West Windsor Arts presents the free concert series “Summer Music and More”

(PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ) — West Windsor Arts is once again presenting its “Summer Music and More” series with three free concerts at the Nassau Park Pavilion (behind Panera Bread) in Princeton. The series features three different concerts representing different genres of music in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Each event also features arts activities that are fun for both children and adults.

Save the dates for these three unique concerts at Nassau Park Pavilion, featuring contemporary cellist Dan Kassel as the opening act at each performance. Dan is a versatile cellist who performs in a variety of ensembles, from classical to electronica to jazz and rock. As a solo artist, Dan has made a name for himself with his innovative approach to live looping technology. By tapping, plucking and bowing his instrument and recording each layer to play back in real time, he has built a career as a one-man band, providing soulful, original music for weddings, fine restaurants, private parties, corporate events and more. The music starts at 5pm with Dan’s opening sets and the main performances begin at 6pm. All concerts are free and open to the public!

Saturday, July 13, 2024 – El Noordzo, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (July 14 in case of rain). El Noordzo will perform their instrumental, psychedelic, Afro-Cuban surf jazz interpretations of classic rock, punk and alternative songs. The trio has been wowing audiences in the tri-state area since 2013. They have released two records of original music on NACHT Records, the self-titled debut and the infamous Shark Funeral Songbook in 2015. Bandleader Mike Noordzy teaches privately at Rutgers University, Middlesex College, Hudson Music Studios and Speak Music Conservatory. Mike also composes film music and runs the experimental music label NACHT Records. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Jazz Performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. Expect the unexpected when El Norte comes to town!

Saturday, July 27, 2024 – Rini, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (in case of rain, July 28). Rini will play her own version of Indian jazztronica. New Jersey-based singer, composer and violinist Harini “Rini” Raghavan shifts South Asian classical elements towards pop and jazz in a refreshing, organic way. She draws on her formal training in Carnatic music and her work at Berklee College of Music to bring together sounds and music from her birthplace India and her native USA. She leads a group of acclaimed New York-based musicians from various countries who bring their unique musical influences to create “a powerful contemporary Carnatic/electronic fusion sound,” as Rolling Stone India describes it. Rini received a 2023 New Jersey State Council on the Arts grant, is part of the Berklee Indian Ensemble’s 2023 Grammy-nominated record “Shuruaat,” and won the silver medal at the 2023 Global Music Awards for her song “Magizhini.”

Saturday, August 10, 2024 – The Dukes of Destiny, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (rainy day, August 11). Dukes of Destiny will play the blues. In 1985, five young local musicians got together and started playing old blues songs in a sprawling three-story house in Philadelphia. A few other people joined in, and they decided to take the gig on the road when The Dukes of Fatea name they took from a matchbook cover that urged the reader to “be the captain of your own destiny.” There have been changes over the years, but today they are led by dynamic harmonica player and singer John Colgan-Davis, with Adam Darer on keys, Richard Ray Adler on guitar and vocals, Mike Blair on bass, and Mike O’Rourke on drums. The Dukes continue to present an exciting mix of powerful original songs and unique arrangements of blues and soul standards. They remain Philadelphia’s oldest and most popular blues band.

“We are thrilled to bring back our popular music series for another year. We have been hosting summer concerts at the Nassau Park Pavilion for several years, featuring a variety of music genres. People look forward to it, and so do we!” says Green.

For more information about the Summer Music Series and other events at West Windsor Arts, visit Click here.

The West Windsor Arts Council offers arts and cultural events, workshops and classes for all ages and disciplines at the West Windsor Arts Centre and in the community.