Monterey Jazz Festival

www.montereyjazzfestival.org

The 53rd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon, will take place September 17-19, 2010 at the Monterey Fairgrounds in Monterey, California.

Held every September on the Monterey Fairgrounds site where the Festival was first presented in 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival began as a dream for founder Jimmy Lyons and his co-founder and colleague, Ralph Gleason. It was a dream of a "sylvan setting with the best jazz people in the whole world playing on the same stage, having a whole weekend of jazz." That dream became reality in 1958, with the first Monterey Jazz Festival bringing in artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, John Lewis, Shelly Manne, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Ernestine Anderson, Harry James, Max Roach, and Billie Holiday. Every year since then, every third full weekend in September sees the same caliber of talent grace the now nine stages on the Monterey Fairgrounds, as the Monterey Jazz Festival presents the best jazz performers in the world for a three-day celebration of the best in jazz. 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 the 20-acre Monterey Fairgrounds.

2010 Monterey Jazz Festival Artist Highlights

* The return of jazz legends Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove, Chris Potter, Christian McBride, Billy Childs, Kenny Garrett, and more

* The MJF debut of Harry Connick, Jr., Ahmad Jamal, Angelique Kidjo, Les Nubians, Delbert McClinton, Trombone Shorty, Nellie McKay, Indo-Pak Coalition, and Septeto Nacional de Cuba

* The world premiere of Commission Artist Billy Childs' “Music for Two Quartets” with the Kronos Quartet

* Showcase Artist Roy Haynes performing throughout the weekend with Freedom Band, Fountain of Youth; also participating in a Conversation

* Artist-In-Residence Dianne Reeves performing in the Arena and on the Grounds stages throughout the Festival weekend

* Friday's "New Grooves Party" featuring Brass, Bows & Beats; Nellie McKay; Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition; and The House Jacks

* Saturday's Blues show in the Arena including Delbert McClinton, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

* Tributes to Artists including Mark Levine & the Latin Tinge “Music of Moacir Santos”; John Firmin & the Nocturne Band “Tribute to Hank Crawford, David 'Fathead' Newman and Leroy 'Hog' Cooper”; and Javon Jackson with Les McCann “Swiss Movement Revisited”

* Conversations with Roy Haynes and with Sam Stephenson of The Jazz Loft Project, plus DownBeat's Blindfold Test with Fred Hersch

• Venue: Monterey Fairgrounds
• Date: Fri September 17, 2010 6:00pm
• City: Monterey
• Price Range: $35 and up
• Tickets: 925.275.9255

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