This year marks the 50th anniversary of the world renowned Playboy Clubs where many jazz greats got their start. In keeping with that legacy, the 32nd annual Playboy Jazz Festival will present a world class lineup of talent featuring the highly anticipated debuts of emerging young artists, celebrated jazz icons, and returning Festival favorites. Among the headliners for the two day event to be held Saturday and Sunday, June 12th and 13th at the landmark Hollywood Bowl are The Chick Corea Freedom Band, George Benson, The Manhattan Transfer, and Los Van Van. Attracting over 35,000 fans annually, the Festival will showcase the diversity of jazz including everything from straight ahead to contemporary, blues to big band, salsa, and world music.
After mounting three hugely successful world tours, including the celebrated reprise of Return to Forever and his electro-acoustic quintet, the Five Peace Band, Grammy winner Chick Corea and his all-star Freedom Band featuring bassist Christian McBride, drummer Roy Haynes, and saxophonist Kenny Garrett is making a return appearance. Each a leader and star in their own right, the four are coming together for their only Southern California appearance. All acclaimed artists, Corea and Garrett each took home Grammys this year for their album Five Peace Live, which they appeared on together. Their collaboration onstage is sure to be another imaginative musical adventure by masterful musicians.
A ten-time Grammy winner and consummate entertainer, Festival favorite George Benson returns for his sixth appearance. Heralded as a world class guitarist and vocalist, the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master continues to play to sold out crowds all over the world and thrill millions with his playing. His duet recording with Al Jarreau, Givin It Up, scored two Grammy awards, and his latest release, Songs and Stories is a collection of tunes recorded with a litany of top talents. A compelling artist, Benson will engage festivalgoers once again with his extensive repertoire of platinum hits including On Broadway, Turn Your Love Around, and more.
Celebrating their 40th anniversary, The Manhattan Transfer is the first group to ever win Grammy Awards in both the pop and jazz categories in the same year. Considered one of the most important, innovative groups in music history (their ground breaking album Vocalese scored a monumental 12 Grammy nominations), the highly acclaimed harmony quartet is returning for a long overdue third appearance. Continuing to record throughout the 90s with such legendary artists as Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, Smokey Robinson, B.B. King, and more, they will perform a selection of their many hits as well as songs from their latest CD, The Chick Corea Songbook, featuring much of the piano greats best material.
Sax for Stax, featuring contemporary jazz greats Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, and Jeff Lorber will take to the Playboy stage together for the first time to celebrate the legacy and timeless sound of the classic Memphis label, Stax Records. Each a leader on their own, between them they have played with a virtual whos who of jazz, R&B, and pop, including such stellar artists as Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, Nancy Wilson, David Benoit, Richard Elliot and more. The concept for the trios show, which features dynamic interpretations of some of R&Bs best songs, is inspired by Sax for Stax, the soul-kissed, funk album released in 2008 by urban saxophonist Albright, who has sold over a million albums in the United States alone. The three also toured together previously as part of the Groovin for Grover phenomenon, paying tribute to sax great and Festival favorite, Grover Washington, Jr. Reunited, the hot group continues to play to sellout crowds wherever they go and will close the show on Saturday night.
Multiple Grammy-winning bassist and musical Renaissance man, Marcus Miller is also returning this year, with featured guest artist Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott. Having graced well over 400 albums in his two decade career, Miller has played with a myriad of legendary artists from Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, and Miles Davis, to Elton John, Eric Clapton and Mariah Carey, and is at the top of his game. One of the brightest young stars in jazz, Scott was heralded by Jazz Times magazine as the architect of a new commercially viable fusion and represents the next generation of horn blowers whose lineage began with the legendary King Oliver and continues with the likes of famed trumpeters Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster now. Patrons can purchase tickets online at ticketmaster.com, over the phone by calling (213) 365-3500 or (714) 740-7878, at any Ticketmaster outlet or by downloading a ticket order form available at playboyjazzfestival.com. There is also a link to the Ticketmaster website on the Playboy Jazz Festival website.
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