Omaha Performing Arts will again present Jazz on the Green at Midtown Crossing this summer. The free outdoor concert series will run six consecutive Thursdays, from July 11 to August 15, 2013, and is located in the idyllic Turner Park in the heart of Midtown Crossing. Starting this year, concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the new permanent stage of The Pavilion at Turner Park; the lawn is open beginning at 5 p.m. The 2013 program for Omaha Performing Arts presents Jazz on the Green at Midtown Crossing includes something for everyone, from Rat Pack-inspired jazz to foot-stomping Zydeco to joyfully hard-driving world music. The musicians hail from all over the United States, including Brooklyn, Detroit, Louisiana and California, and most are well-known musicians from Nebraska.

The season starts with the real deal in Zydeco music, Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, on July 11. While Broussard is considered an influential accordionist and vocalist in modern Zydeco music, when he plays with the Creole Cowboys, it’s all about tradition. The Louisiana native Broussard is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Creole culture and traditional Zydeco music. He has range seldom seen in Zydeco – from traditional songs to originals, single-note and triple-note accordion to fiddle.

On July 18, the eight-piece Brooklyn band Red Baraat will liven up the park with a hard-driving blend of North Indian bhangra rhythms and elements of New Orleans brass, funk and hip-hop. The band’s second studio album, Shruggy Ji, was released in January and is hard to define musically. Red Baraat calls it “an incredible party jam that moves your parts.” At Jazz on the Green, the band will be able to do what it does best: Communing with their audience in a joyful, near hedonistic celebration of music and dance, which tellingly, draws a crowd even more diverse than the players on stage.

On July 25, the Omaha-based Rat Pack-inspired band Adams and Cooley Rat Pack Jazz will perform with Jazz on the Green staple Susie Thorne. Johnny Adams and Ron Cooley have been performing regionally, and across the country, for more than two decades, and both have worked with Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller. Thorne calls Omaha home after traveling the world as a vocalist. After her first CD came out in 2000, critics compared her style to that of a young Eartha Kitt. The Jazz on the Green performance will harken to the days of Sinatra and Martin – swinging, fun and always cool.

The August 1 performance of Laith Al-Saadi Band will feature the blues stylings of Detroit singer/guitarist Laith Al-Saadi. Named “King of the Blues for the Northern Region of the United States” by Guitar Center, he blends rock, blues and R&B into an impressive package. During his live shows, he hammers out a mix of originals and puts his own spin on songs by artists like Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Al-Saadi has opened for B.B. King, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Johnny Winter among others. His third album will be released later this year.

On August 8, the seven-piece funk/soul band Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers will hit the Jazz on the Green stage. The Lincoln-based band consists of Josh Hoyer, Justin G. Jones, Brian Morrow, Ben Kushner, Tommy Van Den Berg, Mike Dee and Logan Pennington. The band’s sound comes from a deep respect and knowledge of blues, Americana, soul and funk. They play Hoyer’s original work, along with some choice covers that reflect Hoyer’s love of New Orleans music, soul and funk.

The series ends August 15 with a performance by Ron E. Beck Soul / Jazz Revue. Beck was the drummer for the urban soul group Tower of Power, and he has played with Bell and James, Herbie Hancock and Carlos Santana. His band consists of all Omaha musicians – Mitch Towne, keyboards; Jorge Nila, saxophone; Craig Balderston, bass; Luke Polipnick, guitar; Brad Cordle, vocals; and Curly Martin, drums. Beck has his own Omaha connection:  The drummer lived in Omaha until he was 19 years old, and now calls San Jose, Calif., his home.

The performers for this summer’s Jazz on the Green at Midtown Crossing will be the first to use the new permanent stage of The Pavilion at Turner Park. All concerts are free to the public, with no reservations or tickets needed. Turner Park opens at 5:00 p.m. and performances start at 7:30 p.m. Midtown Crossing offers convenient and secure parking for more than 3,000 vehicles. Two parking garages are easily accessible from 33rd, Farnam and Harney streets. In both garages, the first three hours are free and visitors pay only $1 for each hour thereafter (with a maximum fee of $6). Ample metered parking is available along Farnam Street. Metered parking is short-term (max. two hours) and is monitored Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sponsors for Omaha Performing Arts presents Jazz on the Green at Midtown Crossing are Mutual of Omaha, Mutual of Omaha Bank, Omaha Steaks, C&A Industries, Inc., Fran and Rich Juro, and Bank of the West. Media sponsors for this year’s series are Omaha World-Herald, KETV and KIOS. This year’s in-kind sponsors are Crystal Clear Water and Curzon Promotional Graphics. For more information about the series and the artists, visit JazzOnTheGreenOmaha.com, become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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Media sponsors:  KETV & Omaha World-Herald