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One look at the lineup, and it’s easy to understand way Jazz fans from around the globe are once again en route to the Monterey Jazz Festival.
The 61st edition is absolutely loaded with mega-talents, such as Dianne Reeves, Charles Lloyd, Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones, Bill Frisell, Dave Grusin, Anat Cohen and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
Here’s our guide to the festival, which runs Sept. 21-23 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds and Event Center:
Day One highlights:
Saxophonist Tia Fuller and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen present A Tribute to Geri Allen, honoring the incredible pianist who died at age 60 from complications of cancer in 2017. The tribute, subtitled “The Fierce Nurturer: Life of a Song Through Spirit,” also features Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Shamie Royston, Maurice Chestnut, Val Jeanty and Robert Hurst. 7:30 p.m.; Jimmy Lyons Stage (arena).
Cameron Graves is getting a lot of buzz, in part due to his association with saxophone superstar Kamasi Washington in Los Angeles’ trailblazing music collective West Coast Get Down. The pianist-composer – who was nicely featured on Washington’s breakout effort, 2015’s “The Epic” – is now on the road supporting his debut album, “Planetary Prince.” 10 p.m.; Night Club.
It’s a good idea to catch Christian McBride whenever possible – and most certainly at the Monterey Jazz Festival, where he has delivered many transcendent performances through the years. This time around, the brilliant bassist performs in a trio setting with pianist Benny Green and bassist Gregory Hutchinson. 9:30 p.m.; Dizzy’s Den.
Day Two highlights:
Remember what we said in the Day One highlights section about always trying to catch Christian McBride? Well, it still applies on Day Two, as McBride helps lead a tribute to bassist extraordinaire Ray Brown, who died in 2002 after an acclaimed career that included work with such legends Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerlad, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie and Tony Bennett. McBride will be performing again with pianist Green and bassist Hutchinson, but the tribute also will feature the work of bassists John Clayton and John Patitucci, as well as vocalist Dianne Reeves. 8:50 p.m.; Jimmy Lyons Stage (arena)
Feel like dancing? Then don’t miss Oscar Hernández, one of the leading lights in contemporary Latin jazz and salsa, and the Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra with special guest flutist Hubert Laws. They’ll be performing the 2018 festival commissioned piece “Monterey Encounter (A Latin Jazz Suite for Flute).” 3:40 p.m.; Jimmy Lyons Stage (arena)
The festival will launch its fifth national tour in spring 2019, but fans can get an early look at the touring band in Monterey. The 2019 Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour band features such talents as vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, trumpeter-vocalist Bria Skonberg, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, pianist Christian Sands, drummer Jamison Ross and bassist Yasushi Nakamura. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22; Jimmy Lyons Stage (arena). Also: 9:30 p.m. Sept. 23; Dizzy’s Den.
Day Three highlights:
“Celebrating Michael Brecker” pays tribute to the great tenor saxophonist, who died from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a bone marrow cancer, in 2007. Brecker was a fantastic talent, who won 15 Grammys during a career in which he collaborated with the likes of James Brown, John Lennon, Lou Reed and Paul Simon. The tribute features brother Randy Brecker on flugelhorn, as well as saxophonist Donny McCaslin, keyboardist Gil Goldstein, guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Antonio Sanchez. 8:20 p.m.; Jimmy Lyons Stage (arena).
Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves is set to debut a new project in Monterey — Dianne Reeves & Beleza Brazil — featuring pianist Peter Martin, guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Itaiguara Brandão and drummer Rafael Barata. “Beleza Brazil” loosely translates to “the beauty of Brazil,” according to the festival’s website. 8 p.m.; Dizzy’s Den. (Note: Reeves also performs at 8:50 p.m. Sept. 21 on the Jimmy Lyons Stage and at the Ray Brown tribute on Sept. 22, which is described above.)
Bill Frisell has released so many fine albums over the years, including 1997’s “Nashville,” 1999’s “Good Dog, Happy Man” and 2011’s “All We Are Saying,” which was a gorgeous tribute to John Lennon. The master jazz guitarist’s latest effort is “Music Is,” which finds Frisell performing unaccompanied on a variety of original material. 9 p.m.; Pacific Jazz Café.
The Basics
Gates open at 6 p.m. Sept. 21 and 11:30 a.m. Sept. 22-23.
Music runs to approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 21-22 and around 10:45 p.m. Sept. 17.
For information, call 888-248-6499 or visit www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
Tickets
Weekend passes run $50-$435 and single-day tickets are $20-$174. There are two main types of tickets – the arena tickets and grounds tickets. The arena packages offer access to every stage, while the grounds packages don’t offer access into the arena (which houses the Jimmy Lyons Stage). The arena tickets, as you’d expect, cost more. So check out the performance schedule and see how many arena acts you want to catch. If it’s quite a few, then the best bet is probably to go with an arena package.
Simulcast
Here’s another thing to factor into the equation: The action in the arena is simulcast into the smaller Jazz Theater, allowing even those with grounds tickets to enjoy those big-time headliners on the Jimmy Lyons Stage.
On-site parking
It’s extremely limited and only available to purchase in advance for those who buy arena ticket packages or are premier pass holders. Cost is $25 on Friday, $50 for Saturday or Sunday. The full-weekend on-site parking passes are already sold out. Visit the festival website for more information.
Other parking options
Jazz fans can park at the Monterey Peninsula College (MPC, 980 Fremont St., Monterey), which is located about a 10-minute drive from the festival. It costs $15 to park, but it includes a shuttle ride to and from the festival. Reserve your parking in advance via the festival website.
There’s also limited street parking, but it often means having to hoof it for 10 to 15 minutes to get to the festival site.
And keep an eye open for nearby stores that might be charging to use their parking lots.
Lodging
The festival’s official hotel partner is the Inns of Monterey. And those properties, as shown on the festival’s website, look quite lovely. But, as one would expect, staying in Monterey can be quite pricey this time a year. Save some loot by making a short drive and staying in a place like Salinas.
Food
Plan accordingly and you can certainly dine in style before or after your time at the festival, given the number of great restaurants in Monterey and Carmel. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to eat right around the festival site, expect for the serviceable Denny’s across the street. The best idea is to just eat onsite, enjoying the international offerings – such as Thai and Indian – for sale at reasonable prices. (But before or after the music, head for one of these four fantastic Monterey eateries, from a casual clam chowder-centric diner to an oyster bar.)
Don’t bring
The following things are not allowed on the festival grounds: food, coolers, glass bottles, alcoholic beverages, large single-lens reflex cameras, laser pens or lights, audio/video recording devices, and pets. Also strollers are not allowed in the arena or other indoor venues.
