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Jazz festival has "spiritual" feel
Since 1958, the picturesque seaside village of Monterey, California, has played host every year to the biggest names in jazz. The Monterey Jazz Festival -- the "longest running jazz festival in the world," according to its official Web site -- opens for the 40th time September 19.
Festival retrospective
928K/1:35 sec. QuickTime movie
Founder Jimmy Lyons wanted to create an alternative to East Coast festivals, "a sylvan setting with the best jazz people in the whole world." The first festival lived up to that billing, hosting such legends as Louis Armstrong, Dizzie Gillespie, John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan and Billie Holiday.
This year, David Sanborn, Dave Grusin, Buddy Guy, and Ernie Watts are among the acts that will appear on five stages at the 20-acre Monterey Fairgrounds over three days. Jazz-related panel discussions and photography exhibits are also planned.
The non-profit festival has contributed over $1.8 million to musical education in its 39-year history, according to its organizers. Tim Jackson took over Lyons' role as general manager in 1993.
"I'm not a mystical person, but there is something kind of spiritual about it," Jackson said in 1992. "It's distinctive because it has its locale and that kind of homey feeling that other festivals don't necessarily have."
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