By Michael T. Solomon

The Monterey Jazz Festival, starting in 1958, is the longest running annual event of its kind in the world. I’m proud to have attended just over half of those moments – the second half. As with many things in life, longevity often yields new beginnings. This year’s festival was the first for the new artistic director Darin Atwater, only the third person to hold that position since Jimmy Lyons started the famous jazz gala.  

Atwater has big shoes to fill, as the festival’s repertoire of musical performances have captivated enthusiasts every year for generations. His vast experience as a composer, arranger, producer, conductor, pianist, vocalist and educator ultimately put his mark on MJF by creating one of the best go-arounds ever.

The outdoor main stage of the Monterey Fairgrounds – the Jimmy Lyons Stage – seats over 2,500 fans. From Friday evening through Sunday, performances on it amounted to 18 concerts. The grounds also include four smaller venues, which hosted a similar number of shows. The musical acts comprise a variety of genres, including classical jazz, gospel, blues and funk. This year’s lineup emphasized gospel and classical jazz, while also veering off to some ethnic, funk and soul, along with celebrations of the roots of African, Cuban and even Mexican heritages.

Friday night kicked off with Berklee graduate and Grammy winning artist Chief Adjuah, an incredible trumpet and harp player with West African roots. He exhibited his talents with five different instruments he has invented, including the “Adungu Bow” that emulates a West African harp, a harmonic string instrument. Adjuah has designed one trumpet similar to that of the famous Dizzy Gillespie, with the end of the horn bending upwards, which he played in “Dizzy” style and beauty.

Samara Joy followed the Chief with one of the most moving and elegant jazz singing performances of the festival. Joy, just four years out of college (as Valedictorian), won a Grammy at age 14. Her mesmerizing and soothing singing voice is reminiscent of her heroines, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, and Nina Simone, but no need to compare; Samara Joy is a true joy to experience.

Tammy Hall, the Grammy-winning pianist and conductor of the Texas Southern University Gospel Choir, led a Sunday morning choir on the smaller but popular Garden Stage. While energizing the crowd with rousing and spiritual songs, Hall, a great storyteller at heart, explained gospel music as the foundational root of all American music, from blues to jazz, and on to funk, soul, pop and beyond. Atwater, an intellectual giant of American music, agreed with her about the important influence of gospel music – and it showed by his first festival line-up.

Saturday started off with an introduction by the legendary blues harmonica player and singer, Bobby Rush. He modestly volunteered his age (91), before introducing the Blind Boys of Alabama, originally formed in 1939. The Blind Boys sung gospel laced with blues and a touch of funk. Rush complemented them perfectly as he joined with his blues harp. The crowd might have been praying at first, but ended up on its feet dancing and wild at the end.

Next, Saxophonist Joshua Redman took the stage accompanied by his awesome band, including singer Gabrielle Cavassa. Redman first appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1986 with the California High School All-Stars, predecessor to the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, the organization of which constitutes a major mission of MJF in its desire to promote jazz education. Redman’s performance captivated the audience in a way that Stan Getz did in the past.

Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles’ amazing funk performance then compelled 2,500 music lovers to get up and dance. Henry has his roots in gospel. He says, “Church was like, his full-time job at the age of five years old,” and that, “Music is a universal language.” When Henry’s music got most of the crowd dancing, he encouraged them to “shake what your Papa gave you.” That did it. The sea of an audience couldn’t sit still for the entire hour.

Following Henry, Somi, a young jazz singer inspired by Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone and Hugh Masekela – and born of parents from Rwanda and Uganda – performed a moving and beautiful concert of songs of Africa, America, and the spiritual world we inhabit.

“Hiromi’s Sonicwonder” followed Somi’s concert. Hiromi, a Japanese piano virtuoso played classical, chamber, as well as funk and fusion piano. She began studying piano at age 6 and concluded her studies at the Berklee College of Music under her mentor, Ahmad Jamal. At 17, Chick Correa asked Hiromi to join him at his Tokyo concert. This year, Hiromi’s high-energy, high-power and high-octane performance stunningly complemented her virtuosity.

The Monterey Jazz Festival organization has always prided itself with an emphasis in jazz education. The old jazz legends teach and influence the younger generation. Stanley Clarke, the renowned 73-year old bassist and music composer, played brilliantly with, among others, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Gil Evans, Chick Correa and Horace Silver. Clarke now has a five-piece band of musicians more than half his age. Twenty-year old saxophone player Emilio Modeste hit that horn as impressively as Stan Getz in another day. Stanley Clarke and his entire youthful band may have been the most beautiful and mesmerizing concert of the festival, though that honor is so difficult to bestow.

Sunday’s opening performance by John Nash and the Monterey Peninsula Gospel Community Choir lifted spirits and ushered the audience into another soulful day of music. The next Generation Jazz Orchestra (including The Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo), comprised of at least 25 of the most gifted high school jazz musicians in America, performed a suite of songs by Duke Ellington, in honor of what would be the Duke’s 125^th birthday. Pianist and composer, Gerald Clayton, conducted the orchestra. This year’s MJF Artist in Residence, famed pianist Jason Moran, joined as a player and mentor to these aspiring young musicians. Clayton and Moran spoke about Duke Ellington’s contribution to the education, mentoring and musical experience given to upcoming musicians like Thelonious Monk, who had such a substantial influence on their careers. Now, they are themselves imparting their knowledge, experience, support and encouragement to young musicians.

The final day of concerts rounded out with Lisa Downs, a beautiful vocalist with a big, energetic Mexican band, followed by Donald Lawrence with his 15-piece gospel band and choir. The day continued with the Eastwood Symphonic, a 30-plus piece orchestra created and conducted by bassist, Kyle Eastwood, playing a masterful tribute to his father, Clint Eastwood. Many of the songs performed were those featured in Clint Eastwood movies. The ninety-four year-old  Eastwood who has had a long, fruitful history of support for the Monterey Jazz Festival, was present for the performance.

Eighty-five-year-old singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples lit up the stage with her gospel and blues inspired concert. The singer started her career in Chicago at 11 years old, singing with her father, Roebuck “Pops” Staples and her sisters, Yvonne, Pervis and Cleotha, in a gospel, soul and R & B group known as the Staple Sisters. Even though Staples needed to sit down for a few sips of tea during her show, the high energy performance had the crowd on its feet. In her last song, she sang: “You’re my friend, the kind I have forever. If you have hardship, I’m your friend forever.” The crowd stood, choked up, when she shared that those were Pops’ last words.

For further information about the Monterey Jazz Festival, go to montereyjazzfestival.org. To donate just add: /contribute.