2007年VOA标准英语-Monterey Jazz Festival Turns 50

By Doug Levine
Washington
21 September 2007

One of the world's longest-running jazz festivals celebrates a milestone¹ anniversary this month (9/21-9/23) with a lineup of jazz stars that's likely to draw a record-breaking attendance. VOA's Doug Levine previews the 50th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival.

Only a few living today can say that they performed at the very first Monterey Jazz Festival in October 1958. Pianist Dave Brubeck is one. He appeared there with Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Billie Holiday, The Modern Jazz Quartet and others now long gone.

Saxophonist Sonny Rollins also played at Monterey's debut², and along with Brubeck, will return to the main stage to help celebrate the festival's golden anniversary.

The original location at the county fairgrounds in Monterey, California is where all the action takes place. But, what began as a jazz festival has, over the years, become so much more. In 1966, rock and blues³ were introduced via Jefferson Airplane and Muddy Waters. Later, Janis Joplin, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Ray Charles filled the bill, with Latin jazz and funk groups eventually making their presence known.

With nine stages of non-stop music, this year's festival merges⁴ the past, present and future. Along with Brubeck and Rollins, appearing are veterans Ornette Coleman, Jim Hall, Dave Holland, Kenny Burrell and Ernestine Anderson. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard, the 2007 Artist-In-Residence at Monterey, will debut his composition "Requiem⁵ For Katrina" with the Monterey Jazz Festival Chamber⁶ Orchestra, and bandleader Gerald Wilson is set to give the world premiere of his commissioned work "Monterey Moods." Sunday afternoon (9/23) is reserved for the winning high school bands from the annual Next Generation Festival.

Returning to Monterey for her third time since 1999 is vocalist Diana Krall, who will have fans rushing out to buy her new CD, The Very Best Of Diana Krall.

1 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

2 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

3 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

4 merges   

（使）混合( merge的第三人称单数 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中

参考例句：

• The 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Mo Yan"who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary". 2012年诺贝尔文学奖得主为莫言，他“很好地将魔幻现实与民间故事、历史与当代结合在一起”。
• A device that collates, merges, or matches sets of punched cards or other documents. 一种整理、合并或比较一组穿孔卡片或其它文档的设备。

5 requiem   

n.安魂曲，安灵曲

参考例句：

• I will sing a requiem for the land walkers.我会给陆地上走的人唱首安魂曲。
• The Requiem is on the list for today's concert.《安魂曲》是这次音乐会的演出曲目之一。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。