Cunard announced its sponsorship of the 58th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival’ Jazz Legends Gala honoring Chick Corea on September 17, 2015. The longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world, the 58th Monterey Jazz Festival takes place at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, Calif., September 18-20, 2015.
This year marks Cunard’s first partnership with the festival, illuminating Cunard’s remarkable history of hosting musicians such as jazz icons Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, and highlighting the company’s renowned on board entertainment and music offerings including current partnerships with the prestigious Juilliard School of Jazz, and venerable Blue Note Records.
Being showcased at this year’s festival is Cunard’s “Jazz at Sea” partnership with Blue Note Records. The first Blue Note Crossing on Queen Mary 2 will sail from New York to Southampton on October 29, 2015, featuring intimate jazz performances by musicians such as Grammy® Award winners Natalie Cole, Robert Glasper and Derek Hodge. President of Blue Note Records, Don Was, will also sail and participate in Q&A sessions. Blue Note musicians will similarly be featured on Queen Mary 2 during Transatlantic Crossings on August 1 and October 26, 2016.
“We are excited to participate in this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival Gala, the festival’s flagship fundraising event for its educational programs, which impact 3,000 local, regional and national students each year,” says Richard Meadows, president, Cunard, North America. “This is the type of partnership which exemplifies the spirit of Cunard.”
