Fall 2026

126 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 6 Monterey Jazz Festival Looks Back to its Roots A Stellar Lineup Honor s the Past and Looks to the Future B Y M I CHA E L CHAT F I E LD T he lineup for the 69th presentation of the world’s longest continuously running jazz festival is a creative stew encompassing an homage to the past while pulling back the curtain on the future. Since its first incarnation in 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) has attracted the world’s finest practitioners of the truly American art form that is jazz music. Cofounded by music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jazz disc jockey Jimmy Lyons, the festival has earned a rep- utation among performers and attendees alike as the place to be on those September weekends. Name a jazz practi- tioner—Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, the list goes on and on—and it’s a sure bet that they’ve performed on at least one of the MJF stages and some have returned many times. The first MJF set the pace, featuring performances by, among many others, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Dave Brubeck, Modern Jazz Quartet, Cal Tjader and Monterey hometown favorite Jake Stock and the Abalone Stompers. MJF has always honored the deep talent pool of local Monterey Peninsula musical talent (see sidebar).That roster represented the cream of the era’s crop, and Lyons and Gleason being able to gather that level of talent to what was then a tiny little California town was quite a coup. And the legacy and momentum built nearly 70 years ago continues into the 21st cen- tury. Here are some highlights of the 2026 MJF, set for September 25-27 at the storied Monterey County Fairgrounds. Melissa Aldana Herbie Hancock Aja Monet Photo: Ebru Yildiz Photo: Douglas Kirkland Photo: Daniel N. Johnson