36TH ANNUAL PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced today the line -up for the 36th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival to be held on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15 at the Hollywood Bowl. An event of international fame, Playboy Jazz Festival is one of the premiere jazz festivals in the United States and attracts audiences around the world.

With an unprecedented blend of jazz greats illustrious leaders of the next generation and the favorites of the festival headliners this year include Dianne Reeves, George Benson with special guest Earl Klugh, Jamie Cullum, Fantasia, and Dave Holland Kevin Eubanks, Craig Taborn and Eric Harland: Prism. They will be joined by The Kenny Barron Trio with special guest Ravi Coltrane, Dr. Lonnie Smith " in the beginning " Octet , José James , The Arturo Sandoval Big Band, Juan De Marcos & The Afro - Cuban All Stars, Allen Stone, new Orleans favorites Jon Batiste and Stay Human , Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 Henry Butler and Steven Bernstein,

Tia Fuller , The James Cotton Blues Band with special guest Big Jay McNeely , The new Jump Blues featuring Antonio " Huggy Bear" Fargas , Los Amigos Invisibles , LAUSD / Beyond The Bell All City Jazz Big Band, under the direction of Tony White and JB Dyas and the Esperanza High School Jazz Band under the direction of Brad Davis. A special celebratory tribute to the late, legendary George Duke will feature Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, Ndugu Chancler , Paul Jackson, Jr. and Byron Miller, with musical direction by John Beasley. Duke was a headliner at the festival last year and a frequent participant Festival in recent years.

Headliner Dianne Reeves
An impressive number of collaborations with artists and special guests will be making their debut this year including Playboy Prism, Fantasia , The Kenny Barron Trio with special guest Ravi Coltrane , Dr. Lonnie Smith Octet , Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 Henry Butler and Steven Bernstein , The James Cotton Blues Band with special guest Big Jam McNeely , The New Jump Blues featuring Antonio " Huggy Bear" Fargas , The Esperanza High School Jazz Band under the direction of Brad Davis and emerging artists José James , Allen Stone, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, and Los Amigos Invisibles .




Headliner Jamie Cullum

A legend in the pantheon of music festivals, the Playboy Jazz Festival has highlighted the talents of artists ranging from legends like Miles Davis , Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie to today's hottest stars and contemporary artists such as Herbie Hancock Wynton Marsalis , The Roots, Esperanza Spalding and Trombone Shorty . Now in its 36th year, the Jazz Festival Playboy once again will feature two days of musical performances multitalented actor George Lopez host for the second consecutive year after taking the reins from Bill Cosby in 2013.