Monterey Jazz Festival Releases Never Before Shared Performances

Evolution of a Groove: The Monterey Commissions
The Monterey Jazz Festival Releases Never Before Shared Commission Performances

Monterey, Calif., February 17, 2021: The Monterey Jazz Festival is excited to announce the release of Evolution of a Groove: the Monterey Commissions a brand-new series of never before shared commissioned performances from the Monterey Jazz Festival archives.

The Monterey Jazz Festival has a 63-year legacy of presenting and producing the biggest names in jazz. Since the beginning, many artists were commissioned to write music to be debuted at the Festival—both officially and unofficially—but the modern Commission Artist Program was inaugurated by Artistic Director Tim Jackson in 1994 and continues through today. Season one of Evolution of a Groove: The Monterey Commissions will include commissioned works from John Clayton, performed by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra & the Gerald Clayton Trio; Maria Schneider, performed by the Maria Schneider Orchestra; Billy Childs, performed by the Billy Childs Quartet & the Kronos Quartet; Bill Frisell, performed by Bill Frisell’s Big Sur Quintet; and many other jazz legends.

These commission pieces, most of which have not been seen since the original performances, will be available as a paid membership. This virtual video library card grants viewers access to 25 years of premiere Monterey Jazz Festival performances. The episodes can be purchased separately for $15 each or all twelve episodes for a yearly subscription fee of $150. Each video will be available to view from its release date throughout 2021.

Evolution of a Groove is hosted by the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Artistic Director Tim Jackson and includes one-on-one interviews with the commissioned artist, discussing their inspiration for the piece, and their memories of the compositional process. The original debut of each piece will be included in its entirety – most of this archival footage has not been seen since the original performance at Monterey. Evolution of a Groove: The Monterey Commissions will take the viewer behind the scenes and into the archives of jazz history and the creative process.

For the full list of artists and broadcast dates, go to https://montereyjazzfestival.org/evolution-of-a-groove/