Jazz guitarist Alvino Rey, in company with pianist Bob Bailey, will kick off this year's Red Butte Gardens Concert Series with an outdoor performance today at 6:30 p.m.
One of the handful of survivors from the dawn of the big-band era, Rey began recording with the likes of the Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden in the 1920s. For their program this evening, he and Bailey will mix some traditional jazz with ragtime.They will be followed on this year's series, the fifth, by the bluegrass group Powder Ridge (June 24), Taj Mahal (July 8), the Jensen-Woodbury-Nobis Trio (July 29), the Sons o' Thunder (Aug. 12) and a Texas Songwriters Evening (Aug. 26).
All concerts will be held at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, south of the University of Utah Medical Center and east of Northwest Pipeline in Research Park. Parking is available across from the Huntsman Center, with a shuttle service to the gardens beginning at 5 p.m. Parking is also available at Northwest Pipeline.
Concertgoers are invited to bring a picnic basket and blanket. The performances will also be broadcast live over KUER-FM, the series' co-sponsor. For tickets call 581-6625.
(BU) ALVINO REY will also be a guest performer on a two-day jazz festival to be held Friday and Saturday, June 15-16, in connection with the fifth annual Summerfest Art Faire on Logan's Tabernacle Square.
Live performances will take place each evening from 5 to 10 p.m. with all events free to the public.
Rey will perform Saturday at 8 p.m. (with his quartet) and 9 p.m. (with the Summerfest Big Band). Other performers will include the Bill Stanley Quartet (5 p.m. Friday), the David Bennett Quartet (7 p.m. Friday), the Riverboat Ramblers (8 p.m. Friday), the Larry Smith Sextet (9 p.m. Friday), pianist Paul Pisano (5 p.m. Saturday) and the Craig Larson Trio (6 p.m. Saturday).
For information call 750-5430.