Music in the Park returns this week

The 2009 version of the popular Music in the Park program gets underway this Thursday and continues on each successive Thursday through the end of August. Sponsored by the Madison Park Business Association, this year's series presents quite a range of musical styles, beginning with early American popular music and ending with a bit of everything.

On deck for this Thursday is the 24-piece Cornucopia Concert Band (shown above), which performs American music of the 1890-1930 period, including ragtime, roaring 20's, and early jazz. Based in Seattle, The Cornucopians, are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Their program is likely to include a bandstand march and some dance music, possibly even a polka or a waltz.

On August 13, the the sounds of traditional Cuban son music will fill the Park, as the SuperSones play the acoustic dance music that was a Cuban countryside precursor to the better-known Salsa. "Son is a unique blend of Spanish guitars and harmony, Afro-Cuban percussion and swing, call-and-response singing, and trumpet improvisation," and SuperSones has been playing this vibrant, happy music since the group was formed in 2001.

A piano-sax duo, Two Scoops, performs a program of blues and boogie in the Park the following week, August 20. The combo features Seattle pianist/singer/composer Eric "Two Scoops" Moore, who has performed with legendary blues musicians and with his own combo at blues festivals all over the United States and overseas. A critic calls his singing "soulful," his keyboard playing "ferocious," and his performances "roof raising."

Rounding out the concert series, on August 27, is country/folk/pop/jazz singer and songwriter, Jonathan Kingham, who apparently does it all. With four albums to his credit, Kingham's music has been used in the soundtracks to films and TV shows. He places himself within the same musical sphere as Norah Jones.

The Music in the Park concerts, which are held in the grassy area near the tennis courts of Madison Park, begin at 6:30 pm. For those interested in checking out these acts in advance, click on the hyperlinks for the music samples available on each of the groups' websites.