Posts from — September 2010

Throughout the weekend

The California International Airshow features this year’s only Northern California appearance of the US Air Force Thunderbirds as well as lots more great precision flying and monster trucks. 9am-6pm Saturday and Sunday, Salinas Municipal Airport. Tickets are $20-$65 at the door; save money by purchasing them at the California International Airshow website.

This is the final weekend to catch the amazing Ansel Adams exhibit at the Monterey Museum of Art; if you haven’t caught it yet, you must make the time to visit. There’s over 70 photos printed by Adams himself on display. For more information, you can see our article Ansel Adams: Portrait of America, or just go and see for yourself how amazing this exhibit is. 11am-5pm Friday and Saturday, 1pm-4pm Sunday at 720 Via Mirada, Monterey. $5 admission.

The Salinas Artoberfest features 16 open artist studios around Salinas and Salinas Valley. Artists ranging from painters to photographers to cartoonists will show off their work and answer questions. Many will also have light refreshments on hand. Friday features a plein air painting competition along the River Road Wine Trail from 10am-5pm. Open studios are from 11am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday throughout Salinas and Salinas Valley. More details are available at the Artoberfest website.

Shakespeare’s classic Twelfth Night, the story of shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian (referenced at the end of “Shakespeare in Love”), debuts this weekend at the Pacific Repertory Theatre’s Outdoor Forest Theater. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm, Santa Rita and Mountain View, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Friday preview tickets are $7-$16; Saturday tickets are $7 to $35; Sunday tickets are $7 to $30 and all can be purchased online.

We’re guessing that most of the people interested in the Rota Psychic Fair have already had a vision of the details, but if not: there will be over 35 readers and healers, as well as free lectures. 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday, Monterey Room, Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $9 to enter; all readings are $20.

Friday

The Oldtown Salinas First Fridays Art Walk is bigger and better than ever, with booths along Main Street as well as exhibits and entertainment in shops and restaurants. This event also kicks off the Salinas Artoberfest, featuring open artists studios throughout Salinas. 5pm-8pm, 100-300 block of Main Street and surrounding area, Salinas. Free.

See Monterey County through the eyes of 81-year-old Renette Torres as she discusses her groundbreaking entrepreneurial life and her autobiographical first book, Ya Wanna Watch, I’ll Let Ya, as part of the National Steinbeck Center’s Meet the Author Series. 6:30pm, One Main Street, Salinas. Free.

The Monterey Museum of Art complements its exhibit Land and Sea, featuring the work of E. Charlton Fortune, with “Fortune’s Way, or Notes on Art for Catholics (and Others),” a play about E. Charlton Fortune. 7pm, 559 Pacific Street, Monterey. $25 for members, $30 for non-members; purchase tickets online.

Tonight’s metal showcase at Jose’s Underground Lounge includes local favorites Gorphyryac, extreme metal band Gods in Graves and the loud and grinding sound of WarCorpse. You’ll bang your head so hard that you’ll spend weeks at the chiropractor. 9pm, 638 Wave St. Monterey. $5.

Somehow, it appears there are still tickets left for the Conor Oberst show at Fernwood in Big Sur, featuring Felice Brothers and Jonathon Wilson. How this show by the former Bright Eyes frontman hasn’t sold out yet, we’re not sure, but we suggest you call 831-667-2422 to buy your tickets now. Right this second. Really. 9pm, Highway One in Big Sur. $25 for non-camping tickets; tickets that include a hotel room or campsite are also available.

Saturday

It’s Poodle Day in Carmel! Celebrate the breed with a Poodle Parade at the Crossroads Shopping Center at 8:45am, a Poodle Play on the Beach event from 1-3pm, and Poodle Cocktail Parties. All events are sold out, but it’s free to watch both the parade and the Poodle Play event.

For the 71st year, Pacific Grove’s Butterfly Parade and Bazaar honor the Monarch butterflies that spend their winters in Butterfly Town. Above is video from 33 years ago; you can see historic footage dating from 1974 to 2009 on our YouTube playlist. At 10:30am, the parade starts at Robert H. Down school on Pine Avenue and goes down Fountain Avenue, across Lighthouse to 17th and returns to the school. The Butterfly Bazaar is held behind the school. Free.

Learn all about the care and feeding of apple trees at The Farm’s “Apple Day.” 11am, Hwy. 68 and Spreckels Blvd, Salinas. Free.

Fernwood has two great shows lined up today, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Fernwood’s “Oktoberfest” features indie folkie Matt Denman, roots indie artist Levi Strom, Big Tree, Candle and the old-school country of Songs that Hotbox Harry Taught Us. It’s both family friendly and dog-friendly, and features brats and beer as well as great music. 1pm-6pm, Highway One, Big Sur. $5 day use fee for Monterey and Santa Cruz locals.

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s independence at the Monterey County Tequila & Mezcal Expo. Enjoy an art show, tequila cooking demonstrations, authentic mariachi, live cumbia from Tokezon, and of course great tequila. 5pm, Portola Hotel & Spa, Two Portola Plaza, Monterey. Tickets are $45 if purchased online and $50 at the door.

A great way to get over the Saturday night blues is to listen to the top-notch blues music of Chicago Fire, featuring John “Broadway” Tucker, at Captain Bullwacker’s. 8:30pm, 653 Cannery Row, Monterey. No cover.

Enjoy an evening of psychedelic funk from Berkeley’s Melissa Underwood and Natural Bridges tonight at Fernwood in Big Sur. 9pm, Highway One in Big Sur. No cover.

Jose’s Underground Lounge hosts a show with a decidedly acoustic bent, featuring the dark and intricate guitar work of Aaron Sheppard, local raucous folkies White Dogs, and the mysterious Muza. 9pm, 638 Wave St. Monterey. $5.

Sunday

See — or build — amazing sand castles at Carmel Beach‘s Great Sand Castle Contest. This year’s theme is “50 Santastic Years.” Register for free on the beach. Sand castle building begins at 8am; judging is held from noon to 2pm; winners are announced thereafter. Carmel Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Free.

The Pacific Grove Historic Home Tour features some of the town’s most fascinating historic homes. Docents will tell visitors about the historic homes, from stories about their previous owners to an architectural history. 10am-3pm, throughout Pacific Grove, $20. Buy tickets at the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce website.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium celebrates Hispanic culture with Fiesta Del Mar. Activities include live music and dance, bilingual feeding shows, children’s crafts and more. 10am-6pm, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free with Aquarium admission; children under 12 admitted free.

Monterey County’s favorite surf zydeco band, the Cachagua Playboys, serenade the river and the redwoods at the Big Sur River Inn. 1pm-5pm, Highway One in Big Sur. No cover.

Monterey County is the place to be this October for fast cars, fast planes and monster trucks. Three great events throughout the month feature high-speed, pulse-pounding motor action. Over the course of three weekends, watch the breathtaking acrobatics of the US Air Force Thunderbirds, take a ride in a classic World War II fighter plane and see the first-ever motor event featuring tuners (high-performance versions of street cars) from around the globe. All three events are priced for a fun-filled, wallet-friendly weekend for the whole family – one event is even free!

October 2-3: 30^th California International Airshow

There’s only one chance to see the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in Northern California this year, and that’s at the 30^th California International Airshow. Performing in one of only two appearances on the West Coast this year, the Thunderbirds will execute the heart-stopping aerobatic maneuvers they’re known for.

The California International Airshow is more than just the Thunderbirds! See demonstrations from the U.S. Navy F/A-C Hornet and a Canadian CF-18. Feel the ground shake as military planes perform screaming fly-bys. Watch thrilling, terrifying aerobatic performances from the Horsemen, Michael Goulian, Kent Pietsch, Bill Cornick and Spencer Suderman.

Though most of the action takes place in the sky, there’s also exciting thrills at ground level. See a jaw-dropping race between a jet plane and the 400-mile-per-hour USO Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car. Cheer on the car-crushing action as monster trucks — The Patriot, Iron Outlaw and Bounty Hunter — tear up the track.

Tickets for the California International Airshow start at only $15 for adults and $10 for children. Many ticket options and packages are available. Buy your tickets online at the California International Airshow website.

October 16: Marina Air Faire

Take a ride in a classic World War II fighter plane at the Marina Air Faire, which features classic planes on the ground and in the air. You’ll see legendary warbirds such as the famous shark-nosed Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk, the P-51D Mustang, the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, the B-25, the Grumman F8F Bearcat. In addition to rides in warbirds, you can also view the Monterey Bay coastline from above in a 1940s Beechcraft Twin, a two-seat helicopter or an open-cockpit 1940s Stearman bi-plane.

Views of vintage planes at the Marina Air Faire aren’t just limited to the air. Get right next to vintage and experimental airplanes on the tarmac and learn the history of these classic birds from their owners and pilots.

The beautiful classic machinery of the air is complemented by a classic car show featuring cool pre-1973 hot rods, muscle cars and more. Awards will be given out in over 21 categories.

Military history buffs won’t want to miss the Living History Symposium, featuring soldiers speaking about their experiences in World War II, or the displays by the Military Vehicle Collectors Club. Exhibition booths throughout the event will feature information on aviation and military history.

And as if all that isn’t hot enough, there’s also a chili cook-off featuring the best, tastiest and spiciest chili on the Central Coast. Bring ingredients and compete – or just taste the heat and eat! If the spice of the chili competition is too much for you, there will also be milder food and drink available throughout the event, including a wine tasting.

You can even take home a piece of Monterey County with items in the silent auction. Bid on a stay at the Intercontinental the Clement, a magnum of Marinus wine from Bernardus, golf at Laguna Seca, and 100 more items! For a full list, see the Marina Air Faire website.

The Marina Air Faire runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 16 at Marina Municipal Airport. Admission is free! Prices for airplane rides vary. Proceeds from the event benefit local charities. See the official website for details and directions.

October 22-24: Global Tuner Grand Prix

European and Asian tuners – street cars that have been modified or “tuned” for racetrack performance – have competed at tracks around the world. But Asian cars have never faced off against European or American cars – until this weekend. The Global Tuner Grand Prix pits street rods, Tuner class cars, GT cars and more against each other. These cars are fast, sexy – and all street-legal.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has been declared the only racetrack that could provide a level playing field for these radically different, street-legal cars to truly test themselves against each other. Porsches, Corvettes, Mazdas and more will whip around the track in three days of fast-paced racing action. Other classes will race as well, including cars from the American Le Mans series, the SCCA Pro Racing World challenge, Grand Am Road Racing and more.

The fun will continue on the midway, with motorsport manufacturer displays, vendors and a SoCal Euro car show. Spectators can also see historic stock cars.

Tickets are only $10 for Friday, $15 for Saturday or Sunday and $35 for the whole event. Children under 12 enter free! Ticket holders park for free. Call the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Ticket Office at 800-327-7322 for tickets.

If you’re going into classic car withdrawal, there’s two great classic car events this weekend, one of which is held at a location where civilians rarely go. Plus, don’t miss the Monterey County Studio Artists Tour, a great animation festival, wine events and plenty of great live music.

Friday

“Hot Cars Cool Nights” is your first destination for an emergency classic car infusion. Pre-1973 classic cars will line Echo Avenue between Fremont and Del Monte in Seaside. Enjoy DJ’d music, food vendors, a raffle and more. 4pm, Echo Avenue between Fremont and Del Monte, Seaside. Free.

Award-winning children’s author Kathryn Otoshi discusses her work tonight at a very grown up event, the Meet the Authors Series at the National Steinbeck Center. Sip wine, beer and cocktails, enjoy appetizers and listen as the author discusses her process in writing the books “One,” “Zero,” “Simon and the Sock Monster” and more. 6:30pm, One Main Street, Salinas. Event included in admission fee.

Get an inside look at what a winemaker does at Chateau Julien’s Harvest Wine Dinner. Watch as ten tons of grapes get crushed and prepared for aging; then eat a family-style dinner in the wine cellar. 7pm, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $95 for non-members, $75 for members; reserve online.

Performance-art-cum-agit-pop act The Burning of Rome have gotten big buzz down in San Diego hosting outrageously theatrical warehouse parties. Tonight they team up with March Into Paris, a band whose name has a similar vibe but whose sound is more like an Amy Lee-fronted Mars Volta, and LA powerpop outfit Brightmillion at Jose’s Lounge Underground. 9pm, 638 Wave St., Monterey. $5.

Saturday

The Monterey Bay Aquarium celebrates what is arguably the most adorable creature inside its walls, the otter, with Otter Days. Join researchers in spotting otters on Monterey Bay, compete in the game-show style “You Otter Know,” taste sustainable seafood and other cuisine, learn about otters from aquarists and animal behavior experts, and win prizes if you wear an official Otter Days T-shirt (see this link for a downloadable iron-on.) Reserve a special behind-the-scenes tour online for an additional $12 ($10 for members). 10am-6pm, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. Included in admission fee.

Learn all about rare gems, fossils and more at the 51st Carmel Valley Gem and Mineral Society Gem Show at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Print this flyer for $1 off admission. 10am-6pm, Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey. $3.50 for adults; each child accompanied by an adult is free.

Today’s a rare opportunity for the public to get on the grounds of the Presidio of Monterey as the Presidio hosts “Operation Rising Star and Classic Car Show.” Operation Rising Star is an American Idol-type event starring members of the military; the classic car show features 300 pre-1980 cars. There will be door prizes, live music from Operation Rising Star contestants, kids’ games and food vendors.  11am-5pm, Presidio of Monterey. Free to attend.

The Monterey County Artists Studio Tour is still going strong after 21 years. 63 artists around the county, from Moss Landing and Prunedale to Carmel Valley and Carmel Highlands and everywhere in between, will throw open their doors and reveal their studios and their process to the world. See the website for maps and a full list of artists. 11am-5pm, throughout Monterey County. Free.

The foodiest of foodies are flocking to Quail Lodge Golf Club for Harvest Farm to Table, featuring local foods, over 200 wines, a beer garden, a farmer’s market, cooking demos, and great music from WAR. 12:30pm-4pm, 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel. Tickets start at $85 per day and are available online.

Local artist Robynn Smith, the focus of this season’s “MontereyNOW” exhibit at the Monterey Museum of Art, combines painting, drawing and printmaking to create her works. Today at the Monterey Museum of Art Pacific Street, she’ll discuss her work and her process. 3pm, 559 Pacific Street, Monterey. Included in admission fee.

See two hours of animation, ranging from comedy to experimental, documentary to sci fi and more, at Manifest: Monterey Animation Festival at the Cannery Row IMAX. 6:30pm, 640 Wave St., Monterey. $9 in advance, $12 at the door, $8 for students, seniors and military. Buy tickets at the Manifest website.

Sacramento rock/reggae jam band ZuhG brings the fun to Big Sur’s Fernwood Tavern. 9pm, Highway One in Big Sur, no cover.

It’s no surprise singer-songwriter Reggie Ginn is playing the official Twilight convention in Sacramento; her passionate vocals and the heavy piano on her songs evoke Evanescence comparisons. Catch her along with mysterious tour-mates Dear Left Brain, local folkie favorite Bernadette Conant, Bedhead Beauties, and Jesse Owens at Jose’s Lounge Underground. 9pm, 638 Wave St., Monterey. $5.

Sunday

The cuteness continues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Otter Days. Taste sustainable seafood and other cuisine, learn about otters from aquarists and animal behavior experts, try your hand at otter spotting and “You Otter Know” and win prizes if you wear an official Otter Days T-shirt (see this link for a downloadable iron-on.) Reserve a special behind-the-scenes tour online for an additional $12 ($10 for members). 10am-6pm, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. Included in admission fee.

The 51st Carmel Valley Gem and Mineral Society Gem Show continues at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Print this flyer for $1 off admission. 10am-5pm, Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey. $3.50 for adults; each child accompanied by an adult is free.

Enjoy great food, great activities and live music from the Chicano All Stars at the 46th Carmel Mission Fiesta. The event in the Carmel Mission courtyard features arts and crafts booths, kids’ games, and a raffle for $1,000. 11am-5pm, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel. Free.

At Science Sunday at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, learn why living things glow with hands on science activities, arts and crafts and speakers on the topic. 11am-3pm, 165 Forest Ave. Free, but donations are appreciated.

The Monterey County Artists Studio Tour continues at locations throughout Monterey County. See the website for maps and a full list of artists. 11am-5pm, throughout Monterey County. Free.

Harvest Farm to Table continues at Quail Lodge Golf Club. You’ve got another three and a half hours to fill up on  local foods, over 200 wines and great beer. Buy produce to take home at the farmer’s market, learn something from the cooking demos, and sing along to The Gin Blossoms’ “Hey Jealousy.” 12:30pm-4pm, 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel. Tickets start at $85 per day and are available online.

Swedish folk/psychedelic rock band Dungen play tonight under the redwoods at the Henry Miller Library. LA’s political psychedelic rockers The Entrance Band and the Bay Area’s Lumerians open. 7pm, Highway One in Big Sur. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online.

The contest is closed! Thank you for your entries!

We’ve got five – count ‘em, five! – Monterey Jazz Festival compilations from iTunes to give away. Each compilation has 15 songs from artists that played at the 53rd Monterey Jazz Festival.

There’s two ways to enter:

1. Comment on this blog post telling us your favorite jazz artist.
2. Follow SeeMonterey on Twitter. Then tweet, “I entered the #SeeMonterey contest for a chance to win a Monterey Jazz Festival compilation! http://bit.ly/aK6NlH”

Use both methods of entry to double your chance at winning! We’ll pick the winners on Friday afternoon. (Wouldn’t winning something be the perfect way to start your weekend?)

What are you waiting for? Enter now!

The legal stuff: No purchase necessary to enter. Must be resident of one of the 50 U.S. States or DC and 18 years old or older at date of entry into sweepstakes. Void in Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories and possessions and where prohibited by law. Employees and relatives of employees of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau may not enter. Contest winners will be drawn at random at noon on Friday, September 23, 2010. Prize is solely for personal use and may not be used for any other promotion (but we don’t mind if you re-gift it to your jazz-loving sweetie). Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. If a winner can’t be reached within 72 hours of selection, we reserve the right to select a new winner — so check your email and DMs!

The crowd chuckled when Javon Jackson came on stage, occasionally playing along with the jazz song on the PA system, and that was a harbinger of what was to come. Jackson tossed quips about as easily as he tossed out sax lines layered with an exuberant funk flavor – and Les McCann was more than happy to banter with him. The Nightclub Stage became a jazz/comedy venue on Sunday night during the Javon Jackson Band with Les McCann’s show.

The numbers they played were incredibly fast, loose, and seemingly spontaneous. And so were the jokes, whether it was Jackson needling the audience after the first number by saying, “Well, now you can’t say I didn’t play some jazz,” (which garnered big laughs) or McCann jesting about Jackson benefiting from nepotism on the part of Tim Jackson, the Monterey Jazz Festival’s general manager. (The Jacksons are not related.)

While the two may be separated by 30 years of age, it’s clear that musically and temperamentally, they understand each other on a very deep level.

For more information on the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our Monterey Jazz Festival page. For coverage of the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, see all our Monterey Jazz Festival posts. For more photos from this and other performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival set on Flickr.

Angélique Kidjo is a commanding stage presence. Like Diane Reeves, who performed on the same stage the night before, Kidjo’s range, power, confidence and expressiveness gave her possession of the entire arena.

Kidjo’s set was Afrobeat-focused, but the enthusiastic audience didn’t seem to care about the lack of traditional jazz. Her backing band featured renowned jazz bassist Christian McBride.

Kidjo’s appearance left an impression; throughout the rest of the evening, jazz fans who caught the set raved about it.

For more information on the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our Monterey Jazz Festival page. For coverage of the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, see all our Monterey Jazz Festival posts. For more photos from this and other performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival set on Flickr.

On Sunday night, the Garden Stage belonged to six artists who clearly enjoyed each others’ musicianship and commanded mastery of the jazz form.

While Kim Nalley and Houston Person may have been the top names on the bill, the backing band of pianist Tammy Hall, bassist Michael Zisman, guitarist Josh Workman and drummer Kent Bryson brought a slick, tight musicianship that made their jam session at the beginning of the set engrossing and enjoyable.

Houston Person arrived on stage to loud cheers from the audience and immediately laid down a sassy, soulful tenor sax line that had the crowd grooving in their seats. It didn’t seem like the spectators could get any more excited, but when Kim Nalley arrived, they did.

Nalley’s vocals are sexy, light and effortless; though her 3 1/2 octave range is often noted, there’s never a sense that she’s straining in order to achieve it. Whether she’s scatting or singing, her voice has a playful quality. Just as Harry Connick, Jr. had done a few minutes previously, Nalley performed “It Had To Be You.” While both had straight-ahead arrangements, as sung by Nalley there was a sense of flirtatious invitation that made it an entirely different song.

For more information on the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our Monterey Jazz Festival page. For coverage of the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, see all our Monterey Jazz Festival posts. For more photos from this and other performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival set on Flickr.

Women swooned and their husbands were envious on Sunday as Harry Connick Jr. took the stage to a packed house at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Connick Jr. honored the rich tradition of the standard songbook, proving the classics of jazz will always be alive so long as they are performed with smooth style and artistry.

Connick Jr. played a crowd-pleasing set that included an epic version of “It Had to Be You” that showed off not only his smooth vocals, but also his great piano-playing skills. The rest of his 14-piece band also had the opportunity to show off throughout the set, but Connick Jr. was clearly the star.

For more information on the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our Monterey Jazz Festival page. For coverage of the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, see all our Monterey Jazz Festival posts. For more photos from this and other performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival set on Flickr.

All the members of the LeBoeuf Brothers, a saxophone quintet, endow their playing with a lyrical quality that creates a sense of intimacy even in the furthest reaches of a space the size of the overflowing Garden Stage area.

Though the band members may look young, the introduction spoke to the depth and range of projects each member is involved in. This highlighted an aspect of the Monterey Jazz Festival that is especially unique: all these jazz artists are deeply interlinked, with far fewer than six degrees of separation. The boundaries in jazz are far more permeable than those in rock; jazz is a collaborative form that encourages artists to seek out opportunities to play with as diverse a range of other musicians as possible.

The LeBoeuf Brothers’ set was energetic and intense but also inviting; the laid-back audience was quiet but fully engaged. Though they’re known for music that integrates elements of hip hop and electronica, their set at the Monterey Jazz Festival stuck to textured, straight-ahead jazz.

For more information on the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our Monterey Jazz Festival page. For coverage of the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, see all our Monterey Jazz Festival posts. For more photos from this and other performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival set on Flickr.

It was a surprise to see Chris Potter Underground on Saturday night; with their reputation as one of the bands most likely to get twenty-somethings into jazz (as stated by the Village Voice early this year) it seemed they would have likely been slotted in to Friday’s “New Grooves” night.

Watching them on the Garden Stage on Saturday was in no way a disappointment, however, and despite some heavyweight competition (Dianne Reeves, anyone?) they managed to draw a solid and enthusiastic crowd. Sharp-eyed jazz fans even spotted jazz pianist Billy Childs standing in the back for a large portion of the set, fully engaged in the performance.

Chris Potter Underground played funky, fast, rock-influenced jazz with a fat bottom and a rump-shaking groove. Amazingly, the dense basslines weren’t laid down by a bass player, but instead all came out of Craig Taborn’s Fender Rhodes piano. An unnamed audience member called Taborn “the most underrated keyboardist in jazz.” One thing’s clear: he won’t be underrated by anyone that caught Saturday night’s performance.

For more information on the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our Monterey Jazz Festival page. For coverage of the 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival, see all our Monterey Jazz Festival posts. For more photos from this and other performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, see our 2010 Monterey Jazz Festival set on Flickr.