A program of Newtown Parks & Recreation, the Summer Jams Concert Series will return for its fourth annual summer beginning this month.

Concerts will again be held on Tuesdays, with the series running for seven consecutive weeks, June 21-August 2. Concerts will begin at noon pm at the band shell at Dickinson Park, 50 Drive.

Concerts will be held rain or shine but may be moved under the pavilion at Dickinson in the event of light rain.

For more severe weather or due to extreme heat, performances will be moved to an indoor location in town. For important updates and any weather-related location changes, both the Newtown Parks & Recreation Facebook page and the Summer Jam Facebook page will be updated.

The 2016 performance roster covers so many genres - from jazz and roots to blues to indie, to name a few - organizers are sure the 2016 series will please an all ages audience. This year's performers have collectively earned multiple Grammy nominations and awards, multiple Parents' Choice Awards, and a plethora of additional accolades and awards. Among this group of musicians is Tim Kubart, the most recent Grammy winner for Best Children's Album; and Mister G, the Latin Grammy winner for Best Children's Album.

The concert series kicks off on June 21, in fact, with Mister G, who was awarded a Latin Grammy for his 2015 release Los Animales, a collection of original bilingual songs. He was also the recipient of the Parents' Choice Gold Award for Los Animales.

Mister G has released a total of seven children's albums since 2010, and has received multiple awards and nominations for his music. His ABC Fiesta album received a 2014 Latin Grammy nomination and a Parents' Choice Silver Award. His 2012 Chocolalala album was also a Parents' Choice Gold Award winner.

Mister G's most recent release is The Mitzvah Bus.

The June 28 concert will feature PBS mega personality SteveSongs (a/k/a Mr Steve). Steve participated in Summer Jam last year and had the crowd jumping, singing and dancing. His interactive show included teaching the parents and children the lyrics and dance moves to "Recess Rocks" and "Taking Care of My Body." The feedback was overwhelmingly positive so Steve will be back to jam with the crowd again this summer.

Mr Steve has eight albums, the most recent being his 2014 release Orangutan Van. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including two Parents' Choice Gold Awards. His personality is effervescent, his lyrics witty and his music catchy.

There are also some very talented and special new additions to the Summer Jam roster this year. Jazzy Ash will be joining the series with her band's performance on July 5. Jazzy's performance will highlight jazz and Caribbean rhythms using a variety of instruments.

Her most recent album is Bon Voyage and her catchy music continues to climb the children's music charts.

Summer Jam is welcoming back Grammy nominee Brady Rymer on July 12. Brady is returning following his rocking rootsy performance last year.

He has a brand new album just being released called Press Play. Brady has received two Grammy nominations for Best Children's Album, one in 2014 for Just Say Hi! and also in 2008 for Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could.

Brady also received a Parents' Choice Gold Award in 2011 for Love Me for Who I am. Prior to entering the children's music scene in 2000, Brady's musical roots were with the RCA Records group From Good Homes.

On July 19, Summer Jam welcomes Alastair Moock. Alastair is a 2013 Grammy nominee for Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World's Bravest Kids, an album that he co-wrote with his daughter after she was diagnosed with childhood leukemia.

His new release, All Kinds of You and Me, has received very favorable reviews along with multiple awards and nominations. Alastair is a two-time Parents' Choice Gold Medal Winner for his folksy, rootsy music.

On July 26, Summer Jam welcomes 2016 Grammy winner for Best Children's Album, the Emmy Award-nominated actor and musician Tim Kubart. Tim's Grammy winning album Home focuses on the theme of togetherness.

Tim is also the host of "Sunny Side Up," the only live morning show geared for preschoolers, which is broadcast on the Sprout Channel. His "indie pop for all ages" is sure to entertain the all ages Summer Jam crowd.

The 2016 series will conclude on August 2 with a performance by the charismatic Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys. Vanessa was the very first performer to sign-on to Summer Jam back in the winter of 2013. She has been a huge supporter of this series and every year has traveled from Boston with her band to sing her heart out for Newtown.

Vanessa's music is a mixture of folk, blues, pop, and pure delight. She has three Parents' Choice award-winning albums and is currently releasing a fourth album.

This series is for all ages, with a special focus on children 10 and younger. Every summer, children sing and dance alongside parents and grandparents. The shows are truly all ages and this roster of performers is sure to entertain the adults as much as the kids.

Families are invited to bring a blanket, a picnic lunch, and friends. Performances are open to the public.

Admission is free courtesy of the series sponsors. Claris Construction Inc is the title sponsor of the series for the fourth year. Gold sponsors include Caraluzzi's, Andy Sachs and the Around Town Team at Coldwell Banker, Honda of Danbury, People's United Bank, Popowich Chiropractic & Acupuncture Care, and Union Savings Bank. Additional support has been provided by CrossFit Hook'd and Mexicali Rose.

 

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