What better way to welcome the first day of 2024 than a little cool jazz and a concert dubbed “Bye-Bye Blues.”
We could all use a little time to say adios to the blues that plagued us in 2023.
Longtime Tucson percussionist Homero Cerón and his premier Latin jazz ensemble Cool Breeze will show us the way when they play Dove of Peace Lutheran Church’s annual New Year’s Day concert on Monday, Jan. 1.
The concert kicks off Dove of Peace’s 20th anniversary series of concerts that benefit local nonprofits. Admission is free and a freewill offering is collected to benefit organizations that aid the community.
The benefactor on Monday will be Interfaith Community Services.
Cerón, the retired Tucson Symphony Orchestra percussionist who is principal percussionist for True Concord Voices & Orchestra, started Cool Breeze in 1983, originally as a quartet. The ensemble has undergone a number of iterations over the years as it has garnered a loyal following and numerous accolades, including grants and recognition in Arizona and Northern Mexico.
Cool Breeze, which inaugurated the Century Room at Hotel Congress in February 2022, has participated in the Festival de Otoño in Matamoros, Mexico, and has performed in other Mexican cities and throughout Southern Arizona.
At Monday’s concert, the group will perform works by Gordon Jenkins, Astor Piazzolla, Homero Cerón and others.
Monday’s concert begins at 2 p.m. at Dove of Peace, 665 W. Roller Coaster Road. After the concert, the church will be serving cake in honor of its 60th anniversary and the concert series’ 20th year. For more information, visit doveofpeacetucson.org.
Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" is on True Concord's "Songs of America" concert this weekend.
