August is here and Philadelphia City Institute Library will be featuring free summer jazz concerts! We are pleased to continue this tradition for the fifth year in a row with performances by Hidden Treasure Jazz Group, the James Corum Trio, the Brian Hayman Trio, and the Dayen Hall Quartet.

Our jazz concerts are well attended by people of all ages, and appreciated in our community. On Monday nights, the music spills out of our meeting room and into all areas of our library, bringing joy to patrons and the staff. As retired Municipal Guard and great jazz fan Kency Kennedy recently commented, "Who knew a relaxing day after work could get any better than coming to the library and enjoying an evening of fellowship and jazz."

The success of jazz concerts was not always a guarantee at our library. According to Mr. Kennedy, "The problem was that no one believed that people would come out to see a jazz program."  Now retired, Librarian Diane Lisco proved instrumental in setting up the first jazz program in the late '90s with Brian Hayman’s group, Focus, and in 2001 she brought in Juanita Holiday and the Ernie Hopkins Quartet. These two concerts were standing room only!

More recently, Library Supervisor Erin Hoopes started a tradition of summer jazz concerts, and we are now celebrating our fifth year! Mr. Kennedy remembers, "Erin didn’t give up, she wanted to try something new and do something different. She brought in a fresh new attitude."

Visit  Philadelphia City Institute Library every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in August and continue to make our jazz concert series a success!