Summer 2023

program had become somewhat static and con- servative.“Of course, all our heroes were playing like Dave Brubeck, Modern Jazz Quartet, Dizzy, ClarkTerry.That was Jimmy’s taste. But there was a whole other part of jazz that wasn’t there. I don’t think he was interested in branching out much.” But Tim Jackson certainly was. He went in headfirst in 1992, and immediately tackled the production issues he’d experienced as a performer. “We had good people, but they weren’t given the tools they needed.” Then he programmed his festival. Jackson’s opening Friday night featured the then upcoming Roy Hargrove, the Yellowjackets, Arturo Sandoval and a Miles Davis tribute featuring Herbie Hancock,Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams. Definitely not Big Band Era artists. A transportation error led to another innovation. “Arturo found himself on a plane to Monterrey, Mexico, meaning there were three acts. It was a blessing in disguise. That extra time allowed us to pace the pro- grams to give the artists and the audience the best possible product. You must set the table correctly from the beginning.” When asked if there are any musical moments that stand out in his three decades at the helm, Jackson recalls the 2016 tribute to Quincy Jones as a standout.“A lot of people had done Quincy tributes. I had a differ- ent idea. From 1969 to 1971 Quincy produced three crossover big band albums, “Walking in Space,” “Gula Matari” and “Smackwater Jack.” I wasn’t trying to do Quincy from A to Z, but Quincy from J to L. I called [bassist] Christian McBride because I knew he’d know those records front to back and he agreed to be music director.We got as many of the still active Clockwise from top left: Jackson on stage with Dee Dee Bridgewater; with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock; sharing a laugh with Clint Eastwood and Chick Corea; on stage with Don Was at the 62nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. Photo: Jim Stone Photo: Cole Thompson C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 119 I’m staying at Kuumbwa. We’re celebrating 50 years in 2025 and I’ll be there at least that long. Photo: Cole Thompson Photo: Cole Thompson