The Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour, with Jazz Violinist Regina Carter

Overview

After the success of its 50th Anniversary tour in 2007—including a performance at Richmond’s Landmark Theater—the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) launches a new tour in 2010. Appearances feature piano legend Kenny Barron, named by The Los Angeles Times as “one of the top jazz pianists in the world;” violinist Regina Carter who, in the words of Time Magazine, “creates music that is wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent and, at times, breathtakingly daring:” seven-time Grammy nominee Kurt Elling, whose four-octave baritone and emotional range inspired the San Francisco Chronicle to hail him as “the most flamboyantly creative jazz singer to emerge in the last decade:” and guitarist Russell Malone, celebrated as Diana Krall’s right-hand man in concert, on tour and as accompanist on Krall’s recordings. Malone has collaborated with Harry Connick, Jr., Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Branford Marsalis, Clarence Carter, Mulgrew Miller, Roy Hargrove, Cyrus Chestnut and Patti Austin.

Ninth Time is the Charm for Consummate Vocalist Kurt Elling!   The jazz world is celebrating as one of the jazz community's most revered artists finally received his just due. Premiere vocalist Kurt Elling won his first ever GRAMMY this past week, the Best Jazz Vocal Album award for Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman.  Elling has been named “the jazz stand-out male vocalist of our time” by the New York Times and “perhaps the most distinctive singer on the American scene” by the Sunday Times UK, and has been nominated for every album in his canon. This marks the artist’s first GRAMMY win on his stellar ninth nomination overall. The vocalist also co-hosted the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast awards show with fellow nominee and actress Tia Carrere and performed a beautiful duet of “God Bless The Child” with Concord Music Group label mate and nominee Lalah Hathaway.  Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman was recorded live at the Allen Room at Lincoln Center. Since its release, the collection has garnered critical praise. The Washington Post wrote: “With his soaring vocal flights, his edgy lyrics and sense of being on a musical mission, he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz” while the Chicago Tribune wrote, “some of the best ballad singing being performed today.”

TICKETS: $39, $36, STUDENTS ADVANCE $20     CALL OFFICE FOR AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS & GROUP RATES.  STUDENT RUSH AT DOOR $15

Related Sites

• Regina Carter plays "Lady Be Good"
• Regina Carter Web Site
• Kenny Barron Trio Web Site
• Kurt Elling Web Site
• Russell Malone on All About Jazz Web Site
• Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour! "When I Grow Too Old to Dream"

About the Artists

Kenny Barron’s unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms is what inspired The Los Angeles Times to name him "one of the top jazz pianists in the world” and Jazz Weekly to call him “The most lyrical piano player of our time.”  Philadelphia is the birthplace of many great musicians, including one of the undisputed masters of the jazz piano: Kenny Barron. Kenny was born in 1943 and while a teenager, started playing professionally with Mel Melvin’s orchestra. This local band also featured Barron’s brother Bill, the late tenor saxophonist.  By 1959, Kenny had worked with drummer Philly Joe Jones while still in high school. At age 19, Kenny moved to New York City and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan and James Moody after the tenor saxophonist heard him play at the Five Spot. Upon Moody’s recommendation Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962 without even hearing him play a note. It was in Dizzy’s band where Kenny developed an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After five years with Dizzy, Barron played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The early seventies found Kenny working with Yusef Lateef who Kenny credits as a key influence in his art for improvisation. Encouraged by Lateef, to pursue a college education, Barron balanced touring with studies and earned his B.A. in Music from Empire State College. By 1973, Kenny joined the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, mentoring many of todays young talents including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard and Regina Bell. In 1974, Kenny recorded his first album as a leader for the Muse label, entitled “Sunset To Dawn.” This was to be the first in over 40 recordings (and still counting!) as a leader.  Following stints with Ron Carter in the late seventies, Kenny formed a trio with Buster Williams and Ben Riley, which also worked alongside of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt and Harry “Sweets” Edison. Throughout the 80’s, Barron collaborated with the great tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, touring with his quartet and recording several legendary albums including “Anniversary”, “Serenity” and the Grammy nominated “People Time.” Also during the 80’s, he co-founded the quartet “Sphere,” along with Buster Williams, Ben Riley and Charlie Rouse. This band focused on the music of Thelonious Monk and original compositions inspired by him. Sphere recorded several outstanding projects for the Polygram label, among them “Four For All” and “Bird Songs.” After the death of Charlie Rouse, the band took a 15-year hiatus and reunited, replacing Rouse with alto saxophonist Gary Bartz. This reunion made its debut recording for Verve Records in 1998.  Kenny Barron’s own recordings for Verve have earned him seven Grammy nominations beginning in 1993 with the Brazilian influenced recording “Sambao” and most recently for “Freefall” (a duo recording with violinist Regina Carter) in 2001. Other Grammy nominations went to “Night and the City” (a duet recording with Charlie Haden, “Wanton Spirit” a trio recording with Roy Haynes and Haden.) It is important to note that these three recordings each received double-Grammy nominations (for album AND solo performance). Barron consistently wins the jazz critics and readers polls, including Downbeat, JazzTimes and Jazziz magazines. He has been named Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association every year for the past four years and was as a finalist in the prestigious 2001 Jazz Par International Jazz Award.  Throughout his career, Kenny Barron has been the pianist of choice for some of jazz’s greatest musicians.  Now at age 61, whether he is playing solo, with his Trio, his Brazilian jazz ensemble “Canta Brasil” (a quintet featuring some of Brazil’s greatest musicians) or his latest quintet (which features Stefon Harris and Anne Drummond), Kenny Barron is recognized the world over as a master of performance and composition.

Regina Carter's career has been a veritable crescendo of success that shows no sign of letting up.  She is on a mission: to make a meaningful musical contribution and do it on her own terms. Indeed, she tours with relentless purpose and a seemingly endless supply of energy. Over the past four years, Ms. Carter and her quintet have brought audiences to their feet with exhilarating performances worldwide.  In addition to her ongoing concert touring, Ms. Carter performs a program of music for jazz quintet and orchestra. In this capacity she has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony, among others. In December 2001, Ms. Carter became the first jazz artist and the first African-American to be chosen to play Paganini’s famed Guarneri “Cannon” violin, in the city of Genoa, Italy, where it resides under lock and key. She subsequently went back to Genoa to employ the use of the Paganini violin for her latest recording, “Paganini: After a Dream.” In November 2003, the coveted violin was flown to New York City, where Ms. Carter performed on the instrument one more time at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to a sold-out crowd. In May 2002, she appeared in a special Boston Pops program, which featured her quintet as well as the world premiere performance of Chris Brubeck's "Interplay" for three violinists. She played this piece with two other world-renowned violinists: Nadja Salerno-Sonenberg and Eileen Ivers. This performance was taped for public television and was aired nationally.  Regina Carter's recent triumph by no means came without paying her dues as a side person and a student. She has won acclaim for her solos on Wynton Marsalis' Blood On The Fields tour in 1997, and Cassandra Wilson's Travelin' Miles concert, at New York's Lincoln Center in 1998. In his review of the Miles concert for The New York Times, critic Peter Watrous took special note of Carter's contribution, "Ms. Carter is enormously gifted, bringing a blues sensibility to her improvisations, for the rest of the night she was the most effective of the soloists."  Carter's early musical experiences in her hometown, Detroit, and the association as a member of the Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra and the pop, funk group Brainstorm, provided the needed experience to record with artists ranging from pop icons Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle, to legendary jazz pianist Kenny Barron, and Pulitzer prize-winning Wynton Marsalis. She has also recorded with some of the new divas in the R&B arena, including Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill.  Her influences have ranged from R&B to East Indian, to classical music. As a college student, Carter took on a double major in Classical music and African American music at both the prestigious New England Conservatory and Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performance.  Just as prolific as her accomplishments on stage are Carter's performances on record. Included in her discography along with recordings with Patti Labelle and Aretha Franklin are recordings with vocalist Cassandra Wilson, trombonist Steve Turre, pianists Kenny Barron and Danilo Perez, and guitarist Rodney Jones.  Regina has four discs under her own name, two of which are on Atlantic Records: "Regina Carter" (1995) and "Something For Grace" (1997). In 1998, Regina signed with Verve Records and in the spring of 1999, "Rhythms of the Heart" became the first release on this label. Her fourth CD, Motor City "Moments", was released in September 2000, and is a tribute to the musical legacy of her hometown of Detroit. "Freefall", a collaboration with pianist Kenny Barron, was released in spring 2001 and was nominated for a Grammy.  Regina Carter continues to reveal a distinctly diverse musical personality. She's become one of the most popular young violinists in modern music today.

“Regina Carter creates music that is wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent and, at times, breathtakingly daring…taking the listener into the future of jazz.”  -Time Magazine

Kurt Elling is the preeminent young male jazz singer today. NIGHTMOVES, Elling’s first recording for Concord/Universal will propel his career to new heights. This follows a ten-year stretch that saw Elling earn seven GRAMMY nominations for six Blue Note albums, six consecutive years at the top of the Down Beat Critics and Jazz Times Readers' polls, three Jazz Journalists' Association Awards for Best Male Vocalist and the Prix Billie Holiday from the Academie du Jazz in Paris. His quartet has toured the world, performing to critical acclaim in Europe, the Middle East, South America, Asia and Australia, and at jazz festivals and concert halls across the North America. In addition to working with his own quartet, Kurt Elling has spent recording and/or performing time with an array of artists that includes Terrence Blanchard, Dave Brubeck, The Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra, Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks, Fred Hersch, Charlie Hunter, Al Jarreau, David Liebman, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Marian McPartland, The Bob Mintzer Big Band, Mark Murphy, John Pizzarelli, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and The Yellowjackets. He has written multidisciplinary works of art for The Steppenwolf Theater and for the City Of Chicago. Moreover, Kurt Elling is a former National Trustee and National Vice Chair of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (The GRAMMYS) and was artist-in-residence for the Monterey Jazz Festival’s 2006 season.

Kurt Elling's rich baritone voice spans four octaves and displays an astonishing facility and emotional depth. Elling has an awesome command of rhythm, texture, phrasing, and dynamics, often sounding more like a virtuoso jazz musician than a mere singer. His repertoire ranges from his own compositions to modern interpretations of standards, both of which can be the springboard for free form improvisation, scatting, spoken word and poetry. As composer and lyricist, Elling has written scores of his own compositions and set lyrics to the songs and improvised solos of many jazz masters. In addition to the compositional work he has done with collaborator-in-chief, Laurence Hobgood, Elling has collaborated in the creation of new pieces with Jon Clayton, Fred Hersch, Bob Mintzer, Charlie Hunter and Orbert Davis, among others.

One of Kurt Elling's major contributions is as a writer and performer of vocalese, the art of putting words to improvised solos of jazz artists. The natural heir to jazz pioneers Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and Jon Hendricks, Elling is the contemporary voice in vocalese, setting the solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Dexter Gordon, Pat Metheny, and others to his own deeply spiritual and compelling lyrics, an approach that reminds us of the beauty of the original music and opens us up to a fresh vision. Elling infuses his lyrics with passion, humor, and a startling intellectual depth, often incorporating images and references from writers such as Rilke, Proust, Kerouac, Rumi, Neruda and Kenneth Rexroth into his work.  Kurt Elling has been featured in profiles for CBS Sunday Morning, for CNN, and in hundreds of newspaper and magazine reviews and articles. The New York Times called his shows at Birdland “good, battering entertainment.”(1/99).  Said the Chicago Tribune, “Kurt Elling is going to change many listeners’ minds on the meaning and purpose of Jazz singing.”(1/96) Playboy Magazine named Elling “the male Jazz vocalist of the Nineties.” (10/98) More recently, The Guardian (UK) declared, “Elling is an omnicompetent artist of almost ruthless efficiency ... (He) is truly a musical phenomenon.” (2/02) And Jazz Review (UK) raised the possibility that “Elling may be the greatest male Jazz singer of all time.” (1/02)  In 2006, acting as artist-in-residence at the 49th annual Monterey Festival, Elling teamed up with composer/bassist Jon Clayton to create “Red Man/Black Man”. Here Elling juxtaposed his own new writing with the works of Native American poets – most notably, Maurice Kenny – and Chicago poet and Pulitzer Prizewinner the late Gwendolyn Brooks in a musical setting that featured the Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra. Said allaboutjazz.com, “ . . . the emotional depth of the piece, the power of Elling’s poetic selections and the strength of Clayton’s musical conception are undeniable. This outstanding composition hits home with substantial force.” (September 29, 2006).  Elling has gone beyond jazz performance to write and direct more broadly based literary and artistic events, most notably in works commissioned by Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater. In 1998 he undertook a critical, multi-dimensional exploration of the life and work of Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. In reviewing the show, The Chicago Tribune called it “audacious” and “provocative ... Elling’s [treatment] turned a fairly predictable survey of Beat Literature into a more balanced view of a key chapter in American history. Here was an evening of poetry and music informed by a sense of morality, as well as an aversion to politically correct points of view.”(Jan/98) This show was remounted to further critical acclaim at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, and at the Galway Festival in Ireland.  Elling was commissioned one year later to create an event fusing jazz and modern dance, this time featuring his wife, professional dancer Jennifer Elling. Again Elling was praised as an innovator. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote that, “Having risen as a Jazz singer on the wings of modern poetry, including his own, (Elling) is in full thrall of art’s interactive possibilities.” (Feb/99) The Chicago Tribune agreed, proclaiming, “Because spoken word, subtle lighting design, fluid stage direction and a heady spirit of improvisation all play key roles, the evening touches on more aesthetic forms than one generally encounters in a week’s worth of concert going... So many of these vignettes prove eloquent – with the crisp imagery of Elling’s lyrics enhanced by the abstract, poetic motion of the dancers – that it’s difficult to single out highlights.”(Feb/ 99) Perhaps the highest profile commission to date has come from the City of Chicago, which invited Elling to write, direct, perform in and host a ninety-minute performance event for its millennial celebration. Two guests from every country in the world were invited to Chicago and were hosted by the city for a weeklong celebration, “The Whole World Comes Home To Chicago.” Elling’s production, “This Is Our Music, These Are Our People”, served as the showcase of the city’s artistic life. The show featured blues great Buddy Guy, Von Freeman, author and historian Studs Terkel, word artist Ken Nordine, Illinois Poet Laureate the late Ms. Gwendolyn Brooks, members of the Joffrey Ballet, visual art from Ed Paschke and Tony Fitzpatrick and a ninety voice gospel choir, The Reginald McCracken True Voices of Christ Concert Ensemble. The Chicago Tribune called the results “stirring ... magical ... Such seamless blends of talent resulted from long hours of planning...” (Jan/00)  In February of 2001, Elling created yet another new work for the Steppenwolf Theater. For this production, titled “LA/CHI/NY”, he invited one poet and one musician from each of America’s three great cities to bring the sounds of their environments to the stage in a new collaboration. Poets Kamau Daa’ood and Tracie Moore represented Los Angeles and New York, with Elling himself speaking for Chicago. The musical ensemble featured Elling’s Blue Note label mate, New Yorker Charlie Hunter playing 8-string guitar, L.A.’s B-Sharp Quartet leader Herb Graham, Jr. playing drums, with Chicago’s Mars Williams (NRG Ensemble, Liquid Soul) playing tenor saxophone. The Sun-Times wrote, “... ‘LA/CHI/NY’ was less about geographical connections than spiritual ones. But it radiated such good vibe, you can only hope that plans to take it east and west come to fruition.”(Feb/01) The Tribune went further, saying, “Someone, somewhere ought to give Elling the means to take stage work, or any of his others, and bring them to fruition through a longer engagement. With that opportunity, Elling might truly be able to change the way audiences think about jazz, poetry and life in America.”(Feb/01)  More information at CAMI.com.

Russell Malone was born on November 8, 1963 in Albany, Georgia. His first exposure to music was in the Church. “The music was not sophisticated, but there was so much spirit!” he explains. “They didn’t always have instruments either, mostly drums, tambourines, and a washboard with a coat hanger…people do not know what soul music is until they see those Church people singing.”  Soon, guitar was incorporated into the Church music and Russell found himself fascinated by it. Before he was five, his mother bought him a toy guitar, and he began copying the Church players. At ten, Russell developed an interest in the blues and country music after seeing such musicians as Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, B.B. King and particularly, George Benson, perform on television. Ultimately, it was Jazz that Russell chose to play: sitting next to the record player and playing along, that’s how I learned jazz, he notes. He became a self-taught player influenced by players such as B.B. King, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell, and dozens of others whom he discovered through voracious research.  Russell first worked with master Jazz organist Jimmy Smith in 1988, and between 1990 and 1994 toured with Harry Connick, Jr. During the late nineties Malone toured internationally with Diana Krall, receiving critical acclaim in his role as Diana’s right hand both in concert and on her recordings. Russell has also shared the stage with artists of the caliber of Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Claude Fiddler Williams, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jack McDuff, John Hicks, Clarence Carter, Little Anthony, Freddie Cole, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove, Cyrus Chestnut and Patti Austin. Malone was also a featured performer in Robert Altman’s 1996 film “Kansas City.”  His first recordings as a leader were made for Columbia: Russell Malone (1992), Black Butterfly (1993) and Wholly Cats (1994). Later, he became exclusive with Impulse-Universal, for which he has recorded Sweet Georgia Peach (1998), Look Who’s Here! (2000), and Heartstrings (2001.) He has also played a prominent role in Diana Krall’s recordings, such as the Grammy-nominated All For You and Love Scenes. Russell Malone has recorded with countless artists, including Harry Connick Jr., Branford Marsalis, Benny Green, Kenny Barron, Don Braden and Etta Jones. Russell Malone’s debut CD on the Maxjazz label entitled Playground was released in April 2004. This recording features Mr. Malone’s working quartet.

Grammy-nominated drummer and composer Johnathan Blake, has been working steadily in the contemporary jazz scene for the past 10 years, and is the first-call drummer for many notable jazz musicians such as Tom Harrell, David Sanchez, Russell Malone, Kenny Barron, Randy Brecker, and Oliver Lake, to name a few. Eventually attending William Paterson University in New Jersey and studying with Rufus Reid, John Riley, Steve Wilson, and Horace Arnold, he also was gigging professionally with the Oliver Lake Big Band, Roy Hargrove, and David Sanchez. By 2007, Johnathan received a Master’s degree from the Rutgers University, studying with Ralph Bowen, Conrad Herwig, and Stanley Cowell, primarily focusing on his compositional skills. Johnathan is currently a member of the Tom Harrell Quintet, the Russell Malone Quartet, and he performs regularly with Kenny Barron, Avishai Cohen, and Omer Avital.

Bassist and composer Kiyoshi Kitagawa is an integral part of today's jazz scene. Soon after moving to New York City from Japan, he met Winard Harper at Blue Note’s jam session and joined the Harper Brothers, recording on the Remembrance: Live at The Village Vanguard. Kiyoshi has toured and recorded with the alto great Kenny Garrett with drummer Brian Blade. He has gone on to work with many of the leading names in jazz including Steve Turre, Tommy Flanagan, and Kenny Kirkland just to name a few. In 1996, he formed “The Trio” with the versatile Japanese pianist, Makoto Ozone, releasing four albums together. Most recently, Kiyoshi has been touring the world with bands led by three jazz greats: the Jimmy Heath Quartet, the Kenny Barron Trio and Quintet, and the Andy Bey Quartet.