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Monterey Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Scott Colley Trio

Chris Potter (right) performs with the Scott Colley Trio at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. John Whiting for NPR hide caption

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John Whiting for NPR

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Scott Colley Trio

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The bassist has been coming to the festival since he was a 12-year-old student musician. Now that he's a world-class bassist, he relished the opportunity to perform his own scorching tunes, with saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

Listen Now: Scott Colley Trio In Concert

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Donny McCaslin Group

Donny McCaslin at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival hide caption

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Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Donny McCaslin Group

He's a world-class saxophonist in New York. But at Monterey, he's also the lanky kid who grew up in nearby Santa Cruz and played in the festival's high school all-star band. The local boy done good comes home with his funky, electric band in tow.

Listen Now: Donny McCaslin Group In Concert

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Bill Carrothers Trio

Bill Carrothers at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival hide caption

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Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Bill Carrothers Trio

He may not wear shoes, or sit on a bench, or live anywhere close to any other jazz musicians. But he's developed a unique vision for piano trio, and with some old friends, his soft touch and luminous chord voicings were especially ripe.

Listen Now: Bill Carrothers Trio In Concert

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Monterey Jazz 2011: John Santos Sextet

John Santos leads his sextet at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. Cole Thompson/Monterey Jazz Festival hide caption

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Cole Thompson/Monterey Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz 2011: John Santos Sextet

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There's an political edge to the Latin jazz percussionist's latest recording, Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 1: It's designed as a commentary on Afro-Latino history. He played that material with a tight band, featuring the aggressive rapper Rico Pabón.

Listen Now: Club John Santos Sextet In Concert

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Juan-Carlos Formell And Johnny's Dream Club

Juan-Carlos Formell and Johnny's Dream Club at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. Cole Thompson/Monterey Jazz Festival hide caption

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Cole Thompson/Monterey Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Juan-Carlos Formell And Johnny's Dream Club

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The Cuban singer-songwriter possesses a vivid imagination, a poetic sensibility and a band of Latin jazz musicians. At Monterey, he led the fantasy house band of a romantic haunt in a long-lost New Orleans — the northernmost Caribbean city.

Listen Now: Juan-Carlos Formell And Johnny's Dream In Concert

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Sarah Wilson Quintet

The Sarah Wilson Quintet at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival hide caption

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Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz 2011: Sarah Wilson Quintet

She writes intricate jazz tunes and plays trumpet. She writes rootsy songs and sings them. And the Bay Area musician had a band of iconoclasts to execute her unusual, but agreeable vision at Monterey.

Listen Now: Sarah Wilson Quintet In Concert

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Monterey Jazz Festival 2011: A Game Plan

Showcase Artist Robert Glasper will perform in several different configurations at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. His piano trio plays the festival's very first set. Joey L/Blue Note Records hide caption

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Joey L/Blue Note Records

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Monterey Jazz Festival 2011: A Game Plan

What makes the Monterey Jazz Festival fantastic is also what makes it frustrating: too many bands on too many stages, with overlapping performances. So we did a little advance planning: Here's our itinerary through the weekend.

At Monterey, Fast Footwork And East Bay Voices

Terence Blanchard (left) and Kermit Ruffins perform in the An Afternoon In Treme revue at the 2011 Monterey Jazz Festival. Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival hide caption

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Craig Lovell/Monterey Jazz Festival

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At Monterey, Fast Footwork And East Bay Voices

Once a capitol city during Spanish and Mexican occupation, Monterey is now a jazz capital for three days every year. Here are four highlights from the 54th Monterey Jazz Festival so far, including a New Orleans revue and Bay Area standouts.

Monterey Jazz Festival 2011: Fast Footwork And East Bay Voices

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Gerald Wilson Conducts 'Monterey Moods' Premiere

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The legendary jazz trumpeter and composer premiered the seven-part Monterey Moods suite at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Hear his celebratory exploration of all the various forms of jazz that have come through Monterey in its 50 years.

Gerald Wilson Orchestra in Concert from the Monterey Jazz Festival - 09/22/2007

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Dave Brubeck: A Monterey Pioneer in Concert

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Bay Area disc jockey Jimmy Lyons got Brubeck to play piano for the Monterey City Council more than 50 years ago to convince it to put on a festival. The Monterey Jazz Festival is in its 50th year, and Brubeck returns for his 14th appearance. Hear his complete concert.

Dave Brubeck in Concert from the Monterey Jazz Festival - 09/23/2007

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Otis Taylor: 'Trance Blues' in Concert

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Live from the Monterey Jazz Festival, Otis Taylor plays what he calls "trance blues" — a blues sound drenched in Appalachian country music and moody, psychedelic rock. He discovered blues and folk music after hearing the work of Mississippi John Hurt. Hear a full concert.

Otis Taylor in Concert from the Monterey Jazz Festival - 09/22/2007

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Monterey in Minutes: An Audio Montage

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The 50th Anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival proved to be a rousing success. 45,000 fans attended the historic event and all three days were sold out, a festival first. Hear some of the festival's greatest highlights in an audio montage produced by WBGO.

Monterey in Minutes: An Audio Montage

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Monterey Jazz Festival Celebrates 50th Year

Hear a preview of the 50th annual Monterey Jazz Festival, which includes Gerald Wilson's specially commissioned piece, Monterey Moods. Wilson and many other jazz luminaries, including Dave Brubeck, celebrate the festival's half-century mark this weekend.

Monterey Moods

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Legends Help Monterey Jazz Fest Turn 50

Jazz writer Ashley Kahn offers his observations of the three days of nonstop music that marked the 50th annual Monterey Jazz Festival in California. The giants of jazz came to play at Monterey, which featured performances by Gerald Wilson and Sonny Rollins, among others.

Legends Help Monterey Jazz Fest Turn 50

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Reflecting on 50 Years of Monterey Jazz

The Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates 50 years of great music this weekend. Musician David Was reflects on the festival and reviews a new set of archival Monterey CDs featuring Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

Reflecting on 50 Years of Monterey Jazz

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