Photos: Sam First's Annual Benefit Honors Herbie Hancock & Darlene Chan
The benefit featured performances by Gerald Clayton, Helen Sung, Luciana Souza, Gretchen Parlato and other jazz musicians at The Village Studios.
Sam First's Annual Benefit 'It Takes a Village' was held on September 19 at The Village Studios in West LA, honoring two figures in the Los Angeles jazz community. The event marked a celebration of the arts, culture, and L.A.'s jazz scene.
Sam First presented its Jazz Legacy Award to 14-time GRAMMY Award winner and NEA Jazz Master Herbie Hancock, whose contributions have transformed the course of modern music, and to Darlene Chan, jazz impresario, whose leadership helped shape LA's jazz landscape as longtime producer of the Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival among many other festivals.
The benefit featured performances across multiple rooms at The Village Studios, including Gerald Clayton, Ben Williams and Justin Brown in the Village's 'Studio A'; Helen Sung and Nicole McCabe in the Village's 'Studio B'; and Adam Hersh, Emma Dayhuff, Julien Knowles, Seamus Blake, Jon Hatamiya and Jonathan Pinson in the Village's 'Studio D.'
A culminating performance featured Luciana Souza with Devin Daniels and Larry Klein, along with Gretchen Parlato and Michael Mayo with Devin Daniels. An after-party followed in the Village's 'Moroccan Room,' featuring Ben Williams, Nicole McCabe and Seamus Blake.
Writer and pianist Gary Fukushima, a friend of Sam First, wrote an article for DownBeat recapping the evening.
About Sam First
Sam First is a unique venue and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and expanding jazz as a musical form and tradition. Its mission is to provide a vibrant center for regional, national, and international practitioners of jazz and to foster the growth and engagement of the jazz community in Los Angeles. As a space designed without an elevated stage, Sam First removes the boundary between performers and audiences to promote in-person collaboration, the formation of new relationships, and the creation of original music that takes risks and pushes boundaries.
For more information on Sam First, visit www.samfirstbar.com.
Photo Credit: Craig Allyn
Luciana Souza with Devin Daniels and Larry Klein at the culminating performance
Gretchen Parlato at the culminating performance
Michael Mayo (and Devin Daniels) at the culminating performance
Photo Credit: Craig Allyn
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