The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation in collaboration with The Century Room / Century Room Jazz Education Program presented an afterschool presentation on Thursday, January 15, 2026, celebrating the centennial of trumpet legend MILES DAVIS. Grammy-winning American music historian, author, journalist, and producer ASHLEY KAHN explained to students why Miles Davis still matters using a multi-media format that included a performance of three Miles tunes: Milestones; Straight, No Chasers; and All Blues, by the Morani Sanders Sextet — Morani Sanders/trumpet, Peter Saxe/piano, Brice Winston/tenor, Eric Nakanishi/alto, Scott Black/bass, and Arthur Vint/drums.
Kahn is known for his acclaimed books on jazz albums like Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. He also co-authored Carlos Santana’s autobiography, The Universal Tone, and teaches at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music. Kahn’s current project/book is: Days of Miracle and Wonder: Paul Simon and the Trials and Triumphs of Graceland – Hardcover available August 11, 2026.
Students attended representing jazz band programs at Tucson Magnet and Rincon University High Schools, Tucson Jazz Institute (community jazz music school), Tucson Waldorf School, and the University of Arizona.
To view clips of two of the tunes presented in this afterschool program – Straight, No Chaser and All Blues – visit this YouTube playlist.
This afterschool program was free for the students and sponsored by the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation from donations made on behalf of the Century Room Jazz Education Program.
