Monterey Jazz Festival Hosts Next Generation Jazz Festival This Weekend

The 11th Annual Next Generation Jazz Festival Presented by Monterey Jazz Festival takes place this weekend, March 27-29, 2015, at the Monterey Conference Center. The weekend-long event includes Big Bands, Combos, Vocal Ensembles, and individual musicians vying for a spot on the stages of the 58th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. The event will be open to the public, free of charge.

With more than 1200 students participating in the Next Generation Jazz Festival, the public can enjoy the largest gathering of young jazz talent in Northern California, outside of the Monterey Jazz Festival itself. In 2015, 62 groups from seven states and British Columbia are finalists in the adjudicated categories. Click here for a list of finalists.

Finalists from California are represented by 42 ensembles from 12 counties-including Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Yolo counties.

Other areas of North America for the finalists include Arizona, British Columbia, Canada; Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington State.

In addition, 26 special guest groups from six states shall perform, including student ensembles from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, and Washington State.

Altogether, 88 bands from 11 states will perform at the Next Generation Jazz Festival. "2015 is the largest gathering of student groups ever at the Next Generation Jazz Festival," said Paul Contos, Monterey Jazz Festival education director. "We are excited to present such an array of talent, from middle school through college-level ensembles."

The Next Generation Jazz Festival officially starts with the annual Opening Night Concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27, at the Monterey Conference Center's Serra Ballroom. This year the concert, entitled Remembering Clark Terry: A Swingin' Celebration will be dedicated to the memory of the legendary trumpeter and jazz educator Clark Terry, who performed at Monterey Jazz Festival at least 19 times from 1965-1999, and whose impact on the Monterey Jazz Festival's education programs continues to be felt. The show features performances by the Festival's team of internationally-renowned artists and competition judges: trumpeter Terell Stafford; saxophonists Mary Fettig and Joel Frahm; trombonist Luis Bonilla; pianists Helen Sung and Reggie Thomas; guitarist Bruce Forman; bassist Ray Drummond; drummer Matt Wilson; and vocalist Mardra Thomas. Opening the concert at 7:30 p.m. is the Marika Galea Quartet from Berklee College of Music.

Prior to the Friday night concert, there will be the inaugural Next Generation Jazz Festival Gala, starting at 5 p.m., with a special reception, silent auction, raffle, dinner, and honoring of local educator Dr. Rob Klevan, who will be given the Monterey Jazz Festival's Jazz Champion Award for his three-decade long devotion and contribution to the Monterey Bay's musical landscape. Also included are Gold Circle Tickets reserved seating in the front rows as well as an invitation to the exclusive post-concert "meet and greet" dessert reception with the performers, Monterey Jazz Festival judges, and adjudicators. Tickets for this special reception are $105 with a $95 early bird discount through Thursday, March 19, and are available by calling 831.373.3366 or by emailing development@montereyjazzfestival.org.

Individual Gold Circle Tickets are available for $50, and include reserved seating in the front rows as well as an invitation to the exclusive post-Friday night Judges Concert "meet and greet" and dessert reception with the performers, and Next Generation Jazz Festival adjudicators. The $50 tickets do not include the pre-concert reception, dinner and award presentation.

Throughout the weekend, all events in both the Steinbeck Forum and Serra Ballroom, including the Friday Night Concert, will be available as a live Web stream on Monterey Jazz Festival's Web site, provided by Next Generation Jazz Festival Media Partner, Access Monterey Peninsula.

All Next Generation Jazz Festival competition events-from the High School Big Band, Vocal Ensemble and Combo Competition on Saturday, March 28 to the College Big Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble Competition on Sunday, March 29, as well as clinics, and workshops-are open to the public, free of charge, with music to be performed at the Monterey Conference Center, Portola Hotel, Turn 12 Bar and Grill, and the Museum of Monterey. The Next Generation Jazz Festival will also continue its Jazz Expo, allowing students an opportunity to visit with several colleges and organizations offering jazz and other music programs. For a complete schedule of activities and competition times, visit montereyjazzfestival.org/NGJF.

The High School Competition begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, in the Monterey Conference Center. Throughout the day, the high school groups will perform, with several educational clinics and performances featuring the Marika Galea Quartet from Berklee College of Music; Matt Wilson; and Reggie and Mardra Thomas.

The top Vocal, Combo, and Big Band divisions will be announced at 6:15 p.m. Saturday evening from the Serra Ballroom stage. At 8:30 p.m., the top finalists will perform a Showcase Concert-a preview of the groups performing at the 58th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. The final rankings will be announced at the end of the evening.

The Next Generation Jazz Festival continues on Sunday, March 29, with Middle School, College, Conglomerate Big Band, High School and College Open Combos, and College Vocal Ensemble Divisions performing in the Serra Ballroom and Steinbeck Forum. The top college big band, college vocal ensemble, and conglomerate big band (to be announced during the day) will also earn a performance slot at the 58th Monterey Jazz Festival. Auditions will also be held for the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Monterey Jazz Festival's national all-star high school band.

Introduced in 1971 as the California High School Jazz Band Competition by Monterey Jazz Festival Founder Jimmy Lyons, the competition was conceived as a way to bring talented student groups to Monterey, and to cultivate musicians for the future. Notable participants of the Jazz Competition and Next Generation Jazz Orchestra members (formally the California High School All-Star Band) include saxophonists Joshua Redman, Dave Koz and Donny McCaslin; pianists Benny Green and Patrice Rushen; multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum; bassist Larry Grenadier, and many others.

Next Generation Jazz Festival Partners include Alvarez Technology Group, Inc.; Macy's, McGraw-Hill Education, Scheid Family Wines, Yamaha Drums, and Yamaha Pianos. Supporters include California Jazz Conservatory, Stevenson School, York School, Remo Drumheads, Gallien-Krueger, and Zildjian Cymbals. Other contributors include ACTION Council of Monterey County, Arts Council for Monterey County, Community Foundation for Monterey County, D'Addario Music Foundation, David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Harden Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Sponsorship opportunities, raffle donation instructions, program advertising information, and more details on the 2015 Next Generation Jazz Festival can be seen by visiting montereyjazzfestival.org/NGJF or by calling 831.373.3366.