Latest news with #KamasiWashington
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
LACMA Opens the Doors to Its New Building
Ever since the Los Angeles County Museum of Art engaged the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor 16 years ago, its $720 million new building has had a long journey from controversy to construction to curatorial challenge. On Thursday evening, the curvilinear behemoth finally became a place where people could come inside. Although the art will not be installed until next year, the museum opened its doors for its first public glimpse of the new David Geffen Galleries, featuring a commissioned performance by the saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington — with 120 musicians disbursed throughout the building. Visitors walking past the soaring windows, as the sounds of instruments and voices filled the undulating concrete passageway, were visibly excited — and even moved — by what many described as a welcome injection of positive energy to a city battered by protests and recovering from fires. 'It's really a special thing for us to be here to experience it almost raw,' said Frank Svengsouk, an art director and senior manager for the Disney Entertainment Division, who had come from Carlsbad, about two hours south, after having been displaced by the fires in Altadena. 'It makes us think about how much we love the city and how much the city means to us, how much the city brings back to us. 'Think about Paris with I.M. Pei — it's changing the landscape of this place,' he added, referring to the impact of the skylit Louvre Pyramid as he gazed at the vista with his wife. 'Over time, it's going to be something important for us in L.A.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Los Angeles Times
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
LACMA opens its new building for a sneak peak: Photos from the first preview
The concrete walls of the David Geffen Galleries were still bare Thursday evening. The landscaping outside is still settling in, and pockets of construction were still visible. But the minute the music poured out of the upstairs entryway, it finally hit: The new LACMA is actually here. After five years of construction, so much debate about its scale, design and ambitions, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art held its first event Thursday night inside the Peter Zumthor-designed building. A sprawling, immersive concert by composer and SoCal jazz hero Kamasi Washington called for multiple bands, each with about a dozen musicians, to play site-specific arrangements throughout the empty galleries before art has been installed. A woodwind ensemble overlooked Park La Brea through floor-to-ceiling glass; a choir stacked harmonies that floated over the span of the structure as it crossed Wilshire Boulevard. Hundreds of VIPs and members of the media took it all in. The project has its skeptics, including how the museum's permanent collection will function in it. But for now, museum members could slink about the echoing halls of L.A.'s newest landmark and ponder the possibilities. Guests at the sneak peek inside the new building Thursday cross a glass-lined expanse that crosses over Wilshire Boulevard. LACMA Director Michael Govan addresses members of the media assembled for the first public peek inside the empty building, which still needs to complete some construction details and install the art before opening, targeted for April 2026. The design of the museum has morphed over the years, from a dark, curvaceous amoeba-like form that echoed the nearby La Brea Tar Pits to a design that retains the curves up top but shifts to rectilinear glass on the galleries level below. The preview event Thursday featured musicians staged throughout the building. Preview events give museum members a chance to view Zumthor's design before art is installed. One of the lingering questions is how the concrete walls will fare given the museum's new plan to shift from permanent collection displays to ever-rotating exhibitions — and all the rehanging of artworks that will be required. The setting sun casts long shadows from visitors looking out toward the rooftop of Renzo Piano's Resnick Pavilion and, off in the distance on the left, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' domed terrace. Artist Tony Smith's installation 'Smoke' has a new home outside the David Geffen Galleries. The museum recently announced the addition of a forthcoming Jeff Koons' sculpture, 'Split-Rocker.' 'Smoke' rises near a long entry staircase to the new building. When the new building opens in April 2026, LACMA has said, the ticketing process will be handled at kiosks on the ground level. Inside another one of the galleries. Some of the architecture-circle speculation about the building has centered on the finish of the building's concrete, inside and out. The view from the David Geffen Galleries as it crosses Wilshire Boulevard. Times art critic Christopher Knight, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his early analysis of the LACMA building plan, and Times music critic Mark Swed attended the preview concert event Thursday. Check back for their first impressions of the new space.
Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
It may not have any art yet, but LACMA's new building offers plenty to look at inside
There's not a single piece of artwork to see on the concrete walls of LACMA's new building right now. And yet, this is undoubtedly the most exciting art destination in Los Angeles this weekend. Months ahead of the galleries' planned April 2026 debut, and before the institution begins installing artwork, LACMA has allowed the public to take a peek inside its new David Geffen Galleries—to the tune of a one-of-a-kind performance from local saxophone extraordinaire Kamasi Washington, no less. For the museum members and everyday Angelenos who were lucky enough to secure tickets, they'll find more than 100 musicians split between 10 performance areas, with each ensemble playing a different component of the six-part jazz suite Harmony of Difference; you might catch Washington soloing on sax toward the center of the building, but round a corner and you'll hear the buzz of a brass section or the echoing voices of a choir. But what about the building itself? The Peter Zumthor-designed replacement for LACMA's myriad mid-century buildings on its eastern campus consolidates collections into a single-floor, 110,000-square-foot amoeba-shaped space. It's also, since its unveiling in 2013 and start of construction in 2020, invited plenty of strong opinions about everything from its aesthetic to its footprint. So what's it like to actually step inside (still sans art, of course)? I was invited to the museum on Thursday for the first of three performances. About an hour before sunset, I filed past the familiar spider-like lines of Tony Smith's Smoke sculpture and hoofed it up the long staircase into the David Geffen Galleries (there are elevators, as well). I passed by what looked like a ground-floor restaurant space and a future bookshop but could only gawk from outside. Upstairs, though, I was free to roam across the entire floor—and roam I did. The building isn't broken up into traditional rooms; instead, there are roughly two dozen enclosed galleries toward the center of the structure, while the entirety of the exterior is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. The views are absolutely dreamy and offer a fresh vantage point that makes it feel as though you're floating above one of L.A.'s most crowded cultural corridors. Each curve unveils a new, unexpected perspective: overlooking the lake at the La Brea Tar Pits, eye-level with the bubble-like theater of the Academy Museum and literally on top of the traffic on Wilshire Boulevard. Yes, the building spans the busy road (Jeff Koons's floral Split-Rocker sculpture will eventually anchor the outside of the southern side), and it's tough to articulate just how wild it is to shuffle along the museum floor and suddenly find yourself crossing over the iconic street. At every point, the architecture perfectly frames each vista, so—for better or worse—expect plenty of posing, particularly as the setting sun floods the west side with dramatic lighting. Despite all of those windows, it was easy to get a little bit turned around inside of the space—but I imagine that'll be much less of an issue once there's actually artwork installed. For now, it's a lot of unadorned concrete, so if you're not looking out a window, there are no other visual cues to place exactly where you are. Without paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations, the interior galleries feel raw and empty because they're, well, raw and empty right now—so I'll hold off any sort of proper judgment until after the installation process has wrapped up. (You can see how the galleries will look with art inside over on LACMA's site.) When Washington's performance wound down, it was dark out. As I descended the staircase out of the David Geffen Galleries, Urban Lights' rows of streetlamps glowed in the background. On my way in, I thought some angles of the building were more flattering than others; the profile of the tar pits side looks beautiful, but stand close enough to the western tip and it feels a little like a low-angle selfie. But as I was exiting and looked back up the staircase at night, it was as if the entire building was floating. It was oddly peaceful—and already difficult to imagine the museum and Wilshire Boulevard without it. Check out some more photos below. Kamasi Washington continues his performances on Friday and Saturday—tickets are unfortunately sold out—followed by a series of member previews of the building. The David Geffen Galleries open April 2026.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
LACMA has finished construction on it's newest building
Plus, jazz musician Kamasi Washington will be performing his 'Harmony of Difference' this weekend, where he'll use over 100 musicians to realize his composition. Unfortunately, all three nights are sold out. But you can still sign up to become a member in order to tour the space over the next week and a half.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Why Everyone In Music Is Watching Blue Note's New Hollywood Club
Kamasi Washington is on the lineup for Blue Note's Hollywood location. He's doing an 11-night stint that stretches from September into October. (Photo by Dave Simpson/WireImage) WireImage When Blue Note throws a club launch, it really goes all out. The storied Greenwich Village jazz institution is now a global brand and the latest listening spot is coming to Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles this summer. The grand opening for Blue Note Los Angeles is set for August 14, with tickets on sale today for shows running into early 2026. Full disclosure: I'm going to be first in line for a lot of these shows. Housed in the complex that was once home to Arclight Hollywood, the space will open with a back-to-back weekend stand by Grammy-winner Robert Glasper. This after construction delays tied to January's Hollywood fires pushed the club's debut back. The extra time seems to have only sharpened the lineup. August continues with rising R&B singer Alex Isley (Aug 16-17), saxophone futurist Terrace Martin with Kenyon Dixon (Aug 19-20), and a four-night run from Ravi Coltrane (Aug 28-31). In September, bassist-composer Esperanza Spalding (Sept 2-7), alto titan Kenny Garrett (Sept 11-14) and Atlanta rap philosopher Killer Mike (Sept 19-21) warm up the house for tenor powerhouse Kamasi Washington, who takes over for 11 dates straddling September and October. Throw in genre-jumpers like Charlie Puth (Oct 16-19), Branford Marsalis (Oct 21-22) and Andra Day (Nov 28-30) and you begin to understand why Blue Note's director of programming, Alex Kurland, once told me, 'We're less in the business of just booking gigs and presenting shows than in creating moments and creating memories and creating happenings.' It's definitely happening, people! Charlie Puth takes over Blue Note Los Angeles on October 17 (Photo byfor dcp) Getty Images for dcp As a jazz, blues and R&B fan, I love what Blue Note is bringing to the music scene, and the music industry is watching. The Hollywood outpost stays faithful to the original New York blueprint, with two sets nightly at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., table service throughout, and a booking philosophy that pairs legends with left-field collaborators. The main Hollywood showroom seats 200, while an adjoining 'B-Side' room adds another 100 spots—small enough for intimate moments but big enough to keep the bar booming. Los Angeles hasn't exactly lacked for jazz rooms. There's The Baked Potato, Catalina, Sam First and a revived Lighthouse that keep the scene percolating. But Blue Note definitely brings a fresh and vital appeal with with tour-routing gravity. A-list artists who once ignored L.A. or treated it as a one-night stop between San Francisco and who-knows-where now have a week-long home base. And since Blue Note is part of a worldwide network (Napa, Tokyo, Milan, Rio, Shanghai, et al.), fans are bound to get next-level performances by musicians looking to stretch their welcome with Blue Note tour bookers. A Calendar Designed to Dazzle Growing a jazz and blues-first brand in 2025 might sound counterintuitive but it's working. Club residencies (I'm so sorry I missed PJ Morton's recent stint in NYC) and Blue Note's Napa festival typically sell out fast. There's much to love about the full lineup for Los Angeles (Emily King! Esperanza Spalding! Branford Marsalis! Charlie Puth!) announced this week: August 14-15—Robert Glasper August 16-17—Alex Isley August 18—The Philharmonik August 19-20—Terrace Martin with Special Guest Kenyon Dixon August 21-22—Robert Glasper August 23-24—Emily King August 25—Mayer Hawthorne August 26-27—BJ The Chicago Kid August 28-31—Ravi Coltrane September 2-7—Esperanza Spalding September 8—Isaiah Collier September 9-10—Braxton Cook September 11-14—Kenny Garrett September 15—Fantastic Negrito September 16—Dominique Fils-Aimé September 17-18—GoldLink September 19-21—Killer Mike September 22-24—Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah September 25—Brasstracks September 26—The Soul Rebels & Special Guest September 27—The Soul Rebels & Special Guest September 28—The Soul Rebels & Special Guest Too $hort September 29—Samora Pinderhughes September 30-October 5—Kamasi Washington October 6—Arin Ray October 7-12—Kamasi Washington October 13—Lady Blackbird Residency October 14-15—Kiefer October 16-19—Charlie Puth October 20—Slum Village October 21-22—Branford Marsalis Quartet October 23—Aja Monet October 24-26—Sid Sriram October 27—Amaro Freitas October 28-November 2—1500 or Nothin' & Friends November 4-5—Ghost-Note November 6-9—Tank and The Bangas November 10—Emily Bear & Friends November 11-16—Chris Dave / Marcus King / Cory Henry / DJ Ginyard November 17—Julius Rodriguez November 18-19—Keyon Harrold November 20-21—Cimafunk November 22-23—Goapele November 24-25—James Francies / Joel Ross / Blaque Dynamite November 28-30—Andra Day December 1—Lady Blackbird Residency December 2-3—Adam Blackstone December 4—Gallant December 5-7—Derrick Hodge December 8—James Fauntleroy December 9-10—Theo Croker December 11—Ben Folds December 12-14—The Free Nationals December 15—Charles Lloyd Quartet December 16-21—Robert Glasper January 9-11—José James January 26—Lady Blackbird Residency March 23—Lady Blackbird Residency Blue Note Los Angeles is located at 6372 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
