Jazz in June

Now in its 18th season, the Jazz in June concert series will present five Tuesday evenings of great jazz in the great outdoors on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

Organized by the Sheldon Art Association, the Berman Music Foundation and the UNL School of Music, this year’s free jazz series, presented by Baylor Evnen, kicks off on June 2 with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and vocalist Christine Hitt. The concerts begin at 7 p.m. and draw thousands under the trees on the plaza west of Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R streets.

Concertgoers are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs for a relaxing and enjoyable evening surrounded by jazz, outdoor sculpture and sweet summer skies. Jazz in June performances are free to all, but concertgoers are asked to make a minimum donation of $10 per family to continue the series.

This year Jazz in June is going green to stress the benefits of an increased environmental consciousness. By reducing the sale of plastic bottles at this year’s concerts and having a more intense recycling waste effort, Jazz in June organizers hope to set a green example for public gatherings in Nebraska.

Before each concert visitors are invited to take a tour of the gardens on the UNL campus. The free tours start at 6 p.m. on the east side of Sheldon. And for youngsters, the Super Sleuth hunts inside the museum returns.

In new partnership with Jazz in June, the UNL School of Music will present John Riley as artist-in-residence at its Summer Jazz Camp for accomplished high school students during the last week of June.

In conjunction with the performances, the Jazz in June Market is the ideal place to select dinner or do midweek shopping. Dinner items, fresh produce, baked goods, ice cream from the UNL Dairy Store and many more delights are available for purchase. The Market opens at 5 p.m. on 12th and R streets and is organized by the Downtown Lincoln Association, the City of Lincoln and UNL. And for the first year, Jazz in June listeners are invited to meet performers on Monday nights at the Red 9 bar and restaurant, 322 S. Ninth St.