Christian McBride had one question for the large crowd assembled before him on Day 1 of the 68th annual Monterey Jazz Festival:

“Who’s idea was it to put me on after Gregory Porter?” remarked the gifted bassist, who was following the remarkable vocalist on the festival’s big Jimmy Lyons Stage on Friday at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. “I remember one time going on after Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. It was wrong. It did not end well for me.”

Indeed, Porter was a tough act to follow, as he delighted the audience at this outdoor stage with a 75-minute set that was full of dynamic vocal work, winning personality and, in general, numerous reasons why this Sacramento-born artist — who was raised in Bakersfield — is considered one of the best in the game.

Porter’s high-flying set, no dou

See Full Page