Jazz festival’s strong lineup
The Playboy festival returns with a stellar lineup
A look at must-see acts at the Playboy Jazz Festival.
Even after 37 years, the Playboy Jazz Festival remains the biggest event of its kind for Southern California music fans.
Now in its second year as a co-production with the L.A. Philharmonic (and Herbie Hancock, its creative chair for jazz), the latest installment of the festival is among its strongest in years, particularly for those who never fully embraced its annual nods toward the crowd-pleasing smooth-jazz genre.
Whether jazz is a form best experienced in 17,000-plus venues like the Hollywood Bowl is a topic for a separate conversation, but there’s no denying Playboy’s power to pull jazz fans together for an early summer celebration. Following are seven acts from both days not to miss.
SATURDAY
Melissa Aldana
A Berklee College of Music graduate who studied under the likes of Joe Lovano and Greg Osby, this Chileanborn tenor saxophonist was marked as a talent to watch since becoming the first female winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute’s saxophone competition. She built upon that promise last year with an assured debut on Concord, which gave her intricate, patiently unfurling ventures ample opportunity to shine in a nimble trio. Jason Moran’s Fats Waller Dance Party
Ozomatli, King Sunny Ade and Tower of Power may inspire more dancing, but nobody on this weekend’s bill will deliver more joy than this eclectic tribute to one of pop music’s earliest stars. First performed in 2011, Moran’s joyful love letter to Waller was distilled into his brassy, R&Bshaded 2014 album “All Rise,” which was aided by guest vocals from Meshell Ndegeocello. Already one of the most inventive jazz artists today, Moran’s boisterous stride piano runs are bound to grab the ear, even while his fondness for performing in a giant replica of Waller’s cigar-chomping head grabs your eyes. Gerald Wilson Orchestra
The master may have left us last year after his death at 96, but Gerald Wilson’s innovative music and unparalleled ear for harmony remains a lasting presence. Here, under the direction of his son Anthony Wilson, his musical legacy will be celebrated along with his enduring impact as a giant of Southern California jazz, which most recently manifested in the celebrated debut album by one of his protégés, buzz-heavy saxophonist Kamasi Washington. Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock with the Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble
How can you go wrong seeing two unquestioned masters who separately and together have contributed to a small library’s worth of landmark recordings? Here the longtime collaborators will be joined by the 2016 class at the Thelonious Monk Institute at UCLA, a seven-piece student ensemble that includes performers from as far as Israel and Australia and as nearby as Downey. This set may not amount to a final exam, but its hard to imagine better teachers.
SUNDAY
Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective
One of the deans of contemporary jazz, this trumpeter has been heard on numerous soundtracks for the films of Spike Lee as well as his own recordings, which have reliably showcased a keen ear for young talent. Blanchard explores the intersection of jazz and funk with his latest album, “Breathless,” which in addition to featuring grooves that should pair well with a cool summer night also features some timely, much-needed social commentary backed by a pair of rising stars in guitarist Charles Altura and pianist Fabian Almazan. Snarky Puppy
Maybe the most unfortunately named act on this (or any other) festival bill, this 12-piece collective also stands out with a furious commitment to defying musical categories. Last year it stormed the Grammys with a win in the R&B performance category for “Something,” a collaboration with Lalah Hathaway, and the group ventured to Europe to record its genre-skipping new album, “Sylva,” which includes the backing of the Netherlands’ Metropole Orkest. The name might sound silly, but the music is no joke. Blue Note 75th Anniversary Presents “Our Point of View”
The venerable jazz label assembled what may be the best band of the weekend while drawing from the impressive talent on its current roster, including Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire, Kendrick Scott, Derrick Hodge, Marcus Strickland and Lionel Loueke. The irony that much of their “point of view” will be dedicated to takes on Blue Note classics isn’t lost here, but seeing the sparks fly from their interplay should spur enticing visions of what could have been if these artists’ full bands were on the bill as well.