Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival

Last updated
Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival
Playboy Jazz Festival 2007.jpg
Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, 2007
Genre Jazz
DatesJune
Location(s) Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Coordinates 34°06′46″N118°20′20″W / 34.11278°N 118.33889°W / 34.11278; -118.33889
Years active2022–present; previously held as Playboy Jazz Festival: 1959; 1979–2019
Founded by Hugh Hefner
Capacity17,500
Organized by Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Website www.hollywoodbowl.com/concerts-and-events/hollywood-bowl-jazz-festival

The Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival is an event held in the Hollywood Bowl that celebrates jazz and features both established and up-and-coming jazz musicians. Founded in 1959 by Hugh Hefner as the Playboy Jazz Festival, it was held in Chicago but did not recur until 1979, when the venue was moved to the Hollywood Bowl.

Contents

In 2022, the festival changed its name. It was held June 25 and 26 that year and hosted by comedian Arsenio Hall.

The event is organized by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, which presents the summer Hollywood Bowl concerts.

History

The festival was founded as the Playboy Jazz Festival by Hugh Hefner and first held in Chicago at the Chicago Stadium in 1959. However, the festival did not occur again until 1979, when the Hollywood Bowl played host in Los Angeles in celebration of the magazine's 25th anniversary. The event is held there annually; [1] in 2022, it changed its name to the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival. [2]

The Festival

The Festival is held on a Saturday and Sunday in mid-June. Bill Cosby was the emcee of the majority of the annual festivals from 1979 to 2012. In 2013, comedian George Lopez took over after Cosby retired, [3] and continued hosting through 2019. [4] The 2022 and 2023 festivals were hosted by comedian Arsenio Hall. [5]

In 2014, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, which presents the summer Hollywood Bowl concerts, assumed presenting and booking duties. [6]

The Festival is broadcast live by the Southern California jazz public radio station KKJZ.

In 2020, the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [7] [8]

In November 2021 the name was changed to "Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival" effective June 2022. [2] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Hefner</span> American magazine publisher (1926–2017)

Hugh Marston Hefner was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles.

<i>Playboy</i> American lifestyle and entertainment magazine

Playboy is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. Colloquially referred to as the LA Phil, the orchestra has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September. Gustavo Dudamel is the current music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen is conductor laureate, Zubin Mehta is conductor emeritus, and Susanna Mälkki is principal guest conductor. John Adams is the orchestra's current composer-in-residence.

Rhonda Honey Shear is an American television personality, comedian, actress, and entrepreneur. She is known for her role as a host in the 1990s USA Network's weekend B movie show, USA Up All Night. In 2001, she started an intimate apparel business that was marketed on Home Shopping Network (HSN), with one of her most successful products being the Ahh Bra in 2010. She is a regular participant in Tampa Bay's annual Fashion Week events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Cosby</span> American comedian and media personality (born 1937)

William Henry Cosby Jr. is an American former comedian, actor, spokesman, and media personality. Cosby gained a reputation as "America's Dad" for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984–1992). He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career, though many of them were revoked following sexual assault allegations made against him in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Bowl</span> Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California

The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by Rolling Stone magazine in 2018. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lollapalooza</span> American music festival

Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, and many years later, Chicago became its permanent location. Music genres include alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic dance music. Lollapalooza has also featured visual arts, nonprofit organizations, and political organizations. The festival hosts an estimated 400,000 people each July and sells out annually. Lollapalooza is one of the largest music festivals in the world and one of the longest-running in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arsenio Hall</span> American comedian, actor and TV host (born 1956)

Arsenio Hall is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted the late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playboy Mansion</span> Former home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner

The Playboy Mansion, also known as the Playboy Mansion West, is the former home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who lived there from 1971 until his death in 2017. Barbi Benton convinced Hefner to buy the home located in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, near Beverly Hills. From the 1970s onward, the mansion became the location of lavish parties held by Hefner which were often attended by celebrities and socialites. It is currently owned by Daren Metropoulos, the son of billionaire investor Dean Metropoulos, and is used for corporate activities. It also serves as a location for television production, magazine photography, charitable events, and civic functions.

<i>Star 80</i> 1983 film by Bob Fosse

Star 80 is a 1983 American biographical drama film written and directed by Bob Fosse. It was adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Village Voice article "Death of a Playmate" by Teresa Carpenter and is based on Canadian Playboy model Dorothy Stratten, who was murdered by her husband Paul Snider in 1980. The film's title is taken from one of Snider's vanity license plates. The film was Fosse's final film before his death in 1987.

<i>The Arsenio Hall Show</i> American late-night talk show

The Arsenio Hall Show is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Mencia</span> American stand-up comedian

Ned Arnel "Carlos" Mencía is a Honduran-American comedian, writer, and actor. His style of comedy is often political and involves issues of race relations, Latin American culture, criminal justice, and social class. He is best known for as the host of the Comedy Central show Mind of Mencia (2005–2008). Around the time of the show's cancellation, several comedians accused Mencía of plagiarism and stealing jokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbi Benton</span> American retired model, actress and singer

Barbi Benton is an American retired model, actress, television personality, and singer. She appeared in Playboy magazine, as a regular on the comedy series Hee Haw, and recorded several moderately successful albums in the 1970s. After the birth of her first child in 1986, Benton retired from show business.

<i>The Girls Next Door</i> American reality television series

The Girls Next Door is a reality television series which focuses on the lives of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends who live with him at the Playboy Mansion. The series was created by executive producer Kevin Burns and Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine. The series premiered on the E! cable network on August 7, 2005 and ran for 6 seasons. The first five seasons centered around then-girlfriends, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. The sixth and final season premiered on October 11, 2009 and introduced Hefner's new girlfriends, Crystal Harris, who eventually went on to marry Hefner, and twins Kristina and Karissa Shannon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playboy Club</span> Chain of night clubs

The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club Room. Members and their guests were served food and drinks by Playboy Bunnies, some of whom were featured in Playboy magazine. The clubs offered name entertainers and comedians in the Club Rooms, and local musicians and the occasional close-up magician in the Living Rooms. Starting with the London and Jamaica club locations, the Playboy Club became international in scope.

<i>Playboy After Dark</i> American TV series or program

Playboy After Dark is an American television show hosted by Hugh Hefner. It aired in syndication through Screen Gems from 1969 to 1970 and was taped at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.

<i>Playboys Penthouse</i> American variety/talk TV series

Playboy's Penthouse is an American variety/talk television show hosted by Playboy founder and then-editor/publisher Hugh Hefner. It was first broadcast on October 24, 1959 and ran in syndication for two seasons.

Matt Whelan is a New Zealand actor and comedian. Whelan is known for his roles as Brad Caulfield in the New Zealand television comedy-drama programme Go Girls. He has also played Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in the Amazon Original series American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story. Whelan plays DEA agent Van Ness in the Netflix original series Narcos.

<i>Mel Tormé Live at the Playboy Jazz Festival</i> 2002 live album by Mel Tormé

Mel Tormé Live at the Playboy Jazz Festival is a 2002 live album by Mel Tormé, recorded at the Hollywood Bowl at the 1993 Playboy Jazz Festival.

Fame at the Mansion was an exclusive black tie event held February 12, 2012, at the Los Angeles Playboy Mansion on the evening of the 54th Grammy Awards. The event, hosted by Grammy Award winner Sean Combs, featured an honorary ceremony for Playboy's founding father Hugh Hefner and was a media heavy fundraiser for the Angelwish Foundation, which supports children and families with chronic illness. Hefner was honored as a Humanitarian of the Year by the Angelwish Foundation. Following the event, Diddy was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and was quoted as saying that it was the "best party he has ever thrown."

References

  1. Nina Gordon Public Relations (February 26, 2010). "Playboy and Jazz: A History". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014.
  2. 1 2 HBTadmin (2021-11-24). "The Playboy Jazz Festival is now the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival". Hollywood Bowl Tips. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  3. "George Lopez To Host 35th Playboy Jazz Festival". The Beverly Hills Courier . Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival 2022 in Los Angeles - Dates". rove.me. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  5. "Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival 2022 in Los Angeles - Dates". HollywoodBowl.com. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  6. Brown, August (December 4, 2013). "L.A. Philharmonic to present, book Playboy Jazz Festival". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on July 29, 2014.
  7. "Hollywood Bowl cancels entire 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns". Daily News. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  8. "Playboy Jazz Festival | Hollywood Bowl". Hollywood Bowl. Retrieved 2022-01-31.