Monterey Jazz Festival


The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It debuted on October 3, 1958, championed by Dave Brubeck and co-founded by jazz and popular music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jazz disc jockey Jimmy Lyons.

History

The festival is held annually on the, oak-studded Monterey County Fairgrounds, located at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, on the third full weekend in September, beginning on Friday. Five hundred top jazz artists perform on nine stages spread throughout the grounds, with 50 concert performances. In addition, the Monterey Jazz Festival features jazz conversations, panel discussions, workshops, exhibitions, clinics, and an international array of food, shopping, and festivities spread throughout
From 1992 to 2010, Tim Jackson was general manager and artistic director, and in 2010, Chris Doss became the managing director, and Jackson became the artistic director. In 2014, Colleen Bailey became the managing director. Since 1992, Clint Eastwood has been on MJF's board of directors. Kent and Keith Zimmerman describe the festival as having expanded in recent years: "While jazz radio and major labels cut back on musical choice and commitment, the Monterey Jazz Festival has widened its scope by expanding the parameters of jazz, blues, and rock.... Happily, MJF is now as diverse and vibrant as Lyons imagined it ever could be." The 66th festival in 2023 was Tim Jackson's last year as artistic director. Darin Atwater is the current artistic director of the festival.
In 2006, the festival set an attendance record of 40,000, selling out all five major concerts on the main stage arena, and in 2007, 40,000 attended the 50th Golden Celebration.
Since there was no festival in 2020, the 63rd was deferred to 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic caused officials to cancel it.
The Monterey Jazz Festival is a nonprofit organization. It has donated its proceeds to musical education since its inception in 1958. The festival's scholarship program started with a $35,000 scholarship fund in 1970. As of 2012, the festival invests $600,000 annually for jazz education. Every spring, the Monterey Jazz Festival invites student musicians from across the country and around the world to participate in the "Next Generation Festival".
Paul Contos has served as saxophone clinician with The Monterey Jazz Festival for 30 yrs, as Director of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra & Monterey County All-Stars for 20 yrs, and as Education Director for the Monterey Jazz Festival and in 2015 was awarded the Champion of the Arts: Educator Award by the Monterey Arts Council.
Dave Brubeck was instrumental in getting city approval for the first festival in 1958. The founder and general manager of MJF for 35 years, Jimmy Lyons, brought Brubeck to Monterey to perform for the city council to persuade them to allow the festival to occur. He performed at the Festival 14 times which included his appearance at the 2007 / 50th golden anniversary.
The Monterey Pop Festival was held at the fairgrounds in 1967 for three days in mid-June, part of the Summer of Love.

Performers

1950s–1960s

1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
  • Louis Armstrong All-Stars, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Quincy Jones & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra, Carmen McRae, Gerry Mulligan Quartet
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
  • Dave Brubeck Quartet, Oscar Peterson Trio, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Erroll Garner, Jimmy Witherspoon & Friends, John Handy, and Mary Lou Williams
1972
  • Modern Jazz Quartet, John Hendricks, Jimmy Witherspoon, Cal Tjader Quintet, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins Quartet, Joe Williams, Herbie Hancock Septet, Quincy Jones Orchestra, Mary Lou Williams Trio, Roberta Flack
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
  • Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Band, Tania Maria, Tito Puente & Latin Percussion Sextet w/ Poncho Sanchez, and Cal Tjader
1982
  • 25th Silver Anniversary headliners Carmen McRae, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie Quartet, Ernestine Anderson, Tito Puente Latin Jazz Big Band, Poncho Sanchez & His Jazz Band, Gerald Wilson & the Orchestra, Mel Lewis Orchestra, Joe Williams, Woody Herman & Ira Sullivan Quintet, and Etta James Band
1983
1984
1985
  • Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Woody Herman & the Thudering Herd, Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Band, Modern Jazz Quartet, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra
1986
1987
1988
  • Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Diane Schuur, Carla Thomas, Mongo Santamaría, Benny Carter, Clark Terry, Richie Cole, Queen Ida & the Bon Temps Zydeco Band
1989