The Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival is an event held in the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

that celebrates jazz and features both established and up-and-coming jazz musicians. Founded in 1959 by

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...

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

Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) 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. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Com ...

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

concerts.

History

The festival was founded as the Playboy Jazz Festival by

and first held in Chicago at the

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...

in 1959. However, the festival did not occur again until 1979, when the

played host in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in celebration of the magazine's 25th anniversary. The event is held there annually; in 2022, it changed its name to the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival.

The Festival

The Festival is held on a Saturday and Sunday in mid-June.

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

was the emcee of the majority of the annual festivals from 1979 to 2012. In 2013, comedian

George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. Lopez has rece ...

took over after Cosby retired, and continued hosting through 2021. The 2022 festival was hosted comedian

. In 2014, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, which presents the summer

concerts, assumed presenting and booking duties. The Festival is broadcast live by the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

jazz

public radio Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

station

KKJZ KKJZ (88.1 MHz FM, "K-Jazz 88.1") is a non-commercial public radio station in Southern California broadcasting from the Long Beach State campus. The station is one of several public radio stations in Southern California presenting jazz and blu ...

. In 2020, the festival was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In November 2021 it was announced, that from June 2022, the event would be named Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival.

References

External links

* Jazz festivals in the United States Music festivals in Los Angeles Playboy Jazz clubs in California Hollywood Bowl Jazz festivals in California Jazz clubs in Illinois {{Jazz-festival-stub