Beth Peerless, Where it’s at: Soaking in the moments at Monterey Jazz Festival
At the 67th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival over the course of three days this past weekend, there were numerous challenges, some met and others left for another year.
Five stages and 350 artists. Music festivals these days believe in the concept of more is better. The choices are there, the frustration to see all your favorites is real.
The Monterey Jazz Festival is an event where soaking in the moments is where it’s at. It’s taking a seat in the arena and enjoying an entire set of a headlining artist you admire. Or, as was the case many times at this event with a new artistic director, Darin Atwater, it was discovering new music from across the globe. It’s wandering the grounds and perking your ears to what’s on each stage as you pass, deciding to stop and listen should the spirit move you. It’s staking out your spot at one stage and taking in the performances as they unfold. And it’s visiting with friends, shopping, eating and drinking and just embracing the ambiance of the Monterey Fair & Event Center.
A Monterey Jazz Festival attendee browses through the selection of vinyls for sale in the merchandise store. (Arianna Nalbach – Monterey Herald)My experience at the festival was varied. The sets I placed at the top of my list for best of included Friday’s opening set at Jimmy Lyons Stage with the SFJAZZ Collective, an all star tour de force of talent. Being a fan of music director/saxophonist Chris Potter, I wasn’t about to miss a note of the set. So glad to experience the depth and wonderfully arranged pieces that showcased the talents of saxophonist/percussionist David Sanchez, trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Brewer, drummer Kendrick Scott and vibraphonist Warren Wolf.
While I made intermittent dashes around the fairgrounds to hear music at other stages I tended to gravitate back to the arena where the talent and presentation leaned into the sublime. Samara Joy put on a dazzling performance with a voice as resonant and expressive as they come in jazz. No comparisons, just beautiful. Saturday’s top tier was The Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, laying down lush harmonies and soulful entreaties. Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles take the prize for best vibe and dance party of the festival. With the driving funk and dare I say rock intensity, lead singer Henry got the crowd up and drew the faithful to the stage where they threw up their arms and gyrated to the beat, keeping it up for the majority of the set.
Japanese pianist Hiromi is a force to be reckoned with and I have to say a personal favorite of mine. She is the epitome of joy and at the same time an amazing technical wizard of a keyboard player. She blew my mind again, as always. Following her set was the great NEA Jazz Master Stanley Clarke and his N-4EVER band with a guest appearance by Hiromi that killed. A mix of headlong-into-fusion fire, and beautiful nuance, it was certainly another of my favorite sets, especially their performance of some of Chick Corea’s music. The arena was almost packed out for this prime-time set. Sadly, the beautiful warm weather of Friday had turned to heavy, damp fog by Saturday evening, challenging the steadfastness of Clarke’s fans, and failing to drive many, if any away. Unfortunately for Mumu Fresh’s debut at the festival in the closing set the crowd melted away and only a smattering of die-hards stuck it out for her lovely singing.
The festival this year returned to what was generally the pre-pandemic format, with a few new tweaks. Friday started earlier than normal at 3 p.m., when before it was 5:30 or 6 p.m. Both Saturday and Sunday stretched from noon or earlier to 11 p.m. or so, challenging even the energetic, listen-till-you-drop crowd. The festival had pared down the late-night music for the past couple of years and I think the regulars kind of liked that. The topic of many conversations each day was the first impressions of the new guy’s lineup. I heard a mixed bag of responses, and I don’t think it was because of any of the performers themselves. There was just a different feel. And that’s not surprising. It’s a transition year.
The Sara Jones Trio performed Saturday at the Courtyard Stage for the Monterey Jazz Festival. (Arianna Nalbach)Personally, I felt there was so much variety it was a little disconcerting. While gospel is OK in my book, and despite the good intentions of Atwater in bringing the joy to the festival, in my opinion it was a little too much. Granted the roots of jazz are in the African-American community and it’s a beautiful thing to experience that aspect of the music. But my preferences are in other areas. Hard to ignore were the many off-schedule performances, meaning late starts. With such a multi-faceted, massive amount of music to get to, plus conversations, and other festival aspects, not having performances begin on time can really upset a fine-tuned strategy. For whatever reasons that was happening, it’s something that needs to be improved on next year.
By the time Sunday rolled around, this festival attendee was feeling a little worse for wear. What can I say, too much fun and running around. I haven’t bothered to hit the after party scene at the Monterey Hyatt Regency for years now and this year was no different. Breakfast with fellow music journalists courtesy of Downbeat Magazine required an earlier than normal start to my day, and from there everything sort of shifted into low gear. Other than the set with Lila Downs. People who know me know that Mexico is dear to my heart and she is one of my sheroes. Her brightly colored folkloric outfit, a sun shining smile, gorgeous sonorous voice and the rhythms of cumbia and canciones de la patria (songs of the homeland) brought me to life and to my feet to dance.
I caught the presentation of the inaugural Cultural Leadership Award presented to actor/director/pianist/composer/longtime Jazz Fest board member Clint Eastwood by his fellow Hollywood star and friend Morgan Freeman. It was a sweet moment, with Freeman giving a speech, albeit a bit loose in delivery, prior to symbolically handing the award to Eastwood who remained seated in the front box area of the arena. Freeman went to join Eastwood afterward to enjoy the performance of Kyle Eastwood’s songs from his father’s movies in Eastwood Symphonic.
As mentioned, my main focus was on the arena acts, although I was back and forth to all the other stages fleetingly catching some of the other music. I skipped out early evening to head home, satiated and happy, but tired. The days of marathon listening are past, best left to the young people who will hopefully continue to grow in numbers at this festival that has lasted the past 67 years on an audience raised on jazz and blues. Today’s and future fans will develop organically, perhaps with the aide of the many jazz education programs that dot America and the world, not least of all, the great programs of the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Best of wishes to the continued success of this great organization. Along with Tim Jackson’s retirement, there are many of the usual festival workers I’ve come to know and love over the last 33 years of covering the event that have also hung up their Jazz Fest badges of honor. I salute all of you and miss having those one-on-one hangs we came to expect every year. And to those who are hanging in there, including me, the party continues!
Monterey Jazz Festival attendees had the opportunity to meet with some of the musicians and get merchandise signed. (Arianna Nalbach – Monterey Herald)
