Summer 2023 Jazz Events at the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford
SUMMER 2023 JAZZ EVENTS
AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL AND THE FORD
HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Charlie Wilson / En Vogue (July 12)
Ellington and Gershwin with Dudamel (July 13)
Diana Krall / The String Queens (July 19)
Quincy Jones’ 90th-Birthday Tribute: A Musical Celebration (July 28-29)
Joe Bonamassa with Orchestra (Aug. 9)
Gladys Knight / Peabo Bryson (Aug. 16)
Herbie Hancock Celebrates Wayne Shorter (Aug. 23)
Smooth Summer Jazz / Dave Koz and Friends (Aug. 27)
Buddy Guy / Christone “Kingfish” Ingram (Sept. 6)
Jacob Collier with the LA Phil (Sept. 13)
Promises featuring Floating Points / Sun Ra Arkestra (Sept. 20)
John Legend (Sept. 23)
THE FORD
JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION produced in partnership with WORDTheatre® (July 22)
On & On: José James Sings Badu (Aug. 26)
Laufey with the LA Phil (Sept. 16)
Arooj Aftab / Vijay Iyer / Shahzad Ismaily: Love in Exile (Sept. 20)
Jazzy Ash & the Leaping Lizards (Oct. 1)
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association (LA Phil) presents jazz legends, blues stars, massive celebrations and more at the 2023 summer season at the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, July 12 to Oct. 1. Under the guidance of Herbie Hancock, the LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz since 2009, the Jazz Plus series at the Bowl will offer a diverse blend of rising jazz stars and beloved greats, including Hancock joined by special guests in an all-star tribute to his best friend, Wayne Shorter (Aug. 23).
En Vogue
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, July 12, at 8 p.m.
R&B icon Charlie Wilson—a.k.a. Uncle Charlie—returns to the Bowl for a funky and soulful evening. His must-see show is full of hits spanning his four-decade career from his days as lead singer of the Gap Band (“Outstanding,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “Party Train”) and his solo career (“Charlie, Last Name Wilson,” “There Goes My Baby,” “You Are,” “I’m Blessed”). He is Billboard’s Top Adult R&B Male Artist with the most No. 1 hits and has garnered 13 Grammy Award nominations, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, a Soul Train Icon Award and NAACP Image Awards. He is also a bestselling author for his memoir, I Am Charlie Wilson. Wilson’s influence extends deep into the world of today’s hip-hop and pop music, thanks to collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and many others.
En Vogue sold 30 million records by infusing killer vocals with class on songs including “Free Your Mind” and “My Lovin’.” Thirty years into their career, their crowns remain intact.
Ellington and Gershwin with Dudamel
Hollywood Bowl
Thursday, July 13, at 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Patina Miller, special guest vocalist
Duke Ellington and George Gershwin each defied genre and categorization with their music, blending ideas from jazz nightclubs and orchestral concert halls into something distinctly American. Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in this celebration of symphonic jazz, and Tony- and Grammy-winning singer Patina Miller lends her voice to songs by Ellington, Gershwin and others from the Great American Songbook.
The String Queens
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, July 19, at 8 p.m.
Diana Krall’s elegance and nuance have made her one of the most celebrated and successful jazz singers of our time. She’s the winner of two Grammy Awards and 10 Juno Awards, a testament to what the Los Angeles Times calls a “career guided by the notion that there’s plenty of power in grace and understatement.”
Washington, D.C.’s The String Queens trio travels through time and genres, presenting repertoire spanning from the baroque to the Jazz Age to the Billboard Hot 100 at jazz festivals and a presidential inauguration concert. Their arrangement and performance of Harry Styles’ “Golden” was featured in ESPN’s promotional campaign for Wimbledon.
This performance is generously supported by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts.
Produced in partnership with WORDTheatre®
The Ford
Saturday, July 22, at 8 p.m.
Cedering Fox, creator, director & producer
Antonique Smith, actor & vocalist
Dave Fennoy, narrator
Gary Dourdan, actor & vocalist
Glynn Turman, actor
Iona Morris, narrator
Jason George, actor
Jonathan Sacks, orchestrations & arrangements
Joseph Marcell, actor
Keith David, actor & vocalist
Leslie Grace, actor
Lisa Edelstein, actor
Michole Briana White, actor
Miguel Sandoval, actor
Nedra Wheeler, bass
Reign Morton, actor & vocalist
Starr Parodi, musical director & piano
Suuvi, cello
Terrace Martin, saxophone
Tracie Thoms, actor
Wayne Bergeron, trumpet
and more
JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION brings together acclaimed actors, singers and world-class musicians on stage for an electrifying fusion of storytelling and jazz to convey the rich history and power of America’s greatest original art form. This one-night-only event shines a spotlight on many of the artists who have become jazz legends—from Buddy Bolden, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong to Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Arturo Sandoval and Wayne Shorter—through biographical and memoir excerpts, letters and selections from the writings of literary luminaries such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes and Walter Mosley. Multigenerational audiences will be transported from the birthplace of jazz in New Orleans, to Harlem, to the Los Angeles clubs that thrived along Central Avenue and beyond.
Quincy Jones’ 90th-Birthday Tribute: A Musical Celebration
Hollywood Bowl
Friday and Saturday, July 28-29, at 8 p.m.
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Jules Buckley, conductor
George Benson
Jennifer Hudson
John Mayer
Angélique Kidjo
Patti Austin
Ibrahim Maalouf
Sheléa
Siedah Garrett
Additional names to be announced
With hits like “P.Y.T.,” “Thriller,” “Give Me the Night” and “Fly Me to the Moon” performed by an all-star lineup, Quincy Jones’ illustrious body of music will be on full display at the Hollywood Bowl for this incomparable birthday celebration. Join us for two unforgettable evenings of some of the best-selling songs of all time, from the bestselling producer of all time. Let the good times roll!
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 8 p.m.
Joe Bonamassa
David Campbell, conductor
Blues-rock superstar Joe Bonamassa got his start at the age of 12, opening a tour for the legendary B.B. King. In the years since, he’s played alongside some of the biggest names in music and still hasn’t reached his peak. The three-time Grammy nominee has topped the Billboard blues charts a record-breaking 26 times with his signature take on the blues. Be there for his Hollywood Bowl debut, when he’ll team up with an orchestra for a special concert unlike anything he’s done before.
Peabo Bryson
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m.
Gladys Knight is an American icon whose “Midnight Train to Georgia” is one of the most celebrated songs of the 20th century. She’s had No. 1 hits in pop, gospel, R&B and adult contemporary, along with seven Grammy victories. Both as a solo artist and with The Pips, she’s been bringing audiences to their feet for over 50 years, with hits like “If I Were Your Woman,” “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and so many more. Peabo Bryson, called the “Pavarotti of soul singers” by The New York Times, opens the night.
This performance is generously supported by Erika J. Glazer.
Celebrates Wayne Shorter
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m.
Herbie Hancock, LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz
Brian Blade
Terence Blanchard
Terri Lyne Carrington
Ron Carter
Jack DeJohnette
Marcus Miller
John Patitucci
Danilo Pérez
Chris Potter
Carlos Santana
Cindy Blackman Santana
esperanza spalding
and special guests
Herbie Hancock first connected with Wayne Shorter in 1962 at a Donald Byrd recording session. Soon after, Miles Davis hired them both to play in his Second Great Quintet; and from then on they formed a bond so deep and so personal it could always be heard in the music—and in the way they talked about their friendship off the stage. With special guests at his side, Herbie pays tribute to the man who not only inspired him to new heights as a musician but also became his best friend in the process.
On & On: José James Sings Badu
The Ford
Saturday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m.
José James is one of the most daring jazz singers of his generation—or as Pitchfork called him, “one of the suavest vocal improvisers on the scene.” His arrangements and approach are in deep conversation with funk, R&B and hip-hop, so it’s no surprise to find him paying tribute to one of the greatest multigenre talents around: Erykah Badu. With a stellar band at his back, James takes us on a jazz odyssey through Badu’s incredible songbook and sings a few songs of his own.
Dave Koz and Friends
With special guests Candy Dulfer, Eric Darius, Maysa and Jeffrey Osborne
Morris Day & The Time
Jazz Funk Soul with Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr.
Hollywood Bowl
Sunday, Aug. 27, at 6:30 p.m.
Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns
Morris Day & The Time
Jazz Funk Soul with Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr.
Sail in for a beautiful summer evening dedicated to all things smooth, silky and laid-back. This year’s edition of the smoothest mini-festival around is headlined by multiplatinum saxophonist Dave Koz, along with the funky soul stylings of Morris Day & The Time and smooth-jazz supergroup Jazz Funk Soul.
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m.
The blues-rock star who has brought the sweet sounds of Chicago to the world makes his Hollywood Bowl return with his Damn Right Farewell Tour. Buddy Guy is an eight-time Grammy winner and a guitar slinger whose slick take on the rough-and-ready style of the Windy City has made him one of the most beloved blues musicians of all time. As The New York Times recently said, “any opportunity to spend [time] in the company of Buddy Guy is an opportunity not to be missed,” and we couldn’t agree more. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram kicks off the night.
Jacob Collier with the LA Phil
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m.
Jacob Collier
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
With an ambitious, universal sound that encompasses orchestral composition, folk songwriting, jazz, R&B, rap and pop, multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier already has five Grammy wins under his belt, and has teamed up with musicians the world over—from SZA to Coldplay to Hans Zimmer. Now he’s adding another major collaboration to the list: Thomas Wilkins and the LA Phil.
The Ford
Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.
Laufey
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Raised between Washington, D.C., and Reykjavik by Icelandic and Chinese parents, Laufey was classically trained on piano and cello by her mother but found her true love in her father’s jazz album collection. The result, as NME described her 2022 LP, offers “velvet-smooth harmonies, swelling string sections, and the faintest crackle of an old jazz record” that all combine to find the magic in life’s little moments. Laufey’s musical storytelling is as likely to pull from Ravel and Chopin as Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday, and she makes her Ford debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Featuring Floating Points with Shabaka Hutchings, Kieran Hebden, Dan Snaith, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Hinako Omori, Jeffrey Makinson, John Escreet and Lara Serafin with special guests Sun Ra Arkestra
Hollywood Bowl
Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m.
Floating Points
Shabaka Hutchings
Kieran Hebden
Dan Snaith
Kara-Lis Coverdale
Jeffrey Makinson
Hinako Omori
John Escreet
Los Angeles Studio Orchestra
Sun Ra Arkestra
In 2019, the composer Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) converged with spiritual jazz icon Pharoah Sanders to create Promises, a breathtaking album-length composition issued in 2021, which has become one of the most acclaimed releases of our time. Floating Points will premiere Promises in full at the Hollywood Bowl, bringing to life a recording that capped Sanders’ profoundly influential six decades in music. The two were developing this Hollywood Bowl debut in the months before Sanders died in 2022; and now Shepherd will fulfill this wish with orchestra and an all-star lineup handpicked, in part, by Sanders himself.
Arooj Aftab
Vijay Iyer
Shahzad Ismaily
The Ford
Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m.
The celebrated jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer, Grammy-winning singer Arooj Aftab and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily continue their brilliant, beautiful conversation. The three met in New York City and dubbed themselves Love in Exile. Together they’ve forged a singular voice that takes their distinct backgrounds and vast histories of collaboration as a starting point. Individually, they’re extraordinary musicians who see through boundaries between genres and cultures without abandoning the particulars of either. Together, though, they’re artists painting in tandem, their music developing from wisps of piano and shimmers of texture, with Aftab’s voice whispering along the edges and commanding center stage—all without sacrificing their keen sense of interdependence. This is delicate, imaginative music defined by a sense of timeless beauty and sudden surprise.
Featuring orchestra & gospel choir
Hollywood Bowl
Saturday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m.
John Legend will reprise his recent sold-out performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall with a special one-night-only concert at the Hollywood Bowl. An Evening with John Legend: a night of songs and stories at the Hollywood Bowl sees Legend joined by full orchestra and gospel choir. This special event will feature spectacular reimaginings of his greatest hits, as well as selections from his album LEGEND (Solo Piano Version), recently released via Republic Records.
Jazzy Ash & the Leaping Lizards
LA Soundscapes
The Ford
Sunday, Oct. 1, at 10:30 a.m.
Come along on a Crescent City-inspired music adventure with Jazzy Ash & the Leaping Lizards. The talented and prolific songwriter/musical treasure hunter highlights traditional songs, rhythms and rhymes that have been handed down by African American children, adults and musicians for generations.
Get up to two free tickets for kids 12 and under with every full-priced ticket purchase!
Each LA Soundscapes family event features a pre-concert activity and participatory artmaking. Best for ages 3–11. These are daytime events, so don’t forget your sunscreen and sun hats!
TICKETS
Tickets for the Hollywood Bowl are available at hollywoodbowl.com and The Ford at theford.com, and at 323 850 2000 for both venues. Tickets can also be purchased at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office. Programs, artists, prices and dates are subject to change. Ticket limits may apply.
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About the LA Phil
Under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil offers live performances, media initiatives and learning programs that inspire and strengthen communities in Los Angeles and beyond. The Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra is the foundation of the LA Phil’s offerings, which also include a multigenre, multidisciplinary presenting program and such youth development programs as YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). Performances are offered on three historic stages—Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford—as well as through a variety of media platforms. In all its endeavors, the LA Phil seeks to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through musical, artistic and learning experiences that resonate in our world today.
About the Hollywood Bowl
One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922 and plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music, offering something for everyone. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz performances. In February 2023 the venue was named the Outdoor Concert Venue of the Year at the 34th Annual Pollstar Awards, an honor bestowed 15 previous times. The Hollywood Bowl was also named Amphitheater of the Decade at the 32nd Annual Pollstar Awards, as well as Top Amphitheater at the 2017 and 2018 Billboard Touring Awards. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer. hollywoodbowl.com
About The Ford
The Ford is one of the oldest performing arts venues in Los Angeles, with an outdoor 1,200-seat amphitheater and a rich history dating back to 1920. Situated in a 32-acre park and under the stewardship of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, The Ford presents an eclectic summer season of music, dance, film and family events that are reflective of the communities of Los Angeles.
Sophie Jefferies, SJefferies@laphil.org
Holly Wallace, HWallace@laphil.org
Laura Cohen, LCMediapr@gmail.com
Kassie Winchester, KWinchester@laphil.org