Next Generation Jazz Festival Presented by Monterey Jazz Festival Hosts America’s Top Young Jazz Musicians,
March 28-30, 2014 in Downtown Monterey
64 Groups from 11 States and 11 California Counties are Finalists
Monterey, Calif., March 6, 2014; The 10th Annual Next Generation Jazz Festival Presented by Monterey Jazz Festival takes place March 28-30, 2014, 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 57th 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.
Sixty-four groups from 11 states are finalists in 2014 in the High School category. Click here for a list of finalists.
California is represented by 44 ensembles from 11 counties—including Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, and Yolo Counties.
Other states represented for the finalists include Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Washington State.
In addition, 14 special guest groups shall perform, including student ensembles from Alaska, Arizona, California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington State. Altogether, 78 bands will perform at the Next Generation Jazz Festival.
“I’m overjoyed at the abundance of superlative jazz groups from all over the country performing at this year’s Next Generation Jazz Festival,” said Paul Contos, Monterey Jazz Festival education director. “The level of instrumental and vocal groups—from middle and high school to top-tier of college and universities—represents the exceptional healthy state of jazz education, which is augmented by our superstar roster of name jazz artists participating as judges and adjudicators.”
The Next Generation Jazz Festival officially starts with the annual Salute to Jazz Education and Judges Concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 28, at the Monterey Conference Center’s Serra Ballroom. This concert will feature performances by Latimbop from Berklee College of Music, as well as from internationally-renowned artists and competition judges including: drummer and 2014 Artist-In-Residence Eric Harland; saxophonists Mary Fettig, Bob Sheppard, and Gary Smulyan; pianist Shelley Berg; guitarist Russell Malone; trumpeter Erik Jekabson, bassist Ray Drummond; drummer Matt Wilson; vocalists Madeline Eastman and Nadia Washington; and others.
$50 Gold Circle Tickets are available for the Salute to Jazz Education and Judges Concert and Reception on Friday, March 28. Proceeds benefit Monterey Jazz Festival’s education programs. Gold Circle ticket buyers receive a reserved seat as well as an invitation to the exclusive post-concert reception with performers, Next Generation Jazz Festival judges, and adjudicators.
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.
The Festival will conduct clinics, workshops, jam sessions, and auditions in the heart of historic Monterey, 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.
All Next Generation Jazz Festival competition events—from the exuberant and electric Big Band, Vocal Ensemble and Combo Competition on Saturday, March 29 to the College Big Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble Competition on Sunday, March 30—are open to the public, free of charge.
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 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.
Major funding for the Next Generation Jazz Festival and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra performance tour comes from a three-year grant awarded by the Surdna Foundation.
For a complete schedule of activities and competition times, visit montereyjazzfestival.org/NGJF. A 2014 Next Generation Jazz Festival event App for iPhone and Android will also be available for download on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
The High School Competition begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 30, in the Monterey Conference Center. Throughout the day, the high school groups will perform, with several educational clinics and performances featuring Latimbop, from Berklee College of Music; and Eric Harland.
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 57th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. The final rankings will be announced at the end of the evening.
The Next Generation Jazz Festival continues through Sunday, March 30, 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 57th Monterey Jazz Festival. Auditions will also be held for the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Monterey Jazz Festival’s national all-star high school band.
Next Generation Jazz Festival partners and supporters include longtime Monterey Jazz Festival partner Yamaha Drums and Yamaha Pianos, providing instruments for Next Generation Jazz Festival stages. Additional support is provided by generous individuals and organizations such as the Surdna Foundation, Clint Eastwood, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Quest Foundation, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, Community Foundation for Monterey County, AT&T Foundation, and the Harden Foundation.
More information on all Next Generation Jazz Festival activities and events is available on the Monterey Jazz Festival Web site, www.montereyjazzfestival.org/NGJF and by phone at 831.373.3366.
About Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates the legacy of jazz and expands the boundaries of and opportunities to experience jazz through the creative production of performances and educational programs.
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For more information please contact:
Timothy Orr, Marketing Associate
Monterey Jazz Festival
Direct Line: 510.652.1122
Monterey Office: 831.373.3366
timorr@montereyjazzfestival.org
www.montereyjazzfestival.org