Missed Local Concerts

Today's fotos are from last year's Denise Hamilton concert in Ivy Hill Park. The liting presented problems in getting good pix.

I forgot to put the Essex County free concerts in the parks into my online Newark events calendar, so missed this evening's concert by Lonnie Youngblood in Vailsburg Park. I also missed the concerts in Ivy Hill Park, the other county park in Vailsburg. On July 14th, Denise Hamilton performed, and on July 23rd, James Gibbs did so. I heard part of Denise's concert last year in the same park, and spoke with her briefly. I also met James Gibbs, at the Newark Arts Council's 744 Show in October 2007, and made a 5-minute video of a portion of that performance, which is still online at Blip.tv. I could also have seen the July 28th concert by Donovan Newby (of whom I know nothing) in West Side Park, which is a short drive from me, but didn't, because I didn't enter these concerts on my calendar. Mind you, I had the Jazz in the Garden and NJPAC Sounds of the City concerts on that calendar, but not the Essex County park concerts.

The last Newark concerts of the Essex County series are also the last two concerts of this summer's series: Carrie Jackson in Weequahic Park August 25th and La Fuerza Positiva – Ciao Bella Gelato Tour Stop at Riverbank Park August 27th. I'm not big on music myself, but I should have mentioned these concerts in advance. In the immortal words of Paterson's Lou Costello (né Cristillo!), "I'm a b-a-a-d boy." Well, I did mention two of them in time. I'll try to do better next year.