Give Chelsie Hill lemons, she'll make lemonade. Put her in a wheelchair? She'll dance. Most Peninsulans know Hill's tragic story: a bright and beautiful Pacific Grove High senior, she awoke in a Santa Clara trauma center paralyzed from the waist down after a horrendous alcohol-related automobile accident. "Dance is the only thing my daughter has ever wanted to do," says … [Read more...] about If You Can’t Stand Up, Stand Out
This Is Jazz
They're still talking about that September Saturday. The day Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews strode out onto the Jimmy Lyons stage with his band Orleans Avenue and proceeded to permanently and deeply carve his name into the tree trunk of Monterey Jazz Festival lore. "He absolutely owned the 2010 festival," says one longtime attendee. Guess what? He's gonna do it again. "I've … [Read more...] about This Is Jazz
You Otter Be in Pictures
Take one attractive, bubbly actress named Katie Pofahl. Cast her opposite one or more of the most endearingly charming animals on the planet and roll film. Sounds like a recipe ready made for the Disney Channel, but it’s actually the formula for “Otter 501,” a new film by Sea Studios Foundation of Monterey. Through a clever mix of feature- and documentary-style filmmaking, … [Read more...] about You Otter Be in Pictures
Monterey Jazz Festival’s Full Circle
Jazz musicians are an eclectic lot: highly individualistic and nonconformist— dancing to their own drummers, so to speak. They sing in chorus, however, when it comes to educating young people in the language of their chosen musical genre. From its inception 54 years ago, the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) has funded programs designed to pass the torch onto the next generation of … [Read more...] about Monterey Jazz Festival’s Full Circle
One Man, Many Voices
"So it went on—a profession older than writing, and one that will probably survive when the written word has disappeared. And all the sterile wonders of movies and television and radio will fail to wipe it out—a living man in communication with a living audience." —John Steinbeck, "Travels with Charley" A living man in communication with a living audience. This is Steinbeck … [Read more...] about One Man, Many Voices