Wow, lots of info here. This will be my first time to MJF and didn't understand how arena and grounds tickets work. Also, the fact that there's no re-entry after paying all that money? We wanted to be able to come and go as we liked. Didn't know we would be stuck there all day. Was going to get Sat & Sun arena tickets for two ($500+) but am now reconsidering my options. Is it really worth the price?
Review Source:Still an excellent festival. True, as some state--not all of it is jazz--but I think that' a good thing. Two of my favorite 2012 acts were Trombone Shorty & Robert Randolph & the Family Band. Most of the people who attend are MUSIC lovers, and music was everywhere! It's still frustrating to see the long lines to get into the indoor venues, and to have snacks confiscated at the gate (I'd like to know exactly what state & county laws prohibit people from bringing food in). And then you have the increasingly pain-in-the-ass steel chairs & bleachers. And hot daytime temperatures followed by cold nights (Sunday night was bitter!)
But on "the sunny side of the street," the food sold there is not bad, generally. And they've added some hand washing stations outside the porta-johns. There actually seemed to be some breathing room this year (though that may have been more of a reflection of us not roaming from venue to venue as much as in previous years). The employees, volunteers, and everyone associated with the festival (except the assmunch who sits behind us every year & can't stop talking for 30 seconds--you know who you are, Section 10, Row M, Seat 20) are awesome. Sound quality is almost always good (though Tony Bennett could have used a bit something to help him out, IMHO). Music overall was good to great--I loved this year's lineup.
Keep up the good work, MJF!
I'm really sorry to give this venerated jazz festival less than five stars. Â I love jazz, I love Monterey and I have been to and loved the MJF for years. Â There were three significant issues for me this year that really made it less than wonderful. Â First, the bar area adjacent to the arena has always been a swell hangout. Â You could sit comfortably and watch the arena acts on a large monitor for the price of the drinks you consume. Â The bar area has been crowded and festive. Â Unfortunately, this year, the festival restricted admission to this area and would only allow access for a large daily fee - horrible. Â
Second, there is no place to sit if you want to simply hang out and enjoy the fairgrounds during the shows. Â That includes very limited seating in the food area. Â This seriously impacts the comfort level of the whole experience. Â
Third, and most important, is the lack of more substantial "jazz" performers. Â Of course, there are always a handful of great players. Â But, the past few years have seen a dearth of serious jazz performers during the day and in the side venues. Â Jazz is our American art form and there are hundreds of amazing jazz players or groups. Â I think the MJF really needs to focus on packing in as much great talent (young and old) as they can. Â Oh, and please work on the comfort level of the event and provide a little additional seating throughout the fairgrounds and open that bar to the masses again. Â I noticed, with the new restrictions and extra charges, that the bar was fairly empty the entire time. Â If you need to raise more money, add a buck or two to the drinks and let us back in.
Top notch performers and everyone should attend.  But, the grounds passes shoudn't be more than $40.00 . Two tier pricing structure means you can pay  at least $130.00  ea  for  one day of music. Kind of Expensive  .  Newport jazz most expensive ticket is $100.00
The inside venues  were hot , sweaty and stuffy . Very poor  ventilation. The arena seating is a bit cramped and there should be a place set set  aside for dancers . How can anyone listen to Pancho Sanchez and remain stuck to their metal folding chair ?
Too bad  that during the rest of the year there are very few  local venues  that will support  jazz music . The Jazz festival should sponsor some local venues for weekly jazz  music and jam sessions. Also, I would do away with the RV parking and use that area for another stage.
Caught between 3.5 and 4 *'s What is there to love???
Besides it's location in the beautiful town of Monterey just minutes from downtown and the Bay, the Fairgrounds seem to be a long traditional location. Â I like that the music venues are spread out in about 5 major locations: Dizzy's Den in west; the Garden Stage with bleacher type seating; the Courtyard Stage is a small outdoor stage and has picnic table and bench seating; the Night Club/Bill Berry Stage; Â the Coffee House Gallery, and the Jazz Theater, which shows simulcasts of performances from the main Arena.
I appreciate how the venues are spread out if you purchase the ground tickets. Â I don't care for the various ticket options: one for the Arena each night, etc..... Â If you have ground tickets, you will not be allowed to exit and re-enter. Â So much for paying top price for the crappy inn just across the street.
It is better to stay downtown and pay for accommodations at a normal rate.
People are usually good-spirited except during a popular artist appearing at the Garden Stage like when we saw the hottest performer of the entire event: Â Trombone Shorty and the Orleans Avenue......simply HOT!!
I recall as a little girl, overhearing my mom and her hip friends making arrangements to attend the biggest and most happening event of the decade in the 60's. Â I always felt left out since I was reared on jazz and used to attend the free festivals at the Ford Theatre in Hollywood. Â 'How could she not take me?' Â Her response was always the same, "Children are'nt allowed." Â Now that she is in her 70's and I feel like the parent, I know that she was talking a bunch of crap. Â Maybe it was childless in the 60's and 70's, but that ain't the case today.
Would I return? Â Yes....probably skip all of the ticket choices and just purchase the ground tickets again.
I'm guilty..., guilty for wanting to see just one artist there; Jake Shimabukuro! Â But you can see various performances depending on the kind of pass you purchase (daily/weekend). Â BTW, Jake's performance was ah-mazing and super glad I attended despite of the long drive down there.
I parked my car at nearby Monterey Peninsula College and paid $10. Â They had a regularly scheduled Shuttle Service throughout the Festival. Â Pretty convenient!
Picking up our tickets at will-call required patience. Â I mean the line was so long that I made a note to self to have the tickets delivered to my home next year (if Jake is performing again, that is).
Jake performed at the Garden Stage. Â I wasn't expecting the sound system of Yoshi's here, but it was pretty decent for the outdoor setting. Â Plus, Jake had wonderful interaction with fans which totally made us feel like "I'm so coming back next year just to see you!"
Another good thing: They set up a CD signing table so whoever bought CDs were able to chat and take a picture with the artist.
I have been wanting to go to the Monterey Jazz Festival for *years* now-- ever since I first spied a few minutes of it in the Clint Eastwood movie "Play Misty for Me." Â I finally took my BF, a big jazz fan, there for his birthday. Â There were many ticket options to choose from. Â For us, given the line-up, a one day arena/grounds ticket was the most suitable fit this year. Â Given the "fair" vibe with crowds and vendors, I do not know that a greater number of days would have resulted in any greater enjoyment. Â In fact, I suspect the law of diminishing returns might come into play. Â Of the shows themselves, it was great seeing Dr. Lonnie Smith and Ahmad Jamal in one location! Â They played great sets. Â Normally, we would have to make two separate trips to another city to see jazz musicians of this caliber. Â There were lots of food and tchotchkee vendors to choose from. Â Of all the ones we tried throughout the day, which were fine, I would heartily recommend the high school wrestling team's fried calamari joint and the place with chili and french onion soup. Â Those were quite good. Â My other piece of advice would be to check out central coast and bay area radio stations for promotional codes. Â A station I listen to had a great arrangement with the MJF for discounted merchandise and special parking.
My one criticism would be that the music inside the arena was too quiet, specifically the final act of the festival, Ahmad Jamal. Â I understand there is and has been an issue with containing the arena sound, but perhaps organizers need to accept that sound from an arena will escape and rectify this issue through scheduling instead of through cutting arena volume. Â Every ticket holder who paid the extra price to be inside the arena for the show deserves nice, loud, clear sound. Â Having paid for tickets, lodging, transportation and restaurant meals in order to make seeing the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival possible, there is a certain minimum level of quality I wish had been there.
Love Monterey Jazz festival. My husband and I had such a great time, the atmosphere is relaxed, music is awesome, food is great. Be sure to bring blanket with you as seats are limited and try strawberry limonade, FANTASTIC!
About tickets: Next year we will either buy tickets way in advance so they could be mailed to our house or will buy them at the concert since the will call and purchasing line was the same(super long!).
Saturday my Mom and I went for  first time after living in Monterey for almost 30 years now (I was born in 1980) and we had a great time.  We got to see a few different shows but most importantly we got to see Dianne Reeves which made my Mom's day!  We got tickets from a family friend who totally hooked us up. Â
Fun atmosphere and I love going on booze and food runs, I end up coming back to the seats wth more booze and no food! Â Kettlecorn rocked, got the $9 bag which could last you a good month if you eat two cups/day no joke, so worth it, sooo good! Â
Of course, I had to get a Margarita that came with a keepsake red Herradura Cocktail Shaker... why not? Â Tickets (to buy booze) were kind of annoying but understandable since it is probably a smarter bet for the people who run the booze booths (so the employees don't tip themselves more than they should)...
Look forward to going again and again! Â Oh and I almost forgot to mention that I got my photo taken (yes, I was "that" girl) with Dianne Reeves at the after-party at the Hyatt.
The Monterey Jazz festival was once a stellar event. Â You could see great acts all three days. Â Saturday afternoon was the coveted blues show. Â The last couple of years they have had acts that are definitely not blues. Â 2009 Saturday headliner was Pete Seeger. Â There is definitely nothing wrong with the music of Pete Seeger., but it is not jazz or blues.
On Sunday afternoon they showcase young musicians from the local Monterey area schools. Â The kids are sometimes really great but as a season ticket holder that is not what I am paying to see. Â The arena is not very crowded on Sunday afternoon so you would think the management would get the idea that folks don't really like this, but as a season ticket holder you have no choice but to buy the tickets it is a part of the package.
Last year we gave our tickets away and we had a hard time giving them away, no one really wanted them.
We continue to go to see old friends and just for the annual trip. We are really pondering the idea of giving up our tickets and checking out some of the better jazz and blues festivals across the country  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jazzconcerts.com&s=dbefafc1d4482fd0c2592f7436b318e35e6fa8429e3503adf1bfa75f26b43c57" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.jazzconcerts.…</a>.  .I have been going to the festival since the 1970's and there were great acts back then.  I think the organization should get a booking agent that hires better acts.  The tickets run close to $600.00 for the three days, another $1,000.00 or so for a hotel, another 1,000.00 or so for travel expenses, food etc it is not an inexpensive trip in this economy.  And all of the hotels or motels in Monterey CA area raise their rates to astronomical amounts in the month of September.  It is such a rip off.
The could at least have good acts.
This is for all you Jazz fans out there!
I can't believe there are only 2 reviews for the world renowned Monterey Jazz Festival! The last one I attended with my dad, a Jazz critic who has been at every festival since the beginning, was the 50th and it was certainly one to remember. This place is where all the legends of Jazz have played and still continue to grace the stage.
MJF is something I grew up with! Although I was too young to remember, I'm proud to say it was my first music festival. Their famous logo of the chair and trumpet is a symbol I can't relate to anything else but the sound of unbelievably awesome Jazz musicians on stage. The late Jimmy Lyons, the festival's creator, designed an event that is such an institution that Main Stage box seats are passed on from generation to generation. (No, I'm not kidding!) It's hard to top the level of notoriety that this festival holds for musicians, students and fans of Jazz. At the 50th celebration, Clint Eastwood was given an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music and Dave Brubeck, in his eighties, played an unforgettable set for hundreds of lucky listeners.
Musicians from Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Wynton Marsalis -- every "Great" you can think of has played at this venue. You will find that there are MJF goers that have been attending this festival since its inception. Why? It embodies all that Jazz is: free-spirited incredible music, a love for education and creativity, and unbridled enthusiasm for an art form that hopefully will live on forever!
Schedule is usually:
Friday Night: Blues Night
Saturday: The Big Acts
Sunday afternoon: Young Musicians and Students
It's always the same every year. 3rd weekend in September. Rain or shine, jazz lovers from around the world congregate here for three full days of off-the-hook jazz that has helped make Monterey famous. Walking around the main area (grounds-only tickets are cheaper), you can see up-and-coming students playing, attend clinics taught by famous musicians (I went to a class given by saxophonist, Joshua Redman, when he was just beginning his career) or sit back, have a drink and listen to some music at the Night Club. Bring your jackets, scarves, blankets, sun umbrellas, whatever it takes -- cuz you don't want to miss out! Where else can you hear awesome Jazz, look at art, eat your heart out and be three feet from the likes of Ornette Coleman or Dizzy!
JAZZ LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMonterey_Jazz_Festival&s=e693c77b880771f2785786c257dda746eb74408eef6c9d5e7cd9cda5a1aab93a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a>
I can't believe I'm the first to review the Jazz Festival... Â this event is such an institution!
The Jazz Festival is held in September every year; it's a huge gathering of jazz legends, up-and-coming new talent, and enthusiastic jazz fans who crowd the 20-acre fairgrounds. Â They offer several levels of tickets-- day passes that allow you access to the fairgrounds and almost all the stages except for the arena, or arena tickets that assign you seating for the arena concerts (3-4 per night over 3 nights) and allow you access to the fairgrounds, but only at a designated time.
The problem issues are, of course, parking, and the fact that they don't allow same day re-entry-- so you've got to spend the whole day in the fairgrounds if you want to see artists in the morning and evening of the same day. Â Of course, you can always find good food and beverages at the numerous tents, and with all the panels, workshops, and clinics, there should be plenty to keep you occupied.
If you love jazz, this is a must-see event; or you can surprise the jazz lover in your life with tickets and watch their eyes grow big.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
