A weekend of jazz comes to a close, with plenty of highlights still to come today.

It’s day three of the 69th Monterey Jazz Festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds featuring 74 performances from jazz greats to talented up-and-coming artists. Pam Marino here, writing this on deadline ahead of the festival’s opening on Friday, Sept. 25, excited for a weekend of outstanding music.

The world-renowned festival is the focus of this week’s edition of the Weekly and even if you’re not headed to the fairgrounds this weekend, there are several interesting stories to be found in our pages worth checking out.

In our main story, Editor Sara Rubin shares her fascinating conversation with composer/bassist/singer/poet Meshell Ndegeocello, on the cover this week. Ndegeocello is this year’s commission artist, who composed her work on the theme “America 250.” As Rubin writes, Ndegeocello has always defied definitions and boundaries, both musically and personally. 

Music freelance writer Paul Wilner scored an interview with the legendary bassist Ron Carter, who performs on the main stage tonight, Sunday, Sept. 27, with another legend, Herbie Hancock, to play a tribute to the late Miles Davis. As young men, the two jazz greats played in Davis’ Second Great Quintet in the mid-1960s. 

This week’s Face to Face by Staff Writer Agata Popęda is a Q&A conversation with Kate Kortum, a young singer with three albums to her credit, performing for the first time at the festival. She’s been influenced by such greats as Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday and Anita O’Day.

In the news section is my story on how the festival is faring financially, having experienced some financial challenges in recent years. I interviewed Managing Director Bobbie Young, who tells me ticket sales and donations are on an upswing. She also shares how organizers are working to attract young audiences so the festival lives on for another 69 years.

If you are headed to the festival for the last day, you can check out the highlights story I wrote, noting some acts worth your consideration. They include Brittany Davis, a young blind keyboardist and singer, surrealist blues poet Aja Monet and the Charles Lloyd Quartet commemorating the 60th anniversary of his album Forest Flower, which was recorded live at the festival in 1966. 

Another interesting pairing today: Bestselling author Amy Tan reads from her Backyard Bird Chronicles as jazz phenom Joey Alexander improvises on the piano. As Young tells me, it’s another way to attract a broader audience.

If you’re at the festival today and see me on the grounds or in the main arena, say “hi.” Or email after the festival and let me know what you thought of it and our coverage.