgeous build, with the synth/electric bass section transitioning to a drum shuffle that added beautiful tenor work from Strickland and tasty muted trumpet accent work from Jones, for a combination that skirted the edge of funk. With Jones sharing the story of first hearing Miles Davis and how it changed the trajectory of his life as a youngster, the group’s rendition of “Catémbe” brought delicious bass work from Williams. Closing out with “Pinocchio,” there was more incredible upright bass work on the intro, phenomenal trumpet growls and ‘brass conversation’ from Jones, a great combination of High-hat and keys work alongside walking bass lines, with flawless band communication.
The second half of the evening featured a selection of young musicians from the Leimert Park Jazz Festival Emerging Artists Collective. The “So What” cover opener featured Nicole McCabe on the alto saxophone, with incredible playing and tone, as Tatiana Tate and Kenneth Brown II joined in on trumpet, along with a fantastic bass solo from Weldon Scott in a great display of feisty musical phenoms. A fabulous rhythm guitar (Kevin Hernandez) and bass (Aubrey Situmorang) intro followed on “Nardis,” with horn player Tatiana Tate entering from the side of the crowd while playing. Vocalist Hannah Norman lit up the stage with incredible energy on “Four,” as alto saxophonist Chris Powe entered the scene from a spotlit rock wall pathway behind the stage. A beautiful piano solo unfolded from Veritus Miller before New Orleans ambiance rolled out with trombonist Josh White playing as he walked to the stage up the aisle between the audience on “Tutu.” The muted trumpet sound from Tatiana Tate was incredible and the bass playing from Aubrey Situmorang was absolutely outstanding, with a perfect use of space and lingering fat feel to her sound. She was like ‘Benson on the bass.’ Other incredible sound came through from Josh Childs on piano and Jordan Proffer on drums.
With an intense, captivated crowd of serious jazz connoisseurs, the evening delivered an easy confidence and flow from all the players, adding to the soul-fueling atmosphere. The players, audience, and everyone working the space were all clearly in their element, from the smokey sounding tenor sax from Strickland (which defied the early hour!) to the perfectly calibrated audio set up—with beautifully balanced mic picks ups (especially on the trumpet mute and drum kit)—and the overall acoustics were fabulous. The business-casual attire and easy outdoor vibe juxtaposed a clearly astute crowd of afficionados.
Concert film Unlimited Miles: Live at Blue Note Tokyo was released on Miles’ centennial (May 26, 2026) and can be seen on Mezzo TV (in 70+ countries), online at Medici TV and in Japan on WOWWOW. See YouTube snippet HERE. Beasley’s 4th album (via Mack Avenue Records), Unlimited Miles: Live at Blue Note Tokyo is scheduled for release in early 2027.
Leimert Park Jazz Festival is a South Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) with a mission to preserve jazz, nurture the next generation of artists, cultivate audiences, and expand equitable access to jazz-centered artists programming to strengthen communities and promote wellbeing. Upcoming shows include monthly series Sunday Jazz at The World Stage on Sunday, August 23, with host band and open jam session (tickets HERE) and the 7th Annual Leimert Park Jazz Festival on Saturday, August 29 (tickets HERE).
Contact Lorna Chiu, Artist Manager / lorna@johnbeasleymusic.com
More at johnbeasleymusic.com and leimertparkjazzfestival.org
Photo Credit: Melvin Blackwell
