Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
The 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival will be Tim Jackson’s last as artistic director.
(Photo: Courtesy MJF)Tim Jackson, long-time artistic director of the Monterey Jazz Festival, plans to leave his position at the end of February 2024, according to a statement released earlier this week. He will then continue as an artistic advisor to MJF for an interim time period prior to departing the organization in an official capacity.
“I want to let all of you know that the 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival will be my last as artistic director,” Jackson wrote in a letter to his constituents. “I feel that this a good time for a transition. The organization is stabilizing after the pandemic, the staff and board are strong and committed, and it is time for a new perspective on the artistic side to help guide the organization for the next generation.”
This year’s festival will mark Jackson’s 33rd year with the 66-year-old MJF organization.
“I feel grateful and blessed to have been a part of this historic festival, and proud of the role I have played in its continued success,” said Jackson, who has been producing and presenting jazz for five decades. “To be able to work with the world’s greatest musicians has been the joy of a lifetime.” DB
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
May 20, 2025 11:58 AM
Branford Marsalis was on the road again. Coffee cup in hand, the saxophonist — sporting a gray hoodie and a look of…
“What did I want more of when I was this age?” Sasha Berliner asks when she’s in her teaching mode.
May 13, 2025 12:39 PM
Part of the jazz vibraphone conversation since her late teens, Sasha Berliner has long come across as a fully formed…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
