Monterey Jazz appears ready to announce one of its own as its next artistic adviser.

Since last December, Monterey Jazz – the organization that oversees the Monterey Jazz Festival – has been in a period of management changes and transition. Former artistic director Darin Atwater served just one year, overseeing the 2024 festival, and it’s still not clear why he departed. An interim director, Bruce Labadie of San Jose Jazz, was brought on to book acts for this year’s festival, which runs Friday, Sept. 26-Sunday, Sept. 28.

On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that according to “inside sources,” Gerald Clayton, long-time director of Monterey Jazz’s Next Generation Orchestra, would be named artistic adviser of the festival. A Monterey Jazz spokesperson says the information is “very premature” and can provide no new information, but Clayton confirms the report.

“I’m stepping into a new role and helping however I can in terms of curation and a vision for how we can move the festival forward,” Clayton says. He’s already looking ahead to next year.

“First and foremost it’s about maintaining the high level of artistry that the Monterey Jazz Festival has always presented, so it’s digging into my playlist and picking some of my favorite artists who I think would be great for the festival, for the audience, for the crowd,” he says.

Clayton also says he wants to find ways to engage with other creative people within the local community. “I’m personally really passionate and interested in bringing together like-minded people,” he says, suggesting pulling people from other artistic areas for collaboration.

“Stay tuned and stay tapped in because I’m really excited for the future of the festival and what’s to come,” Clayton says.