Photo by Ashwin Gore

George Lopez (left) will star as emcee of the 2013 Playboy Jazz Festival in June. He is pictured on stage with Hubert Laws and Quincy Jones at the line-up announcement held Feb. 28.

The 2013 Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl on June 15-16

will feature headliners George Duke with special guest Jeffrey Osborne,

Naturally 7 with special guest Herbie Hancock, Sheila E. and Bob

James/David Sanborn featuring Steve Gadd and James Genus.

Celebrating its 35th Anniversary, the two-day concert will feature a

diverse mix of illustrious jazz greats, next generation leaders and

Festival favorites, who will spotlight the entire genre of jazz with an

assortment of world premieres, rare collaborations, and highly

anticipated artist debuts.

New to this year’s Festival is the multi-talented entertainer George

Lopez, who will make his own debut as the new master of ceremonies,

taking over for this year from the legendary Bill Cosby, who

relinquished the role last summer after more than 30 years.

Returning to the Playboy stage, two-time Grammy-winning pianist and

keyboardist George Duke will appear as a special guest with renowned

R&B/pop singer Jeffrey Osborne, who is making his Festival debut.

The pair reunited on Osborne’s latest release, A Time for Love, a

collection of songs expressing Osborne’s longtime appreciation for jazz

standards.

The illustrious Duke (who has served as musical director and producer

for numerous prominent artists including Dianne Reeves, Anita Baker,

Gladys Knight and more) also produced Osborne’s breakthrough solo album

Stay With Me Tonight and his hit singles “We’re Going All the Way” and

“You Should Be Mine” among others.

Back by popular demand, Naturally 7, who made their triumphant

Festival debut in 2010, is returning to the show for a world premiere

performance with the iconic Herbie Hancock as a special guest. One of

the most distinctively unique groups in music today, Naturally 7 has

pioneered a dynamic a cappella style they call “vocal play,” where each

member of the group uses only their voice to recreate awe-inspiring

sounds of different musical instruments.

The group’s now famous Paris subway performance of “Feel It (In The

Air Tonight)” has garnered over five million hits on YouTube.

Hancock, known for transcending the limitations and genres of music,

will complement the group’s inventive style with his own modern

compositions that have earned him one Oscar and 14 Grammy Awards.

Hancock has been an integral part of every jazz movement since the

1960’s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, he was one of the

pioneers of the avant garde sound. His innovative recordings during the

70’s, combining electric jazz with funk rock sounds, continue to

influence today’s music.

Turning up the heat, the Emmy and Grammy-nominated

singer/percussionist Sheila E. is returning for the second time as the

leader of her own group in a rare back-to-back appearance.

Her electrifying performance last year rocked the house, winning her a

standing ovation that stopped the show. Sheila has previously performed

at the Festival with her legendary father, percussionist Pete Escovedo

and their renowned family band, with whom she still tours. A star in her

own right, she has served as the musical director for such superstars

as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Prince. Known for her mega-hit “The

Glamorous Life,” she performed with Prince on Purple Rain and also

toured with Ringo Starr and his All-Star band among many others. Last

year, she performed at the Oscars alongside Pharrell Williams and Hans

Zimmer.

Reuniting since their Grammy Award-winning dual recording Double

Vision in the mid-80’s, keyboardist Bob James and saxophonist David

Sanborn will share the Playboy stage together for the first time as part

of their summer tour. The pair will be joined by legendary drummer

Steve Gadd and acclaimed bassist James Genus. Renowned beyond the jazz

world, the Grammy-winning James is known for both his distinguished solo

career and as a founding member of the popular contemporary jazz

supergroup FourPlay.

Single day tickets are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com,

over the phone by calling 213.365.3500 or 714.740.7878, at any

Ticketmaster outlet, or by downloading a ticket order form available at www.playboyjazzfestival.com.