The Absence of Ruin is innovative jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran’s multidisciplinary meditation on the life and legacy of James Reese Europe, the underrecognized Black American composer and bandleader who landed in France with the Harlem Hellfighters on New Year’s Day 1918. The celebrated all-Black unit helped break the stalemate on the Western front during the First World War, while composer Europe’s finely honed military music ensemble popularized the new spirit of jazz in a war-torn France fascinated with Black culture. Praised by the Washington Post as a “beautiful, poignant, reverent” tribute to Europe with a “stark, sublime beauty,” Moran’s layered work explores the idea of memory in Black culture, augmenting his longstanding Bandwagon bandmates—bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits—with a seven-piece horn section and visuals by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young.
This event is part of Cal Performances’ Illuminations: “Innocence & Experience” programming for the 2026–27 season.
Program notes will be available approximately one week before the performance.
7:30pm
There is a $20 service charge on all subscription orders, and a $15 per order service charge on ticket purchases made by phone or online that are not part of a subscription package. There is no fee for tickets purchased in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office unless they are part of a subscription.
Parking Alert
Parking may be a problem on campus for this performance due to a Cal Football game.
Most University parking lots will be reserved for patrons and city-owned lots may have a limited number of spots available. We advise you to arrive early and to consider alternative transportation.
Please see our Parking Alert section for more information.
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2026–27 Season Guides
Some of you want your mind blown. Some want your heart broken. Some want to see a legend before they stop touring. Whatever brings you through those doors, we’ve built a guide for it. Explore the six patron guides below to find the performances that were made for you!
7:30pm
There is a $20 service charge on all subscription orders, and a $15 per order service charge on ticket purchases made by phone or online that are not part of a subscription package. There is no fee for tickets purchased in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office unless they are part of a subscription.
2026–27 Season Subscriptions go on sale noon May 5
Single tickets for 2026–27 Season events go on sale at noon Aug 11
