*The June 2nd performance has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Bryant Park Picnic Performances series kicks off its second day of performing arts events on Friday, June 2 with a concert presented in conjunction with Jazzmobile and featuring The Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra (SOLJO), starting at 7 pm ET.
Created in 2009 and led by trumpeter, jazz historian, and music educator, Steven Oquendo, SOLJO is made up of 19 guardians of Latin music. Its repertoire features Afro-Cuban palladium era salsa mambo and salsa classics that pay homage to the genre’s originators, while providing its own interpretation based on contemporary influences. SOLJO’s members hail from all five boroughs of New York City and beyond, and members have individually performed with a wide array of international artists, including Ray Santos, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Wynton Marsalis, Hector Lavoe, Benny Golson, Eddie Palmieri, Jon Faddis, Marc Anthony, Dave Valentín, Arturo Sandoval, Destiny’s Child, Candido Camero, Bobby Sanabria, Juan Luis Guerra, Giovanni Hidalgo, Ray Barretto and a host of others.
Upcoming jazz concerts in the series include:
Friday, July 7: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (Presented by Carnegie Hall Citywide)
Friday, July 21: Magos Herrera featuring The Knights (Presented by Carnegie Hall Citywide)
Saturday, August 26: Immanuel Wilkins, 75 Dollar Bill, Ka Baird (Presented by Roulette Intermedium)
Thursday, September 14 – Harlem Stage 40thAnniversary Kickoff Concert
Beyond these jazz concerts, the series also features performances presented by the New York City Opera, The Classical Theater of Harlem, American Symphony Orchestra, the Emerging Music festival and other notable performing arts organizations. View a complete schedule here. All events in the series are free.