24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 10-16, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Monterey Jazz Festival in September is a staple, but why is there no local jazz festival in the summertime, like everywhere else in the world? That was the question longtime jazz lover Frederick Smith Jr. asked himself ever since he relocated from Los Angeles to Monterey a few years ago. The answer to his dilemma is the inaugural Future is Now jazz festival, a four-day-long avalanche of jazz, showcasing more than 20 young artists at venues in Monterey, Marina and Carmel. “Monterey Jazz in the fourth weekend of September has always been a pilgrimage,” Smith says. “But what if you come to Monterey, known around the world as a jazz mecca, in April or June? Except for a few bars with local musicians, there’s nothing.” Smith and his Los Angeles-based partner, LeRoy Downs, are founders of Just Jazz Foundation, which is responsible—among many other things—for the series of jazz concerts at Wave Street Studios in Monterey that started in the fall of 2023. The Future is Now festival is another big step in this journey. In the fall of 2024, Smith got Monterey-based saxophonist Arman Sangalang involved in the project, tasking him with finding up-and-coming musicians from the Bay Area. The second curator is another saxophonist, Christopher Powe, who lined up musicians from the Los Angeles area. “Not many musicians from other areas come to perform here,” Sangalang says. “And we think the Monterey County audience deserves to hear them. The cross-pollination of different musicians from different areas is important.” For Sangalang’s Thursday, July 10, performance, “I’m bringing along guitarist Robert Papacica who has been living in New York for the last couple of years, but he’s from the area and went through all of the programs around here.” Artists range in age from 17 to 40, Smith says about the festival lineup. “I’m talking about musicians who finished school; they may play at Monterey Jazz in five, six years, but for now, they are trying to survive.” As his festival highlights, Smith mentions such names as San Francisco-based pianist Julian Lopez, who plays fusion, including EDM and rap music; drummer Malachi Whitson, a young Japanese pianist out of the Bay Area; Erica Oba, and rising star Tatiana Tate, a trumpeter. The festival will not lack spoken word that goes with jazz so well, Smith says. The Bay Area Lyrical Opposition is coming to Patricia Qualls Contemporary Art gallery in Carmel. Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate Mya Pop, a sophomore at North Salinas High School, will open with her poetry. Monterey County itself is represented during the festival, with such names as percussionist and educator Marcy Chapa and drummer Leon Joyce Jr. When it comes to local young voices, there is The Waters Trio. The trio consists of twin brothers Isaac and Roman Waters, who play drums and piano, respectively, and Osman Hernandez from Seaside, who plays guitar. The band started six months ago and is managed by the twins’ father Cleve Waters; the Waters family lives in Marina. All three young musicians are friends and all attended Seaside High School’s music program. “I picked up guitar because my friends were picking up instruments,” Hernandez says. “At first, I was thinking more of playing Latin and rock music, a fusion of that, but in middle school I got introduced to jazz.” Hernandez’s biggest heroes are Carlos Santana and for jazz, Miles Davis. “I just really love his improvisation and the feeling he puts into all of his songs,” he says. Isaac Waters starting playing drums in first grade, but a few years went by before he got serious. "We’ve always been going to local jazz performances, also because my big brother is a jazz pianist," he says. "But I picked drums for real in the seventh grade.” He is currently enrolled in both the Regional All-Star Band and the summer camp program both hosted by Monterey Jazz. He loves Twenty One Pilots and Duke Ellington. His twin brother, Roman Waters, plays piano. He also started on drums, but “during my sophomore year in high school, I went into the music room and I started playing the piano. My parents introduced me to the Monterey Jazz camps and that’s why I got introduced to jazz.” Roman Waters’ big inspirations are Bruno Mars, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The trio will play standards of the old style jazz musicians, from Davis through Dexter Gordon to Ellington. “We are bringing all these young cats here for Monterey County to enjoy,” Smith says. Future is Now Jazz Festival runs from Thursday, July 10-Sunday, July 13. Various venues in Monterey, Marina and Carmel. $214/festival pass; $66/one-day pass; $55/one-day student pass. justjazz.tv. Introducing the Future A new jazz festival highlights up-and-coming musicians looking to make a name for themselves. By Agata Popęda ...and we think the Monterey County audience deserves to hear them.” “Not many musicians from other areas come to perform here... Left: Frederick Smith Jr. (left) and Arman Sangalang are involved with launching the first-ever Future is Now jazz festival. Below: Roman Waters (from left), Osman Hernandez and Isaac Waters comprise The Waters Trio, a local group that specializes in jazz standards. DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
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