Pacific Jazz Orchestra Unveils 2026-27 Season Featuring Sutton Foster, David Benoit

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The 40-piece ensemble will perform at six Southland venues, with Sy Smith and Quincy Jones tributes among the highlights.

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Pacific Jazz Orchestra has announced its 2026-27 season, entitled “Four & More,” celebrating the critically acclaimed ensemble's fourth season of delivering musical magic with entertaining and imaginative programs of straight-ahead jazz, swing, soul, R&B, Broadway, and pop, in collaboration with renowned musical guests. Pacific Jazz Orchestra's seven-time Grammy-nominated Founder and Artistic Director Chris Walden announced the details.

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“This season, Pacific Jazz Orchestra embarks on an exhilarating musical journey with some of the most distinguished and inventive artists of our time, including multi-Tony-winning Broadway star Sutton Foster , global recognized pianist David Benoit ; in-demand vocalist Nayanna Holley; and singer/pianist Kandace Springs, known for her soulful stylings,” says Walden. “We are also proud to welcome back to our stage leading vocalists – and audience favorites – Adam “Aejaye” Jackson, Billy Valentine, Sy Smith , and Brenna Whitaker .”

Walden adds, “The title of the 2026-2027 season, ‘Four & More,' is borrowed from the name of jazz legend Miles Davis ' iconic album. It's a nod to our fourth season and all the exciting musical opportunities that lie ahead for us. It also reflects the same level of commitment to innovation and excellence that Pacific Jazz Orchestra strives to pour into its performances as Davis applied to his own groundbreaking work.”

During the 2026-2027 Season, Pacific Jazz Orchestra traverses the Southland, bringing its artistry to wide ranging communities. It makes its Ventura Music Festival debut and returns to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) in Northridge, Santa Barbara's Granada Theatre, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) in Beverly Hills, the Irvine Barclay Theater, and Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre.

While most of the concerts this season include the ensemble's full 40-piece compliment of musicians, Walden notes that the group's smaller 19-piece big band iteration also gets showcased in a pair of performances. “This kind of flexibility allows for great variety and depth in our programming,” he explains. Walden, who is also the lead arranger for the Academy Awards, creates original music and unique arrangements for every show, each with a specific theme, distinctive jazz flair, and lush orchestrations.

Broadway legend and seven-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster joins Pacific Jazz Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Chris Walden, for a program of music from Broadway and beyond, opening the ensemble's 2026-27 season on September 19, 2026, at The Soraya in Northridge. Sutton, whose stage credits include originating roles in such notable musicals as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Shrek the Musical, Mel Brooks ' Young Frankenstein, and The Drowsy Chaperone, has released three solo albums in addition to 11 Broadway cast albums.

Both the Ventura Music Festival and Santa Barbara's Granada Theatre are presenting performances of the ensemble's critically acclaimed program Pacific Jazz Orchestra: A Tribute Quincy Jones , which explores the late eminent producer/composer's masterful early work. Pacific Jazz Orchestra's 19-piece big band, led by Walden, brings to life a sample of Jones' sweeping musical legacy, from his landmark jazz arrangements of the 1950s and 60s to his iconic film and television scores. Jones, who served on PJO's Advisory Board until his passing in November 2024, was also a mentor to Walden.

Switching musical gears, Pacific Jazz Orchestra: A Holiday Spectacular rings in the season with vocal sensations Brenna Whitaker , Sy Smith , and Billy Valentine featured in a festive – yet sophisticated – evening of orchestral jazz brimming with Yuletide classics, jazz standards, and original arrangements, on December 23, 2026, at Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre. Whitaker's vintage jazz charm, Smith's genre-spanning versatility, and Valentine's rich, soulful baritone add warmth and cheer to joyous music the entire family will enjoy.

Orchestral power meets soulful expression on February 9, 2027, when The Wallis in Beverly Hills presents the Pacific Jazz Orchestra featuring Kandace Springs, a singer and pianist whose artistry is at once timeless and revolutionary. Springs, a Blue Note recording artist praised by Prince for having “a voice that could melt snow,” captivates audiences worldwide with her smoky tone, emotional directness, and effortless ability to bridge classic jazz and contemporary soul. Backed by the rich, cinematic sound and symphonic scale of the 40-piece Pacific Jazz Orchestra, Springs creates music that feels both deeply intimate and expansively grand.

On May 20, 2027, the Irvine Barclay Theater welcomes to its stage Pacific Jazz Orchestra: The Music of Charlie Brown & Peanuts featuring David Benoit . Benoit, an internationally renowned Grammy-nominated pianist, composer, and arranger considered a “founding father” of contemporary jazz, has made an indelible impact on pop culture, composing memorable music for Peanuts TV specials on CBS for more than 10 years and recording the piano solos for the Peanuts franchise for two decades. For this program, Benoit plays a selection of his own compositions as well as the late composer Vince Guaraldi's instantly recognizable syncopated rhythms that underscored earlier Peanuts specials. Courtney Fortune, a leading vocalist who also serves as Pacific Jazz Orchestra's education director, joins Benoit for this evening of unforgettable music, which wraps the ensemble's 2026-27 season.

In addition to these presentations, Pacific Jazz Orchestra hosts its Annual Benefit Concert at a private estate in Toluca Lake, on October 10, 2026. Featured artists and other details to be announced.

Pacific Jazz Orchestra has garnered critical acclaim for thrilling performances that “entertain, inspire, and enrich” (Variety). Pacific Jazz Orchestra thanks the Herb Alpert Foundation for its ongoing leadership support. Major funders for Pacific Jazz Orchestra include GROW@Annenberg Foundation; the Alesia Alpert Family Foundation; the Natalie Cole Foundation; the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation; and Anonymous.

For tickets and information about Pacific Jazz Orchestra, visit www.pacificjazz.org .

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Sutton-Foster-David-Benoit-More-Set-for-Pacific-Jazz-Orchestra-2026-27-Season-20260605)._