The MJFR label was founded in 2007 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival. It made its debut with a remarkable series of historic live-at-Monterey CDs, rolled out shortly before the September festival: Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars (recorded in '58), Miles Davis Quintet ('63), Thelonious Monk Quartet ('64), Dizzy Gillespie ('65) and Sarah Vaughan ('71).

In addition, MJFR issued a 50th-year compilation disc that included selections from the five albums as well as live Monterey material from Diana Krall, Joe Henderson, Dave Brubeck and Pat Metheny's trio with Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade.