Bill Fulton Band at Playboy Jazz Festival Review by Don Heckman Los Angeles Times 2005
The Bill Fulton Band at Playboy Jazz Festival delivered an unforgettable live performance during the historic 2005 Memorial Day weekend concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In fact, veteran jazz critic Don Heckman highlighted the performance in his review for the Los Angeles Times. Composer and keyboardist Bill Fulton led his ensemble through a high-energy set of contemporary big band jazz. As a result, the audience enjoyed a vibrant afternoon of sharp horn lines and tight grooves.
Los Angeles Times Review: Don Heckman on the Bill Fulton Band
Don Heckman covered the landmark three-day event for the Los Angeles Times. The festival marked the first live jazz concert held inside the venerable Rose Bowl stadium. Heckman praised the Sunday lineup for favoring imaginative playing over gimmicky grooves.
In his published review, Heckman specifically praised Fulton’s ensemble sound:
“Bill Fulton’s mini-big band was bright, brassy, and energetic…”
Additionally, Fulton shared the stage with other world-class acts throughout the day. These included bassist/vocalist Kristin Korb, Afro-Cuban ensemble Odara, the CJS Quintet, and legendary saxophonist Ronnie Laws. Over 100,000 music fans attended the weekend festival.
Full Los Angeles Times Review Text
Below is the complete text of Don Heckman’s review from the Los Angeles Times covering the festival:
The bowls are brimming with jazz this year. The Hollywood Bowl and the Playboy Jazz Festival (arriving June 11 and 12) have been an inseparable combination for nearly three decades. Now jazz has arrived at the Rose Bowl as well, as the annual Playboy Jazz free Memorial weekend programs moved into the venerable sports venue.
The three-day event was, according to its sponsors, the first live jazz played at the Rose Bowl. Sunday’s program, produced in conjunction with Pasadena Summer Fest, provided an appropriate collection of sounds to celebrate the arrival of the improvisational musical art at a location that has seen plenty of more physical improvisation in 80-plus years of football. Although the Playboy Pasadena lineups, formerly held in the city’s Central Park, usually emphasized jazz diversity rather than straight-ahead, mainstream jazz, Sunday’s schedule (like most of the weekend) favored imaginative playing over gimmicky grooves.
After an opening set by the Chatsworth High School Jazz Band, the CJS Quintet – featuring tenor saxophonist Chuck Johnson and trumpeter/flugelhornist James Smith – romped through a program of hard-driving bebop leavened with soulful blues. Kristin Korb, who followed, managed the thorny task of singing gracefully while playing upright bass, and doing the latter in a fashion recalling the warm sound and well-chosen notes characteristic of her mentor, Ray Brown.
Odara, a premier Los Angeles Afro-Cuban band, added mid-afternoon dance rhythms to the programming mix, tempting crowd members to try their best salsa steps at the fringes of the grass field. Best of all, Odara’s viscerally rhythmic music was richly enhanced by the beautifully crafted arrangements of Guillermo Cespedes.
Bill Fulton’s mini-big band was bright, brassy, and energetic and veteran saxophonist Ronnie Laws concluded the day with his patented brand of highflying improvisation and irresistible, body-moving rhythms.
Playboy Jazz and the Pasadena Summer Fest reportedly drew more than 100,000 visitors over the long weekend. But there was room for many more in the giant stadium. And one wonders whether the door has now been opened for a new kind of expansive, big-venue, community-friendly jazz event reflecting the colorful, multi-everything character of Southern California.
Highlights of the Bill Fulton Band at Playboy Jazz Festival
The performance demonstrated why Fulton’s ensemble remains a staple in the Southern California jazz and recording scene. Key elements of the concert included:
- Bright Brass Arrangements: Powerful horn voicings delivered intricate, modern big band lines.
- Energetic Rhythm Section: Fulton’s keyboard work and rhythm section drove the tempo with solid groove.
- Dynamic Big Band Sound: The group combined classic big band punch with contemporary jazz-fusion textures.
Explore More Music and Events
Today, Bill Fulton continues to write, arrange, and produce music for major media projects and live ensembles. You can listen to full studio albums on the Bill Fulton Music Discography. In addition, you can check for upcoming tour dates on the Bill Fulton Events Calendar.
Artist: Bill Fulton BandDate/Time: May 29, 2005 12:00 am
Venue: Rose Bowl
Address: 1001 Rose Bowl Dr Pasadena, CA 91103
