“Overall, this was a very funky, sexy, energetic jazz festival personified by musicians with a knack for putting on a good show in addition to performing music that stirs the soul.”
—Monterey Herald
[Gregory] Porter’s high-flying set, no doubt, will be the one the most people will be talking about from Day 1 of the festival … [Christian] McBride — one of the top instrumentalists and band leaders in all of jazz today — also delivered the goods during his own 75-minute set with his versatile band Ursa Major … each of those great acts accounted for just two of a number of reasons why the 68th annual Monterey Jazz Festival … got off to such a great start. —San Jose Mercury News
“Dianne Reeves, a five-time Grammy winner and 2018 NEA Jazz Master, headed a rich and bountiful harvest of women singers at MJF 2025. The grouping spanned from polished veterans to astounding newbies, and enlivening ones from abroad to put an international spin on the event.” —JazzTimes
“What stood out most about the 68th edition of the world’s longest-running jazz festival was the outsized role played by vocalists, who shared top billing with the festival’s stellar instrumental performers. From the main Arena to the intimate confines of the 300-seat Pacific Jazz Café, the human voice took center stage at just about every one of MJF’s venues …”
—San Francisco Classical Voice
“… the top heroine of this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival was Nnenna Freelon … not only heard at the peak of her powers as an inventive singer, but every facial expression, hand movement and sound that she made (whether singing or speaking between songs), while seeming spontaneous, perfectly fit the mood and lyrics of the songs. It was a master class in how to sing and present jazz.” —DownBeat
“The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra conducted by Gerald Clayton, and the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo, presented outstanding performances this year. Individual standouts included vocalist Declan Cashman, with a silky, powerful voice, and stellar pianist Evan Wiederanders. Both of these performers we will surely hear more from.” —Sacramento News & Review
“… Trombone Shorty, aka Tony Andrews … [was] one of the most memorable and epic closing act performances at MJF in recent years.” —Monterey County Weekly
“…the Monterey Jazz Festival once again delivered what it always has: a sacred, joyful space where jazz lives, breathes, and continues to evolve with soul, community and purpose.”
—San Bernardino Precinct Reporter
