Sonny Rollins

The 54th Monterey Jazz Festival, three-time winner of the JazzTimes Readers poll for “World’s Best Jazz Festival” and the longest-running jazz festival in the world, will be held September 16 – 18 at the Monterey Fairgrounds. Described as “a mecca for true jazz fans” by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Festival features 500 artists, 90 performances, 8 stages and more than 30 hours of live music over 2 days and 3 nights. In addition to nonstop jazz, the festival features international cuisine, shopping, arts exhibits, educational events, seminars and conversations with iconic and emerging jazz artists. The 2011 lineup includes living legends Sonny Rollins and Herbie Hancock, as well as perennial headliners Poncho Sanchez, Joshual Redman (James Farm), Geri Allen, John Pizzarelli, Hiromi (Trio Project), Terence Blanchard, Benny Green, Robert Glasper, Steve Coleman, Joey DeFrancesco, Bobby Hutcherson and more.  

Geri llen©Andrea Canter

Arena Performances

The festival will open Friday in the Arena with virtuoso pianist Hiromi and The Trio Project with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips, followed by the John Pizzarelli Quartet with John’s special guests, wife/vocalist Jessica Molaskey and dad/guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Band, with special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard, close the first night in the Arena with a re-creation of Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Ponzo’s 1947 concert, “Cubano Be, Cubano Bop.” 

The Pizzarellis©Andrea Canter

Sunday’s Arena schedule includes the cross-genre Open Door pojrect with multi-award-winning singer/songwriter India. Arie and Israeli keyboardist Idan Raichel.  Student musicians are in the spotlight as the festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra performs with Redman, Benny Green and Donny McCaslin, followed by the top big band from the Next Generation Jazz Festival, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Vince Mendoza directs the Still Ahead Orchestra, celebrating the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans (Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain), and featuring Terence Blanchard, Peter Erskine and Miles Evans. NEA Jazz Master and living legend Sonny Rollins closes out the festival Sunday night. 

On the Grounds

Hiromi©Andrea Canter

General Information and Tickets

The 20-acre, oak-studded Monterey has been the site of the Festival since its inception in 1958. The Arena was also the site of the fabled 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Nearly every major artist has performed at Monterey, with many memorable performances. Outdoor venues include the Arena (Jimmy Lyons Stage), the Garden Stage, the West Lawn Stage, and the Courtyard Stage.  Indoor venues include the Night Club (Bill Berry Stage), Dizzy's Den, the Jazz Theater, and the Coffee House Gallery. The Arena features 5 concerts throughout the Festival weekend, each concert is approximately 4 hours long. All Arena Seating is reserved seating.  

Herbie Hancock

The 2011 Jazz Legends Gala will take place at the Hyatt Regency Monterey on Thursday, September 15, honoring the contributions and legacies of jazz pioneers. Proceeds from the Gala benefit Monterey Jazz Festival Jazz Education Programs. Contact 831-373-3366 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information. 

Sponsors of the 2011 Festival and its education prograns include Verizon, Yamaha Instruments, Remo, Gallien-Krueger, Inns of Monterey, Carmel Road Winery, North Coast Brewing Company, DownBeat Magazine, KGO Newstalk 810 AM and San Jose Mercury News. Additional support comes from  the Hearst Foundations, National Endowment for the Arts, AT&T, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Quest Foundation, Joseph Drown Foundation, Harden Foundation, William McCaskey Chapman & Adaline Dinsmore Chapman Foundation, Dunspaugh-Dalton Foundation, Inc., Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Rotary International, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, Robert & Audrey Talbott Foundation, and generous individual contributors. 

Gates open at 6:00 pm on Friday night, 11:30 am on Saturday, and 11:00 am on Sunday.  Nonstop, live jazz entertainment continues until approximately midnight on Friday and Saturday;  11:30 pm on Sunday. For a complete event details including the full list of performers and schedule at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival please visit montereyjazzfestival.org   

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