SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The Nay Aug Park Summer Concert Series, organized by the Scranton Music Association, continued Monday evening in Scranton. Residents listened to Jack Mead and the West Third Street Band perform a variety of jazz ranging from early swing and Dixieland to big-band and modern fusion.
Doug Smith, vice president of the Scranton Music Association and bass guitarist for Jack Mead’s band, said organizers have tried to give audiences a broad mix of music throughout the season, including pop, Irish music, polka and community bands.
Smith noted that the variety gives concertgoers a chance to hear styles they may not normally encounter while also creating a place for people to gather and socialize, part of what the association sees as a long-running tradition at Nay Aug Park.
“It really has been happening for 100 years, these free concerts here at the park. We feel a responsibility to continue that tradition, and we don’t take that lightly. We really try to carry it on the way the people who started it intended,” said Smith.
There are only three concerts left in the series: Merchants of Groove on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m.; Teddy Young & The Aces on Monday, Aug. 31, at 6:30 p.m.; and Destination West on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m. For more information, visit Nay Aug Park’s website.