The Emmet Cohen Trio and special guests trumpeter Tivon Pennicott and saxophonist Jeremy Pelt will perform “Miles and Coltrane at 100” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union as part of the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) Jazz Series.
Created by pianist Emmet Cohen, the program commemorates the 100th birthdays of influential figures in jazz history, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, through new arrangements.
The program features new compositions and new arrangements of classic jazz works that helped define modern jazz and continue to influence musicians today, drawing from key works across the careers of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Cohen, celebrated for his work as a pianist, bandleader and jazz educator, is known for his creative interpretations of jazz standards. He created the most-viewed online jazz show in the world, called “Live from Emmet’s Place,” which contributes to his reputation of being one of the genre’s most engaging performers.
“Emmet Cohen’s ‘Miles and Coltrane at 100’ celebrates the deep impact jazz icons Miles Davis and John Coltrane have had on 20th-century music,” WUT Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “Despite being towering figures in the same era, their styles were very different. Improvisations by Miles were perfectly placed notes and use of space. Coltrane’s are long and exhaustive of possibilities. This concert will be a great chance to hear the music differences of these two unmistakable legends. It is the kind of event that everyone can enjoy, whether they’re familiar with jazz history or not.”
Tickets are available between $8 and $74 and can be purchased online, in person at the Memorial Union Box Office or at (608) 265-2787.
This performance is presented by WUT and the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee. Following this performance, the 2025–26 Jazz Series will include a performance by Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera on Apr. 30.
More information about this and other performances is available at union.wisc.edu/theater.