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The Monterey Jazz Festival is held annually on the 20-acre, oak-studded Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, Calif. Since 1958, the nonprofit Monterey Jazz Festival has been committed to celebrating America’s creativity and cultural heritage by presenting legendary jazz musicians, composers, and young rising stars.
Co-founded by Jimmy Lyons and Ralph J. Gleason in 1958, the nonprofit Monterey Jazz Festival is the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world, and presented nearly every major jazz artist over the last 60-plus years—from Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, and Miles Davis, to contemporary masters Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, Norah Jones, Esperanza Spalding, and Terence Blanchard.
As a nonprofit, Monterey Jazz Festival is devoted to education by presenting year-round local, regional, national, and international programs. Thousands of students have been the benefactors of the festival’s educational efforts through the Jazz in the Schools Program, Summer Jazz Camp, Next Generation Jazz Festival, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo and Monterey County All-Star Ensembles, which embark on annual performance trips each summer.
MJF67 begins a new chapter, under the leadership of newly appointed Artistic Director, Darin Atwater, composer, conductor, pianist, record producer, artist, arranger, film composer, vocalist and educator from John Hopkins Peabody Institute. He suceeds Tim Jackson’s 31-year broad-minded tenure that brought the festival into the 21st century by spotlighting more female, international and younger artists. Atwater carries on Jackson’s legacy and goes further with an even younger and more diverse pool of talent.
67th Monterey Jazz Festival
SEPTEMBER 27-29, 2024
The 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival
Number 66
Billy Childs, pianist arranger
MUSIC REVIEWS
Festival & Music Reviews…
by Christopher J Walker and Amanda Wheeler
However, not many of the legendary/iconic old guard (over 50) are on the roster. The exceptions are Joshua Redman, Stanley Clarke, Mimi Fox, Leon Joyce, Jr., David Binney and Kyle Eastwood. In the cross-currents of blues, R&B, gospel and world music are octogenarians Mavis Staples, and Bobby Rush with The Blind Boys of Alabama, along with (20 years younger) Tammy Hall, Donald Lawrence, Lila Downs and Blue Note President Don Was’ Pan-Detroit Ensemble.
Unquestionably, MJF67 is bringing emerging jazz sensations such as Somara Joy, Hiromi, Gerald Clayton, The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB), Joel Ross, Carolyn Sills Combo and the New Orleans Groove Masters to the forefront. Yet, the festival maintains it commitment to preserving jazz and its history, with an assortment of discussions, art and related merch. Most importantly MJF is an experience that embraces the spirit and culture of jazz.
ENJOY CRAFT BEER MORE!
READ: Chris Walker's Review
of the 2023 MJF
(scroll down)
Art Garfunkel, former Simon & Garfunkel member, performed at the Segerstrom Center For The Arts with guitarist/keyboardist Tab Laven supporting him. During the mid to late ‘60s S&G captured the sensitivity of college youths through mostly poetic ballads. Garfunkel’s son Arthur Jr.9, began the show sweetly singing Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M the title track of S&G’s debut album. Afterwards the senior Garfunkel proudly admitted, “He has the voice, but I have the hits.” His son later rendered classics “Smile” and “Amore” solely, and with him the Everly Brothers “Devoted to You” and vintage “Let It Be Me.”
Senior Garfunkel showcased writing skills through angelic ballads “Perfect Moment” and “All I Know,” along with his book What Is It All But Luminous (Notes From An Underground Man), published in 2017. However, the audience really came to hear S& G music, since their reuniting is extremely remote. Garfunkel obliged with vocally challenging “Scarborough Fair,” easy flowing “Homeward Bound,” passionately sung “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her,” lightly rocking “Sounds of Silence” and lyrical gem “Kathy’s Song” to receive a standing ovation. Notably missing from the concert was S&G’s most popular song “Bridge Over Troubled Water” that recently marked its 50th anniversary.
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Established in 1999 Nevada City, CA