At age 23, Spears broke through in the local D.C. music scene playing with the jazz-fusion group Gideon Band.

He teamed up with Seal on the Hendrix tribute “Stone Free,” created a jazz-fusion group led by synthesizer player Jan Hammer and honored rockabilly guitarist Cliff Gallup with the album “Crazy Legs.”

It’s got the stacked falsettos and plaintive vocal runs of ‘70s R&B, but its chiming guitar chords recall the Cure, and the track closes with a left-field jazz-fusion breakdown. It doesn’t scream “hit single” at first, but Lacy’s sly ambiguity across genre and desire spoke to millions of Gen Z fans.

Mitchell moved on to the visionary jazz-fusion experiments of “The Hissing of Summer Lawns” and the landmark “Hejira,” a sprawling bookend to “Blue” that has become, in recent years, her most influential record.

L.A. producer and DJ Flying Lotus will team with jazz-fusion bassist and singer Thundercat for a free concert June 12; local cumbia band La Santa Cecilia will take the stage for the final free concert, set for June 26.