MONTEREY, September 19, 1997 -- The Berklee-Monterey Quartet '97 wowed an appreciative Garden Stage crowd at this year's 40th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. The group wound through a menu of sinuous, percussive music written by pianist/leader Leo Blanco. Playing Blanco's challenging compositions with swing and verve were Anat Cohen, tenor sax; Yoshi Waki, bass; and Steve Hass, drums.

Following the Quartet's performance, Berklee alumna and Impulse! recording artist Diana Krall was honored for her achievements with a reception for press and alumni in the Festival's Coffee House Gallery Annex. In a room filled with Bay Area music journalists, Diana graciously accepted the Distinguished Alumnus Award, telling tales of her early days "playing piano at the Boston Harbor Hotel... to basically no one."

The scholarship is named in honor of the Monterey Jazz Festival's late founder, James L. (Jimmy) Lyons, who founded the festival 40 years ago with jazz education programs at its core. Satisfactory academic and musical progress in each successive year will allow the recipient to attend Berklee through graduation, entirely tuition-free.

Stephens is a tenor saxophonist with a growing reputation in Bay Area jazz circles as a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Band, with which he toured Europe this summer. He has attended the prestigious Stanford Jazz Workshop -- where he studied with McCoy Tyner, Harold Land, and Steve Coleman -- and the Young Musicians Program at Cal-Berkeley.

The James L. Lyons award was presented to Stephens on Sunday, September 21, on the Jimmy Lyons Stage, following the saxophonist's performance with the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All-Star Big Band. Dayna also sat in with the Berklee-Monterey Quartet, jamming on a blues with the group.