Find a Class
Celebrating Creativity & Community
June through August • Select Sundays at 5 PM
In the Eliot Schoolyard, 24 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain
Bring your own seats. All are welcome. No animals, please.
SUPPORT THE SERIES
Admission free
$20 donation suggested. All other donations are gratefully accepted.
Your donations help pay the musicians, curators, and our audio engineer.
CURATORS
Brian Friedland • Hoopla Productions
Meraki Productions
AUDIO
Carlito Blu
2024 Concert Schedule
Jump to Concert Details
June 9: TrioCast (Brazilian Jazz)
June 30: Pheonixoutthe (Hip Hop)
July 7: Bembé Blue (Latin Jazz) & Dis N Dat Band (Neo-reggae)
July 14: Pat Loomis & Friends (Jazz/Blues/Funk)
July 28: DEBO RAY (R&B)
August 4: Trinity Mei (Indie Folk)
August 18: Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 (World Jazz)
August 25: Fabiola Mendez (Folk/Afro-Latin/Jazz)
Sponsors
Founding
Premiere
Jameson Thompson Picture Framers
Major
Good Neighbor
Pozerski Hatch & Company, P.C.
Concert Details
June 9: TrioCast (Brazilian Jazz)
Hailing from London, Stockholm, and Chicago, the members of TrioCast cite influences ranging from Piazzolla to Pixinguinha, Metheny to Monk. Let this trio of piano, voice, and cello take you to a musical zone free of boundaries and preconceptions.
June 30: Pheonixoutthe (Hip Hop)
Pheonix was raised in Los Angeles and engaged in the growing Hip Hop scene in Atlanta in the early 2000's. Based in Boston, Pheonix's mission and work reflects the spirit of anti-colonial movements seeking truth, justice, and unity for the human family. Pheonix currently is a performing and regionally touring artist.
July 7: Bembé Blue (Latin Jazz)
Bembé Blue is Boston's newest Latin Jazz Band, employing some of the finest musicians living in and around Boston. Our core five-piece band consists of Sax/Flute, Piano, Bass, Drum Set, Congas, and for the Eliot Schoolyard concert on Sunday, July 7 we're augmenting the band with the addition of Tito Puente alumnus Mr. Ray Vega on the Trumpet! Our repertoire consists of mainly Afro-Cuban style jazz by the likes of Poncho Sanchez, Ray Barretto, and Irakere. All band members are composers, so we play original Latin Jazz-inspired music as well. Come listen, see, and enjoy dancing to our popular art form, Latin music!
Also July 7: Dis N Dat Band (Neo-reggae)
Dis N Dat Band is a five-piece band led by husband and wife team Sista Dee and Rangotan. Sista Dee was born in Trinidad. She is an international entertainer and steelpan virtuoso, and Rangotan is a four-time Grammy-nominated drummer hailing from Kingston, Jamaica.
July 14: Pat Loomis & Friends (Jazz/Blues/Funk)
Pat Loomis and Friends is an exciting and electrifying blend of jazz, blues, and funk that has been a favorite of the Boston/New England jazz scene for over 30 years. The group has played some of the top venues in the Boston/New England area, and played such festivals as the Beantown Jazz Festival and the Dudley Jazz Festival, among others. For the past 10 years, Pat has been the musical director for the Jazz and Blues At Library Park Concert Series at the South End Branch of the Boston Public Library, for which he received an Award of Merit in 2015 from then-Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh. Pat himself has performed with such jazz greats Wynton Marsalis, Grover Washington, Jr., Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’ Rivera, to name just a few, as well as R&B and pop legends such as Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and Phil Collins. He has also performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Hall in Boston, Disneyland in Southern California, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Russia and Les Palais Des Congres, and Avec Du Des Lombards in Paris. After a brief year and a half stay in Los Angeles, Pat has returned to Boston, where he has resumed his in-demand career as a leader and sideman throughout the New England Region.
July 28: DEBO RAY (R&B)
DEBO RAY is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning artist who's performed on some of the world's biggest stages. Possessing an incredible vocal range and versatility, she seamlessly blends the soulful richness of R&B with the exuberance of rock and hip hop creating a unique and captivating sound. A charismatic performer and storyteller, Debo connects deeply with her audience, leaving them nourished with the depth of her artistic expression.
August 4: Trinity Mei (Indie Folk)
Trinity Mei is an Indie Folk/Pop Singer/Songwriter from the mountains of Arizona who has been captivating audiences with her soulful tone and vulnerable lyricism. Her artistry encapsulates storytelling prowess, a highly emotional and refined vocal delivery, and innovative musical instincts. While the deserts of Arizona nurtured her love for the genre, Trinity’s quest for artistic growth led her to Berklee College of Music in Boston where she further honed her craft. Drawing inspiration from the vast tapestry of her own life experiences, she embarked on a personal journey, molding her unique sound that seamlessly blends traditional folk roots with a progressive, contemporary flair akin to the likes of Maggie Rodgers, Phoebe Bridgers, and Stevie Nicks. As an artist, Trinity aims to write music that empowers and connects people through shared life experiences. Prepare to be captivated as she fearlessly opens a window into her soul, revealing her vulnerabilities and triumphs, while finding strength in authenticity.
August 18: Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 (World Jazz)
Meridian 71 is a cross-cultural music project created and led by Italian drummer and composer Giuseppe Paradiso. The project name comes from Boston's longitude: the 71st meridian that passes precisely through the eastern part of the city. Active since 2011, Meridian 71 has released three albums; their latest, Parallel Dimensions was released in 2022 on the London-based record label Ubuntu Music, and distributed worldwide by The Orchard (SONY). All three albums feature original compositions by Giuseppe Paradiso, and a unique sound that transcends boundaries, blending genres that range from jazz and improvised music to Mediterranean and West African styles. Their music has been reviewed and air-played worldwide. This performance features an eclectic ensemble of well-established Boston-based musicians, including Giuseppe Paradiso on drums, Mark Zaleski on sax and clarinet, Phil Sargent on guitar, Brian Friedland on keys, James Heazlewood-Dale on electric and upright bass, and Malick Ngom on sabar and West-African drums.
August 25: Fabiola Mendez (Folk/Afro-Latin/Jazz)
Native to Caguas, Puerto Rico Fabiola Méndez is a cuatrista, singer, educator, and Emmy-nominated composer who has taken part in a musical movement, crossing over the lines of genres such as Folk, Afro-Latin, and Jazz. Her musicality and original compositions take the listener on a journey through her identities and culture while celebrating and exploring the versatility of the cuatro puertorriqueño. Recognized for being the first student to graduate from Berklee College of Music with the cuatro as her principal instrument (2018), Fabiola performs nationally and internationally, and is the co-composer of PBS Kids show Alma's Way. She has received numerous awards, including the Quincy Jones Award, the Brother Thomas Fellowship, ASCAP Lucille and Jack Yellen Award 2022, a Children's and Family Emmy nomination for Outstanding Interactive Media in 2023, and being selected as the Latin Artist of the Year 2023 by the Boston Music Awards.