Angle City Jazz Festival is coming back live! Presented by Angel City Arts, the 14th annual festival returns to presenting concerts with live audiences after more than a year of virtual-only events.
A constantly evolving art form, America’s classic music, Jazz, reinvents and matures while still honoring its roots. With some festivals nostalgically looking back, Angel City unapologetically looks forward to encouraging and embracing the metamorphosis of the genre.
The festival will kick off Friday, October 1 at REDCAT at the Disney Hall in Downtown LA with longtime festival favorite San Diego based bassist/composer Mark Dresser leading a new Quintet with Michael Dessen, Joshua White, Mark Ferber, and Chris Speed, followed by Canadian super group the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio with Rich Brown (Dapp Theory) and Larnell Lewis (snarky puppy). The music continues Saturday, October 2 at 2220 Arts & Archives (formerly the Bootleg) with LA’s own experimental percussionist Corey Fogel’s Group featuring ECM recording artist Judith Berkson, followed by NYC based Carnatic vocalist Amirtha Kitambi’s Elder Ones
The festival’s one free event, in cooperation with Jazz at LACMA, will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Pan African Peoples Arkestra on Friday, October 8. Founded in 1961 by piano legend Horace Tapscott, with over 300 musicians on the roster over the decades, LA jazz luminaries who have come out of “the Ark” include Kamasi Washington, Phil Ranelin, Dwight Trible, Jamael Dean, and Maia and Kamau Daaood. P.A.P.A. is currently led by second-generation Arkestra drummer Mekala Session. Like many ACJF/Jazz at LACMA events, this concert will be a true celebration of Black Los Angeles’ jazz heritage.
Saturday, October 9 will see the ACJF partnering with LA-based recording label ORENDA to present a celebration of their 100 releases with Bridge to Everywhere, the Cathlene Pineda Quartet, NOICE, the Dan Rosenboom Quintet, and John Hatamiya’s Big Band at 2220 Arts & Archives. Then Sunday October 10 will be a jazz treat for music hipsters with Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker and seminal experimental musician Eliot Sharp performing as a duo, followed by legendary LA bassist Mike Watt bringing his Muttdogs with festival favorite Motoko Honda, The Fibonaccis’ drummer Joe Berardi, and special guest That Dog/Decembrists violin player Petra Haden, to the Lodge Room in Highland Park.
The penultimate event will see the festival return to its longtime home, the Ford Theater for what is certain to be a sublime evening of Billy Childs’ Jazz Chamber Ensemble with special guest Diane Reeves on October 14. The festival will conclude on October 15 exploring the distaff side of jazz at the Ahmanson Ballroom at the Skirball Center with ACJF stalwart Myra Melford in a solo piano performance followed by acclaimed flutist Jamie Baum’s Septet+1, coming in from NYC for a rare LA appearance
Info and ticket are available at: https://angelcityjazz.com/