The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced this week the line-up for the 37th annual Playboy Jazz Festival, to be held Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, 2015, at the Hollywood Bowl. An internationally acclaimed event, the Playboy Jazz Festival is one of the premier jazz events in the United States and attracts audiences from across the globe.
Featuring a mix of jazz greats, next generation leaders and festival perennials, this year’s headliners include festival alums Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, who will be performing with the Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble; festival favorites Tower of Power and Ozomatli, Grammy Award-winning jazz and R&B singer Ledisi, Eddie Palmieri’s Afro-Caribbean Jazz Band with special invited guests Ronnie Cuber, Alfredo De La Fe, Donald Harrison and Joe Locke; and Terence Blanchard debuting his new band, the Terence Blanchard E-Collective and many more.
A special celebratory tribute to the late jazz giant Gerald Wilson will feature the Celebrating Gerald Wilson Orchestra under the direction of Anthony Wilson, Gerald’s son.
An impressive number of artists and special guest collaborations will also be making their debuts at Playboy this year, including Aloe Blacc, Jason Moran’s Fats Waller Dance Party, A Sacred Steel Love Supreme: The Campbell Brothers present “A Love Supreme” (gospel and steel guitar tribute to John Coltrane); The Jones Family Singers, emerging artists Snarky Puppy, Morgan James, Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio; and Blue Note 75th Anniversary Presents: Our Point of View featuring Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Kendrick Scott, Lionel Loueke, Marcus Strickland and Ambrose Akinmusire.
A legend in the pantheon of music festivals, the Playboy Jazz Festival has featured the talents of artists ranging from legends such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie to today’s hottest stars and contemporary artists including Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, The Roots, Esperanza Spalding and Trombone Shorty. Now in its 37th year, the Playboy Jazz Festival will once again feature two days of extraordinary musical performances with multi-talented entertainer George Lopez hosting for the third year in a row.
Tickets are available for the Playboy Jazz Festival 2015 at HollywoodBowl.com or Ticketmaster.com, or via phone at 323.850.2000 or 800.745.3000 and in person at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office. For more information, please call 323.850.2000.
