Benson photographed the 44th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival on September/2001 and captured the excitement, ambience and wondrous musical experience through his photography. Presented by WorldCom in beautiful Monterey, California, over 500 top name artists performed on 7 stages at the longest running jazz festival in the world! Benson photography richly presented in Central Coast Magazine is an expression of his life-long passion for music and it is a tribute to Jazz and Blues and their fans.

All photos copyright © Henry Benson. All Rights Reserved.

Dave Holland is the most accomplished pure jazz composer among bassists, after Charles Mingus, performed in 2001 at Monterey Jazz Festival with "Not for Nothin'".

Herbie Hancock burst on the jazz scene in 1963 as a member of Miles Davis's famous ensemble. He was at Monterey 44 Jazz Festival to help celebrate Miles Davis & John Coltrane 75th Birthday.

Claudia Acuna's voice was nurtured as a child on Chilean folk songs and Latin pop music.

Joe Lovano (who leaded his Nonet) opened the 44th Monterey Jazz Festival with a collaborative tribute to Miles Davis. Joe Lovano music is always exciting and unpredictable.

Danilo Perez is an exceptional musician. The audience appreciated the flavor of his talent at Monterey Jazz Festival/2001.

Roberta Gambarini: a famous jazz singer from Italy.

Michael Brecker re-unites with Herbie Hancock for Monterey's tribute to Coltrane and Miles Davis. Nearness of You - The Ballad Book is an extraordinary musical expedition, in which Michael Brecker explores the poetry and narrative scope of the ballad form.

I've been fortunate to meet Lucky Peterson - as songwriter, guitarist, organist, and singer. He released "Double Dealin'" in early 2001.

Wynton Marsalis's visibility, markedly atypical for a jazz artist, includes his artistic directorship of Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Center's Jazz Orchestra. He expanded as a composer in the '90s, writing for dance, film, and small and large ensembles.