Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
The Monterey Jazz Festival has received more than $350,000 in grants to preserve its archival recordings of historic performances from numerous music legends.
Ever since Dizzy Gillespie performed “The Star Spangled Banner” at the festival’s first night in 1958, other performances have included the 1960 debut of Jon Hendrick’s “Evolution Of The Blues” and Duke Ellington’s “Suite Thursday.” Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Thelonious Monk also appeared at the Monterey event. Recordings captured these performances and have been archived at Stanford University since 1985.
Since the recordings have been deteriorating, different foundations have stepped in to preserve these documents so they will be available to the public. These donations include $225,000 from the Federal Save America’s Treasures Fund, $93,393 from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and $40,000 from the Grammy Foundation.
For more information go to: montereyjazzfestival.org
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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