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Friday Night Jazz
Larry Nash and the Jazz Symphonics
July 3 | 6 pm
Renowned pianist Larry Nash is joined by saxophonist Rickey Woodard and trumpeter Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, along with an all-star rhythm section. For over four decades, Nash has been performing and recording with such artists as Eddie Harris, Joni Mitchell, Tom Scott, Etta James and Bill Withers.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Phil Ranelin Sextet
July 10 | 6 pm
Legendary trombonist, composer, arranger and bandleader Phil Ranelin has shared the bill with Stanley Clarke, Christian McBride, Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, Wayne Shorter, and McCoy Tyner. Ranelin has performed around the world at such famous jazz festivals as the Montreux, Kool, Monterey, and Playboy Jazz Festivals.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Luther Hughes and the Cannonball/Coltrane Project
July 17 | 6 pm
Initially formed as an homage to the 1959 Cannonball Adderley–John Coltrane landmark album, The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago, the Cannonball/Coltrane Project continues to pay tribute to these two jazz giants with arrangements and original compositions related to or inspired by Cannonball and/or Coltrane. The group has released a number of critically acclaimed recordings that are played on leading jazz stations across the country.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
George Kahn Quintet
July 24 | 6 pm
A major force in the Los Angeles jazz community since the late 1990s, pianist-composer George Kahn recently released his sixth CD, Cover Up! The recording features Kahn's trio with bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Alex Acuna, plus special guests. Kahn appears regularly at local jazz clubs and generously performs at a number of benefits.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Raya Yarbrough
July 31 | 6 pm
“Her voice is a pliable, versatile instrument, an effective vehicle for a musical expression that ranges freely from pop-style ballad to surprisingly effective scat singing,” declared Los Angeles Times music writer Don Heckman. Raya has opened for Terence Blanchard in New York and has performed in some of L.A’s finest jazz clubs. As a winner of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Composition program, she performed her original music on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Friday Night Jazz in July is presented by
Trio Loco
August 7 | 6 pm
World-renowned bassist Jimmy Haslip (co-founder of The Yellowjackets) and guitarist Jeff Richman (Manhattan Transfer, Billy Cobham) bring their contemporary jazz trio to LACMA. Their recording Trio Loco includes original works by Richman and Haslip and features Pat Metheny drummer Danny Gottlieb.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Cross Hart Jazz Experience
August 14 | 6 pm
Led by bassist/composer Ryan Cross and drummer Lorca Hart, the Cross Hart Jazz Experience takes a fresh approach to jazz standards with high-energy arrangements. The group’s acclaimed self-titled debut album has received airplay nationally and the group has performed across Southern California at jazz clubs and festivals including the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Rose Bowl.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Ben Wendel Group
August 21 | 6 pm
Founding member of the genre-bending group, Kneebody, saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel has toured the world with such diverse artists as Cuban drumming legend Ignacio Berroa, Thelonius Monk Piano Competition winner Tigran Hamasyan, and hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg. His first solo album. Simple Song, was released on Sunnyside Records in March 2009. Wendel also serves as adjunct professor of jazz studies at USC.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
The Kathleen Grace Band
August 28 | 6 pm
Based in Los Angeles, the Kathleen Grace Band (KGB) was born from a desire to fuse the musical language of jazz with the storytelling of the American folk tradition. Grace in her capacity as singer, songwriter, and producer draws the listener in with vocal harmonies, grooves, and textures. She has performed at festivals in Europe, the U.S., and South America and was a finalist in the 2004 Montreux International Jazz Vocal Competition.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Michael Session Sextet
September 4 | 6 pm
Michael Session returns to LACMA with his all-star sextet. “Session remains a dominant soloist, blessed with vivid musical imagination, A-Line technique, and an apparent passion to construct heart-stopping thrill rides on the saxophone,” writes Rex Butters, All About Jazz. Firmly rooted in classic Blue Note, the sextet’s front line plays crisp harmonized arrangements based in blues and uptown bebop.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
L.A. Jazz Treasure Award—Snooky Young
September 11 | 6 pm
LACMA and the Los Angeles Jazz Society proudly present the inaugural L.A. Jazz Treasure Award to jazz trumpet legend Snooky Young. The evening features a special tribute band comprised of Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Tonight Show band members.
Mr. Young recently turned 90 and is a recent NEA Jazz Master award winner. Young was lead trumpeter of the Jimmie Lunceford band from 1939 to 1942 and has played with Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. His longest engagement was with the Tonight Show Band from 1967 through 1992. Young is still playing and recording with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
BoneSoir
September 18 | 6 pm
BoneSoir's straight-ahead jazz features five trombones and a rhythm section. Each member has an extensive background in a broad scope of musical performances and genres: festivals, theaters, clubs, and concert halls, motion picture, video, television, and recordings.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
This concert is sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.
Gary LeMel
September 25 | 6 pm
A singer who instantly “touches your heart” (allaboutjazz.com), Gary LeMel has a rich baritone voice, a respect for melodies and lyrics, and a sincere, uncluttered delivery that result in timeless music tailor-made "for lovers of vocals" (Radio & Records Magazine ). LeMel has recorded for Concord and Atlantic Records and has worked with such musicians as Elvin Jones, the Brecker Brothers, and Grady Tate.
BP Grand Entrance | Free, no reservations
Acknowledgments
Friday Night Jazz is made possible in part by the Johnny Mercer Foundation. In-kind support is provided by KKJZ 88.1 FM.
Mitch Glickman, Director of Music Programs, 323 857-6014
Bill Vestal, Sundays Live, 323 857-6234
Ryan Zwahlen, Music Programs Coordinator, 323 857-6115
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When
Every Friday 6 pm–8 pm, April through November
Where
BP Grand Entrance
at LACMA starting June 12th
Free
No tickets or reservations required
Music Department
call 323 857-6115
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