LA's First Jazz Fest: Massive Lineup, Global Beats

0:00It's May 1st. You're listening to music news today, AI-powered coverage of the music industry. Los Angeles is gearing up for its first-ever jazz festival, running 17 days from August 7th through late August. The closing weekend on Doc Waller Beach, August 22nd and 23rd, just dropped its first big lineup with John Legend, Janelle Monet, Parliament Funkadelic led by George Clinton, Rafael Sadiq, Charlie Wilson, plus free nationals and friends, big media, original coffee, Joey, Alexander, and Ezra Collective hitting the stage. This fest spreads jazz across the whole city, pulling in artists from over 13 countries and aiming to draw 250,000 fans. Founder and CEO Martin Ledlow calls it a landmark event, born from New Orleans roots through oppression and to global beats, set to be the biggest. Back on Jazz Fest and 3rd largest worldwide, opening night stars Lala Hathaway and Chief Adua with more names coming soon.

1:01You'll catch free vibes everywhere, like 25 jazz in the park shows, pop up jazz after dark, sets in clubs and spots, a Caribbean street, carnival, and even a state of jazz conference. The Beach finale packs extras like Michelle Coltrain, honoring the Coltrain Centennial and the festival's youth band, Stubhub's the official ticket spot, Airbnb's the title sponsor, and jazz on the Beach passes are already on sale through the Fest website. Keep an eye out for more artist drops in the weeks ahead, as this one's about to turn L.A. into one massive jazz playground.