Pacific Jazz Orchestra 2024-25 Season To Include Christopher Cross, Ivan Lins, Om'Mas Keith, Lee Ritenour, and John Pizzarelli

Pacific Jazz Orchestra, LA's only resident 40-piece hybrid big band and string orchestra, has  announced an ambitious and adventurous 2024-25 season.

Founded and led by esteemed seven-time GRAMMY-nominated composer/arranger/conductor Chris Walden, Pacific Jazz Orchestra, comprised of leading studio musicians, flexes its considerable musical muscle with a range of compelling programs showcasing straight-ahead jazz, swing, hip hop, R&B, Broadway, Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, pop, and more at five leading venues in Los Angeles, Orange County, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara.

“Pacific Jazz Orchestra fills a unique role in LA's bustling music scene,” says Walden. “There hasn't been a bona fide professional jazz orchestra that combines a big band with a string orchestra based in LA in nearly 20 years. This instrumentation provides the ultimate in flexibility, enabling Pacific Jazz Orchestra to perform a vast array of musical styles.

He adds, “Since our musicians are true thoroughbreds who can play anything put in front of them, creating music for Pacific Jazz Orchestra is such a joy for me. This season, we will be stretching our musical boundaries with wide ranging programs designed to captivate people of all ages. Each show we present has a unique musical theme, offering a phenomenal cross section of music and artistry.”

Pacific Jazz Orchestra launches its 2024-25 season with two back-to-back nights of exceptional straight-ahead jazz, swing, and traditional big band jazz featuring jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli – hailed for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz” (Boston Globe) – and Sy Smith, “one of the hardest working women in soul music” (Plano Magazine). (Friday, September 6, Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA; and Saturday, September 7, 2024, Barclay Irvine Theater, Irvine, CA)

Next up, Pacific Jazz Orchestra hosts Ivan Lins' 80th Birthday Celebration, showcasing the considerable talents of iconic Brazilian songwriter/vocalist/pianist who holds “legendary status both in Brazilian and American music circles” (Downbeat). Joining the guest of honor for the celebration are adult contemporary vocalist Jane Monheit, applauded for her “first-rate music” (NPR), and musical chameleon Lee Ritenour, famed for his “virtuosic guitar” chops (Jazziz) and fusion, post-bop, and Brazilian jazz stylings jazz. (Friday, January 17, McCallum Theater, Palm Desert, CA; and Saturday, January 19, 2025, Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts, Costa Mesa, CA)

Shifting its considerable musical gears, Pacific Jazz Orchestra offers a dazzling Broadway Tribute with notable guests (Saturday, February 1, 2025, The Soraya, Northridge, CA)

Capping its season, Pacific Jazz Orchestra returns to The Wallis with a program of genre-bending musical styles. (Thursday, May 29, and Friday, May 30, 2025, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, CA)

In addition to these four dynamic main-stage shows, Oscar and five-time GRAMMY-winner Christopher Cross joins Pacific Jazz Orchestra for its first-ever benefit concert, offering a rare opportunity to see the beloved artist in an intimate venue. The pop sensation and yacht rock pioneer, an Oscar and five-time GRAMMY-winner with such enduring hits as “Sailing,” “Ride Like the Wind,” “Arthur's Theme” “Alright,” and “Think of Laura,” has sold over 10 million albums. Co-headlining with Cross is Pacific Jazz Orchestra's own saxophonist Jacob Scesney. The woodwind specialist has more than 50 chart-topping performance credits with world-renowned acts such as Maroon 5, The Jonas Brothers, Shawn Mendes, & John Legend. (Thursday, October 10, 2024, Vibrato Jazz Club, Los Angeles, CA)

Pacific Jazz Orchestra also launches a new intimate jazz showcase series at the Aster Club in Hollywood with four programs slated. They will feature a rotating quartet of the ensemble's musicians joined by emerging and established artists. (Dates and artists TBA.)

Plans are in the works as well for a Pacific Jazz Orchestra hip hop extravaganza, featuring eminent artists in the field, curated by GRAMMY-winning hip hop producer/composer/musician Om'Mas Keith, known for his work with Frank Ocean, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, and John Legend. Among numerous career highlights, Om'Mas partnered Shafiq Husayn and Taz Arnold to form the alternative hip-hop sensation Sa-Ra, described as “stylish, experimental, eccentric, and eclectic… a foundational inspiration for a new generation” (NTS radio). (Date and location TBA.)

For tickets and information, visit www.pacificjazz.org.

About Pacific Jazz Orchestra

PACIFIC JAZZ ORCHESTRA embraces and reflects the diverse and enthralling soundscape of Los Angeles, where the 40-piece ensemble was born, bred, and resides. The ultimate cross-over sensation, the nimble hybrid jazz big band and string orchestra comprised of powerhouse studio musicians deftly navigates musical styles ranging from jazz, Latin, hip hop, and R&B, to pop, musical theater, symphonic, and cinematic soundtracks.

Founded in 2022 by seven-time GRAMMY-nominated composer/arranger/conductor Chris Walden, Pacific Jazz Orchestra has garnered critical acclaim for thrilling performances that “entertain, inspire, and enrich” (Variety). As artistic director and conductor, Walden creates a melting pot of original music and unique arrangements for every show, each with a specific theme, distinctive jazz flair, and lush orchestrations.

The ensemble is also noted for its ambitious collaborations with a wide range of guest artists, among them acclaimed singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright, singer/actress Katharine McPhee, GRAMMY-winning vocal group TAKE 6, and Tony Award-winner Aaron Tveit. Other projects have featured eminent violinist Caroline Campbell, celebrated saxophonist Ben Wendel, GRAMMY-winning artist Ledisi, R&B/soul singer Adam “AeJaye” Jackson, vocal stylist Sheléa, and veteran blues and funk singer Billy Valentine.

Pacific Jazz Orchestra presents an annual concert series at various Southern California venues and has toured to Japan with its 18-piece big band configuration. It is LA's first resident jazz orchestra since 2006, when the Henry Mancini Institute closed its doors after an acclaimed ten-year run. A 501-(c)(3) non-profit organization, Pacific Jazz Orchestra is sponsored in part by the Herb Alpert Foundation. Its Advisory Board Members include David Foster, Quincy Jones, Monica Mancini, Alan Bergman, Rickey Minor, Harvey Mason Jr., and Ledisi.

About Chris Walden

Seven-time GRAMMY-nominated composer/arranger CHRIS WALDEN is the artistic director and conductor of Pacific Jazz Orchestra. Hailed as a “distinguished conductor” (Audio Media International) and “gifted and well-connected arranger-composer” (Santa Barbara Independent) who pens “exquisite string arrangements” (The Arts Desk), Walden “has built an illustrious career working behind the scenes with some of music's biggest names” (grammy.com).

He has scored more than 40 feature and TV films and written more than 1,500 orchestral and big band arrangements for such artists as John Legend, Michael Bublé, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, SEAL, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Barbra Streisand, and Josh Groban. He has also collaborated as an arranger and bandleader with jazz artists Diana Krall, Herb Alpert, Michael Brecker, Arturo Sandoval, and the Count Basie Orchestra and served as the lead arranger for the Academy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, American Idol, and even the Super Bowl, arranging Jennifer Hudson's National Anthem performance. In addition to working closely with producers David Foster, Tommy LiPuma, and Phil Ramone, Walden's credits include conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Holland's Metropole Orkest, Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, and WDR Big Band Cologne, among others.

The German-born musician, who performs on trumpet and flugelhorn as well, composed music for German films and TV before emigrating to Los Angeles at the age of 29. Walden, who lives in Los Angeles, has served as trustee on the national board of the Recording Academy and past president of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC).

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