"Christian McBride had one question for the large crowd assembled before him on Day 1 of the 68th annual Monterey Jazz Festival: Who's idea was it to put me on after Gregory Porter? remarked the gifted bassist, who was following the remarkable vocalist on the festival's big Jimmy Lyons Stage on Friday at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. I remember one time going on after Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. It was wrong. It did not end well for me."
"Indeed, Porter was a tough act to follow, as he delighted the audience at this outdoor stage with a 75-minute set that was full of dynamic vocal work, winning personality and, in general, numerous reasons why this Sacramento-born artist who was raised in Bakersfield is considered one of the best in the game. Porter's high-flying set, no doubt, will be the one the most people will be talking about from Day 1 of the festival."
"Yet, we should be clear upfront about one thing: Monterey Jazz remains, however, a festival in transition. It's still recovering from its pandemic woes and trying to find its footing in the post Tim Jackson-era, after the longtime artistic director stepped down from his position following the 2023 festival. Jackson's position was quickly filled by acclaimed composer Darin Atwater, but that tenure proved to be very brief with Atwater and Monterey Jazz parting ways after just one festival (2024)."
Gregory Porter delivered a standout 75-minute outdoor set featuring dynamic vocals and strong stage presence that emerged as the Day 1 highlight. Christian McBride followed with his own 75-minute performance leading Ursa Major and provided a compelling instrumental set. Additional Day 1 highlights included saxophonist-vocalist Grace Kelly and Latin jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez. The Monterey Jazz Festival, co-founded in 1958 by Ralph J. Gleason and Jimmy Lyons, continues recovering from pandemic-related setbacks and is navigating leadership changes after longtime artistic director Tim Jackson stepped down and Darin Atwater's brief 2024 tenure ended.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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