Over the decades, the Monterey Jazz Festival has featured many of jazz’s biggest stars, from Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday to Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins. But the backbone of the programming is built on Bay Area talent, and this year is no different.
Here are five standout stars to catch on the Monterey County Fairgrounds during the 66th annual event, which runs Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24:
Sarah Wilson’s Brass Tonic
Oakland trumpeter Sarah Wilson’s Brass Tonic features alto saxophonist Kasey Knudsen, trombonist Mara Fox, guitarist John Schott, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and drummer Jason Levis. The ensemble will play Wilson’s buoyantly groovy music commissioned by Intermusic SF’s Musical Grant Program.
12:30-1:30 p.m. Saturday. West End Stage
Ray Obiedo’s Latin Jazz Project
Oakland guitarist, producer and composer Ray Obiedo has been a creative catalyst on the Bay Area scene since the 1970s, and his Latin Jazz Project includes some of the region’s most deeply versed players in Afro-Cuban idioms. He also performsSept. 30 at Mr. Tipple’swith soul singer Chloe Jean.
1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday. Garden Stage
Elena Pinderhughes and Lionel Loueke
第66位:蒙特雷爵士音乐节3:30-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22; 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23; 11:15 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24. $30-$490. Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2000 Fairground Road, Monterey.www.montereyjazzfestival.org
Berkeley native Elena Pinderhughes, a luminous flutist and vocalist, presents “A Diaspora Journey,” the five-part suite she composed with Beninese guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke. They’ll both also play the closing set Friday in the main arena with Herbie Hancock.
3-4 p.m. Saturday. Garden Stage
Sandy Cressman’s Cantos do Povo: The Music of Milton Nascimento
San Francisco vocalist Sandy Cressman is celebrating the music of legendary Brazilian songwriter Milton Nascimento with an all-star family band that includes her daughters, trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman and dancer Julianna Cressman, and husband, trombonist Jeff Cressman.
3:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday. West End Stage
Claudia Villela
Scott’s Valley-based Brazilian vocalist, composer, percussionist and pianist Claudia Villela celebrates the release of her seventh album “Cartas ao Vento” with saxophonist Gary Meek, drummer Celso Alberti, bassist Gary Brown and guitarist Jeff Buenz. She also performs atSFJazz’s Joe Henderson Lab Nov. 9-12.
6:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday. West End Stage
Andrew Gilbert is a freelance writer.