HAPPY 60TH, MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL: Just about every Californian who adores the arts, or so it seems, has a "man, I wish I could have been there" moment. We pause before unleashing the word "regret," but it is a moment that can feel regretful, like we missed an ultimate concert or weekend happening that a lot of our friends or co-music mavens took part in, happily, and with stories to share. The Monterey Jazz Festival, a six-decades-along stalwart, is one of the ultimate "wish-I-could-have-been-there" spots for a number of Golden-Staters, and those people who live elsewhere, too. And that feeling, that wish, is bound to level up in 2017, given that the festival is marking its big 60th anniversary. Every year at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, come the middle of September, is a big year, but sporting a 60th anniversary tee for years to come will be quite the happy talisman for you, as you remember seeing...
HERBIE HANCOCK & CHICK COREA... together on Sunday, Sept. 17, and Mr. Hancock on Friday, Sept. 15 (he's the 2017 MJF Jazz Legend Award Honoree). A Tribute to Sonny Rollins is slated for the evening of Saturday, Sept. 16, while Leslie Odom, Jr. of "Hamilton" on Broadway will also appear. Angélique Kidjo's Tribute to Salsa with Pedrito Martinez is yet another highlight in a weekend brimming with memorable-making events, while an appearance by John Beasley's MONK'estra, in celebration of the centennial of Thelonious Monk, is another major must-see. Tickets, information about getting there, and all of the good stuff you need to know for a weekend of legends? Begin here. And if you can only dip into the brassy, smooth, lyrical, feel-the-vibes delights for an hour or two? You can say you were there, a statement that should always be proceeded by actually being there, at a world-famous festival, really connecting with the sound.
