Jazz Mafia, Black Mahal, et al. Set for Free Orange County Great Park 2011 Flights and Sounds Summer Festival

The Orange County Great Park's 2011 Flights and Sounds Summer Festival continues with its free to the public performances until September 3rd. The Festival, which began with Grammy Award winner Branford Marsalis, includes Grammy Award nominated Lucinda Williams (August 13) and closes with world renowned Preservation Hall Jazz Band (September 3).

These Friday night dance parties and Saturday night concerts celebrate the vitality and variety of American music and the growing influence of Latin American, Middle Eastern and East Indian Music and dance in the United States.

This year's outdoor Flights & Sounds Summer Festival will take place near the brand-new Palm Court Arts Complex and expansive North Lawn, under the glow of the Great Park Balloon Admission is free, and parking is $10. Visitors will also be able to enjoy the Park's inaugural exhibition in the newly opened Great Park Gallery, Plane Air Power by Jorg Dubin.

Eclectic singer and dancer Nuriya blends sizzling vocals, rumba flamenco, Afro-Cuban rhythms and Arabic melodies on August 12. Louisiana born singer and songwriter Lucinda Williams will light up the stage singing folk, country, rock and pop on August 13.

Shotgun Wedding Quintet's unique blend of gypsy funk, rap and swing will drag you to the dance floor on August 19. San Francisco's Jazz Mafia, one of the hottest, most inventive forces in jazz, will mix hip-hop symphonic music and whatever else works on August 20 for some spectacularly energizing music.

H'Sao, a six-piece band with roots in gospel, R&B, soul and African sounds will perform their high-energy music and masterful a cappella vocals on August 26. Grammy Award winner Del McCoury brings his lonesome vocals and a bluegrass band to the Great Park on August 27.

Get your "turban groove" on when BlackMahal a rollicking, unpredictable, wildly danceable band, performs its blend of hip-hop, and Punjabi funk on September 2. The world-famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band will bring the Festival to a close on September 3.

The Hangar Café will re-open in the newly renovated historic Hangar 244. It will feature a fresh selection of delicious food that will be available for purchase to enjoy at the Café or on the lawn before the dance parties and concerts. Live music begins at 8:15pm. Hangar Café opens at 6pm before all shows. Flights & Sounds Summer Festivalis presented by the Orange County Great Park and produced by the Irvine Barclay Theater. Both theater-style fixed seating and lawn space is available for all shows. Concerts and dance parties are located at the Orange County Great Park, off the 405 or 5 Freeways at Sand Canyon and Marine Way in Irvine. For more information go to www.ocgp.org

Friday Night: World Beat Dance Parties

August 12 - Nuriya - Salsa gone global with sizzling vocals, rumba flamenco, Afro-Cuban rhythms and Arabic melodies.
August 19 - Shotgun Wedding Quintet - From big band swing, to funk and gypsy jazz.
August 26 - H'Sao - High-energy dance music spliced with masterful a cappella vocals.
September 2 - BlackMahal - Punjabi funk with drums, horns and hip-hop.

 

Saturday Night: American Music Styles in Concert

August 13 - Lucinda Williams - From folk, to country, rock and Americana.
August 20 - Jazz Mafia - One of the most powerful assemblies of virtuosic performers with top-tier brass and an always premium rhythm section.
August 27 - The Del McCoury Band - High lonesome vocals and knife-sharp band keep the bluegrass flame alive.
September 3 - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Joyful mastery of traditional jazz.

 

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