Jazz is Dead & Cortex in Berkeley

Jazz Is Dead is an American jazz-rock ensemble established in 1998 to reinterpret the music of the Grateful Dead through instrumental improvisation. Its early lineup featured bassist Alphonso Johnson, keyboardist T Lavitz, guitarist Jimmy Herring and drummer Billy Cobham, and its recordings include Blue Light Rain and Laughing Water. The original quartet toured in 1998, bringing its extended arrangements of Grateful Dead songs to concert stages. The 25th Anniversary Tour revived the project in 2023, pairing Johnson with guitarists Steve Kimock and Bobby Lee Rodgers and drummer Pete Lavezzoli.

Cortex is a French jazz-funk group formed in 1974 by keyboardist and singer Alain Mion and drummer Alain Gandolfi. Its best-known record is the 1975 debut album Troupeau Bleu, which includes “Huit Octobre 1971,” “La Rue” and the title track; its grooves later became widely sampled in hip-hop. Cortex undertook its first North American tour in 2024, presenting concerts built around Troupeau Bleu. The group performs as a full band with keyboards, vocals, horns and a rhythm section under the direction of Alain Mion.