Sounds of summer - two concert series return

Thu, May 15, 2008

By ANDREW SMITH

The Brunswick News

Families and couples sit on blankets and chairs near the edge of St. Simons Sound as the ocean breeze glides gently in.

With the sun setting to the west, the waves crashing lightly on shore and the lighthouse shining tall and proud, Sunday nights seem like the perfect time to listen to live music.

Two popular summer concert series – one managed by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society and the other by the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association – are ready to bring great music to an equally impressive setting once again this summer.

The historial society's "A Little Light Music" series gets underway this Sunday with a performance by the Fifth Street Band. The GIAHA-sponosored Jazz in the Park series begins on Sunday, May 25, with a performance by the Phil Morrison Trio featuring Keith Williams.

Both concert series will take place on the same location, from the gazebo adjacent to the lighthouse, and rely on community support.

Along with being a major sponsor of "A Little Light Music," Patrick Parker, of the Parker Companies, is and avid concertgoer.

"It's a great way to finish the weekend," Parker said. "We bring a picnic basket, a cooler and just make a night of it.

"There is always a breeze and everyone really likes the music," he added.

Faith Willis has been around since the beginning of Jazz in the Park some 19 years ago. She and her husband, along with five other families, have their regular spot, which they make sure to stake out early.

Each family brings a specialty dish to share with the others. Willis' specialty is ice cream.

"Our kids grew up going to Jazz in the Park," Willis said.

In the almost two decades Willis has been attending Jazz in the Park, the Brunswick resident said she's been able to see the artistic growth in several local jazz musicians, including Phil Morrison and saxophonist Rob Denty.

Denty, a 1990 graduate of Glynn Academy, hasn't performed at Jazz in the Park since he was an undergraduate at the University of North Florida. Denty currently lives in Chicago and has incorporated his July 13th performance into a tour for his most recent album "Round and Round."

"Although I haven't lived in Brunswick a long time, I still consider it my home," Denty said. "I always enjoyed the audience and you can't beat the backdrop."

John and Neely Hunter have attended the Jazz in the Park series regularly since receiving season passes as a gift from relatives upon moving to the area eight years ago. John Hunter appreciates the community feeling and said the setting is incredibly relaxing.

"When we first moved here it was a great way to meet people," Hunter said. "Now that we have kids, it's a great venue to expose them to a different type of music than they would normally hear on the radio."

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