Playboy Jazz Festival to Feature Sheila E., Robin Thicke, Ozomatli

New and returning artists such as Sheila E., Ozomatli, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and Robin Thicke are just a few of the acts set to perform at the 34th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival. The yearly Los Angeles musical institution will hit the Hollywood Bowl on June 16 and 17.

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Festival producer Darlene Chan and MC and legendary comedian Bill Cosby formally announced the lineup on Thursday at the Playboy Mansion, with Cosby managing to squeeze in several jokes while on stage.  

Motioning to Kenyan Afro-funk singer KG Omulo, whose track “Moving Train,” off his latest album Ayah ye Moving Train, is recorded in English and Swahili, Cosby cracked: “See this is the United States, they still worry about black people, so when you start singing in Swahili, people who are not black start to get worried, because they start looking around to see if anybody is pulling anything out. Just remember to explain to us what you’re doing and we will excuse you, you won't lose your Green Card.” 

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Cosby will return to the festival as Master of Ceremonies to introduce its 19 acts, which include best Jazz vocal album Grammy winner Terri Lyne Carrington’s Mosaic Project, also referred to as “The Women” by Chan and Cosby.

High school bands featured at the festival include the LAUSD/Beyond The Bell All City Jazz Band, under the direction of Tony White and J.B. Dyas, which will perform on Saturday, and the Calabasas High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Joshua Barroll, who will close out the event on Sunday.

Ticket information is available at Ticketmaster and the festival's official site. Tickets will also be available at the Hollywood Bowl box office starting May 5.

Twitter: @THRMusic