Sounds from downtown Van Buren
by April 12, 2009 12:28 pm 78 views
story and photos by Linda Kaufenberg
The Don Bailey Jazz Combo kicked off the first in a series of seven monthly concerts of the Old Town Merchants Association’s Music in the Park Series.
The concert was staged in the Blanche Moore Park on Main Street in Van Buren. Upcoming concerts will take place on the second Saturday of each month through October and will feature some of the most gifted singers, bands and songwriters. Free to the public for all ages, they are set for 4 to 6 p.m.
In introducing the band members, most of whom were students at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Don Bailey said, “This is a jam session where some have not played with the others. That way it is more organic, more realistic.”
Don Bailey is an associate professor of music and the director of Jazz Studies at UAFS. Under his direction, the Jazz Band and award winning Jazz catz (jazz ensemble) continue to perform in sell-out concerts of more than 1,000 people.
Featured categories in the Music in the Park series are:
June 6 – Blues;
July 11 – Bluegrass;
Aug. 8 – Reggae;
Sept. 12 – Country; and
Oct. 10 – Old Town Fall Festival.
