Monterey Celebrates 50 Years With Book

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MONTEREY, CALIF.—The Monterey Jazz Festival has announced the release of The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years, a celebratory coffee table book that captures the MJF experience through posters, program covers and exclusive photographs dating back to 1958.

“As we approached our 50th year, we wanted to have a book that showed literally the ‘art’ of the festival,” said Tim Jackson, general manager of the Monterey Jazz Festival since 1992. “The posters demonstrate the progression of the festival’s artistic statement, not just on stage, but how its images have changed over the years.”

The book also includes a foreword by actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood (a member of MJF’s board of directors) and a decade-by-decade look at the world and the festival, explored through essays and photographs.

The 142-page book is available for pre-order at the MJF website, montereyjazzfestival.org. It will arrive in bookstores across the country July 31. 



  • Cassandra_Wilson_%40_2026_Mark_Sheldon-2_copy_2.jpg

    Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.

  • Pritesh_Walia_courtesy_Pritesh_Walia.jpg

    “The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.

  • Poncho.jpeg

    ​Percussionist Poncho Sanchez was among the artists scheduled to perform at the now-canceled inaugural LA Jazz Festival.

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    Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.

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    Jessica Molaskey and John Pizzarelli with Tony Bennett at their wedding reception in 1998.