The 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 reputation among performers and attendees alike as the place to be on those September weekends. Name a jazz practitioner—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 century. Here are some highlights of the 2026 MJF, set for September 25-27 at the storied Monterey County Fairgrounds.
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Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter: For Miles
Sunday, September 27, 7:45 pm, Jimmy Lyons Stage
Sixty-three years ago in 1963, pianist Hancock and bassist Carter took the main stage (also known as the Pattee Arena) with the legendary and incredibly influential trumpet master Miles Davis, and did so again the following year. The 1963 show was recorded and released as “Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival.” In “All About Jazz,” critic Samuel Chell wrote, “This recording is so fresh and alive sonically and so rich and rewarding musically that 45 years literally melt away upon hearing it.” This year, the pair have crafted a program to honor their late bandleader as a duo.
Over the years, Hancock has performed at MJF many times in a variety of ensembles, as has Carter. And it’s safe to say they are looking forward to returning. “There’s a lot of camaraderie that happens at Monterey when musicians get to see each other because we don’t get to do that because we’re traveling so much,” Hancock told Carmel Magazine in 2023. “It’s a family atmosphere at Monterey. The weather is great; it’s right by the ocean. It’s a very relaxing place.”
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Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis & Special Guest Cécile McLorin Salvant
Friday, September 25, 7 pm, Jimmy Lyons Stage
The American treasure that is the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra spends a good deal of the year on the road, performing throughout the world in addition to many shows at its spectacular New York City home venue. Wynton Marsalis serves as the orchestra’s artistic director and leads this 15-piece assemblage of some of the finest jazz instrumentalists and soloists working today.
Marsalis will alsp be honored with MJF’s Jazz Legends Award at a gala held September 24, joining other luminaries such as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Wayne Shorter, Dave Brubeck and Christian McBride.
As does MJF, Jazz at Lincoln Center places emphasis on educational programs, bringing world-class musicians and aspiring young players together in order to ensure that this purely unique art form continues to grow and evolve.
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Blues Jam with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram & Friends
Featuring Shemekia Copeland
Saturday, September 26, 12:30 pm, Jimmy Lyons Stage
Yes, the blues has also been an integral part of MJF’s DNA for most of its existence. Blues legends, including B.B. King, Etta James, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, have brought audiences to their feet many times over the decades. And now, guitarist Kingfish returns for the first time since his electrifying 2019 set that fans still rave about. “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince,” raved Rolling Stone.
Joining Kingfish and his band of young, up-and-coming blues performers is the Grammy nominated powerhouse vocalist Shemekia Copeland. The Washington Post anointed her “…the greatest blues singer of her generation.” This show will be talked about for years to come.
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Monterey Surprise: 1958 Throwback
Saturday, September 26, 2:15-3:15 pm, Jimmy Lyons Stage
The MJF organizers are not revealing who will be performing what they call “Our inaugural ‘Monterey Surprise’ showcase—we harken back to that storied opening [1958] weekend, featuring some of our favorite contemporary artists performing that 1950s repertoire together for the first time.” This is sure to be a crowd pleaser and, given the incredibly talented musicians who will be on hand to choose from, another performance not to be missed.
For a complete schedule and ticketing information, visit www.montereyjazz.org.
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MJF Spotlights Local Jazz Artists
Peninsula Music Venues Support Homegrown Talent
Since its inception, MJF has embraced the local music community, recognizing and showcasing a variety of homegrown talent.
Janice Perl hails from a line of Monterey musical royalty. The daughter of accordionist Mike Marotta, Sr., she has been steeped in music since birth. She is a highly respected vocal instructor and leads the MJF Regional All-Star Vocal Ensemble. But incredibly, “I’ve never performed at the festival,” she says. That changes Saturday, September 26, from 2:15-3:15 pm, when she takes over the Courtyard Stage with her band of top area players: Dennis Murphy on bass, drummer Mike Shannon, Bill Spencer on keys, saxophonist Gary Meek, and Perl’s daughter Miranda Perl as backup singer. “We will be doing songs I’ve never performed live with a full band,” says Perl. “These are songs from the era when I first started listening to jazz in the 1970s: Chuck Mangione, Freddie Hubbard and Chick Corea.”
Perl says that MJF staff decided to reach out to Monterey Peninsula jazz venues and encourage them to sponsor groups for the Courtyard Stage. “MidiCi, the Monterey restaurant where I founded ‘Live Jazz at MidiCi’ every Thursday and Sunday evening is sponsoring us.” Other performers and their sponsors include the Zach Westfall Group (Pearl Hour), TJ Kuenster & Ricketts Folly (Pop and Hiss) and The Lighthouse Jazz Quartet (Wild Fish).