The 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival | Sept. 18-20, 2009 | TheUrbanMusicScene.com

Monterey Jazz Festival Announces Single-Show Arena Tickets

Available For MJF/52

Single-Show Arena Tickets Include Access To One Arena Concert Plus 8 Additional Stages On The Grounds

Monterey Jazz Festival Full Arena Packages

And Grounds Tickets Still Available

Single-Show Arena And Grounds Tickets Include World-Class Music, Jazz Education, Conversations and Forums, Clinics, Activities For Kids And Families, International Shopping, Food, And Films On Monterey Fairgrounds, September 18 – 20, 2009

New Grooves Party On Friday; Family Day Activities On Sunday

September 11, 2009, Monterey, CA;
Offering jazz fans a rare opportunity to see some of the jazz world’s
finest talent, the Monterey Jazz Festival has announced that it will be
selling Single-Show Arena Seats for the 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival presented by Verizon, September 18 – 20, 2009.
Single-Show Arena Tickets give patrons the ability to purchase a
reserved seat for the Arena concert of their choice, and includes
access to 8 additional stages on the Grounds, as well as all Grounds
events and activities.

Prices range from $55 to $65 for each of the Single-Show Arena Tickets, available by phone (925.275.9255), online (montereyjazzfestival.org), and at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Monterey Fairgrounds Ticket Office starting on Monday, September 14th.

Fans can choose from five Arena shows including:

Friday night (featuring Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All-Star Band with special guests Randy Brecker and Joe Lovano; the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars featuring Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, and Russell Malone; and Esperanza Spalding). Friday night tickets are priced at $55.

Saturday afternoon (featuring Susan Tedeschi; Pete Seeger; and John Scofield and the Piety Street Band). Saturday afternoon tickets are priced at $60.

Saturday night (featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis; Dee Dee Bridgewater; and the Hank Jones & Joe Lovano Quartet with John Patitucci and Brian Blade). Saturday night tickets are priced at $65.

Sunday Afternoon (featuring George Duke; the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra with Special Guest Wynton Marsalis; and the Los Angeles County High School County for the Arts Big Band). Sunday afternoon tickets are priced at $60.

Sunday night (featuring the Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White Trio; the Dave Brubeck Quartet; and Jason Moran & The Bandwagon). Sunday night tickets are priced at $65.

“This
is great news for fans who have always wanted to attend Arena shows,
commented Timothy Orr, marketing associate for the festival. “It’s
unprecedented in recent history. We feel that it’s the best value for
people on a budget to get an Arena show of their choice, on the day of
their choice. Since the Single-Show Arena Tickets also give access to
the grounds, it’s a tremendous value, especially in today’s economy.”

In addition to the newly launched Single–Show Arena Tickets, the Festival also has available Full Arena Packages (with one reserved seat for all 5 Arena shows), as well as daily and Full Weekend Grounds Tickets. All tickets are on sale now by phone at (925) 275-9255 and on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, montereyjazzfestival.org.

Full Arena Packages for all 5 performances begin at $225. Daily Grounds Tickets
are from $35 (Friday) and $45 (Saturday or Sunday); full Weekend
Grounds Tickets are $110.00. MJF’s new Family Discount Pack is $80 for
2 Adult and 2 Youth Tickets for a single day. Grounds Ticket prices will increase by $5.00 when purchased from Tuesday, September 15 through Sunday, September 20 and patrons are advised to purchase tickets now.

Visit http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/2009/MJF09.pdf for a printable schedule of MJF/52.

Friday night’s Grounds artists on the Grounds include Lizz Wright and Esperanza Spalding, performing New Grooves in Dizzy’s Den, presented by CareFusion. In the Night Club, the Scott Amendola Trio, the John Patitucci Trio featuring Joe Lovano and Brian Blade and Forro in the Dark will perform. The Garden Stage showcases the Roger Eddy Group, the 2009 Berklee-Monterey Quartet, and Global Noize, with keyboardist Jason Miles and DJ Logic. The Coffee House Gallery will feature three sets from pianist Jonathan Batiste.

Saturday on the Grounds, the Garden Stage will include a tribute to Charles Brown from pianist Martin Headman; Texas blues from Ruthie Foster, the New Orleans All-Stars featuring Henry Butler and Cyrile Neville, vocalist Raul Midón, and Wayne Wallace and Rhythm & Rhyme. Dizzy’s Den presented by CareFusion will have a historical conversation 3-time Grammy-winner, producer Michael Cuscuna, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, and author Ashley Kahn. Journalist Dan Ouellette returns with the DownBeat Blindfold Test with legendary pianist George Duke. Also featured will be the ~~Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars~~ with Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, and Russell Malone, followed by Soulive, featuring John Scofield; and Dee Dee Bridgewater. The Coffee House Gallery will be treated to three sets each from Weber Iago’s “The Dhanyavad Project” and the Peter Erskine and Alan Pasqua Trio.

In the Night Club, Saturday gets off to a youthful start with the top college vocal group from MJF’s Next Generation Festival, the CSU Long Beach Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Pacific Standard Time, followed by the Monterey Bay Jazz Orchestra and the Hironobu Saito Quartet. The evening’s shows feature the Cuban and Latin jazz of the Rodriguez Brothers, post-bop from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire (a former MJF Next Generation Jazz Orchestra member) and Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side All-Star Band, playing the music of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.

On Sunday, the Night Club will host the student groups from MJF’s Next Generation Festival, including the Berkeley High School Combo “A”; Hamilton High School Academy of Music Vocal Jazz Ensemble; Folsom High School Jazz Choir “A”; Jazzschool Studio Band “A”; Valley Christian High School Jazz Ensemble; Folsom High School Big Band “A”; and the Monterey County High School All-Star Big Band. Sunday Evening’s Night Club concerts feature pianist and NEA Jazz Master Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Quartet, followed by Jason Moran & The Bandwagon.

Sunday in Dizzy’s Den presented by CareFusion features an afternoon of jazz education and music, with a conversation with NEA Jazz Master Toshiko Akiyoshi, hosted by journalist Yoshi Kato, followed by a Jazz Journalists Association panel entitled Jazz…and the DJs Who Played the Records moderated by Dan Ouellette, with notable radio personalities Alan Schultz, Jayne Sanchez, Herb Wong, and Bob Parlocha. Sunday evening will have shows from Joe Lovano and Us Five, with bassist Esperanza Spalding, pianist James Weidman, and drummers Francisco Mela and Otis Brown Jr; followed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

Sunday’s Garden Stage will feature the top college big band from the Next Generation Festival, the CSU Long Beach Big Band, followed by master trumpeter, Scotty Barnhart and Cuban pianist, Alfredo Rodriguez. Sunday evening’s Garden Stage will debut Buffalo Collision, featuring Ethan Iverson, Dave King, Tim Berne and Hank Roberts; and The Shotgun Wedding Quintet.

The Coffee House Gallery will host guitarist Terrence Brewer for two sets, followed by trumpeter Dominick Farinacci (a former MJF Next Generation Jazz Orchestra member) and two sets from the visionary pianist, Vijay Iyer.

All weekend long in the evenings, Lyons Lounge at the end of Lyons Lane will pulse with Samba, Afro-Cuban, funk and Soul-jazz sounds of Vinnie Esparza (Friday and Saturday) and DJ Logic (Sunday). During the day, from 3 to 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday in Lyons Lounge, students can participate in a new jam session, hosted by the Festival in the Lounge. Judy Roberts will be performing on the Yamaha AvantGrand on the Courtyard Stage, at the entrance of the Festival Grounds.

Sunday, September 20th marks the Festival’s 4th Annual Family Day. Families
and children of all ages can participate in special activities, hear
the country’s top student jazz musicians, and join in the fun with the
return of the popular Percussion Playshop, MJF’s innovative “Instrument Petting Zoo” with high-tech, professional gear provided by Yamaha. The younger set can also bounce in the “Jazzy Jumper” on the West Lawn.

New for 2009, families can take advantage of MJF’s Family Discount Pack,
which includes two Adult Grounds Tickets and two Youth Grounds Tickets
(2 – 18 years old) for only $80 on Friday, $100 on Saturday or Sunday
— a savings of up to $20. With kids under 2 years free, the family can
enjoy MJF/52 together and save. Families will enjoy the music,
exhibitions, food, beverages, an international shopping bazaar, and
much more on the 20 acres of beautiful forested fairgrounds, with lots
of room to roam, play, and picnic.

Single-Show Arena Tickets are now on sale on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, montereyjazzfestival.org and can be purchased by phone (925.275.9255) and by walk-up purchase beginning Monday, September 14 at the Festival’s Monterey Fairgrounds on-site Ticket Office at 2000 Fairgrounds Road in Monterey.