Star Ledger NJ

Free jazz by Zan Stewart/The Star-Ledger Tuesday July 08, 2008, 5:43 PM With the arrival of summer comes a spate of free jazz events. Wednesday, saxophonist Bill Evans' band, Soulgrass, kicks off the 16th Annual Concerts in the Park Series at Flood's Hill, Meadowland Park, North Ridgewood Road at Mead Street, South Orange. The series also includes the Young Lions of Jazz on July 23, featuring such on-the-rise jazz talent as trumpeter Diego Urcola, trombonist Michael Dease and saxophonists Sharel Cassity and Jimmy Greene. Also in the series are non-jazzers Red Molly, July 16, and Jonny Rosch and Friends, July 30. All shows 7:30 p.m. Rain site is the South Orange Middle School, 70 N. Ridgewood Road. Call (973) 378-7754, ext. 1 or visit thebaird.org. A new series opens Wednesday with the A-1 Jersey-based Spirit of Life Ensemble at the Allegro Cafe, Whole Foods Market, 44 Godwin Ave., Ridgewood. On July 16, it's guitarists Jack Wilkins and Carl Berry, with a trio including keyboardist Dan Kostelnik and bassist Tom DiCarlo, July 23, and guitarist Roni Ben-Hur and bassist Rufus Reid, July 30. All shows, 7-9 p.m. Call (201) 670-0383.

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