Jazz in Bloom: Tradition and Tomorrow at the Monterey Jazz Festival

by Mike Lisching

The Monterey Jazz Festival has always been more than a gathering of musicians – it’s a living archive, where the past and future of jazz converge each September. In its 68th year, the festival once again transformed the Monterey County Fairgrounds into a vibrant dialogue between generations. From the deep grooves of veteran masters to the daring flights of new voices, 2025’s edition underscored jazz’s enduring ability to evolve without ever losing its roots.

Part of Monterey’s magic lies in its setting: the cool coastal evenings, ocean air drifting across the fairgrounds, and an audience as diverse as the music itself. Families, students, and longtime festival devotees all leaned in together, responding with cheers, silence, and standing ovations. It’s a festival where history isn’t locked away; it unfolds in real time.

The Festival’s charm lies in its variety of stages, each with its own personality. The Courtyard Stage, a small dock tucked under the trees in the middle of a pond, welcomes patrons as they enter the fairgrounds. The Tim Jackson Garden Stage, also nestled among the trees, offers an intimate setting where artists like Davina & the Vagabonds and Nnenna Freelon connected closely with the audience. Two indoor stages provide a focused listening-room experience: the SFJAZZ Pacific Jazz Café hosted artist conversations and performances featuring Brandon Woody and Camille Thurman. Dizzy’s Den returned this year, presenting a Sunday afternoon of jazz organ music.  Finally, the main Jimmy Lyons stage in the arena hosts the icons of our day.

Icons and Legends

On the Arena and Garden Stages, seasoned artists reminded audiences why their names are synonymous with excellence. Chris Cain’s blues-drenched guitar lines cut straight to the heart, every phrase grounded in decades of lived experience. Dianne Reeves, radiant and commanding, filled the night air with a voice that seemed to carry the wisdom of the tradition itself. Pete Escovedo brought irresistible Latin rhythms, his percussion turning the crowd into an extension of the band. Pianist Benny Green, a Monterey favorite, offered a masterclass in swing and lyricism on piano, while Tony Lindsay’s soulful presence carried echoes of his long tenure with Santana, blending seamlessly into the jazz tapestry.

These artists embodied the Festival’s sense of continuity – musicians who have played the long arc of careers and still find new ways to move an audience. Their performances felt like conversations not only with the crowd, but with the generations of jazz musicians who paved the way.

The Next Generation

If the icons anchored the festival, the younger artists propelled it forward. Grace Kelly lit up the stage with her electrifying saxophone lines and fearless energy, her music brimming with playful experimentation. Pianist Christian Sands, already a leading voice in contemporary jazz, brought fire and lyricism in equal measure, proving why he’s one of the genre’s most exciting ambassadors.

Caity Gyorgy’s crystalline vocals carried a youthful freshness yet echoed the phrasing of jazz’s great vocal tradition, bridging eras with each note. Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso brought warmth and precision, blending the influence of Mexican musical traditions with the swing and phrasing of jazz. A rising star vocalist, Tyreek McDole, held audiences rapt with his depth and sensitivity, embodying the promise of a generation that both honors the past and reimagines it.

But perhaps nowhere was the festival’s commitment to the future clearer than in the presence of the middle school and high school bands. Each year, Monterey invites student ensembles to perform, and in 2025, their energy was electric. These young musicians played with a mix of nervous intensity and fearless joy, reminding everyone that the pipeline of talent in jazz is alive and thriving.

Standout performances

Christian Sands

Already a leader among today’s jazz pianists, Christian Sands reaffirmed his place as a vital voice in the genre. His playing combined technical brilliance with warmth and lyricism, moving effortlessly from tender balladry to explosive bursts of rhythm. Sands’ set was a reminder of how jazz can balance tradition with forward momentum, carrying echoes of past masters while carving a fresh path ahead.  Sands was also the 2025 Monterey Jazz Festival Commission artist and premiered Reflections From the Shore: A Monterey Suite on the Jimmy Lyons Stage, in addition to his performance in the more intimate Pacific Jazz Cafe.

Yilian Cañizares

With her violin and soaring vocals, Yilian Cañizares delivered one of the Festival’s most distinctive sets. Drawing on Afro-Cuban roots while weaving improvisation and jazz phrasing, she created music that was both deeply personal and universally resonant. Her performance shimmered with rhythmic vitality and spiritual intensity, reminding listeners that jazz is a language of heritage and innovation alike.

Dominique Fils-Aimé

Dominique Fils-Aimé brought a striking vocal presence to Monterey, her performance blending soul, jazz, and blues into a seamless narrative of resilience and connection. Her phrasing carried the intimacy of a whisper and the power of a shout, inviting the audience into a space of reflection and release. It was the kind of set that felt less like a performance and more like a communal experience.

Through the Lens

As I moved between stages with my camera, what struck me was the interplay of generations not just in sound, but in spirit. The confident stance of a veteran soloist. The daring grin of a young musician mid-phrase. The shared joy of audience members who have returned for decades, now clapping alongside younger listeners discovering jazz anew. Monterey provided a wealth of fleeting visual poetry – expressions, gestures, and connections that spoke of jazz as more than performance, but as community.  

A Living Legacy

The Monterey Jazz Festival’s 2025 edition affirmed what has always made it special: the way it honors the legends who carry tradition while opening its arms to the artists who will define tomorrow. Chris Cain, Dianne Reeves, Pete Escovedo, Benny Green, and Tony Lindsay reminded us that mastery is forged over years of dedication. Grace Kelly, Christian Sands, Caity Gyorgy, and Tyreek McDole showed us that the flame of innovation is alive and burning bright. 

Together, they created a weekend that was both rooted and forward-looking — a living testament to jazz’s power to connect, transform, and endure.

Fairgrounds and Musician galleries to follow.

Grounds Gallery

Musician Gallery