Summer is definitely in progress, and the warm weather means wonderful nights out. I’d like to recommend these sizzling summer concerts for your enjoyment. It makes the City of Angels a great place to be in the summertime, when there is plenty to choose from.
THURSDAY & TUESDAY, JULY 13 & 18| BEETHOVEN’S NINTH WITH DUDAMEL (HOLLYWOOD BOWL)
A night under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl is the quintessential L.A. summer experience. Dudamel fans are in for a special treat this month when The Dude conducts Beethoven’s heroic Symphony No. 9. It’s best to book now because this concert will sell out if it hasn’t already. For tickets and info, click here.
SATURDAY, JULY 15, | L’ORCHESTRE AFRISA INTERNATIONAL WITH SPECIAL GUEST RICARDO LEMVO (CAL PLAZA, DOWNTOWN LA)
This seven-member band comes to Los Angeles straight from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. L’Orchestre Afrisa International became famous throughout Africa and Europe as the backing band of the late great singer, Tabu Ley Rochereau. Congolese vocalist Ricardo Lemvo will fill in those large shoes for this free Grand Performances show in the beautiful Water Court at Cal Plaza. For more info, click here.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 | ELLA & DIZZY: 100 YEARS, 1,000 MEMORIES (HOLLYWOOD BOWL)
Calling all jazz fans: Vince Mendoza will conduct an all-star band tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, featuring vocalists Andra Day, Jane Monheit, and Lizz Wright. Performing Dizzy Gillespie’s original charts will be trumpeter Jon Faddis, pianist Billy Childs, Charles McPherson on alto sax, and others. This is a jazz must for summer 2017. For tickets and more info, click here.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 | ROSENBERG-PASQUA-OLES-LABARBERA (BLUE WHALE, DOWNTOWN LA)
Jazz piano virtuoso Alan Pasqua was recently asked by Bob Dylan to provide background music for Bob Dylan’s 2016 Nobel Lecture in Literature. This month, Angelenos have a rare opportunity to hear Pasqua perform in an intimate quartet setting at one of my favorite jazz clubs in the city, the Blue Whale in Little Tokyo. For tickets and information, click here.
THURSDAY, JULY 20 | ETHIO CALI WITH BRAINSTORM (LEVITT PAVILION, LOS ANGELES)
Ethio Cali, led by trumpeter, arranger and composer Todd Simon, fuses classic Ethiopian jazz music from the 1960s and 1970s with modern twists, beats, and massive groove. The L.A.-based ensemble bring their soulful sound to the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles this month for a free summer night show. For more info, click here.
FRIDAY, JULY 21 | SIDESTEPPER AND BUYEPONGO (CAL PLAZA, DOWNTOWN LA)
British-Colombia collective Sidestepper and South Central L.A.’s Buyepongo fuse Latin and African beats together in this super show at Grand Performances. These two groups will rock the house and have everybody on their feet dancing to the cumbian beats. It’s a free show so bring your picnic basket and come ready to party! For more information, click here.
