In the long annals of the Monterey Jazz Festival, 2025 will be remembered as the year of the diva.

That’s not to say that Instrumental virtuosity will be wanting at the 68th edition of the world’s longest continuously running jazz festival, which returns to the Monterey County Fairgrounds Sept. 26-28.

Indeed, bass maestro Christian McBride’s band Ursa Major; the father-and-son summit of bassist John and pianist Gerald Clayton; the state-of-the-art organ trio of Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart; and Swedish multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling provide instant gravitas to any jazz event.

But in stepping in to book the season relatively late after Monterey Jazz unexpectedly parted ways with newly appointed artistic director Darin Atwater after only one se

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