51st
Annual Monterey Jazz Festival
Presented By
Verizon September 19 - 21, 2008
Features
Groundbreaking And Legendary Artists
On 9 Stages For
3 Days Of Nonstop Jazz Entertainment
Herbie
Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Cassandra Wilson,
Nancy Wilson,
Joshua Redman, Christian McBride,
Maceo Parker, Kurt Elling, Ledisi,
And More Appear At MJF/51
Vocalists
Jamie Cullum, Ryan Shaw, Cassandra Wilson,
Jamie
Davis; Instrumentalists Maraca, The Derek
Trucks Band & More
In MJF Debut
Clint Eastwood
In Conversation With Jamie Cullum
Commission Artist
Maria Schneider Returns To MJF To Premiere
New Work
Artist-In
Residence Christian McBride Performs With
Acoustic And Electric Groups, Next Generation
Jazz Orchestra
2008
Showcase Artist Matt Wilson Performs With
Arts & Crafts, Trio
M, And Bill Frisell In Jazz-Filled Weekend
Legends
Lauded With Nancy Wilson’s Tribute
To Cannonball Adderley And
Kurt Elling's Coltrane/Hartman Tribute, Dedicated
To You
April 1, 2008; Monterey,
CA;
The Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by
Verizon, launches its second half-century
of legendary live jazz presentation, reflecting
the artistic excellence that has made MJF
the longest running jazz festival in the
world. The world-renowned event takes place
September 19-21, 2008 on the familiar oak-studded
and beautiful grounds of the Monterey Fairgrounds,
the location of the Festival since its inception
in 1958.
Featuring some of the living legends in the
music world as well as the future superstars
of jazz, MJF/51 raises the bar set in 2007, and
will be one of the most anticipated live jazz
events of the year.
Tickets
are on sale now by phone at (925) 275-9255
and on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s
website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
Full Weekend Arena Packages from $220;
Daily Grounds Tickets from $35.
The Arena/Jimmy Lyons Stage will be one of the
hottest sites of the Festival, with a lineup
that promises the musical adventure of a lifetime
with multiple award winning artists, including
vocalists Cassandra Wilson, Jamie
Cullum, Ledisi, Kurt
Elling, and Nancy Wilson;
saxophonists Wayne Shorter, Joshua
Redman, and Maceo Parker,
the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Christian
McBride’s new Quintet, Cuban flautist Orlando "Maraca" Valle,
guitarist Derek Trucks and the
twelve-time Grammy-winning pianist, Herbie
Hancock.
2008 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE,
SHOWCASE ARTIST & COMMISSION ARTIST
MJF/51 Artist-In-Residence, bassist
Christian McBride, will be in fine
company with several of his musical projects,
and will be performing through out the weekend
with his new acoustic Quintet,
with the electrified Quartet, and
with MJF's spotlight on the future of jazz,
the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. MJF/51
Showcase Artist, drummer Matt Wilson will
be at large on the grounds, performing with
his own Arts and Crafts, with
the collective-improvisation group, Trio
M, and in a duo with guitarist-extraordinaire Bill
Frisell. MJF/51 Commission
Artist Maria Schneider will unveil
her large-scale orchestra piece, her second
commissioned work for the Festival since 1995.
The long-time tradition of Arena artists performing
on the grounds is also unusually rich for MJF/51.
The Joshua Redman Trio, Maceo
Parker, Christian McBride, Maria
Schneider Orchestra, Tom Scott, Terence
Blanchard, Orlando "Maraca" Valle, Ledisi, Maria
Schneider Orchestra and Kurt
Elling will all put in dual performances
on the Grounds during the MJF/51 weekend.
Two special tributes will
be featured during the weekend, both on the Arena
Stage and on the Grounds. On Saturday night, A
Tribute to Cannonball Adderley will
feature a modern take on the music of the influential
and celebrated saxophonist with renowned vocalist Nancy
Wilson, trumpeter Terence Blanchard (2007
MJF Artist-In-Residence and Grammy Winner) and
legendary saxophonist Tom Scott.
Sunday will spotlight John Coltrane’s beloved
collaborations with vocalist Johnny Hartman,
with Kurt Elling’s Dedicated
to You. This special band
features Ernie Watts, and the ETHEL
String Quartet, backed by the Laurence
Hobgood Trio.
MJF: DAY BY DAY
Friday, September 19 in
the Arena will kick off MJF/51 in a Latin style
with the MJF debut of Cuban vocalist & flautist Orlando "Maraca" Valle,
followed by the angular modernism of the Joshua
Redman Trio and the luxurious vocals
of Cassandra Wilson, also debuting
at MJF. On the Grounds, the popular New Grooves in
Dizzy’s Den will reverberate with the electrified Christian
McBride Band and Rudder.
The Garden Stage will launch in the bebop vein
with the George Young Quartet,
followed by the talented and youthful Berklee
Latin Jazz All-Stars. Matt Wilson’s
Arts & Crafts will offer their own
take on the jazz tradition to close out the Garden
Stage’s musical offerings for Friday night.
In the Night Club / Bill
Berry Stage, the singer-songwriter Spencer
Day will perform original and American
songbook favorites, followed by the MJF debut
of up-and-coming Israeli saxophonist, Anat
Cohen. The Joshua Redman Trio will
close out Friday’s Night Club in their
second performance of the evening. In the intimate Coffee
House Gallery, Yaron Herman will
make his MJF debut with three sets of his impassioned
take on improvisation, while Quantic and 4onefunk will
take the stage in Lyons Lounge with
their bass-heavy turntablism.
Saturday, September 20 will
be a funk-filled experience in the Arena, starting
off with the 2008 Grammy-nominee for “Best
New Artist,” Ledisi, followed
by the legendary funk-soul saxophonist Maceo
Parker appearing with the Monterey Jazz
Festival’s Next Generation Jazz
Orchestra. The swamp-funk of the Derek
Trucks Band, debuting at MJF, concludes
the blues-driven afternoon. Saturday evening
in the Arena gets off to an explosive start with Christian
McBride’s new acoustic Quintet,
followed by MJF/51 Commission Artist Maria
Schneider and her Orchestra with her
signature piece for 2008. The evening ends with Nancy
Wilson, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and
saxophonist Tom Scott in their Tribute
to Cannonball Adderley, on the very stage
where the legendary saxophonist last played in
1970 (and was filmed by Clint Eastwood for Play
Misty for Me!)
Saturday will give audiences a chance to see
Arena artists and the best that jazz has to offer
over a broad spectrum of sound. The Garden
Stage, a favorite location for the bluesy
Saturday crowds, will get off to an exciting
start, featuring the newly-minted soul sounds
of Ryan Shaw. Fans of vocalist Ledisi will
have the chance to see her up close and personal,
as will fans of funk master Maceo Parker. The
groundbreaking vocal and guitar duo Tuck & Patti will
also return to MJF for the first
time in twenty-four years, followed by the explosive
pianist Rebeca Mauleón & Afro-Kuban
Fusion.
Saturday’s Night Club / Bill
Berry Stage will feature a myriad
of styles and artists, both old and new, from
the traditional to the experimental. Japanese
pianist Junko Moriya will
make her MJF debut, followed by the hard-driving
big band of the US Air Force, the Falconaires. Tom
Scott will present A Tribute to
Cannonball Adderley as an instrumental
group, and returning master and Grammy-winning
trumpeter Terence Blanchard will
perform with his Quintet. The Night Club will
round out its Saturday schedule with a post-modern
musical dialog between two masters, the far-reaching Matt
Wilson & Bill Frisell Duo.
Saturday’s Dizzy’s
Den schedule
will also showcase a variety of music and special
events that will keep jazz fans captivated. Starting
off with a fascinating conversation with vocalist Nancy
Wilson, the afternoon will continue
with an MJF favorite, the DownBeat Magazine
Blindfold Test. The music will commence
with the explosive Orlando "Maraca" Valle with
his Cuban Lullabies,
followed by another fellow Cuban and visionary,
drummer Antonio Sanchez & Migration.
The Maria Schneider Orchestra will
close Saturday night at Dizzy’s Den, performing
her Grammy-winning music.
The Coffee House Gallery,
known for its intimate atmosphere, will also
feature a range of musical styles. Saturday’s
sets will include La Tuque Bleue performing
their Euro-Canadian folk music, the hot musicality
of Berklee Latin Jazz All-Stars,
and the jagged experimentalism from pianist Marc
Cary and his Trio.
Sunday, September 21 will cap
off the 51st Monterey Jazz Festival with the
biggest names in jazz. In the Arena, the day
starts off with the winning high school
band from the Next Generation Festival,
followed by MJF’s youthful Next
Generation Jazz Orchestra with Christian
McBride. The afternoon show in the Arena
will feature the eclectic British superstar,
crossover vocalist Jamie Cullum.
Sunday evening in the Arena will be a spectacular
affair, starting off with Kurt Elling and Dedicated
to You, featuring Ernie Watts,
the ETHEL String Quartet and
the Laurence Hobgood Trio, celebrating
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Next, the legendary Wayne
Shorter Quartet will perform a masterful
deconstruction of the post-bop language that
Wayne has pioneered over the last 50 years, and
will set the stage for another living legend
and multiple Grammy winner, Herbie Hancock,
who will close the Sunday night Arena in his
8th performance at MJF since 1964.
On the Grounds, the atmosphere will be just
as electric--and eclectic. On the Garden
Stage, La Tuque Bleue will
again provide an acoustic foray into folk, followed
by the spiritual, drummer-led Brian Blade
Fellowship. The Kyle Eastwood
Band then returns with their electro-acoustic
modernist take on jazz, followed by the classic
vocal stylings of the Jamie Davis Group.
Dizzy’s Den will again
host to the popular jazz panels on Sunday afternoon,
with a conversation about Cannonball Adderley,
followed by what is sure to be a packed house:
a conversation between film icon Clint
Eastwood and vocalist Jamie
Cullum. The music begins with Christian
McBride’s new Quintet and then
a reprise of Kurt Elling’s Dedicated
to You, singing Hartman/Coltrane to close
the evening on a mellow note.
High energy can be found in the Night
Club, which will be the center of
attention for the nation’s best high
school bands all Sunday afternoon, followed
by the now-classic Hammond B-3 Blowout with Barbara
Dennerlein and Brian Auger's
Oblivion Express.
Sunday’s Coffee House and West
Lawn will also celebrate a different
mix of play. First up is the kid-friendly ZunZun,
celebrating the diversity of culture through
music, followed by sets with the cutting-edge Trio
M (with Matt Wilson, Myra
Melford and Mark Dresser)
in what will be an improviser’s dream. The West
Lawn will chime with the
Baltic Sounds of the Brass Menazeri.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND FAMILY DAY
Sunday September 21 is also Family
Day, sponsored by Macy’s, returning
for the third year. Family Day features activities
and fun for fans and families of all ages,
including a Percussion Playshop on
the West Lawn where kids can have a hands-on
experience with percussion instruments, the “Jazzy
Jumper” where kids can bounce
the day away. With musical entertainment by ZunZun,
celebrating the cultures of the Americas, and
the country’s seven best high school
bands appearing in the nearby Night
Club, “Family Day” at
MJF has become a favorite activity for young
music fans and families.
The Jazz Theater will also
host two special screenings of films dedicated
to two iconoclasts of jazz: the three-time Monterey
Jazz Festival performer and big band leader of
the late 1960s, Don Ellis; and
the influential and controversial saxophonist, Albert
Ayler. After the afternoon Arena simulcasts,
the Jazz Theater will show Don Ellis:
Electric Heart on Saturday
and My Name is Albert Ayler on
Sunday, providing a rare opportunity to see these
historic new documentaries and performances on
the big screen.
ALL WEEKEND LONG
All weekend long in the evening, Lyons
Lounge at the end of Lyons
Lane will pulse with the heavy DJ
sounds of Quantic and 4onefunk,
in the return of one of the grand experiments--and
legacies--of the Festival. Both Lyons
Lounge and Lyons Lane are
named in honor of MJF founder Jimmy Lyons and
are located adjacent to the Arena entrance
on the Festival midway. The Lounge will again
offer fans a hip jazz club to chill out on
the north end of the Grounds, departing from
the acoustic offerings of the Festival.
As patrons stroll down
the lane, they will relive the history, images,
and music of the Monterey Jazz Festival in
a special MJF history display, "Monterey
Through the Eyes of the Media", a retrospective
of 50 years of news reporting on the Monterey
Jazz Festival.
Also on the Grounds, a companion exhibit of
50 years of MJF memorabilia will be on display
in the Coffee House Gallery on the Midway. Sue
Downs will be performing on the Disklavier on
the Courtyard Stage at the entrance to the Festival.
FROM TODAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER,
PLENTY OF WAYS TO CELEBRATE MONTEREY
The Festival continues to celebrate its 50th
anniversary year with a range of activities and
offerings. MJF will kick-off the Festival season
with the Second Annual Jazz Legends Award on May
2, 2008 at Tehama
Golf Club. The evening will feature
cocktails and dinner, with entertainment by Bay
Area favorite, vocalist Kim Nalley. Highlight
of the evening will be the presentation
of the MJF Legends Award to Gerald Wilson.
Space is still available as of press date. Fans
are urged to contact michelle@skipwithandassociates.com or
call (415) 279-1973 for more information.
MJF’s Front Box Auction presents
another opportunity for jazz fans to enjoy the
Monterey Jazz Festival while supporting Jazz
Education. From March 31 until June 1, patrons
can bid to sit at the front of the Arena with
three of their closest friends in four Front
Box seats for the 51st Annual MJF. For more information,
please visit www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
During the Festival, fans are also encouraged
to visit the MJF Education Booth in the center
of the midway to participate in the MJF
Silent Auction featuring unique jazz
memorabilia and collector’s items, with
all auction proceeds benefiting MJF’s Jazz
Education Programs.
The Festival's 10th
Annual Golf ‘n’ Jazz
Tournament is a rare opportunity to
play Pasadera, an outstanding
Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. This exclusive
event includes a buffet lunch, jazzy gift bag,
and golf with cart, plus an evening to remember
at elegant Pasadera Country Club following
the Tournament. The evening will feature cocktails,
hors d’oeuvres, a sumptuous buffet dinner,
a jazz concert and live auction, plus the golf
awards ceremony. The Tournament takes place
on Thursday, September 18, 2008;
registration takes place by phone, (831) 373-3366
and online at www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
Fans are urged to visit the MJF website for
more details about how to participate in this
longtime MJF favorite. All proceeds are invested
in MJF’s Jazz Education Programs.
The 4th Annual Jazz with
Steinbeck event
will offer fans an exclusive supper club evening
in support of MJF’s Jazz Education Programs
and the National Steinbeck Center’s Youth
Programs. This very special event takes place
on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 from
5:30 pm to 10:00 pm at the National Steinbeck
Center in Salinas, with jazz entertainment
by vocalist Mary Stallings and
singer-songwriter Spencer Day,
and sumptuous dining created by celebrity Chef
Cal Stamenov of Bernardus Lodge, and an array
of exceptional wines hand picked by Wine Director,
Mark Jensen. This intimate, one-of-a-kind jazz
experience promises to have a magical energy
all its own. The evening is limited to 140 people.
Reservations are available by calling the National
Steinbeck Center at (831) 775-4722.
PARTNERS IN JAZZ
Partners play an important role in helping the
Festival fund its Jazz Education Programs, with
efforts led by Presenting Partner, Verizon,
now celebrating their 24th year in partnership
with the Monterey Jazz Festival.
- Borders
returns for the second year, partnering with
MJF/51 and with the Next Generation Festival.
Borders will host an expanded store at the
center of the MJF/51 midway, where artists
will be signing CDs
- Korbel
Champagne once again hosts Klub Korbel, a champagne
bar in the Fairgrounds' Turf Club Patio featuring
Arena simulcasts
- Returning
partner JetBlue Airways continues to offer
our fans low fares, new planes, and free DIRECTV
at every comfy leather JetBlue seat. Fans are
encouraged to book travel on JetBlue at jetblue.com.
- Monterey
County favorites, Jekel and Five Rivers Wines,
return as Official Wines, served throughout
the MJF/51 grounds
- Yamaha,
a long time partner of both the Festival and
MJF's Jazz Education Programs, will once again
be providing Yamaha pianos and drums on MJF/51
stages, and music on the Yamaha Disklavier
with on the Courtyard Stage.
- North
Coast Brewing Company returns as Official Beer
for MJF/51, with a variety of North Coast brews
available all around the grounds of the Monterey
Jazz Festival, led by their lauded Brother
Thelonious Belgian-style abbey ale.
- Apple/iTunes
will be providing free music samplers to all
MJF/51 attendees, featuring a collection of
Monterey Jazz Festival artists.
- Returning
Bay Area Media Partners, the San Jose Mercury
News and KKSF, as well as JazzTimes and DownBeat
Magazines, will be helping MJF get the word
out about the Festival and its Jazz Education
Programs.
- Macy's
returns as sponsors of Family Day at Monterey,
hosting special entertainment and activities
for younger jazz fans and fun for the whole
family on Sunday, September 21, 2008.
The Monterey Jazz Festival
also receives invaluable support for the Festival
and its Jazz Education Programs from the Surdna
Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,
the David & Lucile
Packard Foundation, The D'Addario Music Foundation,
and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well
as from generous grantors, donors, and individual
contributors.
The Monterey Jazz Festival encourages jazz fans
to purchase tickets early for the 51st Annual
Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon.
Arena Packages traditionally sell out quickly
and are available only on a first come, first
served basis. Last year's Grounds Tickets also
sold out, so fans are advised to act quickly.
Tickets are now
on sale on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s
website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org or
by phone at (925) 275-9255.
MJF/51 Highlights Include:
- Return of jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Wayne
Shorter, Maceo Parker
- World Premiere of Commission
Artist Maria Schneider’s new work
- Artist-In-Residence Christian McBride performs
in acoustic, electric and big band groups
- Showcase Artist Matt Wilson at large on the
grounds in creative contexts
- Tributes to legends
with Nancy Wilson’s Tribute
to Cannonball Adderley & Dedicated
To You: Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman
- Vocalists Cassandra
Wilson, Maraca, Nancy Wilson, Jamie Cullum,
Ledisi, Ryan Shaw, Kurt Elling, Spencer Day,
Tuck & Patti, Jamie
Davis
- Cuban music with Maraca,
Antonio Sanchez & Migration,
Rebeca Mauleon & Afro-Kuban Fusion
- Lyons Lounge features Quantic and 4onefunk
remixing jazz, hip-hop, and dance music
- Friday’s "New Grooves" featuring the
Christian McBride Band, Rudder, Quantic, 4onefunkSunday’s “Hammond
B-3 Blowout” featuring Brian Auger’s
Oblivion Express & Barbara Dennerlein Trio
- Special conversations
with Clint Eastwood & Jamie
Cullum; Nancy Wilson; Cannonball Adderley panel; DownBeat Blindfold
Test
- Lyons Lane featuring
an MJF history review, “Through
the Eyes of the Media"
- Return of Sunday's “Family Day” sponsored
by Macy's, with fun for all ages
- Film screenings of Don Ellis: Electric
Heart & My Name is Albert Ayler
- Continued releases from Monterey Jazz Festival
Records, featuring rare and rarified recordings
from the last 50 years on CD in conjunction
with Concord Music Group
Arena/Lyons Stage Artists:
Friday, 9/19:
Cassandra Wilson, Joshua Redman Trio, Maraca “Cuban
Lullabies”
Saturday, 9/20:
The Derek Trucks Band, Maceo Parker with the
Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Ledisi, Nancy
Wilson “Tribute
to Cannonball Adderley” with Special Guests
Terence Blanchard & Tom Scott; Maria Schneider
Jazz Orchestra debuts MJF/51 Commission; Christian
McBride new Quintet
Sunday, 9/21:
Jamie Cullum, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra
with Christian McBride, Winning High School Big
Band from the Next Generation Festival, Herbie
Hancock, Wayne Shorter Quartet; Dedicated
To You: Kurt
Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman featuring Ernie
Watts, ETHEL String Quartet & the Laurence
Hobgood Trio
Partial List of Grounds Artists:
Friday, 9/19:
Joshua Redman Trio, New Grooves with
the Christian McBride Band, Rudder; Quantic & 4onefunk
in Lyons Lounge; Matt Wilson Arts & Crafts,
Spencer Day, Anat Cohen, Yaron Herman Trio, George
Young Quartet, Berklee Latin Jazz All-Stars
Saturday, 9/20:
Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Terence Blanchard
Quintet, Tom Scott “Celebrating Cannonball
Adderley”; Maraca “Cuban Lullabies”;
Maceo Parker; Matt Wilson & Bill Frisell
Duo, Ledisi, Ryan Shaw, Tuck & Patti, Quantic,
4onefunk, Marc Cary Trio, La Tuque Bleue, Junko
Moriya, Sadza, Antonio Sanchez & Migration,
Rebeca Mauleón & Afro Kuban Fusion
Sunday, 9/20: Dedicated
To You: Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman
featuring Ernie Watts, ETHEL String Quartet & Laurence
Hobgood Trio; Christian McBride new Quintet; Hammond
B3 Blowout with Brian Auger’s Oblivion
Express & Barbara Dennerlein Trio;
Kyle Eastwood; Trio M with Myra Melford, Mark
Dresser & Matt Wilson; Jamie Davis, Brian
Blade Fellowship, Quantic, 4onefunk, La Tuque
Bleue, Brass Menažeri; Family Day with
ZunZun, the country’s best high school
and college ensembles, DownBeat Blindfold
Test, and more!
Tickets
are now on sale on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s
website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org or
by phone at (925) 275-9255.
###
For interview
opportunities, high-resolution
photographs and other MJF information, please
contact:
Timothy Orr, Marketing Associate,
Monterey Jazz Festival
9699 Blue Larkspur Lane, Suite 204, Monterey,
CA 93940
timorr@montereyjazzfestival.org
www.montereyjazzfestival.org
MJF Office: 831-373-3366 x252
Direct Line: 510-652-1122 |
