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The Monterey Jazz Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary and has been witness to some of the greatest concerts in jazz history as reflected in many stellar live recordings from the festival. This was my first trip to this much heralded event. The festival is held on the Fair Grounds and resembles a little village. There are interesting shops, food stands serving quality ethnic cuisine, craft beers and excellent coffee available—in other words, the essentials of life. There were 8 music venues including outdoor stages and indoor facilities. The Jimmy Lyons Stage, named after the festival creator, is an outdoor amphitheater that seats more than 5000 people. There was much magnificent music to see and the only downside is that you can't see it all. As a photographer, I tried to get to as many venues as possible. However, I was able to see at least a half hour of most performances and also took in a few shows in their entirety. The experience was more than a little overwhelming, but also incredibly exhilarating. I have attended many jazz festivals over the course of 30+ years, but I can truly say that this was one of my greatest experiences. There are quite a number of people who have been coming to this festival for decades and there seemed to be a consensus (at least among the few I spoke to) that 2017, their 60th anniversary, featured one of their best ever lineups.

There were many name acts that played the festival, but I also endeavored to cover some of the lesser known acts. The discovery process is part of the fun and there were some great ones this year. The Friday concerts began around 6 PM and formally ended at 11 PM. However, the music continued into the wee hours at the after hour jam sessions at the hotel where most artists stay. Several notable artists sat in including