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50th Monterey Jazz Festival Lineup Announced, September 21-23, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2007
www.montereyjazzfestival.org
Media Contact: Timothy Orr
Direct Line: 510-652-1122
MJF Phone: 831-373-3366 X252
Email: timorr@montereyjazzfestival.org
MJF Launches Golden Celebration of 50th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon September 21-23, 2007
Legendary Artists Diana Krall, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck, Gerald Wilson, Jim Hall, Ernestine Anderson, Dave Holland, John McLaughlin, and More Return to Monterey
Issac Delgado, Los Lobos, Sean Jones, Christian Scott, James Hunter, and More in Festival Debuts
Commission Artist Gerald Wilson and His Orchestra to Premiere Monterey Moods in Celebration of 50th Anniversary
Artist-In-Residence Terence Blanchard to Perform Requiem for Katrina with Monterey Jazz Festival Chamber Orchestra
Newly Expanded Grounds Include Lyons Lane, Featuring MJF History and Classic Images from Festival’s 50 Years
New Performance Venue, Lyons Lounge, Features DJs, Dancing, Electronic Music in New MJF Jazz Club
Festival Celebrates 50th with Golden Gala, New Book “The Art of Jazz”, New Monterey Jazz Festival
Records Label, and More
March 30, 2007, Monterey, California; The Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon celebrates its 50th in grand style as the artists who have shaped both the Festival and the history of jazz reunite with the stages that have made MJF the longest running jazz festival in the world. The world-renowned event takes place September 21-23, 2007 on the familiar oak-studded and beautiful grounds of the Monterey Fairgrounds, the location of the Festival since 1958. Featuring some of the biggest living legends in the jazz world, MJF/50 promises to be the key event of 2007 in the world of live music.
Tickets on sale Friday, March 30th on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org or by phone at (925) 275-9255.
High resolution photos available at www.montereyjazzfestival.org/media/index.htm
A stellar list of artists will grace the Arena/Lyons Stage including Diana Krall, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, the Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring the legendary guitarist Jim Hall, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Los Lobos, bluesmen Otis Taylor and James Hunter, Cuban vocalist Issac Delgado and the supergroup of Dave Holland, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter and Eric Harland.
2007 MJF Artist-In-Residence, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, will appear with the MJF Chamber Orchestra, with his own quintet, with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and also with the MJF 50th Anniversary All-Stars, featuring James Moody, Nnenna Freelon, Benny Green, Kendrick Scott, and Derrick Hodge. MJF/50 Showcase Artist, Jim Hall, will appear with his own quartet, in duo with pianist Geoff Keezer, and with Dave Brubeck’s Quartet. And MJF/50 Commission Artist, Gerald Wilson, will premiere Monterey Moods, his third milestone composition for MJF.
Arena artists also appearing on the Grounds include bluesmen Otis Taylor and James Hunter, guitarist Jim Hall, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, Gerald Wilson and his Orchestra, the MJF 50th Anniversary All-Stars, featuring Terence Blanchard, James Moody, Nnenna Freelon, Benny Green, Kendrick Scott, and Derrick Hodge; and bassist Dave Holland, appearing with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter and Eric Harland.

Friday, September 21 will kick off the Festival with the multi-cultural and multi-dimensional talents of Cuban singer Issac Delgado; iconic bassist Dave Holland, appearing with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter and Eric Harland in a special all-star band; and the influential and mesmerizing guitarist John McLaughlin. On the Grounds, the vibe will be no less electric with the New Grooves show in Dizzy’s Den being visited by three slices of funk bands from New Orleans, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, the Brass Funk Rock group Bonerama, and the jazz-inflected Papa Grows Funk.
Also on Friday night, in a meeting of genius minds, Jim Hall and Geoff Keezer will perform as an understated yet intense duo; the freewheeling guitarist Anthony Wilson and his Nonet will perform, and the cutting-edge pianist Craig Taborn and his Trio will forge new sounds. The Grounds will also feature the Terence Blanchard Quintet performing their visionary and rootsy brand of jazz, the straight-ahead groove of Along Came Betty, and the gifted students of the Berklee-Monterey Quartet.
Saturday, September 22 will showcase a world of music from the blues to the symphonic, with the best-of-the-best in between. The Arena/Lyons Stage will rock in the afternoon with the raw blues sounds of artists Otis Taylor and James Hunter, followed by the legendary Los Lobos, featuring their own blend of blues, rockabilly, and Latin jazz, mixed with the music of their Mexican-American heritage. Evening on the Arena/Lyons Stage will turn from the blues to the highly anticipated debut of two large scale pieces—Artist-In-Residence Terence Blanchard’s Requiem for Katrina with the MJF Chamber Orchestra, and 2007 Commission Artist Gerald Wilson’s Monterey Moods, his third commission for the historic anniversaries of the Festival (25th, 40th, and 50th). The evening will end with the reigning queen of cool, Diana Krall in her third appearance at Monterey , her first MJF visit since 1999.
Saturday, the MJF grounds will witness an international cornucopia of blues, straight-ahead jazz, elegant vocalists, the avant-garde, jazz legends, and rising stars. Appearing will be the quartets of legendary six-stringers Jim Hall (MJF’s 2007 Showcase Artist) and Kenny Burrell, plus the electrified bluesy Mimi Fox Trio; rising young trumpeters Sean Jones and Christian Scott; the rollicking pianism of the Cyrus Chestnut Trio and the Shigeru Morishita Quintet; the radiant power of vocalists Ernestine Anderson and Lynne Fiddmont; the trailblazing drummer Rashied Ali and his Quintet; and the down-home traditional and electric-trance blues of James Hunter and Otis Taylor. Also featured will be the blues supergroup, The Honeydripper All-Stars, who are the subject of the John Sayles new film Honeydripper, which will be previewed in the Festival’s Jazz Theater. Gerald Wilson and his Orchestra will also perform on the grounds on Saturday, as will bassist Dave Holland, with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter and Eric Harland.
Sunday, September 23 will cap off the 50th celebratory weekend in style, displaying the rich artistry of the living musical legends that have made Monterey the favorite jazz festival in the world (voted best jazz festival in the 2006 and 2007 JazzTimes Readers’ Poll), featured with the future stars of jazz. On the Sunday afternoon Arena/Lyons Stage, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Big Band (winner of the 37th Annual National High School Competition at the Next Generation Festival) and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will take the stage along with Terence Blanchard. Ornette Coleman, one of the primary architects of jazz, will close Sunday’s show, performing with his Grammy-nominated group.
Sunday night will offer a fitting culmination to the Festival’s historic celebration with the premiere of the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars. Terence Blanchard, vocalist Nnenna Freelon, pianist Benny Green, legendary saxophonist James Moody, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Derrick Hodge will perform; each has a strong connection with the Festival.
Blanchard is the 2007 Artist-In-Residence at Monterey, James Moody has been performing at Monterey since 1963, and Benny Green is a graduate of the Festival’s world-renowned Jazz Education Programs, having performed as a high schooler with the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All-Star Big Band in the 1970s. Nnenna Freelon, a regular performer at MJF, also has connections with MJF Jazz Education Programs, having performed at the Festival’s annual High School Jazz Competition. Kendrick Scott performed with the Berklee-Monterey Quartet at the Festival in 2000. This special group will tour across 60 cities in the United States , from January through March of 2008.
Sunday night will also witness the return of one of the patriarchs of the Festival, Dave Brubeck. Fans will be treated to a meeting of the minds as the Brubeck Quartet performs with a legendary architect and innovator of modern jazz guitar, Jim Hall, who also performed at the first Monterey Jazz Festival.
The finale on Sunday night will be the appearance of Sonny Rollins, the 6th time the legendary artist has performed at the Festival. The final night of the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival promises to rival the early MJF years, offering one of the most richly intense and memorable lineups in memory.
Sunday Grounds artist lineup will offer a gourmet selection of internationally known masters and young emerging talent. Audiences can enjoy the piano mastery of the Kenny Barron Trio and Jacky Terrasson, the unprecedented talents of Richard Galliano playing bebop accordion, and the jagged new music of the Smith Dobson V Quintet. The historic Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars will also play a set on the Grounds, with additional appearances by MJF stalwart drummer Benny Barth and his Trio, featuring Buddy Montgomery. Also on Sunday will be the groove-oriented audience favorite, the “Hammond B-3 Blowout” featuring a double bill of the Joey DeFrancesco Trio and Atsuko Hashimoto Trio (with Houston Person and Jeff Hamilton).
Sunday marks the return of Family Day sponsored by Macy’s, reprising the concept launched at the 2006 MJF. Family Day features activities and fun for fans and families of all ages, including a Percussion Playshop where kids can have a hands-on experience with percussion instruments, the “Jazzy Jumper” where kids can bounce the day away, musical entertainment by the Banana Slug String Band, Sambada, and the country’s best high school bands appearing in nearby Dizzy’s Den.
In a move to mark the Festival’s 50th Anniversary and leave a legacy for future fans, MJF will open a brand new area and a brand new venue on the grounds of MJF/50.
Lyons Lane, named in honor of MJF founder Jimmy Lyons, will be an expansion of the grounds located adjacent to the Arena entrance on the Festival midway. As patrons stroll down the lane, they will relive the history, images, and music of the Monterey Jazz Festival in special MJF history displays. Partners–including Starbucks Coffee and ZonePerfect Nutrition Bars–will be distributing complimentary coffee and samples on the Lane, while partners from Borders will be hosting autograph sessions with MJF artists at a Borders Store on Lyons Lane .
At the end of Lyons Lane , fans will discover a brand new MJF venue called Lyons Lounge. Lyons Lounge was established in honor of MJF’s historic milestone and is dedicated to the future. The Lounge will offer fans a hip jazz club, with DJ Logic and San Francisco DJ Vinnie Esparza remixing jazz, hip-hop, and dance music all weekend in a setting that promises to be the place to be at MJF/50.
The Festival is celebrating its 50th year with a range of activities and offerings. The milestone year will kick-off with a Golden Gala Celebration on April 7, 2007 at Tehama Golf Club. The evening will feature cocktails, dinner, entertainment, and the premiere presentation of the MJF Legends Award to Dave Brubeck. Space is still available as of this date. Fans are urged to contact cynthia@montereyjazzfestival.org or (831) 373-3366 for more information.
Other pre-Festival events include an evening celebration of art and jazz at the Monterey Museum of Art on June 26, 2007. The event will include a preview and private viewing of the museum’s “Henrí Matisse: Jazz” exhibition and a concert with special guest Terence Blanchard. Reservations and information are available from the museum at (831) 372-5477 extension 20, or from www.montereyart.org. 50 years of MJF images and memorabilia are also scheduled to be on display at Monterey Peninsula Airport this fall.
Art and jazz feature prominently in the Festival’s new publication “The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years” telling the story of the Festival through its graphic imagery and photographic moments, capturing the MJF experience through posters, program covers, and exclusive photographs dating back to 1958. “The Art of Jazz” also includes a list of artists who have performed at MJF, along with a decade-by-decade look at the world and the Festival. “The Art of Jazz” will be available for purchase online at www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
Another aspect of the festival will be seen—and heard—with the formation of Monterey Jazz Festival Records, in conjunction with the Concord Music Group. Since 1958, the Festival has recorded nearly all of its Arena shows, leaving us a true legacy, a living history of jazz. MJF is issuing these rare and rarefied recordings, along with recordings of new groups performing at the Festival, through Monterey Jazz Festival Records. Fans may sign up for the MJF e-mail list at www.montereyjazzfestival.org for more details and a release schedule.
MJF’s Front Box Auction presents another opportunity for jazz fans to enjoy the Monterey Jazz Festival while supporting Jazz Education. From March 30 until June 1, patrons can bid to sit at the front of the Arena with three of their closest friends in a Front Box for the 50th Anniversary. For more information, please visit www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
During the Festival, fans are also encouraged to visit the MJF Booth in the center of the midway to participate in the MJF Silent Auction featuring unique jazz memorabilia and collector’s items, with all auction proceeds benefiting MJF Jazz Education Programs.
The Festival’s 9th Annual Golf ‘n’ Jazz Tournament is a rare opportunity to play Pasadera, an outstanding Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. This exclusive event includes a buffet lunch, jazzy gift bag, and golf with cart, plus an evening to remember at elegant Pasadera Country Club following the Tournament. The evening will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a sumptuous buffet dinner, a jazz concert and live auction, plus the golf awards ceremony. The Tournament takes place on Thursday, September 20, 2007; registration takes place by phone, (831) 373-3366 and online at www.montereyjazzfestival.org. Fans are urged to visit the MJF website for more details about how to participate in this longtime MJF favorite. All proceeds are invested in MJF’s Jazz Education Programs.
The 3rd annual Jazz with Steinbeck event will offer fans an exclusive supper club evening in support of MJF’s Jazz Education Programs and the National Steinbeck Center ’s Youth Programs. This very special event takes place on Wednesday, September 19 from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm at the unique National Steinbeck Center , with jazz entertainment by Kim Nalley, Ed Reed, and the Jazz Birds, and a bountiful dinner by celebrity Chef Cal Stamenov. Jazz with Steinbeck is sponsored by Scheid Vineyards, Rabobank, and Lombardo and Gilles. The evening is limited to 150 people and reservations are available from the National Steinbeck Center at (831) 775-4723.
Partners play an important role in helping the Festival fund its Jazz Education Programs, with efforts led by Presenting Partner, Verizon, now celebrating their 23rd year in partnership with the Monterey Jazz Festival.
· Bose returns as a valued partner, and MJF fans will once again be able to enjoy big screen Arena simulcasts featuring Bose audio in the Bose Performance-at-Home Pavilion.
· Klub Korbel (returning with a Korbel champagne bar in the Fairgrounds’ Turf Club Patio) will also feature Arena simulcasts with Bose audio. Bose audio will be featured in the Courtyard Stage performances as well.
· Starbucks Coffee also returns as an MJF Partner, offering complimentary coffee to fans on Lyons Lane .
· Yamaha, a long time partner of both MJF and our Jazz Education Programs, will once again be providing Yamaha Pianos and Drums on MJF/50 stages, and music on the Yamaha Disklavier with Sue Downs on the Courtyard Stage.
· North Coast Brewing Company returns as Official Beer for MJF/50. Fans will find a variety of North Coast brews all around the grounds of the Monterey Jazz Festival, led by their lauded Brother Thelonious Belgian-style abbey ale.
· Returning partner JetBlue Airways continues to offer our fans low fares, new planes and free DIRECTV at every comfy leather JetBlue seat. Fans are encouraged to book travel on JetBlue at the following address: www.jetblue.com/default.asp?source=montereyjazz&
· Borders has joined the MJF family in a big way, partnering with MJF/50 and with the Next Generation Festival. In addition to visiting the Borders store at the center of the MJF/50 midway, fans are invited to look for Borders on Lyons Lane .
· Jekel and Five Rivers return as Official MJF/50 wines, and will be served all around the grounds at MJF/50.
· Returning Media Partners, the San Jose Mercury News and KKSF, will be helping MJF get the word out about the Festival and its Jazz Education Programs.
· Macy’s returns as sponsors of Family Day at Monterey , hosting special entertainment and activities for younger jazz fans and fun for the whole family on Sunday, September 23, 2007.
· MJF also welcomes back Monterra Realty and Tehama Realty, returning as Official Real Estate Partners of the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival.
The Monterey Jazz Festival also receives invaluable support for the Festival and its Jazz Education Programs from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as from generous grantors, donors, and individual contributors.
The Monterey Jazz Festival encourages jazz fans to purchase tickets early for the 50th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon. Arena Packages traditionally sell out and are available only on a first come, first served basis.
Tickets on sale Friday, March 30th on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org or by phone at (925) 275-9255. High resolution photos available at www.montereyjazzfestival.org/media/index.htm
MJF/50 Highlights Include:

• Return of jazz legends Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, and Jim Hall
• World Premiere of Commission Artist Gerald Wilson’s Monterey Moods
• Artist-In-Residence Terence Blanchard’s Requiem for Katrina with the MJF Chamber Orchestra
• Dave Holland with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter, and Eric Harland to record live sets for MJF Records
• New venue, Lyons Lounge, featuring DJ Logic and Vinnie Esparza remixing jazz, hip-hop, and dance music
• Premiere of MJF 50th Anniversary All-Star Band with James Moody, Nnenna Freelon, Terence Blanchard, and Benny Green
• Friday’s “New Grooves in New Orleans ” featuring Dumpstaphunk, Bonerama, and Papa Grows Funk
• Sunday’s “Hammond B-3 Blowout” featuring the Joey DeFrancesco Trio and Atsuko Hashimoto Trio (with Houston Person and Jeff Hamilton)
• Lyons Lane featuring MJF history, artist meet ‘n’ greets, complimentary coffee, and more in newly created area in honor of MJF/50
• Return of Sunday’s “Family Day” sponsored by Macy’s, with fun for all ages
• Debut of MJF coffee table art book, “The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival/50 Years” featuring MJF images from the first Festival through the 50th
• Launch of Monterey Jazz Festival Records, featuring the release of rare and rarified recordings from the last 50 years on CD in conjunction with Concord Music Group

Arena/Lyons Stage:

• Friday, 9/21: John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, Issac Delgado, Dave Holland with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter and Eric Harland
• Saturday, 9/22: Los Lobos, Otis Taylor, James Hunter, Diana Krall, Gerald Wilson Orchestra premiering Monterey Moods, Terence Blanchard Quintet w/Monterey Jazz Festival Chamber Orchestra featuring Requiem for Katrina
• Sunday, 9/23: Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck Quartet w/special guest Jim Hall, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Big Band, and Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars w/Nnenna Freelon, James Moody, Terence Blanchard & Benny Green

Partial List of Grounds Artists:

• Friday, 9/21: “New Grooves in New Orleans” with Dumpstaphunk, Bonerama, and Papa Grows Funk; Terence Blanchard Quintet, Jim Hall/Geoff Keezer Duo, Craig Taborn Trio, Anthony Wilson Nonet, Along Came Betty, Berklee-Monterey Quartet, DJ Logic, and Vinnie Esparza
• Saturday, 9/22: Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Dave Holland with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter and Eric Harland, Jim Hall Quartet, Kenny Burrell Quartet, Ernestine Anderson, Rashied Ali Quintet, Christian Scott, Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Lynne Fiddmont, Mimi Fox Trio, James Hunter, Otis Taylor Band, Honeydripper All-Stars, Sean Jones, Shigeru Morishita Quintet, Sambada, DJ Logic, and Vinnie Esparza
• Sunday, 9/23: “Hammond B3 Blowout” with Joey DeFrancesco Trio and Atsuko Hashimoto Trio (with Houston Person and Jeff Hamilton); Kenny Barron Trio, Jacky Terrasson, Benny Barth Trio with Buddy Montgomery, Richard Galliano, Smith Dobson V Quintet, Sambada, “Family Day” with the Banana Slug String Band; DJ Logic, Vinnie Esparza, the country’s best high school bands, DownBeat Blindfold Test and more!

Tickets on sale Friday, March 30th on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org or by phone at (925) 275-9255.
High resolution photos available at www.montereyjazzfestival.org/media/index.htm
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For more information, interview opportunities, media credentials and other inquiries, please contact:
Timothy Orr
Marketing Associate
Monterey Jazz Festival
9699 Blue Larkspur Lane, Suite 204
Monterey, CA 93940
timorr@montereyjazzfestival.org
www.montereyjazzfestival.org
MJF Office: 831-373-3366 x252
Direct Line: 510-652-1122
Photo Credit: James Knox

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