Category — monterey jazz festival

All Weekend

The Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa celebrates Independence Day all weekend long! Special performances will include piano vocalist Angelica Hayden on Friday, rock n’ roll group Velvet Plum on Saturday and jazz swing band Laurent Fourgo on Sunday. On Monday the 4th of July country-western group 8 Second Ride performs and the Monterey Plaza serves up a delicious Independence Day BBQ. 5pm-9pm Friday- Sunday, 12pm-4pm Monday, 400 Cannery Row, Monterey.

The Esalen International Arts Festival takes place Friday through Sunday at Esalen in Big Sur! The three-day festival celebrates art, culture and spirit with an extraordinarily diverse group of artists, musicians, performers, and teachers. The event will feature seven weekend workshops and a special world celebration of music and dance on Saturday afternoon. 55000 Highway One, Big Sur. $45-$65.

Check out the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions this weekend at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Several European horses and riders performs in this unique family oriented arena attraction on Saturday and Sunday. All new music, choreography and routines have been incorporated in this performance. Spectators will be stunned at what these horses can do! 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey. $11-$26.

Friday

CANCELLED!!
This event has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. Head to Big Sur this Friday and check out Alela Diane and Dylan LeBlanc in concert at the Henry Miller Library. Both artists sing Americana and folk. 7pm, 49273 Highway 1, Big Sur. #30.

Burnstitch takes the stage tonight at Jose’s Underground Lounge.  The metal band will play original songs from their album Human Condition. 8pm, 638 Wave Street, Monterey.

Alex Ramirez performs an acoustic bluesy folk set tonight at Pierce Ranch Vineyards. The back patio will be open for you to relax with a bottle of wine before the show. 8:30pm, 499 Wave Street, Monterey. Free admission to those 21 and older.

Victory Lane with Elina performs tonight at Bullwacker’s.  Step back in time and enjoy classic rock covers from Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles on the patio! 8:30pm, 653 Cannery Row, Monterey. No cover.

Rex Wheeler will be back at London Bridge Pub tonight!  Bring your friends and listen to Rex’s electric acoustic tunes. 9pm, 256 Figueroa St., Wharf #2, Monterey. No cover.

Saturday

It’s Founder’s Day at the Carmel Mission Inn. To celebrate the mission’s rich history the day will be packed with interactive hands-on exhibits, art, live music, a BBQ, a lineup of Spanish Colonial horses and a mass in the Basilica. 12pm-6:30pm, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has teamed up with the Monterey Jazz Festival to present Evenings by the Bay. Jazz saxophonist Roger Eddy will kick off the summer series tonight. 6pm-8pm, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free with aquarium admission.

A Band of Ninjas will be back at Bullwacker’s tonight with special guests The Lone Gunmen.  This is sure to be a great concert with covers from classic rock to blues. 8:30pm, 653 Cannery Row, Monterey. No cover.

Fernwood Tavern is the place to be tonight for Americana and folk music. Several bands will perform including Ryan Christopher Parks, Hannah Moriah, Duck n Trusty Pop Explosion and Sharp Sickle. 9pm, 47200 Highway One, Big Sur. No cover.

The Henry Miller Library hosts Jackie Greene tonight! The Salinas born singer-songwriter has toured with B.B King, Buddy Guy and Huey Lewis to name a few. Jackie will play his original Americana and blues jams. After Jackie’s performance head to Fernwood Tavern where Honeymoon ends the night at the after party. 8pm, 49273 Highway 1, Big Sur. $35

John Michael performs tonight at London Bridge Pub.  The trained opera singer will play a variety of genres. 9:30pm, 256 Figueroa St., Wharf #2, Monterey. No cover.

Sunday

The City of Soledad celebrates America’s Independence Day a little early! There will be food booths, music, face painting, a carnival and a firework show at dusk. 12pm-dusk, Gallardo Park, Soledad. Free admission (excluding carnival).

Chill out at Big Sur River Inn this afternoon and listen to the jazzy tunes from Paige Too! 1pm-5pm, Highway One at Pheneger Creek, Big Sur. No cover.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is staying open late for another Evenings by the Bay. Tonight’s jazz performance will include  Gary Meek with Eddie Mendenhall, Dan Robbins and Kim Edmundson. 6pm-8pm. 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free with aquarium admission.

Listen to the Blonde Redheads tonight at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur!  The indie and psychedelic rock group will play songs from their newest album Penny Sparkle. 7pm, 49273 Highway 1, Big Sur. $30.

Monday

Spreckels will kick off the 4th of July with a 10k run and a parade through the quaint small town. At 10am the Monterey Bay Symphony will present a free one-hour program titled “Main Street Classics” at Spreckels Memorial Park. The performance will include “Fanfare for the Common Man,” “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Liberty Bell.” 9am-12pm, Hatton Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets, Spreckels. Free admission.

Colton Hall

Celebrate the 4th of July at Monterey’s Lawn Party in front of Colton Hall. There will be a BBQ, live entertainment, kid’s entertainment and more! Don’t miss musical performances from the Monterey Community Band, Papa Doo Run Run, Shane Dwight and Pop Fiction. 11am-5pm, 570 Pacific Street, Monterey. Free admission.

Living History Day will take place at the Cooper Molera Adobe in Monterey. Visitors can step back in time and have a glimpse of what it was like to live in the 19th century. Exhibits will include blacksmithing, rope making games and more.  11am-3pm, 525 Polk Street, Monterey. Free-$5.

America’s Last Hometown, aka Pacific Grove, will host a 4th of July Celebration for the public at Caledonia Park. Expect plenty of live entertainment, food and a special introduction from Panetta Institute’s Dr. Richard Kezirian.  Children’s activities will include a bounce house, games and snow cones. Parents can chow down on a BBQ lunch and enjoy a performance from Pacific Grove local band Firefly. 11am-2pm, Central and Jewell Avenue, Pacific Grove. $5 for children and $10 for adults.

Pack a picnic lunch and head over to charming Carmel-by-the-Sea for the 9th Annual 4th of July Celebration. The old-fashioned patriotic event will include plenty of family fun including games, food and a performance from Cheeky Spanks! 12pm-4pm, Devendorf Park, corner of Junipero and Ocean, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Free admission.

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.

There’s only one word to describe Dianne Reeves’ performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival: spectacular.

Reeves’ voice is simply extraordinary, and worthy of more than the four Grammies she has already collected. She sings with an incredibly rich, full and well-rounded tone that is gorgeous on both the high and the low notes. Her range and depth is beyond most vocalists, combining phenomenal power with amazing restraint. She combines the delicacy of a classical vocalist with the warmth of a soul vocalist.

Reeves’ voice can make someone fall in love in an instant, and the capacity crowd in the arena was no exception. Her beautiful singing and wild scatting captivated the audience. Overheard during Diane Reeves’ set: “We’re going to buy all her albums when we get home, right?”

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.

Anyone who thinks Kyle Eastwood’s success in the jazz world is based purely on nepotism should think again. His performance Saturday night on the Nightclub Stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival made it clear that he is a talent in his own right, with much to offer the jazz world.

Eastwood plays jazz bass with a funky flair, taking the lead with spirit when the opportunity arises. He’s also a generous player and knows exactly when to hold down the bottom and give the spotlight to someone else. A fully engaged audience filled every seat for his energetic set.

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.

Septeto Nacional de Cuba created a joyful, sexy party atmosphere in Dizzy’s Den on Saturday night. The audience inside was enthusiastic; outside, a crowd thronged in front of the doors, hoping to get in. The music had people dancing in the aisles. The crowd was so thick, and the music so delightful, that our photographer only managed to snap one photo!

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.