The return of Jazz at Naz

Drink, dine and jive!

Intimate Jazz Club concerts are once again being presented by and at The Soraya in Northridge. Best of all, these events can be experienced in person or virtually. Join the Jazz Club and enjoy locally-sourced fare as you groove to the tunes, or stay home and log in to enjoy the concerts.

This year’s Jazz at Naz Festival begins January 27 and runs through February 10, 2024, with three main stage concerts and four concerts hosted in the intimate and unique onstage Jazz Club.

Additionally, Jazz fans around the world can enjoy Jazz at Naz via livestream, with a Jazz Pass ($19 for one concert) or Discover Jazz Virtual Pass ($49 for all four concerts). Great deal!!

In-person and virtual tickets are on sale now – purchase online here.

From the press release:

The Soraya’s Jazz at Naz Festival returns for its third season, beginning on Jan. 27 with former Tijuana Brass Band Leader Herb Alpert and wife and longtime performing partner, GRAMMY©-winning artist Lani Hall. Following the sold-out festival opener, the party moves onstage for a four-night run of its concerts. 

The Soraya has brought in local Chef Jim Bonanno, the owner of Humble Bee Bakery and Café, to create locally-sourced menus inspired by each Jazz Club evening’s program. This marks The Soraya’s second time catering the Jazz Club, the first time partnering with a local restaurant for a curated menu, and an expanded run of Jazz Club concerts (formerly just two nights). Dinner will be available for pre-order to in-person attendees with table seating.

Chef Jim Bonanno promises meals filled with local flair, creativity, and ties to the roots of each artist.  

When asked what inspired his menu, Chef Bonanno said he studied the backgrounds of each Jazz Club artist — Ranky Tanky (performing with special guest Lisa Fischer Jan. 31 – Feb. 1), and Booker T. Jones (performing with special guest Matthew Whittaker (Feb. 2-3), and created menu items that represented the regions where the artists are from.

Depending on what night guests attend, Chef Bonanno’s menu will feature mashed potato croquettes, onion tarte tatin with pickled veggies, mushroom stuffed poblano peppers, spiced oak smoked chicken breast, shaved Brussels sprouts with king trumpet mushroom bacon, and more mouth-watering items that The Soraya is proud to serve in the Jazz Club between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3. 

Please note: 

• The menu will be different between the two shows, with one menu for the first two nights and another menu for the second two nights.
• Jazz club ticketing is available in two options. Premium tickets (table seating) are located near the front, just feet from the performers, and have the option to pre-order dinner for an additional $50. 
• Early access for table seating begins at 6:30 p.m. for meal service. 
• General admission seating begins and the bar opens at 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy Jazz at Naz Virtually!

The third-annual Jazz at Naz Festival will continue The Soraya’s tradition of livestreaming jazzconcerts, 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.

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.

Five Ways to Enjoy the Jazz at Naz Festival:

1. Concert Ticket: Purchase an in-person ticket to the concert of your choice at full price.
2. Jazz Pass for the full 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 Discover Jazz Virtual Pass
   ($49) and get access to all four applicable Jazz at Naz performances (Herb Alpert and
   Lani Hall not available)
   a. 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 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
Eliades Ochoa with special guest Harold López-Nussa
Timba a la Americana
Feat. Grégoire Maret
With Luques Curtis & Ray Adrian López-Nussa
Sway to the hazy melodies and poignant rhythms of Cuba. Colorful island sounds linger in the air as the famed Buena Vista Social Club guitarist brings the music of his homeland to the stage. This master session is a pulse-elevating evening of Latin Jazz you won’t soon forget.

Jazz at Naz Festival

For all ticket information visit their site here or call the Ticket Office at (818) 677-3000.

Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330.
Website.
Phone: 818-677-3000

About Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya):

The award-winning Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts has quickly become one of the cultural jewels of the greater Los Angeles region. Under the leadership of Executive Director Thor Steingraber, The Soraya continues to expand its programming and outstanding multidisciplinary performances.  The Soraya presents a wide variety of performances that not only include new and original work from the Los Angeles region but also work from around the world appealing to all of LA’s rich and diverse communities.

Located on the campus of California State University, Northridge, The Soraya’s season offers a vibrant performance program of nearly 50 classical and popular music, dance, theater, family, and international events that have served to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley, and further establish itself as one of the top arts companies in Southern California. The award-winning, 1,700-seat theatre was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers and was recently cited by the Los Angeles Times as “a growing hub for live music, dance, drama and other cultural events.”