L.A. Phil Names Jazz Leader

The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Wednesday that jazz singer Dianne Reeves has been appointed to the newly created post of creative chair for jazz. In addition, the orchestra unveiled the schedule for the Hollywood Bowl season beginning June 28, which marks the start of Reeves’ tenure with the orchestra In an interview, Philharmonic executive vice president and managing director Deborah Borda said that Reeves, who lives in Denver, is the first in what the orchestra hopes will be a series of jazz artists who will serve as “visiting professors” for two-year periods, to advise the orchestra on jazz programming. Reeves, a Detroit native who launched her singing career in L.A , performed at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. These artists, Borda said, “will work with us year-round, as we move toward Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as for the Bowl, [as] we assemble a truly cohesive jazz program with a point of viewThis approach represents a departure from the Philharmonic’s previous arrangement with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, which was brought in as the Bowl’s resident jazz group by former Philharmonic executive director Willem Wijnbergen in 1998. The orchestra’s contract expired at the end of 2001 Bowl season. Reeves’ programming input will not be felt this summer because the 2002 Bowl season was designed in advance of her appointment. But Bowl audiences will get the chance to hear her sing as one of the artists in the Wednesday Jazz at the Bowl series on July 17. That concert, a salute to Billie Holiday, will also feature Oleta Adams and Tom Wopat, accompanied by the Terence Blanchard Quintet. Other jazz series concerts include performances by Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Chick Corea, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and a one-time appearance by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. The season kicks off in June with the annual Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame gala with fireworks, in a program featuring the L.A. Philharmonic conducted by music director Esa-Pekka Salonen. The concert supports the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn.’s education program, Music Matters. This year’s classical music concerts include performances by the Philharmonic, with Salonen conducting four concerts in August, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Russian National Orchestra. Guest soloists include baritone Thomas Quasthoff, flutist James Galway, pianist Emanual Ax, classical guitarist Christopher Parkening, soprano Susan Graham, and violinists Jaime Laredo, Leila Josefowicz and Gil Shaham. Among this year’s concerts are three performances celebrating the Fourth of July, with John Williams conducting the Philharmonic and a guest appearance by James Taylor; the annual “Big Picture” movie night, this year honoring the 75th anniversary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; and the Bowl debut of Mexican singer and film star Pepe Aguilar. The Bowl’s Weekend Spectaculars series include a Celtic Celebration with the Chieftains; vocalist Audra McDonald in a Gershwin tribute; and the Canadian Cirque Eloize, combining circus, dance and classical music. Offerings from the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by John Mauceri, include a staged adaptation of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” starring Eric McCormack and Kristin Chenoweth; a concert performance of Puccini’s “La Boheme”; a tribute concert for the city of New York; and movie music concerts with works by Elmer Bernstein, Alex North and “Lord of the Rings” Oscar winner Howard Shore. KCRW’s Sunday World Festival series continues this summer, featuring Erykah Badu with Zap Mama, Keali’i Reichel, Les Grands Ballets de Tahiti, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, Burning Spear, Ozomatli, Hugh Masekela and Eddie Palmieri, Lauryn Hill, Steel Pulse, Gal Costa, Dori Caymmi and others. For a schedule, call (323) 850-2000 or visit www.hollywoodbowl.com