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2005

Festival favorite George Benson returns and ignites the crowd: Guitar legend and eight-time Grammy winner George Benson returned to the festival, giving an electrifying performance that had the crowd on its feet and dancing in the aisles from the minute he took the stage to his final riff. Benson demonstrated the vocal prowess and riveting guitar playing that has won him an international fan base and made him a festival favorite.

daKAH, the world's biggest hip-hop orchestra, debuts and dazzles festival-goers: Featuring more than 60 performers live onstage, the multi-cultural ensemble covered the Hollywood Bowl's entire turntable and then some, marking the first time such a huge group has ever performed at the festival. Their genre-bending performance—which included dancers, rappers and DJs—and multi-ethnic urban sound impressed the crowd, inspiring raucous applause.

A Tribute to the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra legacy featuring the legendary Dee Dee Bridgewater and famed trumpeter Jon Faddis touches the audience: Renowned vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and legendary trumpeter Jon Faddis led an all-star group of musicians in a spectacular tribute to the influential big band. But the real highlight came when Dee Dee Bridgewater walked onstage singing the classic song "A Child is Born," carrying Thad Jones's granddaughter in her arms, creating one of the festival's most memorable moments.

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