The inaugural Santa Monica International Jazz Festival took place at various venues in the beachfront city that is part of greater Los Angeles. The festival is the brainchild of legendary bassist Stanley Clarke, who served as artistic director and one of the performers. Clarke has lived in Santa Monica for over 30 years, and, due to COVID and the fires, the community has experienced significant isolation and displacement. He wanted to bring a festival where people could feel a sense of peace and belonging. The closing weekend took place on May 8 at The Broad Stage and on May 9 at Tongva Park. An incredibly talented array of artists performed at each location, thrilling audiences with their creative original music plus tributes to John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
The Broad Stage show featured performers who were honoring John Coltrane, so saxophone experts were in abundance. Clarke acted as Master of Ceremonies, talking about how the festival came together and introducing the bands. The show opened with dynamic alto player Lakecia Benjamin with her quartet. Benjamin is a Grammy-nominated, New York City-based bundle of energy on stage. She pumped up the crowd with enthusiastic encouragement to get loud, and her saxophone style was both explosive and expressive. The band played a few of her songs, including “Mi Gente” from her soon-to-be-released new album We Dream. The song starts slow but builds to a fast burn, with Benjamin blasting away. The band did excellent versions of Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” and a segment of “A Love Supreme,” which got big, positive responses from the audience.
Isaiah Collier followed with his quartet. Collier is another major saxophone talent who has been featured on NPR and has won Downbeat Magazine awards for his work on both tenor and soprano saxophones. The band did an all Coltrane set that included “Naima” and parts two, three, and four of “A Love Supreme.” Collier demonstrated astounding range, stamina, and relentless, but melodic force. He used the circular breathing technique brilliantly, allowing him to sustain notes seemingly without great effort.
The final act of the night was Tenor Madness, introduced by Clarke and featuring him on upright bass. Both Benjamin and Collier were part of the band, along with additional saxophone players Aaron Shaw and Emilio Modeste from Clarke’s regular band. Marvin “Smitty” Smith from The Tonight Show band played drums, and Eric Reed was on piano. The band played the jazz standard “Afro Blue” by Mongo Santamaria, which Coltrane recorded in 1963. Each saxophone player took turns delivering impressive solos. The show ended with an explosive version of the band’s namesake song, “Tenor Madness” by Sonny Rollins. The original track is the only known recording of Rollins and Coltrane playing together. Again, the contemporary saxophone players at the Broad Stage used the classic song as a showcase and paid tribute to the legend with creative solos as well as expertly executed coordinated arrangements.
On the following day, the festival moved to the outdoor stage at Tongva Park, just a few blocks from the beach. Attendees were able to spread out blankets and low chairs on the lawn area in front of the stage. The lineup was designed as a celebration of Miles Davis’s music. The audience heard a variety of bands as they enjoyed the mild spring day and cool ocean breezes.
The Miles Electric Band paid tribute to the master with a stacked lineup of talent. Darryl Jones was on electric bass. He spent his early years playing with Miles Davis and has been with The Rolling Stones for the past 33 years. Robert Irving III was on keyboards, and Vincent Wilburn, Jr. was on drums. Both are veterans of Miles Davis’ bands. Jason Kilbler, aka DJ Logic, from the acid-jazz and jam scene, added audio snippets and played recorded Miles Davis quips throughout the set. Two fantastic horn players, Antoine Roney on saxophone and Keyon Harrold on trumpet, blasted intricate solos. Rasaki Aladokun, from King Sunny Ade’s band, was on percussion. The band played songs from Davis’ fusion-era collection, blending jazz, rock, and funk-infused improvisation. They also did an enjoyable interpretation of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” with Harrold playing both melody and lead on his muted trumpet.
Stanley Clarke & Friends followed with special guest Stewart Copeland from The Police on drums. Clarke was on both upright and electric bass. Emilio Modeste was on saxophone, and Colin Cook, also from Clarke’s band, was on guitar. Isaiah Collier’s brother, Jeremiah, has been part of Clarke’s band for several years, and he plays drums. Keyon Harrold was on trumpet. Cameron Graves, from Kamasi Washington’s band, was on keyboards. The band played creative versions of Charles Mingus’ “Pork Pie Hat,” Clarke’s “School Days,” and The Police’s “Message in a Bottle.”
The festival closer was Kamasi Washington and his band. The saxophonist grew up in Los Angeles, attended UCLA, and has won numerous awards, including multiple Grammys. The performance featured notable covers of John Coltrane’s “Out Of This World” and “Giant Steps.” They also did Washington’s “Together” with nuanced vocals by Patrice Quinn. In keeping with the day’s theme, the band played Miles Davis’ “Milestones.” Coltrane was part of Davis’ quintet when the track was recorded, and Washington’s band performed an exceptionally artistic version of the song.
The first annual Santa Monica International Jazz Festival brought immense talent to the beach city. Stanley Clarke wants to make the festival as popular and successful as other great jazz festivals around the world. Clarke wrote, “A city can never have too many people who want it to grow, thrive, and become better and better for its people. I think as the festival grows—especially five years from now—it will naturally become part of the fabric of the city of Santa Monica. I’m already looking forward to the second year.” If the first one was an indication of things to come, many people should be looking forward to the second year as well.
Live photos by Andy J. Gordon ©2026
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