In the Second Jazz & Blues Outdoor Concert, New York-based Composer and Pianist, Kevin Harris, and Pat Loomis's Exceptional Musical "Friends" Enthrall the Library Park Crowd

From left to right: Kevin Harris, Max Ridley, Pat Loomis and Yoron Israel

The second of four Library Park concerts this summer, held on July 30, saw another remarkable musical performance by pianist Kevin Harris who played several of his own compositions. Accompanying him were Pat Loomis, on the alto saxophone; Max Ridley, on the acoustic bass; and Yoron Israel, on drums.

It was another beautiful, dry, somewhat sultry summer night after a blast of heat had tormented many Bostonians during the day. Coming to Library Park, shaded by tall oak trees, spelled relief., as did the copious number of watermelon slices available at the refreshment table.

The thrilling musical numbers composed by Kevin Harris included The Potential To Be, followed by Lullaby For A Yellowbird, Lullaby For Humanity. Then onto The Silent Majority and Ali. The foursome also played two Charlie Parker compositions, Donna Lee and Ko Ko, as well as a remarkable piece by Hoagy Carmichael, Skylark..

The next two concerts will take place on Tuesdays, August 20 and August 27, rain or shine: The Motown sound of the Nephrok! Allstar Band will fill the park on the 20th (“Bring you dancing shoes,” Pat Loomis told the audience”) and the A-Beez Music Collective, with roots in Soul, Funk and R & B, will close the summer outdoor concert season on the 27th.

All performances in Library Park are free. They are sponsored by FOSEL with generous contributions from you, our supporters. Thank you. We serve sliced watermelon. There will be some seating but bring yours if you want to.

Grammy Award-winning Percussionist Eguie Castrillo Was the Star Performer of the First Pat Loomis Jazz & Blues Concert in the Newly Designed Library Park on July 23

From left to right: Pat Loomis, Angel Subero, David Rivera, Fernando Huergo, Antonio Loomis and Joseph Rivera Sanchez, for the first concert this summer in Library Park.

A happy crowd of Southenders under distant the gaze of the Prudential Tower

Celebrated Puerto Rican percussionist, Eguie Castrillo, was the star performer at the first of four Jazz & Blues concerts in Library Park on July 23rd. The Grammy Award winner played seamlessly with the members of Pat Loomis’s Friends, a local band that has electrified Library Park summer evenings for more than a decade. This year, for the first time, every concert has a Special Musical Guest performer, paid for by you, our generous donors, and recruited by Loomis, himself a well-known and popular saxophonist and vocalist.

Flutist Julia and trombonist Angel Subero leaning into an inspired rendition of A Night in Tunisia

What the Boston weather gods will bring to the park concerts is always the biggest source of anxiety its sponsors but, miraculously, the torrential rains of the previous night and morning deposited their last droplet at noon. This left enough time for Library Park to dry out, Parks Department employees to sweep up the debris, and for the big outdoors to broadcast the glorious sounds of a free, live jazz performance. It was the first concert since the Park’s redesign and upgrade last summer, when concerts could not be scheduled due to the reconstruction.

The walk-on musician, Julia, waiting to join the band, and a devoted concert attendant, with watermelon.

As is often the case in the South End neighborhood where the legacy of jazz and blues runs deep and wide, professional musicians not booked for the concert regularly walk on and join the performers. This year, a fabulous flutist, identified only as Julia, was the walk-on and, with the band, gave an inspiring performance of Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia. Other numbers included Mambo Inn (Mario Bauza); Senor Blues (Horace Silver); Chucho (Paquito D'Rivera); I Mean You (Thelonius Monk); and Samba De Orfeu ( Luis Bonfa).

In addition to Pat Loomis and Eguie Castrillo, the musicians playing their hearts out were: Angel Subero (trombone); Antonio Loomis (guitar); Joseph Rivera Sánchez (piano); Fernando Huergo (bass); David Rivera (drums) and the remarkable Julia, on flute.

The next concert in Library Park will feature the acclaimed New York-based composer and pianist, Kevin Harris, on Tuesday, July 30, at 6:30 PM.

At the moment (three days in advance) the prediction is for a hot and dry summer night, another perfect evening for outdoor music. Listen fro your roof decks, your patios or from inside the park. Bring your own chairs and refreshments. FOSEL serves watermelon.

Delicious Platters of Food, Fabulous Jazz Music by the Pat Loomis Band & Trombonist Jeff Galindo, and a Crowd of Library Supporters Made the South End Library Holiday Party the Best Ever

FOSEL board members, library staff and volunteers dishing out delicious dinners for all

Saxophonist Pat Loomis and Special Guest Jeff Galindo on trombone

Each year, the South End library’s holiday party gets bigger and better: time for a bigger library to accommodate it all. On December 18, a crowd of more than sixty people stood in line for a holiday dinner featuring platters of delicious food prepared by the chefs at the South End Food Emporium on Columbus Avenue, generously donated as their holiday gift to the South End library. In addition, library supporters, Friends of the Library’s board members and library staff brought cheese platters, scrumptious appetizers, (non-alcoholic) mulled wine, jambalaya, hot chocolate with all the trimmings and an outstanding selection of cakes and desserts.

Antonio Loomis, Pat Loomis and Colescott Rubin weaving great music into the holiday party’s cheer

That was only the beginning: Pat Loomis and his fabulous Band of Friends managed to book a star performer, top trombonist Jeff Galindo, who graduated from Berklee College of Music, and has played with the greats, including Chick Corea, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Village Vanguard Orchestra and the Boston Pops, among others. The Loomis band included Pat Loomis, alto and soprano sax; Antonio Loomis, guitar; Jim Dower, piano; Colescott Rubin, bass; and Benny Benson, drums. The music they played together was fantastic.

The concert between-the-book-stacks featured O Tannebaum, Jingle Bells, the Christmas Song, Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, Christmas Time is Here and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. By eight o’clock, all the food had been consumed and the libations had been drunk, except for what had been put aside for the musicians by vigilant food servers who ant them to return next year...

Retired library staffer Deborah Madrey returned to see her friends and supporters

Young and old enthralled by the musical performance

Hot chocolate with all the trimmings for the children provided by library staff

Whoops and Cheers for Internationally Acclaimed Saxophonist Elan Trotman Accompanied by Pat Loomis and his Friends Playing a Celebratory Jazz & Blues Concert, the Last One in the 'Old' Library Park

The last (and best?) performance before the reconstruction of Library Park

Pat Loomis and Friends brought best-selling recording artist and internationally acclaimed saxophonist, Elan Trotman, to Library Park on July 10. The concert elicited loud applause and cheers from a large crowd of Southenders who on the hot and sultry summer night also celebrated the upcoming and long-overdue park's reconstruction, which since has begun. The band included Pat Loomis, alto saxophone;  Antonio Loomis, guitar; Amy Bellamy, keyboards; Daniel Day, bass; Zeke Martin, drums; and Zayra Pola Ocasio, percussion. Elan Trotman played tenor saxophone. 

Alto-saxophonist Pat Loomis, on the left, with Elan Trotman, on tenor-saxophone

The Friends of the South End Library have sponsored four Summer Jazz & Blues concerts in Library Park for more than a decade, raising money for the musicians from local benefactors and library supporters, including the Ann H. Symington Foundation. This year, FOSEL and Pat Loomis agreed to upgrade the concerts with 'Special Guest Performers;' Elan Trotman was the first.

He will not be the last: Every musician in the Loomis band was energized and inspired by Trotman's performance, which turned the South End library part of Tremont Street into a party scene. The audience whooped and cheered as the band played The Chicken (Pee Wee Ellis);  Can't Hide Love (Earth, Wind, and Fire); Never Too Much (Luther Vandross); Georgia On My Mind (Ray Charles); Boogie On Reggae Woman (Stevie Wonder); Europa (Carlos Santana);  Spain (Chick Corea); and ended with Happy People (Kenny Garrett). 

Happy neighbors on both sides of the fence at Library Park

Regrettably, the July 10 performance may be the only outdoor concert this year as Library Park will be under reconstruction for the next three months. The traditional Holiday Concert inside the library, usually held around mid-December, may well feature another special guest, details of which event will be publicized as soon as we know who it will be. 

From left to right: Zeke Martin, drums; Daniel Day, bass; Zayra Pola Ocassio, percussion; Antonio Loomis, guitar; Pat Loomis, alto sax; and Elan Trotman, tenor sax.

The Last Jazz & Blues Concert of the Summer Featured Two Impromptu Musical Guests and the Start of FOSEL's Capital Campaign, "Writing the Next Chapter"

Pat Loomis, saxophone, and his 'walk-on' guest, soul singer Leon Beal, Jr. in Library Park, with Zayra Pola, on percussion, in the background

Saxophonist/vocalist Pat Loomis and his Friends, the band that performed four outstanding Jazz & Blues concerts in Library Park this summer, is aptly named for its Friends. This became apparent again on August 29 when, as has happened many times before in the seven years of the series,  two 'walk-on' musical guests added themselves to the band and electrified the already swaying crowd. Flute player Lance Martin walked into Library Park and joined the band of  Antonio Loomis, guitar; Amy Bellamy, keyboards; Aaron Bellamy, bass; Joaquin Santos, drums; and Zayra Pola, percussion.  Shortly after, classical soul singer Leon Beal, Jr. made his appearance and performed a thrilling Stand By Me.

Pat Loomis with another 'walk-on' guest, the flutist Lance Martin

Drummer Joaquin Santos

The theme of the evening was The Quiet Storm: An Evening Of Smooth, Seductive Grooves, and featured several by Stevie Wonder (Another Star; Boogie On Reggae Woman and My Cherie Amour, sung by Pat Loomis himself). The weather had turned cool and the somewhat chilled audience also heard Can't Hide Love (Earth, Wind, and Fire); Armando's Rhumba (Chick Corea); The Lady In My Life (Michael Jackson); and the final song of the final performance, Happy People (Kenny Garrett). 

Before the concert began, half a dozen FOSEL board members and BPL president David Leonard were on hand to ring in their joint fundraising project for an interior library renovation, called Writing the Next Chapter. Poster boards displayed the proposed redesign, which elicited several comments along the lines of "about time this happened."  

Proposed changes to the downstairs interior of the South End Library

Brochures detailing the renovation and how and where to donate are now available at the branch, and will be mailed in the near future to South End library supporters. 

Aidan Loomis's Musical Arrangement of his Birthday Concert Performed by Dad Pat Loomis Scored a Home Run for Refreshing Musical Eclecticism

Dancing broke out on the hot summer night

Oh, to be the child of a Jazz & Blues bandleader; to able to arrange the music of your choice for your 17th birthday party in a public park on a warm and dry summer night in the South End; and to do an excellent job of it with a refreshing selection of titles: what else is there to wish for? 

Angel Subero (trombone), Scott Aruda (trumpet) and Pat Loomis (saxophone give it their all

Aidan Loomis, the non-musician son of musical director Pat Loomis (his other son, Antonio, has been part of the band as a guitarist since he was little), selected an unexpectedly delicious play list for the August 15 concert in Library Park, ranging from I Love Lucy to Pure Imagination with in-between numbers of Sweet Georgia Brown, Just a Gigolo and I Ain't Got Nobody, Do I Do, Maybe I'm Amazed, Ain't Too Proud to Beg, Soul Man and, yes, Happy Birthday. 

Parents and children, some with their own instruments, enjoyed the concert. Steven Higgs on keyboard in the back.

Vocalist Sara Seminski performed a gorgeous rendition of Pure Imagination by songwriter Josh Groban. Pat Loomis himself sang an emotional version of the Beatles' Maybe I'm Amazed, with his wife and son moved visibly in the audience, while the powerfully voiced and athletically engaging singer Nephtaliem McCrary practically set the crowd ablaze with his interpretation of the Temptations' Ain't Too Proud to Beg. 

Benny Benson, drums; Pat Loomis, singing with Sax in hand; Scott Aruda, singing with trumpet; Christoff Glaude, bass; Antonio Loomis, guitar; Sarah Seminski and Nephtaliem McCrary, vocalists

Fine performances by instrumentalists Antonio Loomis (guitar); Scott Aruda (trumpet); Angel Subero (trombone); Steven Higgs (keyboards); Christoff Glaude (bass) and Benny Benson (drums) accompanied the singers. Saxophonist Pat Loomis and trumpeter Scott Aruda switched back and forth seamlessly from instrument to their vocal strings during several numbers. 
 

Christoffe Glaude, bass; and Antonio Loomis, guitar

The South End Library's Holiday Party Is Upon Us with Jazz & Blues Band Pat Loomis and his Friends, and a Home-cooked Meal by Staff: Tuesday, December 13 at 6:30 PM, Welcome to All

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It's that time of year again for a home-cooked meal, a fine jazz & blues interpretation of holiday music by Pat Loomis and his Friends, all of it taking place between the book stacks of the South End library on Tuesday, December 13 at 6:30 PM. As always, John Hampton, husband of library staffer Carol Glass, will prepare the delicious Southern-style meal of chicken and trimmings, and volunteers plan to bring home-made desserts. (More desserts are always welcome.) Pat Loomis will play the alto-sax. His son, Antonio Loomis, will be on the guitar, while Daniel Day mans the bass and the fabulous Zeke Martin will ply his drums.

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The event is free and open to all. The South End library is fully handicapped accessible.

Dynamic Vocalists at the Final Summer Jazz and Blues Concert on August 23 in Library Park Crowned a Perfect Season of Rain-free Outdoor Performances by Pat Loomis & Friends

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The last of the four jazz and blues concerts with Pat Loomis and his Friends completed a perfect run of outdoor music in Library Park where rain was but a distant memory. This was the fourth year of the concert series, sponsored jointly by the South End branch of the Boston Public Library and the Friends of the South End Library which received a generous donation for this purpose from the Ann H. Symington Foundation.Titled Let's Groove Tonight: A Funky Dance Party with Ivory Jones and White Chocolate, the event featured four vocalists, including a grandfather and son team, as well as the heart-rending Sarah Soulchild, whose powerful evocations of Janice Joplin could be heard on Tremont Street all the way down to Massachusetts Avenue.

Bring Your Dancing Shoes on Tuesday, August 23rd, 6:30 PM, to the Final Summer Jazz & Blues Concert in Library Park, Featuring Three Vocalists with Pat Loomis and his Friends

Rusty Scott on organ; Benny Benson, drums; and, from the back Antonio Loomis, guitar

As per tradition, the fourth and final  Library Park Summer Jazz and Blues concert coming up on Tuesday, August 23rd, at 6:30 PM with Pat Loomis and his Friends will bring you three vocalists for the session of Let's Groove Tonight: A Funky Dance Party with Ivory Jones and White Chocolate. Performing will be Pat Loomis on the alto sax; Antonio Loomis, guitar; Tommy Bounce on drums; Thunderfoot will do percussion; and Jimmy Dow-Dow is on keyboard. The vocalists include the versatile Pat Loomis, Sarah Soulchild and the multi-talented Jimmy Dow-Dow. There may be a surprise guest or two. There may be dancing in the streets. The weather is supposed to be warm and dry.

Benny Benson drumming with tenor-sax player Yesseh Ali

The August 9 concert, Grits 'N Gravy: A Soulful Evening of Jazz and Blues, saw an enthusiastic and gratified audience, including District Councilor Tito Jackson and his staff. The fine organist, Rusty Scott, brought his humongous wood-cased organ, and played beautifully with the outstanding drummer Benny Benson,  alto-saxophonist Pat Loomis and Antonio Loomis on guitar. The fantastic tenor-sax solos by Berklee student Yesseh Farah Ali brought some in the audience to their feet.

The songs featured in The Soulful Evening of Jazz and Blues featured Au Privave, by Charlie Parker; Stanley Turpentine's Sugar; Body and Soul, by Johnny Greene; Caravan, by Juan Tirol; Back at the Chicken Shack, by Jimmy Smith and, like last week when surprise guest

District Councilor Tito Jackson was among the audience of the jazz and blues concert in Library Park

Arni Cheatham came by,  another rendition of Errol Garner's Misty.  Concerts in Library Park are free and sponsored by The Friends of the South End Library (that means you!) and the BPL’s South End branch. We serve freshly sliced watermelon...

We thank the Ann H. Symington Foundation for their generous grant to FOSEL to bring music to Library Park. There will be limited seating so bring your own chair if you can. Restrooms are available inside the library. The South End branch is fully handicapped accessible. We thank the Boston Parks Department for their continued efforts to make the park shine.

The Third Summer Concert in Library Park with Pat Loomis and his Friends Will Bring You "Grits 'N Gravy: A Soulful Evening of Jazz and Blues," and Watermelon, Too, on Tuesday, August 9 at 6:30 PM

The August 2nd concert with Pat Loomis & Friendsin Library Park, with Scott Aruda on trumpet

After hours of rain on August 2, the sun returned  and dried out Library Park just in time for another fine outdoor jazz and blues evening presented by Pat Loomis and his Friends. The first songs, Green Dolphin Street and There Will Never Be Another You, had already warmed up the crowd when surprise guest sax player Arni Cheatham walked into the park, unpacked his instrument case, and joined the band. The audience was treated to a great session of Misty, with Pat Loomis, trumpeter Scott Aruda, and Cheatham each doing their solo interpretation.  The high-energy final piece, What Is This Thing Called Love, could be heard blocks away by lucky Southenderssitting on their roofdecks and balconies.

Playing Misty, with Arni Meacham, Scott Aruda, and Pat Loomis

More of the same coming up Tuesday, August 9 at 6:30 PM, with that evening's theme of Grits 'N Gravy: A Soulful Evening of Jazz and Blues. With Pat Loomis on alto-sax and Antonio Loomis on guitar, we'll hear Rusty Scott's organ, and Benny Benson on drums. Again, the weather should cooperate, and the watermelon will be sliced fresh.

The final concert, Let's Groove Tonight: A Funky Dance Party with Ivory Jones and White Chocolate, will take place on Tuesday, August 23rd, 6:30 PM. It will feature a number of vocalists including Pat Loomis, who in addition to playing the alto-sax also sings a really great tune; Sarah Soulchild; and keyboardist Jimmy Dow-Dow, another marvelous vocalist. Then there will be Antonio Loomis, guitar, Tommy Bounce on drums, Thunderfoot performing percussion and..a special guest or two.

A happy crowd of South End jazz aficionados in Library Park. Courtesy, Lane Newman

Concerts in Library Park are free and sponsored by The Friends of the South End Library (that means you!) and the BPL’s South End branch. We thank the Ann H. Symington Foundation for their generous grant to FOSEL to bring music to Library Park. There will be limited seating so bring your own chair if you can. Restrooms are available inside the library. The South End branch is fully handicapped accessible. We thank the Boston Parks Department for their continued efforts to make the park shine.

Coming Up: The Next Summer Jazz and Blues Concert with Pat Loomis in Library Park on Tuesday, August 2, at 6:30 PM, Themed "Heritage: A Celebration of the Great American Songbook"

Pat Loomis alto-sax blow-out, with drummer Zeke Martin and Christof Glaude, bass

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After the fantastic opening concert by jazz and blues group Pat Loomis and Friends on July 12 in Library Park, you will be ready for the next one on Tuesday, August 2 at 6:30 PM. The theme for the second Library Park feast in the summer series of four is Heritage: A Celebration of the Great American Songbook. Playing with Pat Loomison alto sax will be Scott Aruda on trumpet; Antonio Loomis, guitar; Steven Higgs, piano; Dave Zox, bass; and Dave Foxon drums. FOSEL has ordered the same sultry weather so perfect for summer nights in the city that we saw on July 12. FOSEL volunteers will slice fresh watermelon on site.

The final two jazz-and-blues blowouts will take place on August 9 and August 23, with  the handles Grits 'N Gravy: A Soulful Evening of Jazz and Blues and Let's Groove Tonight: A funky Jazz Party with Ivory Jones and White Chocolate, respectively. The Grits 'N Gravy performance will showcase the Loomis father and son team accompanied by Rusty Scott, organ and Benny Benson, drums.  For the final event of the season, Let's Groove Tonight, the Loomis team will play with vocalist Sara Soulchild, as well as two others singers who also happen to be instrumentalists, Ivory Jones, alto-sax, and Jimmy Dow-Dow, keyboard. They will be accompanied by Stevie Q, bass;Tommy Bounce, drums; Thunderfoot, percussion; AND…special surprise guests…

Zeke Martin's solo

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Concerts in Library Park are free and sponsored by The Friends of the South End Library (that means you!) and the BPL’s South End branch. We thank the Ann H. Symington Foundation for their generous grant to FOSEL to bring music to Library Park. There will be limited seating so bring your own chair if you can. Restrooms are available inside the library. The South End branch is fully handicapped accessible. We thank the Boston Parks Department for their continued efforts to make the park shine. 

The First Jazz & Blues Concert of the Season With Pat Loomis and His Friends Is Tuesday, July 12, at 6:30 PM in Library Park, Inspired By "Chameleon: The Many Musical Moods of Herbie Hancock"

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Yes, it must be summer because the first of four themed jazz-and-blues concerts with Pat Loomis and his ever-changing band of stellar musicians will happen on Tuesday, July 12 at 6:30 PM in Library Park. The evening's theme is Chameleon: The Many Musical Moods of Herbie Hancock. Pat Loomis alto sax will take over the park with, on his side, his son Antonio Loomis on guitar. In addition, there are the fabulous drummer, Zeke Martin; Joshua Sutherland of the Berklee City Music Network on keys; and Berklee student Daniel Day on bass.

The next three performances are scheduled for Tuesdays in August, namely the second, the ninth and the twenty-third, with between seven and nine musicians for the final night, including three vocalists. The specifics are:

Heritage: A Celebration of the Great American Songbook, with Pat Loomis on alto sax; Scott Aruda on trumpet; Antonio Loomis, guitar; Steven Higgs, piano; Dave Zox, bass; and Dave Fox on drums. Tuesday, August 2.

Grits 'N Gravy: A Soulful Evening of Jazz and Blues, with Pat Loomis, alto sax;  Antonio Loomis, guitar; Rusty Scott, organ; and Benny Benson, drums. Tuesday, August 9.

Let's Groove Tonight: A Funky Dance Party With Ivory Jones and White Chocolate, featuring Ivory Jones, alto saxophone and vocals; Antonio Tha Great, guitar;  Sarah Soulchild, vocals; Jimmy Dow-Dow, keyboard and vocals; Stevie Q, bass; Tommy Bounce, drums; Thunderfoot, percussion; AND...special surprise guests...Tuesday, August 23rd.

The concerts are free and sponsored by The Friends of the South End Library (that means you!) and the BPL's South End branch. We thank the Ann H. Symington Foundation for their generous grant to FOSEL to bring music to Library Park. There will be limited seating so bring your own chair if you can. We serve fresh sliced watermelon. Restrooms are available inside the library. The South End branch is fully handicapped accessible.

Happy New Year: If You Missed the Annual Holiday Jazz Concert Between-the-Stacks This Year, Here's the Reason Not to Do That Next Time

Dave Fox, Tia Fuller, Pat Loomis, Christoff Glaude

Every year, the South End Library's Holiday Party and Jazz Concert features terrific music by Pat Loomis and his Friends, a home-cooked dinner prepared by chef John Hampton, and desserts brought by volunteers who love to bake. The audience sits at long tables between the stacks listening and eating, while regular library users who just happened to come in to pick up or drop off books are drawn in and stand around, tapping their feet, arms filled with books.

the appreciative audience

This year's line-up of musicians was as good as ever: Pat Loomis on the alto-sax; Antonio Shiell Loomis on guitar; Amy Bellamy, piano; Christoff Glaude on bass; Dave Fox, drums; and special guest, Tia Fuller, on alto-sax.

David Fox; Tia Fuller; Christoff Glaude; Antonio Shiell Loomis; Pat Loomis and Amy Bellamy

Fuller is is Mack Avenue Records recording artist.  She is a Down Beat poll winner, who played with Beyonce and Esperalda Spalding.

FOSEL's Final Summer Concert on Aug. 27 with WeJazzUp and Vocalists Pat Loomis and Wali Ali Had a Large Crowd Dancing in Library Park

Dancing with WeJazzUp in Library Park

There couldn't have been a better ending to the four jazz and blues concerts in Library Park last Tuesday. The weather was Vintage South End Summer Night: balmy bordering on the sultry. Locals hung out on their roof decks, back decks, stoops and sidewalk benches. Well over a hundred people were sitting on boulders and chairs, standing around clapping to the beat, hanging over the fences. Some just got off the Number 43 bus going down Tremont Street to find out what the fuss in the park was all about.

Others came down from their roof decks when they heard the music start up with WeJazzUp, featuring pianist Frank Wilkins and vocalists Pat Loomis and Wali Ali. When Loomis started to sing On Broadway, the crowd became electrified; by the time Wali Ali --formerly the lead guitarist for The Temptations-- got around to the last song of the evening, Let's Stay Together, a crowd was dancing on the worn-out pavement of Library Park.

WeJazzUp with Pat Loomis and Wali Ali

Two young women who brought over platters of delicious wraps and sandwiches, free, from California Pizza Kitchen: They had spent many happy hours in the South End Library as children; now they wanted 'to give back.' FOSEL volunteers sliced up four watermelons. Measured by the number of watermelons consumed starting with the first performance on July 9 (two watermelons) to the second and third (three watermelons), the final concert was, among other things, a four-watermelon night.

Apart from the WeJazzUp appearance on August 27, the series featured Pat Loomis and Friends (July 9), Zeke Martin and Oracle (July 23), and the Charlie Brown Blues Band (August 13).  It was sponsored by FOSEL and funded by the Ann H. Symington Foundation. We thank the staff of the South End Library and head librarian Anne Smart for their support. And we thank the volunteers who set up the chairs, put them back, plugged in extension cords, cleaned up the debris, purchased the watermelons and passed slices around.

And special thanks to graphic designer Mary Owens who produced the beautiful posters for the concerts. Next year....more concerts

Tonight's Concert with WeJazzUp and Vocalists Wali Ali and Pat Loomis Will Take Place Outdoors in Library Park OR Indoors, Inside the Library

WeJazzUp with Frank Wilkins

Today's variable weather will not deter WeJazzUpfrom performing tonight's gig, the last in the series of four Jazz and Blues concerts sponsored by FOSEL. The band, with pianist Frank Wilkins, will have the first two vocalists of the season, one none other thanWali Ali, whose musical credits in addition to singing include having been the lead guitarist for The Temptations, Eddie Kendricks, Teena Marie, Rick James  Patrice Rushen, Marvin Gaye, The Jacksons, Aretha Franklin, The Undisputed Truth and Norman Connors. The second singer is the musically versatile saxophonist Pat Loomis,who helped organize the summer series. His son, Antonio, performed two weeks ago in Library Park with the award-winning Charlie Brown Blues Band, which showcased five Boston Arts Academy music students. 

The concerts are free. Bring chairs. Enjoy the sliced watermelon provided by FOSEL. The Jazz and Blues series is funded by a generous donation by the Ann H. Symington Foundation. The park is located on Tremont Street between West Newton Street and Rutland Square. Seating is limited. The music starts at 6:30 PM and ends around 8:00 PM. Restrooms are available inside the library which is open on Tuesday nights. The South End branch is fully handicapped accessible. 

The Third of the Summer's Library Park Jazz-and-Blues Concert Will Take Place Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30 PM, Featuring the Award-winning Charlie Brown Blues Band

the Charlie Bown Blues Band Concert August 13

FOSEL ordered dry weather for the Charlie Brown Blues Band concert on Tuesday, August 13, something  we forgot to do for the Zeke Martin and Oracle performance on July 23, with the predictable result. We were rained out. The event had to move inside the South End library where drummer Martin's high-octane performance may have left the book shelves slightly out of place.But since the alternative was no music at all, some two dozen jazz-and-blues aficionados braved the branch's cookbook section, chick-lit paperback displays, librarians' desks and  DVD racks to squeeze themselves into the make-shift rows of chairs. Then they sat back as the library turned into a sound stage. It was worth it.

In addition to drummer Zeke Martin, the Oracle band showcased bass player Joseph Sumrell; guitarist Scott Tarulli; and Rusty Hughes on keyboard.  The playlist included one of the band's favorites, "In the Middle," composed by Sumrell, followed by "Traffic," a creation by Hughes, featuring the sensational Martin drumming segment that left the library's furniture slightly ashake. It was followed by a nice rendering of Bob Hebb's "Sunny," which led into "Skinny," from Martin's first CD, Landscapes.  "Shade Dance," which came next, is another number composed by a band member, guitarist Tarulli; the final two were "In Motion." from the Martin CD Funky Stuff; and "It Ain't You," from their latest CD, Four. No, there were no copies available for sale. "I forgot. Don't tell my wife," said Zeke Martin. "She'll kill me."

Joe Sumrell and drummer Zeke Martin

The Charlie Brown Blues Band, playing at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, August 13, is made up of  a group of five highschool students from the Boston Arts Academy.They include Faraday Julien Fontimus, Christoff Glaude, Leshawn Harris, Antonio Shiel-Loomis and Joshua Sutherland. This year, the band won the 2013 Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition and played with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall on May 29. You may recall Antonio Shiel-Loomis, the son of saxophonist Pat Loomis, who played guitar for the first summer concert performance in Library Park on July 9.

The concerts are free. Bring chairs. Enjoy the sliced watermelon provided by FOSEL. Check this web site for weather-related changes. The Jazz and Blues series is funded by a generous donation by the Ann H. Symington Foundation.

The final concert will be on Tuesday, August 27 at 6:30 PM with  pianist Frank Wilkin's group, WeJazzUp.

Tuesday Night, July 9, at the SE Library Means: Jazz with Pat Loomis in Library Park; an Artist Talk by Painter Zen O'Conor Inside; and Henna Tatoos with Nimmi Sehgal, if This Is Still Not Good Enuf

Tuesday July 9 by 6:30 PM the South End branch should be hopping: Pat Loomis and his band will kick of FOSEL's first steps into the summer-concert scene at Library Park, weather permitting. Check this web site for last-minute cancelations should the  thunderstorm system roving over New England  decide to hit on defenseless library patrons..

Zen Conor at his easel

Indoors, also at 6:30 PM, Scottish artist Zen O’Conor will open his show of oil paintings with a talk about his work. O'Conor, who lives in the Piano Craft Guild artist building, was trained in classic French and Flemish oil painting techniques and will show his work at the library during July. In August, he'll return to Scotland to teach at the Gallery of Realist Art.

Nimmi Seghal's Henna Tatoos

Finally, should neither music nor art exhibits catch your fancy, how about a henna tatoo from Nimmi Seghal? Check this link for details. Ms. Seghal has delivered tatoos at the branch previously and, should you miss her on Tuesday July 9,  is scheduled to return to the South End Library on August 27 at 6:30 PM.

Both the jazz concert and the henna tatoo event have been sponsored by FOSEL, that means YOU, and many thanks for that. The art exhibit was organized by members of the Piano Factory, a group that supports local artists, with support of the staff of the South End Library. All events are free. For further questions, call the library staff at 617 536-8241.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION: South End resident and Shakespeare fan Judith Klau will talk about Two Gentlemen of Verona on Tuesday, July 9 at 6:30 PM in the upstairs conference room, which is wheelchair accessible.  This play will be performed at the Boston Common until July 26 in a production by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

Four Jazz and Blues Concerts Will Be Coming to Library Park in July and August, Starting Tuesday, July 9, at 6:30 PM, with Pat Loomis and His Band

Jazz and Blues in Lbrary Park 2013

Last summer's outdoor jazz concert with saxophonist Pat Loomis received such enthusiastic response that FOSEL decided to organize a small jazz and blues music series with two concerts each in July (the 9th and the 23rd) and August (the 13th and the 27th). Loomis himself recruited three other bands. A generous local donor paid for the concerts. The Boston Parks Department issued the permits. A long extension cord  will allow the bands to move from the space-with-the-cracked-sidewalk between the South End Library and Library Park into the park itself. All  you have to do is come when the music commences and...enjoy.  Loomis will play the first concert on July 9.

The second July performance will feature Oracle, with drummer Zeke Martin. The son of American jazz drummer Stu Martin, Zeke claims he was born with drumsticks in his hands but further developed his technique in the Jazz & Percussion Ensembles and Band when he attended Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School. He received the Pasquale and Mary Reale Music Award and performed the percussion solo at the CRLS Graduation. His band, The Zeke Martin Project, won Best Jazz CD at New England Urban Music Awards in 2009. Zeke coaches drumming and teaches at Music and Arts Center in Newton and Milford, and at Northeastern University.

The August concerts on the 13th and 27th are showcasing, respectively,  The Charlie Brown Blues Band and WeJazzUp with Frank Wilkins at the keyboard. The Charlie Brown Blues Band, a group of five highschool students from the Boston Arts Academy, won the 2013 Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition and played with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall on May 29.

The four events are free and open to all. They will take place on Tuesdays when the South End library is open at night, which means restroom facilities will be available.

Pat Loomis & Friends Will Play Their Annual Holiday Jazz Concert at the South End Library Tuesday, December 18 at 6:30 P.M.; Delicious Food Provided by Staff and FOSEL

Pat Loomis & Summer Friends

Every year around the holidays, Pat Loomis & Friends come to the South End Library and get the joint clapping and cheering with their passionate  jazz performance. The teenage son of Loomis takes a turn at the horn. The cheers really take off. The hot chili, shopped for and cooked by  library staff and a spouse, is heaped on paper plates. Plastic forks and knives tick-tock at the edges of the library tables in synch with the rhythm. The chicken is gone before you know it. Patrons lean against bookshelves or sit on whatever chairs can be pulled around. It's that season, and we need this now, more than we ever thought. It's free, too. What are you waiting for..Tuesday night, December 18, 6:30 p.m.   See you there..