GEORGE BENSON, FOURPLAY FEATURING BOB JAMES, NATHAN EAST, HARVEY MASON & LARRY CARLTON, AND STEVE COLE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 AT 6 PM

Media Sponsor: 94.7 THE WAVE

JVC Jazz returns to the Hollywood Bowl with an evening of contemporary jazz on Sunday, August 18 at 6 p.m. The concert opens with a set from saxophonist and rising star Steve Cole, in his Bowl debut. Next, the popular super-group Fourplay takes the stage, featuring keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, drummer Harvey Mason, and guitarist Larry Carlton. The evening concludes with a performance by legendary guitarist George Benson.

Steve Cole and his band warm up the crowd with tunes from his two popular collections, Stay Awhile and Between Us (Atlantic). Fourplay perform music from their just released (July 2002), much-anticipated album entitled Heartfelt (RCA). George Benson, whose music encompasses many genres, entertains the audience with his amazing guitar abilities.

Simply one of the greatest guitarists, GEORGE BENSON is also a versatile musician who can play in any style. He started as a professional singer at the age of 8, but exposure to records by Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery got him interested in jazz. He cut several major jazz albums in the late '60s/early '70s but it was in the late '70s that he crossed over into the mass market with Breezin' (Warner Bros.) and a string of hits followed. Since then, Benson has continued to work in the jazz and pop genres with great success. George Benson last performed at the Bowl in 1997.

The all-star group, FOURPLAY (keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Larry Carlton, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason), was formed in 1991 with Lee Ritenour (guitar) after the quartet came together on James' Grand Piano Canyon album. They have since recorded a number of CDs for Warner Bros. that have all been big sellers, not surprising considering the popularity of James and Carlton, who replaced Ritenour on guitar. The group's music borders on jazz with strong improvisations mixed with large doses of pop and R&B. The group last performed at the Bowl in 1999.

A native of Chicago, saxophonist STEVE COLE studied music at Northwestern University and, at 18, performed as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after receiving a prize in their concerto competition. Cole later opted to focus on jazz and R&B, and began performing on the local Chicago music scene as a session player. His solo career took off after his first album, 1998's Stay Awhile. Cole followed the record's success by performing and recording frequently, both as band leader and featured guest, with such artists as Brian Culbertson, Junior Wells, Waymon Tisdale, KMFDM, Rick Braun, Peter White, and Boz Scaggs. Cole's second album, Between Us, features the hit, "Got It Goin' On." Cole makes his Bowl debut with this performance.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Sunday, August 18, 6:00 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL (2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood)

JVC JAZZ

GEORGE BENSON

FOURPLAY (featuring BOB JAMES, keyboards; NATHAN EAST, bass; HARVEY MASON, drums; and LARRY CARLTON, guitar)

STEVE COLE, saxophone

Media Sponsor: 94.7 THE WAVE

Tickets ($1- $86) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at hollywoodbowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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