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1997

Direct from Cuba, Los Van Van makes their festival debut in a critically acclaimed, rousing performance: On the cutting edge of the upsurge in interest in contemporary Latin jazz, the Playboy Jazz Festival presented the undisputed king of Cuban dance orchestras, Los Van Van. The festival negotiated with the U.S. State Department to bring this unique charanga ensemble to Los Angeles and, based on the tremendous audience response, expects to have them back in 1998.

Award-Winning rock pianist and composer Bruce Hornsby makes his Playboy Jazz Festival debut: In his Playboy Jazz Festival debut, multi-award-winning rock pianist and composer Bruce Hornsby, who has performed with renowned artists from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead, turned his eclectic talent to the jazz idiom and electrified the Bowl with his artistry.

Musical giants Etta James and George Benson bring the crowd to their feet: The 1997 festival proved that legendary artists such as Etta James and George Benson can still galvanize an audience into a spontaneous party. James' rocking blues and Benson's uptempo pop-tinged jazz offerings had the crowd leaping to its feet and thousands of fans dancing in the aisles.

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