New Releases from Monterey Jazz Festival Records

Last year, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Monterey Jazz Festival sprouted its own record label. The project, which involves sifting through the 1,600 tapes in the festival archives, kicked off in the summer of 2007 with recordings of performances by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan.

On August 5th this year, the label introduced six new CDs, expanding its musical scope. The series includes performances by Latin jazz stars Tito Puente and Cal Tjader and gritty blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon, as well as classic concerts by Art Blakey, Shirley Horn, and Dave Brubeck.

The discs were released in anticipation of the upcoming 2008 festival, which happens September 19th-21st. All proceeds from CD sales go towards support for the MJF jazz education program.

Photo Courtesy of Monterey Jazz Festival Records