[NoHo Arts District, CA] – The third annual Jazz at Naz Festival returns to The Soraya with seven concerts in the Great Hall and the Onstage Jazz Club from January 27- February 10.
Fast to be recognized as one of the best winter jazz festivals on the West Coast, the third-annual Jazz at Naz Festival features an all-star lineup of the finest musicians in both The Soraya’s Great Hall and its innovative onstage Jazz Club—a unique and intimate setting for jazz performances hosted directly on The Soraya’s stage with less than 300 seats available. Whether you’re a hard-core jazz aficionado or simply looking for a fun night out, Jazz at Naz offers a wide breadth of talented jazz greats — from Booker T. Jones and Hammond Organ prodigy Matthew Whitaker to Delfeayo Marsalis’ New Orleans Jazz, and the poignant rhythms of Cuba with Eliades Ochoa and Harold López-Nussa.
Enjoy Jazz at Naz from anywhere in the world
The third-annual Jazz at Naz Festival will continue The Soraya’s tradition of live-streaming concerts, expanding availability for audiences around the world and creating a unique “watch it again” opportunity post-concert for all in-person patrons. Innovation in the face of COVID-19 paid off—making the inaugural Jazz at Naz Festival the most successful programming of the 2021/2022 Season—with both live performance and online revenue streams.
• 2021/2022 Season: Jazz at Naz had more than 4,300 people (more than two times the size of The Soraya’s 1,700-seat Great Hall!) and was watched for more than 3,000 hours.
• 2022/2023 Season: Jazz at Naz had more than 4,580 people and was watched for 3,727 hours.
Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber and accomplished jazz musician and educator Reggie Quinerly will return as hosts of the 13-camera digital stream—featuring exclusive backstage content and candid interviews with the artists.
“The Soraya’s third-annual Jazz at Naz Festival promises to be our best yet,” said Thor Steingraber, The Soraya’s Executive and Artistic Director. We will host some of the greatest musical talents that span generations and geography. Distinct regional sounds of jazz will come to us from New Orleans, Cuba, New York, the Carolinas, Memphis, and nearby — from the great Herb Alpert who crafted a uniquely L.A. sound. One of our favorite things to do is pair artists of different generations on the same evening. For example, Booker T. Jones and Matthew Whitaker are separated in age by six decades, but they share a musical lineage and their love of the Hammond organ.”
Jazz at Naz Festival Performances
An * Denotes that the concert is not available for streaming.
Sat Jan 27 | 8pm*
Great Hall
A Golden Anniversary with Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
Legendary Tijuana Brass founder and trumpeter combines work and home life in this jazzy return to The Soraya stage. Celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary, Alpert’s signature brass dances with the airy and sensual voice of Hall proving that even after half a century the sparks still fly.
Wed Jan 31| 8pm*
Thu Feb 1 | 8pm
Jazz Club
Ranky Tanky with very special guest Ms. Lisa Fischer
Fischer returns to the Soraya with the ebullient sounds of Southern Jazz. Featuring traditional spirituals, standards, and contemporary offerings, the get funky Gullah vibe of Ranky Tanky uplifts as Fischer’s delightfully rich Gospel tone brightens familiar jazz standards.
Fri Feb 2 | 8pm*
Sat Feb 3 | 8pm
Jazz Club
Booker T. Jones
60 Years of Green Onions & The Hammond B-3
With special guest Matthew Whitaker
Funky Soul fills the air of The Soraya 60 years after Booker T. Jones’ defining record Green Onions hit the charts. The stone groove of Memphis reverberates throughout the Great Hall in the electrostatic sound of the Hammond B3 Organ. This unique Southern California pairing finds the architect of sound reinvigorated with the high-octane energy of Whitaker’s youth.
Wed Feb 7 | 8pm
Great Hall
Delfeayo Marsalis
and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Celebrate the sounds of New Orleans with this fun and festive evening of music. Producer, educator, and trombone player, Marsalis leads the vibrant Uptown Jazz Orchestra in a performance that crystalizes the stories, sounds, and rhythms of NOLA. Glide through the fabled streets of the city’s French Quarter and experience the symphonic dance of Carnival as the music of Mardi Gras fills The Soraya’s Great Hall.
Sat Feb 10 | 8pm
Great Hall
Sway to the hazy melodies and poignant rhythms of Cuba. Colorful island sounds linger in the air as these two Cuban artists represent the best of their generations. Eliades Ochoa, a member of the famed Buena Vista social club, coaxes the tropical sounds from his guitar, and the young and fiery Harold López-Nussa raises the temperature on the piano. This master session is a pulse-elevating evening of Latin Jazz you won’t soon forget.
“Ochoa’s voice is razor sharp. His intonation is deep and resonant… soaring not just from his lips, but from the world of Santiago de Cuba, to all over the world.” – Latin Jazz Network
Tickets:
For all ticket information visit www.TheSoraya.org or (818) 677-3000.
Where:
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330
New This Year: The Soraya hosts Humble Bee to cater Jazz Club
Dinner will again be available for pre-order to Jazz Club concert in-person attendees with premium tickets (table seating). New to The Soraya this year is Chef Jim Bonanno, owner of The Humble Bee Bakery & Café in Northridge. Chef Bonnano is working this year with The Soraya to curate the Jazz Club menu and staff all four nights of Jazz Club.
When asked what inspired his menu, Chef Bonanno said he studied the backgrounds of each Jazz Club artist — Ranky Tanky, Lisa Fischer, Booker T., and Matthew Whittaker — and created items that represented the regions represented by the artists.
Chef Bonanno’s menu features onion tarte tatin, shaved brussel sprouts with king trumpet mushroom bacon, mushroom stuffed poblano peppers, croquettes, spiced oak smoked chicken breast, and more mouth-watering items that The Soraya is proud to serve in the Jazz Club between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3.
PLEASE NOTE: Jazz club ticketing is available in two options. Premium tickets (table seating) are located near the front, just feet from the performers, at reserved tables and have the option to add dinner for an additional cost. Early access for premium tickets begins at 6:30 p.m. for meal service. General admission is available at table seating without dinner service and on the risers behind the tables. General admission seating begins and the bar opens at 7:00 p.m.
Five Ways to Enjoy the Festival
1. Concert Ticket: Purchase an in-person ticket to the concert of your choice at full price. 2. Jazz Pass Festival: Purchase in-person tickets to all five Jazz at Naz performances and save 15%, plus get access to the Jazz Lounge after each Great Hall Performance (Herb Alpert & Lani Hall, Delfeayo Marsalis, Eliades Ochoa).
3. Choose Any 3: Choose any three Jazz at Naz performances and save 10% off your purchase.
4. Stream Jazz at Naz*: Unable to join us in person? Purchase a streaming for pass any individual show ($19) or purchase the complete four-show Jazz at Naz Streaming Pass ($49) and get access to all four applicable Jazz at Naz performances (Herb Alpert and Lani Hall not available). Streaming links will be sent prior to each performance, all concerts will be in Pacific Time and the links will be available for 24 hours after the start of each performance. All in-person ticket holders will also receive streaming links. To learn more, click here. *Please note: Concerts on 1/27, 1/31, and 2/2 will not be available for streaming.
5. Join Membership at The Soraya: Buy a Bronze half-year membership for $48 and save 15% on all shows for the rest of the year! In addition to 15% savings, purchasers of this deal will get access to the Jazz Lounge before each Great Hall Performance (Herb Alpert & Lani Hall, Delfeayo Marsalis, Eliades Ochoa).
Jazz at Naz in-person and streaming tickets are on sale now at www.TheSoraya.org.
About Jazz at Naz – 10 Years of Jazz Music at The Soraya
Long before The Soraya was built 10 years ago, the Cal State Northridge Jazz Department was a national standard bearer—winning awards and training the next generation of artists. When The Soraya opened in 2011, Northridge expanded its profile. Over the years, a nonstop procession of jazz greats has continued to perform at Cal State Northridge, in both The Soraya’s Great Hall and its innovate Jazz Club. Jazz at Naz is named in honor of Younes and Soraya Nazarian whose legacy gift to CSUN led to the renaming of the Performing Arts Center in 2017.
About Streaming Jazz at Naz
Innovation in the face of COVID-19 paid in dividends—in the form of one of the first ever fully virtual music festivals, Jazz at Naz. Hosted virtually by accomplished jazz musician and educator Reggie Quinerly, Jazz at Naz was watched by more than 4,300 people when it launched in 2022 (more than two times the size of The Soraya’s 1,700-seat Great Hall!). Quinerly returns as The Soraya’s Jazz at Naz host of the 13-camera operation—conducting candid interviews with the musicians, engaging in banter with The Soraya’s Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber,
and shedding light on performances during each livestream. Building upon the success of streaming passes — 3,000 hours streamed! — The Soraya will once again expand the Jazz at Naz experience with in-depth interviews, and behind-the-scenes content via streaming.
About The Soraya
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for The Performing Arts (The Soraya) is an award-winning, state-of-the-art 1,700-seat theatre designed and built by HGA Architects and Engineers and opened in January 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC). Through a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian, the venue was renamed as The Soraya in 2017. Vibrant programming has served to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley and its 1.8 million residents and as one of the top arts and culture venues in Southern California. Since its inaugural season, The Soraya has presented over 500 artists and companies across the genres of music, dance, theater, and film and is a highly in-demand location for filming and rental events.
The Soraya’s 2023/2024 Season boldly advances the expansive sound of orchestras both traditional and contemporary; the freestyle vibe of jazz; an array of dance luminaries, and a cultural bounty drawn from the musical well of global voices. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to innovating, excelling, and amplifying access by offering a wide variety of performances that reflect Los Angeles’ many distinctive communities and featuring new and original work and artists from the local region as well as nationally and around the world.
Located on the vibrant campus of California State University Northridge (CSUN), The Soraya and the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication share an integral link that enhances student access and opportunities in the arts and performing arts. A $5 million contribution from record producer and former California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb was pivotal in ensuring the completion and opening of The Soraya in 2011. For his founding support and in acknowledgment of the integral relationship between the Mike Curb College and The Soraya, Mike Curb is recognized as one of The Soraya’s Cornerstone Benefactors. This partnership fosters academic and artistic excellence, elevating the talents and the future growth of CSUN’s students through master classes, student tickets, concerts of student ensembles, and students appearing alongside renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Aida Cuevas, and Martha Graham Dance Company.
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