Grand Performances returns with more than a dozen free concerts in downtown L.A.

Summer marks the return of free music to downtown Los Angeles as Grand Performances kicks off its concert series in June with a four-month lineup of shows that will feature music from all over the globe, from cumbia and classical to jazz and jam bands.

“We’re really taking people on a trip around the world,” said Stewart Irel, Grand Performance’s creative and artistic director.

“This has always been an incredible opportunity to really expose the public to different kinds of entertainment and different genres of music,” he said.

Founded in 1986, Grand Performances puts on free all-ages concerts during the summer. The new season will include more than a dozen performances at the 7,000-person capacity California Plaza in downtown L.A. every Saturday from 6-10 p.m. June 4 to Sept. 24.

There is a lot of music on the lineup so for those who can’t make every show, Irel recommends one can’t-miss show per month.

Aditya Prakash Ensemble and Nick Smith

When: June 11

Details: Jazz pianist Nick Smith opens the night with a performance that will “tell the story of the fundamentals of jazz,” Irel said. Smith will be followed by classic Indian carnatic singer Aditya Prakash. “Indian carnatic singers hold a note and kind of bend it. It’s a style of singing that’s unique to India, but he sings with a jazz band, so he fuses the two together and it’s absolutely beautiful,” Irel said.

Scary Pockets and Rozzi Crane

When: July 9

Details: Expect a funky dance party when Scary Pockets hits the stage. The band performs funk versions of modern songs and releases weekly videos on their YouTube channel. Their cover versions include songs such as Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” and Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Opening for Scary Pockets is pop-singer Rozzi Crane. “This is going to be infectious for sure. You won’t be able to sit still,” Irel said.

Dublab presents Alice Coltrane: An Expansive Spirit

When: Aug. 27

Details: This night will be a celebration of the late Alice Coltrane, an accomplished jazz musician who played piano and the harp. The night will consist of a string and harp ensemble performing music from throughout her career.  “She’s affected so much of the jazz world and so many musicians,” he said.

Cumbiatón

When: Sept. 17

Details: This will be another dance-filled night thanks to Cumbiatón, a Boyle Heights-based collective of DJs , artists and musicians who perform all forms of Latin party music, from cumbia and salsa to merengue, banda and Rock en Español. “Out of the entire series, this is the one that’s going to feel the most like a party,” Irel said.

Here is the complete list of live performances at California Plaza in downtown L.A.

June 4: COLA 2022 Artist Fellows

June 11: Aditya Prakash Ensemble and Nick Smith

June 18: Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (performance is from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.)

June 25: Boleros De Noche: A Tribute to Agustín Lara

July 9: Scary Pockets and Rozzi Crane

July 16: World Stage presents Black Nile and Linafornia

July 23: Pakistan Arts Council presents Ali Sethi

July 30: KCRW Summer Nights

Aug. 6: Melissa Polinar

Aug.13: Extra Ancestral

Aug. 20: Farhang Foundation

Aug. 27: Dublab presents Alice Coltrane: An Expansive Spirit

Sept. 3: KCRW Summer Nights

Sept. 10: The Fountain Theatre presents “Citizen: An American Lyric.”

Sept.17: Cumbiatón

Sept. 24: Renee Goust

Grand Performances

When: 6-10 p.m. on Saturdays June 4-Sept. 24

Where: 350 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles

Cost: Free

Information: www.grandperformances.org

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