“The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years" celebrates the historic images that were created to promote and memorialize the Festival. In the last 50 years, the MJF posters have become legendary for their representation of the time, place and attitude. From the early days when the posters were created as hand-pulled silkscreens to the present era with contemporary prints produced through the offset process, “The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years" features reproductions of posters by such artists and designers as Earl Newman, Eldon Dedini, Batista Moon Studios, Judy Anderson, Ron Grauer, Harry Briggs, Jeeun Lee and the book's designer, Jerry Takigawa. The posters feature abstract and figurative designs and are noted for their constantly striking and memorable images. Vintage MJF posters are still on the market today as collector items, and are available at www.montereyjazzfestival.org.
“As we approached our 50th year, we wanted to have a book that showed literally the 'art' of the Festival," says Tim Jackson, the General Manager of the Monterey Jazz Festival since 1992. “There have been so many posters that have stuck in our minds over the years, yet they had never been assembled in a single place. Some of them are so colorful; some from the early years approach the twenties' Bauhaus movement, very dark, sparse and minimal. Some are more graphic, and some utilize photography, with the classic image of the trumpet on the chair. The posters demonstrate the progression of the Festival's artistic statement, not just on stage, but how its images have changed over the years. It honors the people and artists who have made the Festival one of the leaders in the world of jazz."
“The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years" includes a foreword written by legendary 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 by noted music and culture writers Keith and Kent Zimmerman.
The essays reflect on both the history of the era and the music that was produced. Punctuated by striking photographs of legendary musicians important to the history of the Festival, “The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years" is a visual cornucopia of graphics, words and photography. The book contains historical and contemporary photographs of legendary jazz musicians, captured by longtime Festival photographers Jerry Stoll, Tom Copi, Ron Hudson, Veryl Oakland, Tony Salazar, Craig Lovell, and Cole Thompson. A number of photographs from the archives of the Monterey County Herald are also featured--some of which have never been seen before.
Photographs include rare shots of Dizzy Gillespie (one of the influential artists who called MJF his home over the years), Duke Ellington, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong, and many more. Striking the balance of historical precedent and aesthetic excellence, the photographs reveal an insight into the Festival and the artists.
Alongside the essays, posters and program covers, the book also has a comprehensive list of artists who have performed at MJF since the beginning, including the 50th celebration which will take place September 21-23, 2007.
The 142-page book is now available for pre-order at the MJF website, montereyjazzfestival.org. It will be available at bookstores across the country on July 31, 2007.
The book was designed by Monterey graphic designer Jerry Takigawa, who also has designed the posters for the Festival for the last three years. “From a design perspective, it's fascinating to trace design and color trends of the artwork of the Festival across the decades," said Mr. Takigawa. “Keith and Kent Zimmerman's insightful narratives parallel design trends with music trends as well. The Art of Jazz is a tribute to all of the artists who performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival as well as the visual artists who captured each year in a form suitable for framing."
“The Art of Jazz: Monterey Jazz Festival / 50 Years" is released in celebration of the Monterey Jazz Festival's 50th year, and is also an intriguing companion piece to the Festival's previous publication, Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years which was released in 1997 and contains the history and story of the Festival, told by the noted jazz writer and critic William Minor, with photographs edited by Bill Wishner. Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years, published by Angel City Press, is also available through MJF's website, bookstores and Angel City Press.
For more information contact Monterey Jazz Festival.
