With five stages going strong, the 66th Monterey Jazz Festival was in full swing September 22-24, 2023. And I do mean “swing”! As if to celebrate Artistic Director Tim Jackson, who steps down as artistic director after 33 years, the crowd socialized like it was a block party. With a superb combination of old-school pros and scrub-faced newbies, Jackson outdid himself with a selection of artists who underscored jazz’s timeless appeal combined with the assuredness that this delightful art form is in good hands for the future (Jackson will remain as artistic advisor for a bit as composer Darin Atwater, creator of Baltimore’s 75-piece Soulful Symphony, takes the reins as the festivals third artistic director).

For this year, I will take you through the majority of the acts, not just highlights, so you can sense what it’s like for a die-hard fan.

There’s always a takeaway for me: Last year, it was Brazilian jazz, and its many-faceted incarnations all generating the rhythm of life. This year it was three things: Standards, singers, and piano players. And it wasn’t just for me. You could sense the crowd’s reaction in applause and affection to (and this isn’t the full list) for vocalists Samara Joy and Catherine Russell  and pianists Sullivan Fortner, Billy Childs, Benny Green, Gerald Clayton, Connie Han; Benjamin Collins-Siegel, and Justin Kauflin.

Speaking of piano players, the first act on the windy, chilly Friday afternoon was a truly upbeat set by the joyous Kait Dunton and her band at The West End Stage. With her hubby Jake Reed on drums and Sean Hurley on bass, we heard a new rockin’ tune from her guitarist Andrew Synowiec. She played the soulful bluesy “This One’s for You” from her new album recorded with Reed and Hurley, Keyboards. The tunes I heard were composed by Dunton, and she got all ’70s funk on the organ, flying over the keyboard with addictive riffs. Even though her compositions aren’t particularly catchy, she sure is. She told us to look her up on Instagram, but seeing her live at the fest beats all things online.

Kait Dunton (top); Andrew Synowiec; Jake Reed in the trucker hat 

Then a short stroll to the Garden Stage, where some mean brass was taking place with the Latin Jazz Collective led by Afro-Cuban percussionist John Nava with co-founders saxophonist Stu Reynolds and drummer Martin Binder on board. After some swaying, sweeping, sultry salsa, the band covered every corner of Cuban rhythm, causing my coccyx to cut a rug! There was little to no patter in between songs, so I wish I could tell you the tune, but trombonist and teacher Ric “Mightybone” Feliciano‘s vocals ratcheted up the energy, which was already at a high pitch, given the festival had barely started.

 John Nava; Stu Reynolds sax; Brian Stock trumpet

Back to west End, where singer Gretchen Parlato joined with Benin-born guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke for a one-hour set that certainly displayed their virtuosic skills, yet while Parlato has a lovely voice, her diction is this side of awful and her riffs extraordinarily repetitive. I used to love her, but now she’s seems more enjoyable with a band (as would be proved later). She has this consistent breathy sex-kitten thing that is perfect for a record and Sunday morning coffee, but in person (as she was at The Hollywood Bowl Festival this year), she doesn’t seem to capture the crowd. Loueke is more than a fine player, reminiscent of one of my favorite guitarists, Tuck Andress of Tuck & Patti. He performs amazing African clicking sounds while making the most unusual percussive and tapping techniques to create rhythmically unbelievable effects. And what is he playing?! (Look at the photo.) It’s like some kind of neck guitar with a wooden attachment that rests on his leg. Simply one of a kind, like his playing is.

 Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke

Back to the Garden for Tony Lindsay and the Soul Soldiers, where keyboardist Janice Maxie Reed blew the roof off (well, there isn’t a roof, but you know what I mean) funkifying Bill Withers’ “Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?” Celebrating 70s funk groove (with some 60s and 80s stuff played in the same vein), the band, whose leader is the longest-tenured lead singer of Santana, offered recognizable covers, including Carole King’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, Stevie Wonder’s hip gyrator “Superstition”, and Adrian Gurvitz’s “Classic” (“I’m an Addict for Your Love” indeed!).

    (top) Janice Maxie Reed and guitarist Dave Shul;
(bottom) Fred Ross, vocals; Allen Leong, keys; Tony Lindsay; David Jones, bass

The crowd dancing along with The Soul Soldiers

The Pacific Jazz Café is back this year, the first indoor venue that re-opened post-COVID; only two more indoor venues to open — they were used as rehearsal rooms this year — and we’re back in business. Although I must say, with the five stages going on, it was already impossible to see everything! The café isn’t the best for seating and sightlines, but that’s why I sidle to the front where there is usually an empty seat. Her first concert since giving birth, bassist Katie Thiroux is back with her trio, drummer Matt Witek and the great great pianist and Clark Terry protégé Justin Kauflin, who lost his sight at age 11. The house was riveted as they elegantly offered some standards, including Jule Styne’s “I Fall in Love Too Easily” and David Mann’s “In the Wee Small Hours.” This is music you lean into. Katie is so remarkably unpretentious on vocals that they simmer like a fine brew. And Kaufler is liquid gold, effortlessly buttering up the keys. I was unfamiliar with Katie and Matt, but this is what the festival does: it introduces you to acts from whom you want to hear more. I get hundreds of albums sent to me every month, and it takes a certain concentration to listen at home. Here at the festival, it’s easy.

 Matt Witek, drums; Justin Kaufler, piano; Kate Thiroux, bass & vocals

Katie may have done some of her own tunes later, but I had to tear myself away for Gerald Clayton in trio with dad John on bass, and Mr. Jeff Hamilton on drums on The West End Stage. If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m a nut for piano. And I will never give up the chance to see Gerald live, which frankly are often better than his albums. I notice he’s traded in his long Rastafarian locks for a short cut and a gaucho hat. Now here are musicians that I’ve seen many times before and I’ll keep seeing them many times hence. The refined and cool John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton are often seen with their Jazz Orchestra (they played with Samara Joy at The Soraya this year — more on her soon). Gerald stated that playing outside is normally “sheesh,” but with the loving energy at the festival, it’s like playing in somebody’s basement. Yeah, it’s that intimate, even with the crowd. It’s true — folks who come here are very respectful of the music; rarely will you hear talking or other noises while the acts are on. they offered a magnetic “If I Should Lose You” by Ralph Rainger, made famous by Bird (Charlie Parker), an endearing “Yesterdays” by Jerome Kern, and a lovely “Con Alma,” the jazz standard written by Dizzy Gillespie on his 1954 album Afro (Clayton joked that that the translation is “With Alma”). Clayton played it with a rhythmic joy, rhapsodic inventions and a dramatic arc, while maintaining the intrinsic soul and sweet melody line of the original. Now, that’s jazz.

   Gerald Clayton, John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton

Given the competition, there was a decent crowd for the very decent and very young Berklee Jazz & Gender Justice Quartet.

Berklee Jazz & Gender Justice Quartet.
Ian Lee, bass; Noa Zebley, bari sax; Jillian Upshaw, drums; Stella Rosa, trumpet

Back at the Pacific Jazz Café, singer/actress/violinist Lucia Micarelli and guitarist Leo Amuedo were joined in this set, one of three at the fest, by Leo’s son, percussionist Danilo Amuedo, who — while attractive — probably wouldn’t have gotten this gig were it not for papa; his work is shy and highly indistinct. Lucia has a lovely voice, and had the audience rapt for an unforced, stirring and gloriously sweet “Time After Time.” On violin, her Celtic/Latin fusion stunned, and it was like nothing I’ve heard before when when she played classical Brahms joined by Leo’s intricate Bossa Nova fingerwork. I would return each day for each of their three sets

You might be surprised to find how many jazz artists are incredibly eloquent and humorous. At MJF, I find players more apt to engage with the audience. Lucia Micarelli told a stirring story about her father with Parkinson’s who didn’t recognize her, but when she played Christmas carols, he would sing along. Ah, the power of music.

 Violinist Lucia Micarelli; percussionist Danilo Amuedo; guitarist Leo Amuedo 

After the duo came Benny Green, one of jazz music’s most elite piano stylists. His command of bebop, post-bop, and swing was an affectionate nod to his elders Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Dick Hyman (who, at 96, is still with us!). Mostly, I’d say he is this century’s Bud Powell. He recorded Benny Carter’s “When Lights Are Low” back in 2003, but here he played it with dizzying speed while maintaining a lot of heart. For James Williams’ “Soulful Mr. Timmons” from his latest album of solos, his command of jaunty stride and boogie-woogie was thrilling. Then we got gigantic, rapturous chords for “Ruby, My Dear” (“Monk was my first musical hero,” he told us). And, man, can he ever slap those low bass notes. “It’s great to be here,” he said. “Because of all the love you give us, we can take that back out on the road.”

Benny Green

There were two heavy-hitters headlining at the stadium-like Jimmy Lyons Stage Friday night; well, two headliners and more than a dozen heavy-hitters. The place was packed for Terence Blanchard  with his revolutionary band E-Collective, joined by the Turtle Island String Quartet. Not only did we get layers of funk, rock, R&B, and blues, but there were also plenty of Blanchard’s compositional skills (his orchestrations for his opera Champion at The Met this year were astounding). Many artists at the fest dedicated their sets to musician and arranger Wayne Shorter, who died this past March. Blanchard had already combined his fusion jazz band with the classical string quartet to pay tribute to the post-bop legend, and we got a few samplings, including “Diana.” Later in his own set, Herbie Hancock, who is Creative Chair for Jazz with the LA Phil near my home in L.A., was joined by Blanchard on horn for Shorter’s “Footprints” — indeed throughout the weekend you would often catch artists working with each other when not doing their own sets. Are you getting why MJF is the longest-running jazz fest in the world? But be forewarned that you may have a slight disconnect with some artists at Lyons, as the arena is so big that many are forced to watch the sets on the giant screens on either side of the stage. But it was awesome to hear Hancock’s jazz-funk “Actual Proof” which was introduced FIFTY YEARS AGO this year (oy!) — and here he is still playing on the Fender Rhodes piano, albeit without his Headhunter band. How apropos that Hancock ends his latest tour here at MJF.

 Top: Terence Blanchard and the Turtle Island Quartet; Kendrick Scott, drums
"Footprints" Herbie Hancock; Lionel Loueke, guitar; Blanchard; James Genus, bass

For me, the headliners aren’t the heart and soul of the festival. I prefer my jazz intimate. So it was off to the Garden Stage for guitarist John Scofield, who was the Showcase Artist this year. On Saturday, Scofield played with his Yankee Go Home group playing classics from the rock ‘n’ roll era, and on Sunday he did a solo set at the Café, stacking his own   riffs via a multi-track loop pedal and harmonizers. Tonight, he jammed a pure funky set with Scary Goldings, a group made up of organist Larry Goldings and Scary Pockets, co-led by keyboardist Jack Conte and guitarist Ryan Lerman, an LA-based outfit I never got to see live on my home turf. They were joined by Australian singer/songwriter Tal Wilkenfeld on bass and handsome Ted Poor on drums. Wilkenfeld’s expressive facial expressions and long crimped dirty-blonde hair swaying with the beat expressed pure joy.

Larry Goldings, Ryan Lerman, Jack Conte, Scofield, Ted Poor, Tal Wilkenfeld
 John Scofield kicked off his shows for a solo set on Sunday

The last act for Friday was the Taylor Eigsti Group, playing among others tunes from Treefalls, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and here — even without orchestral elements like woodwinds — we had proof as to why. The sophisticated pianist Eigsti said “The amount of time that I get to sit at the piano and play music for people is the smallest fraction of any other thing that I get to do in my life,” so it was thrilling to get a chance to see him up close. Gretchen Parlato sounded amazing on Eigsti’s tune, “Play with Me.”

  Taylor Eigsti;
Oscar Seaton, Jr. on drums;
Gretchen Parlato; guitarist Charles Altura on violin; David Ginyard, Jr.

There's plenty of great stuff to buy!

   Zach Andrews, bass trombone; Luciano Soriano, trombone
Ethan Fairclough, bass; Benjamin Schwartz, drums; Benjamin Collins-Siegel, piano
Benjamin Collins-Siegel, piano
Mason Bryant, guitar; Benjamin Collins-Siegel; Ethan Fairclough; Benjamin Schwartz

Outside at the Courtyard Stage on Saturday, we had the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Combo, a completely awesome band as any I heard all weekend. Comprised of selected members of the 2023 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, which would play on Sunday on the Lyons Stage with Gerald Clayton. Benjamin Collins-Siegel was far and away one of the best pianists at the fest, with incredibly smooth transitions and a gentle character that absolutely pulled me in — this young man is headed places. And being in close proximity to Zach Andrews, he really made me appreciate how much work the bass trombone can be; it takes a lot of air, but his tone was conversational and melodic — meaning he made it look easy.

Paloma Cobbs Silva, flute; Grace Rock, trombone; Salome Ospina, piano; Lucy Khadder, violin

At the Garden Stage, the MJF Women in Jazz Combo, directed by Katie Thiroux, whose trio I saw yesterday, was not quite as successful. The material — a tune by Potencial Infinito and “Look at Me” by Cécile McLorin Salvant didn’t seem to inspire the players, who are no doubt capable, could be a bit tentative and timid. Could it be that Kate was on bass behind the group? Could it have been nerves since alto saxophonist, composer and arranger Lakecia Benjamin — the 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival Artist-in-Residence — joined them later in the set?

Berklee Jazz & Gender Justice Quartet: Alon Ephraim Schwartz, piano;
Noa Zebley, bari sax; Christopher Ian Lee, bass; Jillian Upshaw, drums

As with theater, the best stuff was often on smaller stages. Easily one of the greatest sets at the fest was the Berklee Jazz & Gender Justice Quartet, which also played last night at The Garden Stage. People gathered rapidly on all sides of the Courtyard Stage. Noa Zebley, who excelled on flute, then picked up a baritone sax nearly as big as she is, and wailed to the heavens. Someone nearby said, “I love when jazz musicians just play good music.” To which his companion replied, “Or maybe it helps if you’re hungry, and have something to prove.” Who knows? But the mission to bridge the gender gap in jazz proved 100% successful here.

   Sarah Wilson's Brass Tonic on The West End Stage
John Schott, electric guitar; Lisa Mezzacappa, bass; Mara Fox, trombone;
John Levis, drums; Kasey Knudsen, alto sax; Sarah Wilson, trumpet

  Charles Haynes, drums
Randall (Randy) Runyon, guitar; multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato

Given his profession as one who works an audience, Tonight Show bandleader Louis Cato definitely knew how to get the house going on the Lyons Stage, playing stuff from his latest album, Reflections, the title song of which was written by guitarist Randy Runyon, whose soulful performance and charismatic stage presence could have made him the frontman. Later, Cato’s Spanish-tinged folk ballad, “Human,” which was much more rambunctious here than on the album, is a gorgeous tune, and rightfully Cato’s favorite cut from the album. Also touching but exciting and rhythmic was “Back and Forth,” a song Cato dedicated to his “musical bro” James Casey, the acclaimed saxophonist who sadly died last month at age 40 after a 2-year battle with colon cancer. With Jeremy McDonald thumping on bass, and Larry Goldings, who played with Scary Pockets yesterday, heating things up with panache on that Hammond B-3 Organ, it was almost too much joy for one set. Almost, until drummer Charles Haynes, a Berklee College of Music graduate, showed why Lady Gaga wanted him on her tour as co-musical director: versatility. Shades of his influences were all over this set, including rock, country, gospel, R&B/soul and reggae. Fantastic.

     It was a packed (open) house for Ray Obiedo's Latin Jazz Project
with many folks in lawn chairs, which you can only rent now;
no longer can you bring in your own chairs.

 
	

		

	

			

			

								
										
													
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