Pacific Jazz Orchestra Announces 2025-26 Season, Featuring Quincy Jones Tribute and Miles & Trane at 100

Pacific Jazz Orchestra (PJO), LA’s only resident 40-piece hybrid big band and string orchestra, announces a bold and daring 2025-26 season celebrating the indelible musical legacies of industry giants Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Quincy Jones, who served on PJO’s Advisory Board until his passing last November. Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s multi-Grammy-nominated Founder and Artistic Director Chris Walden announced the season details, along with the news that that singer/songwriter/music educator Courtney Fortune has been named the ensemble’s first education director.

“Miles, Trane, and Quincy, who was a treasured friend of Pacific Jazz Orchestra since its inception, are in a class of their own,” says Walden. “This season we are proud to honor these musical legends whose global impact is beyond measure. Joining us in this exciting musical endeavor are some of the most dynamic and creative jazz artists of our time, including vocalists Lisa Fischer, José James, Sy Smith, and Veronica Swift; pianist Emmet Cohen; trumpeter Sean Jones; and saxophonist Joshua Redman.

Pacific Jazz Orchestra offers four compelling programs during its third season, showcasing straight-ahead jazz, swing, hip hop, R&B, Broadway, pop, and more.

The season opens with FLY ME TO THE MOON, A Tribute to Quincy Jones, featuring guest vocalists José James and Lisa Fischer in an exploration of Jones’ masterful early work from the 1950s and 60s, on October 18, 2025, at The Soraya in Northridge.

Sy Smith adds sophisticated vocal elan to Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s joyful Holiday Jazz Spectacular – chock full of Yuletide classics, jazz standards, and original arrangements – on December 13, 2023, at Glendale’s historic Alex Theatre.

The music continues with A Musical Valentine’s Day spotlighting vocalist Veronica Swift in a luscious program of love-themed torch songs, ballads, and anthems on February 14, 2026, at The Soraya.

Wrapping the season, Pacific Jazz Orchestra presents Miles & Trane at 100, celebrating the centennial of jazz icons Miles Davis and John Coltrane with an evening of their timeless music featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, trumpeter Sean Jones, and pianist Emmet Cohen on May 28, 2026, at The Wallis in Beverly Hills.

Walden also announces the appointment of noted singer/songwriter and highly regarded music educator Courtney Fortune as Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s first Education Director. Fortune is the co-founder/co-director of the High School Songwriters Summit and Showcase at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and is founding faculty and co-creator of the Commercial Music Program at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Fortune, who has recorded with Walden and currently tours with David Benoit, is also a songwriting coach, professional music mentor, and advocate for at-risk youth. She is the founder of Songmaker Sessions, a songwriting and mentorship program for teens and adults.

“We are thrilled to welcome Courtney Fortune to Pacific Jazz Orchestra as our first-ever education director,” says Walden. “Courtney brings to the role extensive experience both as a successful artist and esteemed music educator. I look forward to working closely with her to help realize Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s mission of enriching the lives of young people in our community though impactful educational programs.” Details about Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s education efforts will be announced later this season.

Pacific Jazz Orchestra has garnered critical acclaim for thrilling performances that “entertain, inspire, and enrich” (Variety). Thanks to the generosity of The Herb Alpert Foundation (HAF), the Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s inaugural season was fully funded, and HAF continues to support the ensemble in its 2025-26 season. Additional support this season is provided by Grow @ Annenberg.

For tickets and information about Pacific Jazz Orchestra, visit www.pacificjazz.org.

Concerts Detailed (in chronological order)

FLY ME TO THE MOON, A Tribute to Quincy Jones

Saturday, October 18, 2025
The Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge, CA 91325
Pacific Jazz Orchestra begins its 2025-26 season with FLY ME TO THE MOON, A Tribute to Quincy Jones, exploring the legendary artist’s pioneering work as a big band leader, arranger for iconic vocalists, and composer for film and television during the 1950s and 60s. Celebrated guest vocalists José James and Lisa Fischer join the ensemble for this powerful and moving tribute focusing on this transformative period in Jones’ career. “Pacific Jazz Orchestra is elated to celebrate Quincy Jones' enduring legacy and groundbreaking contributions to American music, offering audiences a comprehensive look at the early works that shaped his illustrious career,” explains Walden. Highlighting Jones’ prolific output, the program features selections from his big band recordings, among them The Quintessence (1962), which exemplify his innovative approach to jazz orchestration. Also featured are some of Jones’ masterful arrangements for legendary singers such as Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan, including his collaboration on Vaughan and Violins (1959), in which Jones' orchestration beautifully complements her vocal prowess. From Jones' contributions to film and television scoring, Pacific Jazz Orchestra performs themes from The Pawnbroker (1964) and In the Heat of the Night (1967), which illustrate his tremendous versatility and uncanny ability to convey complex emotions through music as well as his significant impact on the soundscape of American cinema.

James, a jazz vocalist for the hip-hop generation hailed as “a rarity” (NPR Music), artfully blurs the lines between traditional and contemporary jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, pop and rock. Fischer, a Grammy-winning artist featured in the Oscar-winning film “Twenty Feet from Stardom,” spent four decades singing background for The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Sting, Tina Turner, and Nine Inch Nails, before taking center stage with her celebrated vocal prowess.

Holiday Jazz Spectacular
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Alex Theatre, 216 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203

Pacific Jazz Orchestra decks the halls with its first-ever Holiday Jazz Spectacular, a festive – yet sophisticated – evening of orchestral jazz magic brimming with holiday classics, jazz standards, and original arrangements. Special guest Sy Smith, “one of the hardest working women in soul music” (Plano Magazine), adds plenty of warmth and sparkle with her dazzling vocals. Some surprise guests and star-studded collaborations promise extra delight.

A Musical Valentine’s Day
Saturday, February 14, 2026
The Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge, CA 91325

Romance is sure to be in the air when Pacific Jazz Orchestra returns to The Soraya with A Musical Valentine’s Day headlined by Veronica Swift. Piercing hearts with her remarkable vocal stylings, Swift delivers love-themed torch songs, anthems, and ballads exploring passion, romance and heartbreak. DownBeat proclaims, “Veronica Swift is a woman of many voices, and she uses every one of them to refract a dizzying kaleidoscope of moods.” She has appeared with Chris Botti, Michael Feinstein, and Benny Green, and toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Miles & Trane at 100
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Pacific Jazz Orchestra caps its season with Miles & Trane at 100, a musical homage to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, two of the most influential figures in jazz, who would have both turned 100 in 2026. Celebrating their innovation and legacy, the program includes new arrangements of their classic works that helped shaped the course of modern jazz. Saxophonist Joshua Redman, trumpeter Sean Jones, and pianist Emmet Cohen join Pacific Jazz Orchestra for this extraordinary evening of timeless music.

Redman, a “first-rate performer” (The Wall Street Journal), is both a gifted improvisor and profound thinker on the nature and meaning of music. Jones, formerly with Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, has appeared with Nancy Wilson, with whom he earned a Grammy Award, Joe Lovano, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Heath, Dianne Reeves, and Gerald Wilson, among others. Cohen, “a supremely gifted and impassioned artist of the highest order” (All About Jazz), is noted for his invigorating, dynamic, and charismatic performances.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION:

www.pacificjazz.org

(Dates, times, locations, and artists subject to change)

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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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