Over 11 years and 570 episodes, John Rabe and Team Off-Ramp scoured SoCal for the people, places, and ideas whose stories needed to be told, and the show became a love-letter to Los Angeles. Now, John is sharing selections from the Off-Ramp vault to help you explore this imperfect paradise.
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From September 2 through 5, the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel will host a weekend of "sweet and hot" jazz from the 1920s - 1950s, America's Golden Age of popular music.
"For me and I think most of the people that are involved with this, we feel that jazz is music that swings," said Wally Holmes, director of the festival. "And it's not swinging just if the band is swinging, the people have got to be swinging, too."
The Sweet and Hot Music Festival has been swinging every labor day weekend in Los Angeles since 1984. This year's lineup includes performances by Barbara Morrison, the Mills Brothers and 98 year-old legend Herb Jeffries, best known for a hit single he performed with Duke Ellington. In total, over 50 artists will gather to perform in a wide variety of musical styles.
"Come and see them and you decide whether it swings or not," said Holmes.
Audio: Off-Ramp's Brian Watt talks with Wally Holmes, who wrote the 1970s hit song "Rock The Boat" and is now the director of the Sweet and Hot Music Festival.