It’s the Trenton musical deal of the season: a 10-part series of musical performances featuring hot national acts and some of the strongest performers from the capital city region — all for free. It starts on July 23.
The Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series is being made possible through a grant from the Levitt Pavilions, a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of America through the power of free, live music.
It is the second year that Trenton has nabbed the $25,000 grant to host the Saturday concerts at Capital Green, a three-acre grassy area behind the New Jersey Statehouse.
The partnership began in 2014 when the Trenton Downtown Association submitted the proposal to build on the city’s arts programming, provide cultural opportunities for city residents, and bring visitors to Trenton.
In 2015 thousands of area residents, families, and visitors gathered to hear music and picnic on the grounds that was part of the Stacy Park and has the potential to become a new urban park.
The series was and continues to be supported by NJM Insurance, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Mercer County, and others.
Levitt partners with cities to transform neglected public spaces into fun destinations, through the power of live music.
Based on last year’s positive response, Trenton became one of 15 national mid-sized cities to receive a 2016 award. The other New Jersey recipient is Asbury Park.
The series — set for 10 consecutive Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. — starts July 23, with Calma Carmona, a New York based Latin Soul singer-songwriter, recording artist, and an MTViggy Artist of the Week. Also featured is the Trenton Latin hip-hop group Agudos Clef (treble clef in English) whose members include Josue Lora, musician and co-founder of the Galeria Casa Cultura in Trenton, and popular Trenton DJ “ItsJustAhmad.” Other acts:
July 30: Trenton alto sax jazz legend Richie Cole with Trenton-roots musician Danny Petroni and his Asbury Park-based the Blue Project.
August 6: Trenton-born salsa artist Edwin Lebron — a concert artist who performs regularly in Miami, New York, and Philadelphia. Also DOcE, the acoustic Latin soul sister-act featuring Trenton’s Thaimi Michelle and Mariela Enid.
August 13: The Ithaca, New York-based electro-rock performing and recording group Jimkata, paired with TEEEL, Hamilton-raised Jim Smith’s sounds that merge hypnotic vocal synthpop with electronic rock
August 20: Washington, DC, area jazz vocalist, recording artist, and bandleader Akua Allrich. She’ll be joined by Darwin, Roy & Joel.
August 27: Washington, DC’s “Best Winning Folk Band,” the Bumper Jacksons, the self-proclaimed “big fat party” band mixing American sound traditions. The popular Lambertville-based alternative rock and Americana band Working Class Hussys also appears.
September 3: The New Jersey Capital Philharmonic, performing popular and light favorites. Music director Daniel Spalding will conduct.
September 10: The Washington, DC, area reggae group the Pietasters. Also the Rooftop — a four-piece Trenton-born band that fuses reggae, rock ‘n’ roll, progressive, punk, pop, and funk.
September 17: Philadelphia jazz presence and Montreux Jazz Festival winner Alita Moses with Philadelphia jazz-fusion band Ode to Omni.
September 24: New Orleans born fusion R&B/Funk band the Nth Power, with Trenton soul singer and songwriter Showtyme Brooks.
Capital Green, 201 Barrack Street, at the corner of West Lafayette. For a schedule or to become a volunteer, visit concerts.levittamp.org/Trenton.
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