Sep 3, 2025 12:02 PM
Keeping the Flame at Van Gelder Studio
On the last Sunday of 2024, in the control room of Van Gelder Studio, Don and Maureen Sickler, co-owners since Rudy Van…
Vocalist Gregory Porter is among the performers for the inaugural Life Luxe Jazz Experience, which runs Nov. 1-4 in Los Cabos, Mexico.
(Photo: Shawn Peters)Life Luxe Jazz Experience, a festival located in Los Cabos, Mexico, has announced its inaugural line-up.
In addition to Gregory Porter, who won Best Male Vocalist in both 2017’s DownBeat Critics’ and Readers’ Polls, Boney James, Keiko Matsui and Kirk Whalum, among others, are set to perform at the festival’s first installment. Four days of performances run Nov. 1-4 at the Pueblo Bonito resort. And along with golf on a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design course and fine dining, access to a private beach will be available for two days.
“I am excited about the opportunity to participate at the first annual Life Luxe Jazz Experience,” said singer and guitarist Norman Brown, who’s slated to headline the Saturday, Nov. 3 bill. “I can’t wait to bring a little ‘Love and Soul’ to the fans while they soak up the sun.”
While the festival is focused on music and resort amenities, Life Luxe Jazz founders are donating a portion of the event’s proceeds to the Letty Coppel Foundation, a nonprofit providing social services and community development resources in the Los Cabos area.
“Life Luxe Jazz Experience is thrilled to partner with Pueblo Bonito resorts to create a unique and memorable opportunity for travel lovers and jazz fans in picturesque Los Cabos, all while raising money for a wonderful cause,” said Dianna Clarkson, festival co-founder.
A full list of performers is below.
Bobby Caldwell
Boney James
Darian Emory
Ernest Quarles
Gregory Porter
Keiko Matsui
Kirk Whalum
Lin Rountree
Lindsey Webster
Maysa
Meli’sa Morgan
Michael Manson
Mindi Abair
Najee
Norman Brown
Zoe Wood
For more information about the festival, visit the Life Luxe Jazz website. DB
Don and Maureen Sickler serve as the keepers of engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s flame at Van Gelder Studio, perhaps the most famous recording studio in jazz history.
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