CALIFORNIA LOVE: An Orchestral Celebration of Dr. Dre

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Witness a 30-piece orchestra play the timeless g-funk hits of Dr. Dre. Grammy award-winning producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly5thAve brings his celebrated orchestral tribute to Dr. Dre back to Los Angeles. Originally debuted in 2015 and captured on his acclaimed album, The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre, this dynamic performance reimagines Dre’s iconic catalog through lush orchestral arrangements, blending hip-hop, soul, and jazz with cinematic flair. Conducting a 30-piece orchestra, Sly5thAve will masterfully reimagine and honor the legacy of one of music’s greatest producers. Expect surprise guests, including some GP alumni (their 2015 concert featured Bernie Worrell, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Todd Simon, and Mark de Clive-Lowe, among many others). Dr. Dre himself was in attendance and jumped on stage to praise the show.

CALIFORNIA LOVE: An Orchestral Celebration of Dr. Dre is presented by Colelab and Mochilla.

Featured Artist

Violin: Tylana Renga

Violin 1: Crystal Brooke (p), Nikki Garcia, Eliza James, and Mizuki Takagi

Violin 2: Shigeru Logan (p), Adriana Molello, Jon GK, and Pablo Méndez

Viola: Chad Jackson (p), Marta Honer, and Nikki Shorts

Vox Featured: Jimetta Rose

Cello: AJ Fanning (p) and Adrienne Woods

Vox Featured: Jimetta Rose

Bari Sax: Sylvester Onyejiaka

Keys: Sam Barsh

Elec & Upright Bass: Cooper Appelt

Guitar/Glock/Chimes: Kelyn Crapp

Drums: TaRon Lockett

Alto/Flute: Danny Janklow

Flute/TENOR/CLARINET: Phillip Wack

TENOR SAX: Michael Jelani Brooks

French Horn 1: Malik Taylor

French Horn 2: Christian Thomas

Trumpet 1: Brandyn Phillips

Trumpet 2: Todd Simon

Trombone 1: Lemar Guillary

Trombone 2: Raymond James Mason

Bass Bone/Tuba: Ibanda Ruhimbika

Sylvester Onyejiaka – Bari Sax

Sly5thAve is the project of multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, and composer Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II, whose sound blends jazz, hip hop, soul, and R&B. His orchestral tribute album The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre earned critical acclaim and the praise of Dr. Dre himself. A Grammy-winning horn player, Sly5thAve has collaborated with artists like Prince, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Taylor Swift, and Quantic.

Born in Austin, TX, and trained at the University of North Texas, he went on to work with Prince’s New Power Generation band and release multiple solo and collaborative projects. His 2024 album Liberation features original orchestral compositions and includes contributions from his Ghost Note bandmates.

With work spanning Tru Thoughts releases, live performance, and a strong following, Sly5thAve continues to innovate at the intersection of jazz, orchestration, and hip hop.

Todd Simon

Todd Simon is a Trumpeter/Arranger/Producer/DJ/Educator who’s worked with the likes of Kelis, Lauryn Hill, Weezer, TV On The Radio, Ziggy Marley, Madlib, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Santigold, Quantic, Breakestra, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Quadron, Antibalas + many more. Todd has won Grammys for his work with Ziggy Marley and Lecrae.

Todd is the composer for KCRW’s Left, Right and Center and founder of LA’s African-Jazz ensemble, Ethio Cali; the 21+ member Angel City All-Star Brass Band; and #HodePodgeLA where musicians jam with records and DJ’s jam with musicians. Music education has always been a motivating factor in Todd’s career. He was involved with the international Red Bull Music Academy and is currently running both Jazz Studies and Music Technology programs at Granada Hills Charter High School.

Jimetta Rose – Vox Featured

One word that embodies Jimetta’s complex and mesmerizing sound is: SOUL. All aspects of her music, from the unforgettable vocals to the powerful lyrics, range from enchanting to haunting and everything meshing into an autobiographical testament to love’s healing power. She truly bares her soul and shares her vulnerability and strength. Her songs, her life, her art are a cumulative love letter, an autobiographical testament to life itself.

Boleros With Attitude

Boleros With Attitude (BWA) is a LA based project that bridges hip hop and boleros. These two genres couldn’t be further apart but the fusion has caught a lot of people’s attention. Bolero is a latin folk genre that consists of requinto, classical guitar and three part vocal harmonies. The mission of Boleros with Attitude is to celebrate and promote the culture and diversity of Latino and urban music.

JEDI

JEDI is an Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles-based DJ, admired for his eclectic style of mixing, song-selection, and sublime turntablism. He’s toured the world as the resident maestro for a Tony Award-winning Broadway production, with Grammy Award-winning hip hop pioneers Digable Planets, and has also served as a recurring member of DAKAH, a 50-piece hip hop orchestra. Jedi is a co-founder and current resident at the Los Angeles installment of Motown On Mondays, in addition to producing several other long-running weekly dance parties in prestigious venues all over the city. Since 2014, he has been instrumental in developing and launching the DJ/Production program at Musicians’ Institute in Hollywood, CA. Jedi also contributes regularly to Downbeat 720; a Santa Monica, CA-based performance workshop for high school students that is now in its 2nd decade.

Monalisa Murray

Monalisa Murray has been associated with quality music and events in Los Angeles and across the country for decades and has been an active DJ for 19 years. Her music format ranges from soul, funk, & hip hop to rock, pop, jazz-funk & world music to less familiar and undiscovered gems & jams of all genres.

This program is made possible in part by our community partners at Yelp LA and a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.