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Southern California Summer Festivals and Performances

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A look at the wide array of musical offerings around Southern California this summer.

June 12-13
The Playboy Jazz Festival
The 32nd annual summer music party returns, with performances by Chick Corea, George Benson, Kurt Elling, Esperanza Spalding, Bobby Hutcherson, the Manhattan Transfer and more.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
Sat., 2:30, Sun., 2 p.m.
$20-$150.
(310) 450-1173.

June 4
Azar Lawrence Quartet
The tenor saxophonist who was 21 when he performed on the Miles Davis live album “Dark Magus" performs from his latest release “Mystic Journey."
Vibrato
2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel Air.
9 p.m.
(310) 474-9400.

June 7
Leszek Mozdzer
Part of the still-itinerant Jazz Bakery's “Moveable Feast" series, the pianist is a leading light in Polish contemporary jazz.
Ivy Substation
9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City.
7:30 and 9 p.m.
$25.
http://www.jazzbakery.com

June 7
New England Conservatory Celebration
The prestigious music school celebrates 40 years of jazz with performances by Roger Kellaway, Gabe Johnson, Jimmy Earl and more.
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.
7:30 p.m.
$15
(323) 466-2210.

June 10
Billy Childs Jazz-Chamber Ensemble
The Jazz Bakery's “Moveable Feast" continues with this pianist- composer's thoughtful, chamber-minded excursions into the meeting point between jazz and classical music.
Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT)
631 W. Second Street, L.A.
8 and 9:30 p.m.
$30.
http://www.jazzbakery.com

June 12
Tortoise
The influential instrumental combo straddles the line between jazz and groove-heavy post-rock.
The Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood.
8 p.m.
$25.
(310) 276-6168.

June 13
Dionne Warwick
The pop and R&B vocalist performs from a songbook that includes “Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and “Walk on By."
Levitt Pavilion
85 E. Holly St., Pasadena.
8 p.m.
$40-75.
http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org

June 16
Sting
Reggae-rock's foremost purveyor, augmented with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, turns on the red light for a SoCal stint.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.
6:30 p.m.
$30.50-$201.
(949) 855-8095
www.sting.com.

June 17-20
Keiko Matsui
The Japanese keyboardist walks a line between smooth jazz and new age.
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.
7:30 p.m.
$20-35.
(323) 466-2210.

June 18-20
Big Bear Lake JazzTrax Summer Music Festival
Smooth jazz and blues featuring Mindi Abair, Jackiem Joyner and more.
Big Bear Lake Marina Resort
40770 Lake View Drive, Big Bear.
$110-250.
http://www.jazztrax.com/jazz/bigbear.html

June 19
Ernie Watts
The tenor saxophonist has performed with Buddy Rich and Charlie Haden's Quartet West.
Caf Metropol
923 E. 3rd St., L.A.
(213) 613-1537

June 20
Erykah Badu
Neo-soul's reigning weirdo is on her second installment of her “New Amerykah" series, this one a little more rooted in organic instrumentation than digital wonkery. Live, she's a hypnotic, riveting performer full of righteous rage and deep-rooted feeling. Janelle Monae opens.
Greek Theatre
2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A.
7 p.m.
$38.50-$101
(323) 665-5857
www.greektheatrela.com.

June 22 - 23
Cassandra Wilson
The sultry vocalist is equally comfortable in the worlds of pop, R&B and traditional jazz.
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.
7:30 p.m.
$35-40.
(323) 466-2210.

June 25-26
Electric Daisy Carnival
L.A. has become possibly the most fertile new soil for techno festivals today, and Electric Daisy has deep roots in it. Moby, Deadmau5, Armin Van Buuren and Groove Armada headline this installment.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
3939 S. Figueroa St., L.A.
2 p.m.
$65 Friday. $75 Saturday. $129 for a two-day pass.
www.electricdaisycarnival.com.

June 26
Greg Brown
The gravel-voiced folk singer-songwriter counts Gillian Welch and Ani DiFranco among his fans with a blend of earthy storytelling and witty turns-of-phrase.
McCabe's Guitar Shop
3101 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica.
8 p.m.
$34.50
(310) 828-4497.

June 26
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
“I Learned The Hard Way" is the latest album from the airtight soul crew, who pulls from vintage Stax and Motown yet never fails to sound wholly modern and fresh. Jones is a firecracker of a vocalist and performer that proves vitality knows no age in music.
The Wiltern
3790 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.
8 p.m.
$22.50-$27.50.
(213) 388-1400.

July

July 7
Femi Kuti & Positive Force, Terence Blanchard
The Nigerian Afrobeat scion shares a bill with the acclaimed jazz trumpeter, who will perform a collaborative work with the Lula Washington Dance Theater.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99
(323) 850-2000.

July 10
Lilith Fair
The '90s showcase of women in music returns after an extended hiatus with a genre-defying lineup of musicians from every walk of life, style and age group, including Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige, Loretta Lynn, Heart, Gossip, Erykah Badu, Cat Power and Emmy Lou Harris.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.
$31.50-$252.
3 p.m.
(949) 855-8095.
http://www.lilithfair.com.

July 15
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra
The cracking house band for the Tony-nominated musical “Fela!" performs from its own catalog of incendiary Afropop, including 2007's excellent “Security," produced by Tortoise's John McEntire.
The Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd.
8:30 p.m.
(213) 413-8200.

July 16
Caravan Palace
The French group performs a manic, electronics-flecked take on Gypsy jazz. Grand Performances at California Plaza
350 S. Grand, L.A.
Free.
http://www.grandperformances.org

July 17
Hard LA
This year's festival boasts its most buzz-worthy lineup in recent memory with rap-rave Internet sensations Die Antwoord, local Low End Theory guru Flying Lotus, Sleigh Bells, N.E.R.D. and headliner M.I.A.
Los Angles State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring St.
4 p.m.-midnight.
$60-$80.
www.hardfest.com.

July 18
Kneebody
The category-defying ensemble adventurously ping-pongs between the worlds of jazz, funk and progressive rock.
Levitt Pavilion
85 E. Holly St., Pasadena.
8 p.m.
Free.
http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org

July 21
Lee Ritenour with Dave Grusin
The jazz favorites who teamed on Ritenour's 2008 album “Amparo" take on Ritenour's latest, “Six String Theory," joined by fellow guitarists John Scofield, Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'. With Dianne Reeves.
The Hollywood Bowl V 2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99.
(323) 850-2000.

July 21
Jamie Cullum
The energetic British singer and pianist deftly swings between poppy jazz and jazzy pop dusted with contemporary electronics.
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, L.A.
$29.50-49.50.
http://www.livenation.com.

July 23
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
The LA-based violinist-composer-arranger moves from free jazz to hip hop and funk to abstract electronic music. He's arranged the late rap producer J Dilla's work for orchestra, has contributed to the avant jazz collective Build an Ark, and added his touch to the highly praised new Flying Lotus album.
California Plaza
300-350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
8 p.m.
Free.
http://www.grandperformances.org

July 28
Count Basie Orchestra
The Bowl thinks big with this date headlined by the long-running jazz institution, which also features large ensembles led by the reliably adventurous bassist Dave Holland and trumpeter Dave Douglas.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99.
(323) 850-2000.

August

Aug. 5-7
Kenny Burrell Quintet
The 60-year recording veteran and director of UCLA's “Ellingtonia" program helped define the sound of jazz guitar in the post-bop era.
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.
$25-30.
(323) 466-2210

Aug. 11
B.B. King and Buddy Guy
Two musical titans who have influenced just about every guitarist in rock transform the Bowl into the nation's largest blues club.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99.
(323) 850-2000.

Aug. 11
Ken Peplowski Quartet
The veteran clarinetist and favorite of the long-running West Coast Jazz Party performs as part of that festival's new summer concert series.
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa
900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach.
(949) 759-5003.
http://www.newportbeachjazzparty.com

Aug. 13-15
Long Beach Jazz Festival
Three days of crowd-pleasing jazz and R&B with Boney James, Dave Koz, the Original Jazz Crusaders featuring Joe Sample, Marcus Miller with Christian Scott and more.
Rainbow Lagoon Park
E. Shoreline Dr. and Linden Ave., Long Beach.
$45-180.
(562) 424-0013.
http://www.longbeachjazzfestival.com

Aug. 15
Vijay Iyer
A fiery, gifted improviser who topped a number of year-end lists with his 2009 album “Historicity," this pianist is equally comfortable with his own knotty originals as he is with inside-out covers of artists ranging from M.I.A. to Andrew Hill.
Levitt Pavilion
85 E. Holly St., Pasadena.
8 p.m.
Free.
http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org

Aug. 18
Neville Brothers
The New Orleans institution leads a lineup of Crescent City favorites including Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Trey McIntire Dance Project and second line heavy-hitters the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99
(323) 850-2000.

Aug. 21-22
Sunset Junction
The annual Silver Lake street fest has a retro-look in 2010, with local soul-influenced acts Mayer Hawthorne and Fitz and the Tantrums among the early bookings. Also on the bill: the Ohio Players, the Whispers and Meshell Ndegeocello.
Sunset Junction Street Festival
3700-4300 Sunset Blvd. and 4000-4200 Santa Monica Blvd.
Prices not announced.
www.sunsetjunction.org.

Aug. 21, 23
Dave Matthews Band
The jam band's recent “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" failed to win the Grammy for album of the year, but it did provide a streamlining of the band's sound.
Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave., L.A.
Aug 23.
$45-$85.

Aug. 22
Christian Scott
The fiery young trumpeter's latest album “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow" is a mix of atmospheric, adventurous jazz and social consciousness. Levitt Pavilion, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. 8 p.m. Free. http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org

Aug. 25
Gershwin Across America
A diverse roster of musicians including Jason Mraz, BeBe Winans, St. Vincent and others come together to celebrate the composer.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99.
(323) 850-2000.

Aug. 25
Norah Jones
The singer attempted to break out of her breezy, jazz-informed comfort zone with her rock-leaning recent album “The Fall." Corinne Bailey Rae opens.
The Greek Theater
2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A.
7:30 p.m.
$35-65.
(323) 665-5857.

Aug. 26-29
Lenny White Band
The drummer for Chick Corea's fusion ensemble Return to Forever performs from his latest album “Anomaly."
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.
$20-35.
(323) 466-2210.

September

Sept. 1
Herbie Hancock
Seven Decades The ever-restless jazz giant celebrates his 70th birthday with guests from across the musical spectrum, including Wayne Shorter, the Allman Brothers Band's Derek Trucks and others.
The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave. L.A.
8 p.m.
$8-$99.
(323) 850-2000.

Sept. 3-6
Sweet & Hot Music Festival
The 15th annual jazz festival dedicated to the classic sound of swinging jazz, big bands and blues returns.
Los Angeles Airport Marriott
5855 W. Century Blvd, L.A.
$25-100.
(909) 983-0106.

Sept. 4
FYF Fest
One of the best underground rock festivals in the country returns to the downtown LA State Historic Park with a two-day festival of hardcore punk, spazzy electronic, noise and indie. Line-up and ticket pricing to be determined, but rest assured it'll pack a wallop for hipsters on a limited budget.
LA State Historic Park
1235 N. Spring St., L.A.
noon to midnight.
$20-$25.
http://www.fyffest.com.

Sept. 11
Jazzmopolitan
Filipino Gentlemen of Jazz Jazz merges with Filipino culture with performances by vocalist Mon David, saxophonist Ner de Leon and more. John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, L.A.
$25-45.
(323) 461-3673.

Sept. 18
Phoenix Phoenix, with the Grizzly Bear and Girls. The Bowl kicks off a virtual “indie week" with French rock stars Phoenix, which has gradually built its stateside fanbase to become one of the biggest guitar bands in America. Openers are indie barbershop quartet Grizzly Bear and San Francisco pop rock masters Girls.
Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave, L.A.
7 p.m.
$25-$58.
(323) 850-2000.

Sept. 24
Tony Bennett
Now more than 80 years old, the legendary crooner still has an unparalleled way with the Great American Songbook.
Gibson Amphitheater
100 Universal City Plaza.
$40.50-147.50
(818) 622-4440.

Oct. 3
Angel City Jazz Festival
The boundary-pushing festival returns for its second year, this time featuring performances by Ravi Coltrane, Wadada Leo Smith, Nels Cline and more.
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, L.A.
5 p.m.
(323) 461-3673.
angelcityjazzfestival.com.

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