Music, Nature and Art Come Together with Kids & Families at Jazz Arts Group’s Free PBJ & Jazz Concert Series at the Downtown Topiary Park and the Columbus Metropolitan Library

Columbus, OH – The Jazz Arts Group is pleased to present the 8th summer season of its free PBJ & Jazz Concert Series, hour-long interactive concerts for kids and families, at the Topiary Park (480 E Town Street) and the main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library (96 South Grant Avenue) in downtown Columbus.

PBJ & Jazz events typically get underway with a free family story time in the main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library starting at 11 a.m. followed by a short walk to the beautiful Topiary Park where the concerts start at noon. Performances are followed by fun family art-making activities made possible by the Columbus Museum of Art.

But for this summer’s series opener on Saturday, June 25, the Caribbean Jazz Quintet will perform on the grounds of the main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library as part of the open-house and grand reopening celebration. The performance gets underway at 2 p.m. (No story time will precede.)

Composed of Nate Anders, Jim Ed Cobbs, Dave DeWitt, Jeff Ciampa, and Aaron Scott the Caribbean Jazz Quintet performs music with an ‘island twist.’ Whether playing jazz or popular tunes, this quintet adds its own brand of island spice.

The next PBJ & Jazz concert takes place Saturday, July 9 and features the talented, award-winning bassist of the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra, Jailynn Lake-Noel. Leading a quartet in this outing, Ms. Lake-Noel will be giving one of her final performances before heading off to college at the University of Louisville, where she will study Music Therapy and Jazz Performance. The concert starts at noon in the Topiary Park, with the family story time starting at 11 a.m. in the main library.

The third PBJ & Jazz concert on the series takes place Saturday, August 13 and features keyboardist extraordinaire and Columbus Jazz Orchestra member Bobby Floyd joined by CJO Artistic Director and internationally renowned trumpeter Byron Stripling. The performance starts at noon in the Topiary Park, with the pre-concert story time starting at 11 a.m. in the main library.

The final offering on the series takes place Saturday, September 10 with one of the city’s most-admired vocal stylists, Kelly McLennan, leading her ensemble in a variety of tunes. The performance starts at noon in the Topiary Park, with family story time preceding it at 11 a.m. in the main library.

With its stunning topiary depiction of George Seurat’s famous impressionist painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte, the downtown Topiary Park effectively combines art and nature, with sculpture and painting. And the Jazz Arts Group’s free family PBJ & Jazz Concert Series adds music to the mix in this idyllic setting.

The 2016 Summer PBJ & Jazz Concert Series schedule is:

• Saturday, June 25 at 2 p.m. (outside of the Columbus Metropolitan Library)
  Caribbean Jazz Quintet
• Saturday, June 9 at noon (outside in the Topiary Park)
  Bassist Jailynn Lake-Noel
• Saturday, August 13 at noon (outside in the Topiary Park)
  The Bobby Floyd Trio with Byron Stripling
• Saturday, September 10 at noon (outside in the Topiary Park)
  Vocalist Kelly McLennan

The PBJ & Jazz Concert Series at the downtown Topiary Park is presented by the Jazz Arts Group in partnership with the Discovery Special Improvement District, Friends of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Friends of the Topiary Park, and the Jennifer Michel Keefer Memorial Fund at The Columbus Foundation. Ongoing support is provided by The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Ohio Arts Council. Media support is provided by WCBE 90.5 FM.

Call 614-294-5200 or visit www.jazzartsgroup.org for more information.

About the Jazz Arts Group:

The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) is America’s premier not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to producing, performing and promoting jazz. JAG is the third largest performing arts organization in Columbus and consists of four focus areas: the Columbus Jazz Orchestra (CJO), one of the world’s finest professional jazz orchestras; the Jazz Academy, JAG’s extensive instructional programs educating both students and adults about jazz and American music; Jazz Arts Group Presents…, a new performance series produced at the historic Lincoln Theatre and beyond; and Affiliate Musicians, a program providing employment opportunities for locally-based professional musicians.