_________________________________________________________________________

1994

Playboy Jazz Festival launches first nationwide tour, stopping in five cities around the U.S.: Al Jarreau headlines: For the first time, the Playboy Jazz Festival took to the road in the United States. A series of minifestivals headlined by Grammy-winning vocalist Al Jarreau and including such greats as David Sanborn, George Duke and Marcus Miller played to enthusiastic audiences in Atlanta, Detroit, Denver and Washington, D.C., culminating with an entire weekend of great jazz entertainment at three separate venues in Playboy's hometown, Chicago. Although the members of the multitalented Laws Family had appeared before separately on the Playboy lineup, 1994 marked both a reunion and a first for them as Ronnie, Eloise, Hubert and Debra joined forces for a family performance.

The recently renovated Pershing Square was a new venue for one of the Playboy Jazz Festival's free community events. The noontime concert at the historic site featured saxophonist Ronnie Laws and drew more than 5000 jazz fans, despite the fact that O.J. Simpson was scheduled to surrender to police on suspicion of murder only a few blocks away at Parker Center.

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 |

1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 | 1979 | 1959 |