Music Review: 65TH MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL

EVEN WITH CHANGES DUE TO COVID,
THE MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL SOARS

One of the joys of the Monterey Jazz Festival is discovery. Sure, you’ll get to hear some great professional talent, but a lot of up and coming high school and college talent. The 65th gathering may still not be up to snuff after that bad cat COVID, meaning no indoor acts and only four outdoor stages meant less of that upcoming talent and big college bands, but that didn’t stop the magic. Case in point: I had heard about the 22-year-old New Yorker Samara Joy since she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019, and rightfully so. Having just released her eponymous debut album, the word is spreading in certain circles. Yet when she began her set on the West End Stage Friday afternoon, the crowds were milling about the area. But when she sold standards “Guess Who I Saw Today?” and “Round Midnight” that gathering crowd became a throng. When I tell you that this young singer has the level of talent that only surfaces once in a blue moon, you’d best believe it. A Sarah Vaughan of her generation, but with a style and charming appeal all her own, I thought — as I always do — there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than when I’m at MJF. For her debut, Ms. Joy was joined by guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Ari Roland, and drummer Keith Balla.

While Joy is in the past, the Kim Nally Band blends in the future. This gloriously sassy R&B-toned lady brought her band of Tammy Hall piano, Michael Zisman bass, Kent Bryson drums and Barry Finnerty guitar, but it was tenor saxist Houston Person who really added smoke to Nalley’s fire as well. She was cozy on the Fred Rogers classic “Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” and swinging on “I Hadn’t Anyone But You” while oozing on “Try A Little Tenderness.” She brought Maria Muldaur out for a fun and raucous read of “I Want A Little Boy” as well.

2020 marked the Centennial Year of jazz giant Dave Brubeck. Celebrating his life and legacy, Dave’s sons Chris and Dan Brubeck, who performed and recorded with their father since the 1970s, presented a centennial celebration with their Brubeck Brothers Quartet, a dynamic group which includes guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb. Of course, the classic 5/4 time “Take Five” from the Time Out album was included but this time sans saxophone. Dave Brubeck’s classic tune “Kathy’s Waltz,” named after his daughter, was especially emotional, given she passed last summer.

And thank goodness MJF brought back the great Gerald Clayton, who not only performed with his trio, but also led the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and a Combo Sextet. The Orchestra is one of the most inspiring elements of the festival, as it is made up of high-school students around the country who had to audition online to get in. As I sat there listening, I thought it was a shame that this set wasn’t recorded for an album release! One of my favorites was “The Eternal Triangle” by Sonny Stitt, arranged by Gerald’s dad John Clayton — Beckett Miles from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Florida thrilled with an extended drum solo, and vocalist Ava Ramsey scatted to scare away the devil — awesome. The great pianist Christian Sands joined in “For All We Know.”

Clayton’s trio offered compositions both soundscape and melodic. Masterful young vibraphonist Joel Ross, who amazed with his giddy rhythms, and had already performed with his Good Vibes Band, took part with the “young lions” and was joined by alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins. Clayton’s modernist vision includes a classic touch and a history of jazz imbued in his soul. Even though the crowd was huge for the Combo Sextet, Clayton said, “Go home and multiply; we need a lot more of you.”

Monterey Jazz Festival selects a Showcase Artist to perform multiple times at the Festival, to display the various aspects of their artistry. Jazz harpist Brandee Younger reminded me of the great Corky Hale. Along with her own set, Younger appeared with Ravi Coltrane’s fast-paced “Cosmic Music: A Contemporary Exploration of the Music of John and Alice Coltrane” on the Lyons Stage as he explored the groundbreaking, mystical, and spiritual jazz of his parents, John and Alice Coltrane; this was a contemporary dive into their pioneering work. He was joined on stage by his quartet: Gadi Lehavi on piano, Rashaan Carter on bass, Elé Howell on drums. Younger offered gorgeous versions of Alice’s atmospheric and spiritual pieces “Los Caballos,” “Journey in Satchidananda” and “Blue Nile.” This was a very classy and humorous outfit. Ravi noted, “The more oppressed a society is, the more they love jazz.”

It was the unexpected and unknown that truly enthralled, while some of the headliners at The Arena — the huge outdoor space — actually disappointed (Gregory Porter in the Lyons Arena offered soul-drenched songs including the Temptations’ “My Girl” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” but his own songs — “Musical Genocide,” “Mister Holland,” and “No Love Dying” — were a little dull. The latter is no fault of Artistic Director Tim Jackson who — along with the curated stars and up-and-comers — ensured that we were slathered in the thrill of discovery, from many young students and more women musicians to acts that should be better-known than they are now. There were also a few who are on the cutting edge of being jazz’s next big thing. Still, many players offered their own new compositions that sounded more like improv than compositions.

One of the great moments of this year’s festival was provided by the veteran artistry of pianist-composer Chucho Valdes‘s broad canvas work La Creacion, a large ensemble work beautifully co-conducted by pianist-keyboardists John Beasley, whose ensemble Monk’estra horn section powered the work, and Chucho’s Cuban compadre Hilario Duran. With at times 3 ritual bata drum & voice contributors in the ensemble, this densely layered work will be on tour this Fall. The work included a beautiful calypso section keyed to one of the trumpeters in the ensemble, Trinidadian Etienne Charles, and an incendiary drum excursion from Dafnis Prieto. With Chucho’s bravura piano at the helm, this was the most inspired performance of this MJF edition. Afro-Cuban rhythms, fusion and more always shifted and surprised. You know how I know it’s great? Well, to quote Monk: “Know it when you hear it.” The effect was at once invigorating and soothing. But above all, it was so magical and so transcendent as to be at a loss for words to describe it. (There’s a quote attributed to Monk: “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture”; Yeah, tell me about it!)

But how can anyone catch it all? Well, you can’t. With a friendly, supportive crowd that had a great rapport with the artists in the grounds venues, amazing food choices (grilled artichoke; fried alligator; flash-fried Brussels sprouts), lovely vendors, and a helluva lot of great jazz, even the chilly weather didn’t dampen spirits. I also couldn’t help but notice many mixed-race couples, proving that jazz is often ahead of its time. Next year looks to be on track for the MJF of old before the pandemic hit, so start preparing now. You thought four outdoor stages and over 20,000 attendees to the Monterey County Fairgrounds was a lot, just wait until MJF 66.

The 66th Monterey Jazz Festival will take place September 22-24, 2023. Details about the festival, including the lineup and 2023 Artist-in-Residence, will be announced in the spring of 2023. For more information, visit montereyjazzfestival.org.

 Photog Jeff Crandall, Samara Joy, and the author

photos by Jeff Crandall and Jim Stone

FULL LINEUP FOR THE 65th MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL, SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2022

(In alphabetical order)

Friday, September 23

ARENA:

Chucho Valdés – La Creación (w/ the Yoruband Orchestra directed by Hilarío Durán & John Beasley)
Incognito w/special guest Maysa

GROUNDS:

Akira Tana & Otonowa
The Bad Plus
Berklee Jazz and Gender Justice Group
Emmaline
John Hanrahan Quartet
Julian Lage Quartet
Nicholas Payton
Mo’Fone
Reunion Trio (w/ Bruce Forman, John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton)
Samara Joy

Saturday, September 24

ARENA:

Artemis (w/ Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Alexa Tarantino, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda, Allison Miller)
Butcher Brown
Las Cafeteras
Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour – Celebrating 65 (w/ Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Lakecia Benjamin, Christian Sands, Yasushi Nakamura, Clarence Penn)
Moodswing Reunion (Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade)
Veronica Swift

GROUNDS:

Artemis (w/ Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Alexa Tarantino, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda, Allison Miller)
Butcher Brown
The Cookers (w/ Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Donald Harrison, Billy Harper, George Cables, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart)
Dan Wilson
Dave Stryker Quartet featuring Warren Wolf
Emmet Cohen Trio
Fleurine
Joel Ross “Good Vibes”
Matthew Whitaker
MJF Women in Jazz Combo (led by Katie Thiroux)
Moy Eng – The Blue Hour Project
Sal’s Greenhouse
Terrie Odabi

Sunday, September 25

ARENA:

Gregory Porter
Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Directed by Gerald Clayton (ft. Artist-in-Residence Christian Sands)
Ravi Coltrane Cosmic Music (ft. Special Guest Brandee Younger Trio)

• Contemporary Exploration into the Music of John and Alice Coltrane

SuperBlue – Kurt Elling ft. Charlie Hunter

GROUNDS

Brandee Younger Trio
Brubeck Brothers Quartet
Gerald Clayton Trio
Keyon Harrold
Kim Nalley
Kyle Eastwood Group
Emil Afrasiyab Trio
Emma-Jean Thackray
Flor de Toloache
Michael Zilber Quartet
Molly Miller Trio
Nate Smith + KINFOLK
Sunday Morning Gospel (w/ Brown, Sturgis & Brown)