Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour

Monterey Jazz Band Feb. 5 - May 1, 2010

The 53rd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival Monterey, California, September 17 - 19, 2010

Monterey, CA--4/14/10 Bellingham WA Mount Baker Theatre Mount Baker Theatre

4/15/10 Olympia WA Washington Center for the Performing Arts Washington Center for the Performing Arts

4/16/10 San Francisco CA Yoshi's San Francisco (8PM show) Yoshi’s San Francisco

4/16/10 San Francisco CA Yoshi's San Francisco (10PM show) Yoshi’s San Francisco

4/17/10 Napa CA Napa Valley Opera House Margrit Biever Mondavi Theatre

4/18/10 Modesto CA Gallo Center for the Arts Mary Stuart Rogers Theater

4/19/10 Santa Cruz CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center (7PM show) Kuumbwa Jazz Center -kuumbwajazz.org

4/19/10 Santa Cruz CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center (9PM show) Kuumbwa Jazz Center

4/21/10 San Diego CA San Diego Theatres Balboa Theatre

4/22/10 Los Angeles CA UCLA Royce Hall

4/24/10 Costa Mesa CA Orange County Performing Arts Center Segerstrom Concert Hall

4/25/10 Lancaster CA City of Lancaster Lancaster City Park

4/27/10 Tucson AZ University of Arizona Centennial Hall

4/29/10 Madison WI Overture Center for the Arts Overture Hall

4/30/10 Naperville IL North Central College Wentz Concert Hall

5/1/10 Detroit MI Music Hall for the Performing Arts Music Hall for the Performing Arts

2010 Band Features:

Pianist and NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron has an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms is what inspired The Los Angeles Times to name him "one of the top jazz pianists in the world.” Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962, and he has also performed with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, Buddy Rich, Yusef Lateef, and many more. From 1974 to 2000, Kenny was on the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music, and has mentored many of today’s young talents including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, and Regina Bell. Kenny was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2009, he was named a Living Legacy by the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. He has recorded over 40 albums as a leader, and has earned 9 Grammy nominations. He was selected as a NEA Jazz Master for 2010, the nation’s highest honor in jazz.

Grammy-nominated drummer and composer Johnathan Blake, has been working steadily in the contemporary jazz scene for the past 10 years, and is the first-call drummer for many notable jazz musicians such as Tom Harrell, David Sanchez, Russell Malone, Kenny Barron, Randy Brecker, and Oliver Lake, to name a few. Eventually attending William Paterson University in New Jersey and studying with Rufus Reid, John Riley, Steve Wilson, and Horace Arnold, he also was gigging professionally with the Oliver Lake Big Band, Roy Hargrove, and David Sanchez. By 2007, Johnathan received a Master’s degree from the Rutgers University, studying with Ralph Bowen, Conrad Herwig, and Stanley Cowell, primarily focusing on his compositional skills. Johnathan is currently a member of the Tom Harrell Quintet, the Russell Malone Quartet, and he performs regularly with Kenny Barron, Avishai Cohen, and Omer Avital.

Regina Carter began performing on violin at the age of four. Regina attended Detroit's prestigious Cass Technical High School. Upon graduating, she departed for the New England Conservatory of Music, only to return to Michigan’s Oakland University, seasoning her chops by gigging with several local musicians. By 1994, she had returned to New York, recording two solo albums for Atlantic while also working with the String Trio of New York, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Greg Tate and the Black Rock Coalition. Carter joined Verve Records in 1998 and has since recorded five critically acclaimed works: Rhythms of the Heart; Motor City Moments; Paganini: After a Dream; Freefall (a duet project with pianist Kenny Barron) and I'll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey. Her playing has appeared on filmmaker Ken Burns’ soundtrack for the PBS documentary, Jazz; Wynton Marsalis’ opera Blood on the Fields; Cassandra Wilson’s Traveling Miles; Mary J. Blige’s My Life; and Latin Jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri on his Grammy award-winning Listen Here.

Kurt Elling is the preeminent young male jazz singer today. A ten-year stretch saw Elling earn seven Grammy nominations for six Blue Note albums, six consecutive years at the top of the DownBeat Critics and Jazz Times Readers' polls, three Jazz Journalists' Association Awards for Best Male Vocalist and the Prix Billie Holiday from the Academie du Jazz in Paris. His quartet has toured the world, performing to critical acclaim in Europe, the Middle East, South America, Asia and Australia, and at jazz festivals and concert halls across the North America. In addition to working with his own quartet, Kurt Elling has spent recording and/or performing time with an array of artists that includes Terence Blanchard, Dave Brubeck, The Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks, Fred Hersch, Charlie Hunter, Al Jarreau, David Liebman, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Marian McPartland, The Bob Mintzer Big Band, Mark Murphy, John Pizzarelli, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and The Yellowjackets. In 2007, he signed to Concord Records, recording Nightmoves. In 2009, Kurt received his eighth Grammy nomination for Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Bassist and composer Kiyoshi Kitagawa is an integral part of today's jazz scene. Soon after moving to New York City from Japan, he met Winard Harper at Blue Note’s jam session and joined the Harper Brothers, recording on the Remembrance: Live at The Village Vanguard. Kiyoshi has toured and recorded with the alto great Kenny Garrett with drummer Brian Blade. He has gone on to work with many of the leading names in jazz including Steve Turre, Tommy Flanagan, and Kenny Kirkland just to name a few. In 1996, he formed “The Trio” with the versatile Japanese pianist, Makoto Ozone, releasing four albums together. Most recently, Kiyoshi has been touring the world with bands led by three jazz greats: the Jimmy Heath Quartet, the Kenny Barron Trio and Quintet, and the Andy Bey Quartet.

Born in Albany, Georgia, guitarist Russell Malone grew up playing a variety of music. In 1988, he was hired as a sideman by the seminal organist Jimmy Smith. He went on to back the popular pianist and vocalist, Harry Connick, Jr. from 1990-1994. Malone first recorded as a leader in 1992, when he provided his self-titled debut album for Columbia, Russell Malone, which quickly went to #1 on the radio charts and was followed by Black Butterfly in 1993 and Wholly Cats for Japan’s Venus label in 1995. Malone joined pianist and vocalist Diana Krall in 1995, contributing to Krall's first three Grammy-nominated albums, including 1999’s When I Look In Your Eyes. Verve Records released three albums by Malone, including Sweet Georgia Peach for Impulse! in 1998, Look Who’s Here in 1999, and Heartstrings in 2001. Malone has had the honor of launching the “Strings Series” for the MAXJAZZ label with his 2004 label debut Playground, which was followed by 2006’s Live At Jazz Standard, Volume One, and 2007’s Live At Jazz Standard, Volume Two.

Previous tour infoo:

Band members include Terrence Blanchard, Terence Blanchard on trumpet, James Moody on saxophone, Benny Green on piano, Derrick Hodge on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums and vocalist Nnenna Freelon. You may remember Terrence Blanchard from Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He's considered one of the world's top trumpeters.

If the Monterey Jazz Festival is too difficult to get to, there's another way to experience the talent that performs at this world-class jazz event, a 50 year tradition. Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour has been described as meeting of the minds, hearts and souls of three generations of jazz masters. 50th Anniversary MJF All-Star Band features the leaders of the past, present and future with Terence Blanchard on trumpet, James Moody on saxophone, Benny Green on piano, Derrick Hodge on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. Vocalist Nnenna Freelon will also be a featured member of the group.

Classic jazz is prominent in the band's delivery, with an infusion of contemporary jazz tunes. Be prepared to be immersed, entertained and jazzed by this awesome lineup that could be coming to your California town, or a city nearby.