THE FESTIVAL

The inaugural Santa Monica International Jazz Festival, curated by artistic director Stanley Clarke

THE VENUES

The Orpheum (downtown L.A.), the BroadStage (Santa Monica), and Tongva Park (also in Santa Monica)

THE DATES

May 1-9, 2026

THE MUSIC

The four-day festival opened with a warm Stanley Clarke introduction to Hiromi’s Sonicwonder quartet featuring French phenom Hadrien Feraud, who coaxed killer tones from his Mayones 5-string and Markbass rig. His fleet-fingered unison parts, double-stops, chords, muscular back-pickup tone, harmonics, and shimmering chorus channeled Jaco so strongly that Hiromi’s shout-out to Weather Report album-cover designer/audience member Lou Beach fit right in.

The second day of the festival took place at the outdoor Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. The wide variety of artists included Knower’s Genevieve Artadi, with Chilean transplant Frescia “Fresha” Belmar; bandleader Billy Mohler and his trio; saxophonist Aidan Farrell’s quartet, with doubler Nathan Puopolo; Elijah Fox, with Caleb Buchanan; and Instant Alter, with Brandon Rose. The vibe was sweet and the weather was great; the audience of shoppers, tourists, and casual passer-by seemed to enjoy the uptick in energy at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, a once-popular destination now in sore need of foot traffic.

The BroadStage, a 500-seat venue on the campus of Santa Monica College, was the site of the festival’s rousing celebration of John Coltrane’s centennial. Conway Campbell confidently supported Isaiah Collier’s powerful explorations, Elias Bailey put the fire under crowd favorite Lakecia Benjamin, and Stanley himself teamed up with drum titan Marvin “Smitty” Smith to hold it down when Tenor Madness—Collier, Benjamin, and fellow saxophonists Aaron Shaw and Emilio Modeste—took the stage for a fiery four-way finale and enthusiastic applause.

The last day of the festival was a bass-heavy romp a five-minute walk from the beach. Pera Krstajic brought chops, taste, perfect P-Bass tone, and crunch to Louis Cole and Knower before the Miles Electric Band’s Daryl Jones used his Jones Musical Instruments Gresham V to expertly conjure the intense spirit of Miles Davis, whose centennial was just a few days away. Next, Stanley, his Alembic, and his massive SWR Goliath rig (with at least three 2×10 cabs, two 1x15s, and a 4×10) took the stage with hyperactivePolice drummer Stewart Copeland and Cameroonian bass magician Armand Sabal-Lecco, who played second bass on a vintage Music Man Sabre. Their crowd-pleasing set included “School Days,” “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” and “Message in a Bottle,” with Stanley playing the iconic guitar riff. Kamasi Washington brought the Coltrane vibes with low-end help from upright icon Miles Mosely, closing the festival on a powerful note that brought the audience to its feet.

Knower

Stanley Clarke & Friends

Hiromi and Sonicwonder

Kamasi Washington

Aidan Farrell Quartet

Instant Alter