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."
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 (2011-2019) 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
Mort Sahl, Master of Ceremonies, Ernestine Anderson with Gerald Wiggins, Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars, Burt Bales & the Dixie All-Stars, Betty Bennett, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Benny Carter, George Coleman, Buddy DeFranco, Art Farmer, Med Flory Band, Jimmy Giuffre Three with Bob Brookmeyer and Jim Hall, Dizzy Gillespie, Claude Gilroy Quintet, Virgil Gonsalves Sextet, Billie Holiday, Milt Jackson, Harry James Orchestra, John Lewis, Mel Lewis-Bill Holman Quintet, Booker Little, Shelly Manne, Mastersounds with Wes Montgomery, Lizzie Miles, Buddy Montgomery and Monk Montgomery, Modern Jazz Quartet, Monterey Jazz Festival Symphony conducted by Gregory Millar, Brew Moore & Dickie Mills Quintet, Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Rudi Salvini Band, Grace Stock, Jake Stock & the Abalone Stompers, Cal Tjader Sextet, Leroy Vinnegar Quartet with Teddy Edwards, Ed Zubov Band
1959
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Master of Ceremonies, "Symphony for Brass & Percussion" by Gunther Schuller, "Three Saxes" by Ernie Wilkins with Ornette Coleman, and Ben Webster, Brass Ensemble performs new works by Werner Heider, Chris Barber, Charlie Byrd & Zoot Sims, Buddy Collette, Count Basie Orchestra with Joe Williams, Benny Golson, Coleman Hawkins & Orchestra, Woody Herman & the All Stars with Ernestine Anderson, Earl Hines, André Hodeir, Paul Horn, J.J. Johnson and John Lewis, John Lewis and Quincy Jones, George Lewis New Orleans Band, Lizzie Miles, Modern Jazz Quartet, Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen, Cal Tjader Quintet, Jimmy Witherspoon, Sarah Vaughan