The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Tune in to sounds of summer
Host of local musicians to play free concerts at City Hall
MIDDLETOWN — Singer/songwriter and local musician Jeff McQuillan will kick off the city’s Summer Sounds Concert Series Thursday evening on the City Hall lawn.
McQuillian, known as “Mister Jeff ” to his young fans, will perform Tunes n’ Tales, an interactive adventure for children and families, according to the Middletown Commission on the Arts.
“Come, listen to Mister Jeff spin a yarn of words and melodies,” the agency said in a press release. “Meet Mister Crocodile, Ms. Fox, Mister Bear, Beaver and other fun characters. You will hear folktales from Africa, Puerto Rico, as well as original stories and songs by Mister Jeff and his friends. Get ready to sing, get ready to dance, get ready to laugh and have fun.”
The free series runs weekly, with shows held outside at 245 deKoven
Drive from 6 to 8 p.m. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome for these musical shows for all ages.
The rest of the schedule, which features local musicians, includes July 14, the Jay Hoggard Quartet; July 28, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem; and Aug. 11, The House of Moses.
Hoggard, professor of music at Wesleyan University and composer, is a vibraphone “innovator,” according
to his website. “His music is positive, spiritual, uplifting and happy, and he seamlessly blends jazz and gospel roots with African Marimba rhythms,” his site said.
Hoggard’s “repertoire represents the three B’s of the jazz tradition — blues, bop and ballads,” it added.
“Harmony, rhythm, indelible songs are the hallmarks” of Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, the New Englandbased folk quartet, according to its website.
“From the Newport Folk Festival to California World Music Festival and beyond, this band’s steadfast brew of wit, camaraderie, and musicality leaves audiences everywhere humming and hopeful, spirits renewed,” it said.
The House of Moses formed in the 1970s by Randy Moses, Freddy Moses and Thomas “Jakula” Moses, and performs in the Middletown area, according to the Facebook page.
In the past, performances have
been held on the South Green and Harbor Park. This year,- they will be held on the municipal offices lawn.
If there is inclement weather and a show is postponed, it will be announced on the day of the performance by noon, the city said.
For information, go to middletownct.gov, call the Arts & Culture Office at 860-638-4510 or visit the City of Middletown Arts & Culture Office Facebook page.