Festival Gets Underway Festival's Next Generation Monterey As Monterey Jazz Jazz Is All Over Downtown

Home , Christian McBride, The Derek Trucks Band

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George Duke, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, Jazz is all over downtown trombonist Ron Westray, saxophonists Billy Harper, Monterey as Monterey Jazz Lauren Sevian and Paul Contos, trumpeter Sal Festival's Next Generation Cracciolo, and bassist Dave Carpenter. Festival gets underway Also Friday evening, the Berklee Latin Jazz Ensemble performs a free concert at Monterey Live, across the street from the Golden State Theatre. It gets started Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation at 10 p.m. Festival gets under way Saturday and Sunday, the Next Generation Festival By BETH PEERLESS is held at the Monterey Conference Center and in Herald Correspondent venues downtown and at Fisherman's Wharf No. 2. Article Last Updated: 04/03/2008 02:35:29 AM PDT The weekend's competition and showcase will be bursting at the seams with all the energy being The nonprofit Monterey Jazz Festival's exchanged between students, professional mentors organization is busy year-round preparing for its and the public. two major multi-day live music events.

The 51st Monterey Jazz Festival presented by Beginning tonight (Thursday) at 8 p.m. at the Verizon takes place Sept. 19-21 at the Monterey Golden State Theatre in downtown Monterey, the Fairgrounds. fourth annual Next Generation Festival gathers its momentum at a ticketed, pre-event opening concert The lineup was announced last week, and can be with this year's MJF Artist in Residence and one viewed online at www.montereyjazzfestival.org . of his groups, A Christian McBride Situation.

Major headliners include Herbie Hancock, Wayne Friday at 7 p.m. at the Golden State Theatre, a Shorter, Cassandra Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Joshua kickoff concert with competition judges and student Redman, Christian McBride, Maceo Parker, Kurt groups launches the free, three-day youth jazz Elling and the Derek Trucks Band. showcase and the 38th Annual National High School Jazz Competition. It's dizzying trying to keep up with this

dynamic community group's efforts. The The opening night's activities will feature the growth and stature of these events continues to festival's annual Salute to Jazz Education, along skyrocket, and this year's Next Generation with performances by the competition judges, Festival takes the lead for '08 and increases its Christian McBride, the MJF County All-Star High size by adding another performance category and School Band, the MJF Middle School Honor Band and expanding its reach to include groups from outside the MJF Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble. the country.

Some of the performing judges will include pianist "It seems we keep growing each year," said Dr. Rob

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Klevan, the jazz festival's education director. we'll take a rest from expanding any further. "We don't want to leave any kids out, and we Cal State Northridge Vocal Jazz Ensemble Epicenter want to make it available to as many kids as will be a special guest performer this year, so possible. We have a new section this year we're we'll get a preview of what's to come. calling the Conglomerate Division (open to all They're like a professional group, they're conglomerate big bands consisting of members who so good." are enrolled in high school grades 9-12 or younger). I hate the word compete, so I'll say Throughout the day Saturday, participants in the they'll be performing in a category of like High School Big Band, Vocal and Combo divisions programs. We've allocated a spot for the top will put on their best performances before the group to come play at the festival. This division will judges, who will determine winners and finalists. do their performances Sunday morning. Being that it's the first year, we didn't get a huge The winners of the Vocal and Combo divisions and response. Next year should really take off once the the finalists for the Big Band division will be word gets out." announced early Saturday evening from the Conference Center's Serra Ballroom stage. Big bands performing in this new category include the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, Pacific Crest Jazz At 8 p.m. Saturday night, the three Big Band finalists Orchestra and Central Florida Youth Big Band. will take the stage, competing for the top prize, a spot on the Arena/Lyons Stage at the jazz festival in This is also the first year for an international September. The top award winners will be element at the event, with special guest announced at 9:45 p.m. performances from Japan's Tomisato High School Big Band, the Czech Republic's Prague The Next Generation Festival will also host a variety Conservatory of Music and Australia's of educational clinics on Saturday, including Blackburn High School Big Band. sessions with Christian McBride, vocalist Rosana Eckert and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. This year there will also be opportunities for vocalists to audition for inclusion in the Next The Next Generation Festival continues through Generation Jazz Orchestra. Sunday, with the country's top middle school, college and conglomerate big bands performing in "Since vocalists are part of the big band tradition, the Conference Center's Steinbeck Forum. we thought it would be great to include them this year for consideration," Klevan said. "Rosana Eckert The winning college big band and conglomerate and I put together the criteria and we've had a big band (to be announced during the day) will also great response. A few years ago we opened up the earn a performance slot at the fall jazz fest. auditions for the all-star band to include videotaped performances. It really opens it up and we raise the A Christian McBride Situation is a quartet that bar for kids who are interested from all over. includes the internationally recognized bassist with Bay Area-based saxophonist Dave Ellis, keyboardist "We've got one more category we want to add Jason Lindner and DJ Jahi Sundance, avant garde next year, a college vocal division, and then saxophonist Oliver Lake's son.

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"The reason this band started in the first place was same passion." in 2005, I was booked to play MJF with my regular band," said McBride in a phone interview from his On all levels, the MJF Next Generation Festival offers home in New Jersey. "Two of the three guys, other the opportunity to grow. There is clearly something than me, were unavailable. I kept thinking, I would for everyone. really hate to hire another drummer and pianist and still call it the Christian McBride Band. My road Beth Peerless can be reached at [email protected] manager said, 'Looks like we have a Christian . GO! McBride situation.' I told him to remember that, I like it, I can use that. That's going to be the JAZZ FESTIVAL ·What: The Monterey Jazz name of my band when it's not the regular Festival's fourth annual Next Generation band." Festival and 38th Annual National High School Jazz Competition ·Special events: Pre-festival concert with McBride ended up performing with pianist Patrice A Christian McBride Situation at 8 p.m. Thursday, Rushen and DJ Logic, who, with his regular April 3, and free kickoff concert at 7 p.m. Friday, saxophonist Ron Blake, pulled off an amazing set April 4, at the Golden State Theatre; Berklee College that most everyone enjoyed immensely. Latin Jazz All-Stars at 10 p.m. Friday at Monterey Live and Epicenter vocal ensemble at 10 p.m. and Designed as a loose and changing palate of The Jazz Ensemble at 11:30 p.m. Saturday at sounds, McBride says he has an agreement with the Monterey Live ·Where: Golden State Theatre, 417 band that an anything-goes ethos would prevail, Alvarado St. and Monterey Live, 414 Alvarado St. and that it is deeply rooted in the spontaneous element Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, — and not the repertory — of jazz. Monterey ·When: Thursday, April 3-Sunday April 6; competition starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 5 at the The virtuoso bassist is a devoted jazz educator and Monterey Conference Center ·Tickets: Kickoff concert , mentor. He is the artistic director at the Jazz Aspen jazz competition and Monterey Live performances Snowmass summer program, the co-director of The are free; Thursday concert are $25 general, $50 Jazz Museum in Harlem, and is creative chairman for Gold Circle, available at 925-275-9255 or www. the Los Angeles Philharmonic. montereyjazzfestival.org ·Information: 373-3366 and www.montereyjazz festival.org Retired Sausalito resident Joe Agro and his wife of 14 years Maggie have been volunteering to help at both MJF events for the last four years. He finds the event rewarding on many levels and enjoys all the interaction as well as the great music.

"When you're involved with something like that, where the people are so committed and dedicated to it and there's so much love going into what they're doing, it keeps you young and makes you feel good," he said. "I look forward to the festival and the Next Gen. Maggie shares the

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