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CNN Live Today
Monterey Jazz Festival Kicks Off
Aired September 20, 2002 - 10:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Rock and roll has Woodstock, Classical Opera has the New York Met, and the uniquely American sounds of jazz has its stages, and one of them, the Monterey Jazz Festival.
The international showcase celebrates its 45th year this weekend, and CNN's Daryn Kagan is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The barking of sea lions, the crying of gulls. The surf on the shore. These are the sounds most often heard on the Monterey Peninsula, except for one weekend in September, and then, it's jazz.
Since 1958, fans have been congregating on the 20 acres of the Monterey Fair Grounds.
SCOTT YANOW, JAZZ HISTORIAN: When Monterey began, most jazz was played in smoke-filled night clubs, and it was very unusual for jazz to be played outside, much less at an extensive festival in beautiful surroundings. So Monterey was a major change of pace.
KAGAN: San Francisco DJ Jimmy Lyons founded the festival, and from the beginning, he was able to attract the top talent of the day.
TIM JACKSON, FESTIVAL GENERAL MANAGER: Dave Brubeck, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, the modern jazz quartet, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie -- just a real who's who.
The history of jazz for the last 45 years has come through the Monterrey Jazz Festival stages.
KAGAN: Dizzy Gillespie alone appeared well over a dozen times.
The festival also became known for important premiers like the Real Ambassadors, Dave Brubeck's tribute to Louis Armstrong.
Another tradition, showcasing artists from across the globe.
JACKSON: We always try and look beyond our borders from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, England.
KAGAN: There are seven venues at the fair grounds, so one of the biggest challenges about Monterey is simply seeing and hearing it all.
JACKSON: I do believe once you walk through those fair ground gates that you enter kind of a jazz universe, and I think that feeling kind of takes over for the weekend, and it is a wonderfully euphoric feeling.
KAGAN: Daryn Kagan, CNN, Monterey, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 20, 2002 - 10:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Rock and roll has Woodstock, Classical Opera has the New York Met, and the uniquely American sounds of jazz has its stages, and one of them, the Monterey Jazz Festival.
The international showcase celebrates its 45th year this weekend, and CNN's Daryn Kagan is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The barking of sea lions, the crying of gulls. The surf on the shore. These are the sounds most often heard on the Monterey Peninsula, except for one weekend in September, and then, it's jazz.
Since 1958, fans have been congregating on the 20 acres of the Monterey Fair Grounds.
SCOTT YANOW, JAZZ HISTORIAN: When Monterey began, most jazz was played in smoke-filled night clubs, and it was very unusual for jazz to be played outside, much less at an extensive festival in beautiful surroundings. So Monterey was a major change of pace.
KAGAN: San Francisco DJ Jimmy Lyons founded the festival, and from the beginning, he was able to attract the top talent of the day.
TIM JACKSON, FESTIVAL GENERAL MANAGER: Dave Brubeck, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, the modern jazz quartet, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie -- just a real who's who.
The history of jazz for the last 45 years has come through the Monterrey Jazz Festival stages.
KAGAN: Dizzy Gillespie alone appeared well over a dozen times.
The festival also became known for important premiers like the Real Ambassadors, Dave Brubeck's tribute to Louis Armstrong.
Another tradition, showcasing artists from across the globe.
JACKSON: We always try and look beyond our borders from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, England.
KAGAN: There are seven venues at the fair grounds, so one of the biggest challenges about Monterey is simply seeing and hearing it all.
JACKSON: I do believe once you walk through those fair ground gates that you enter kind of a jazz universe, and I think that feeling kind of takes over for the weekend, and it is a wonderfully euphoric feeling.
KAGAN: Daryn Kagan, CNN, Monterey, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
