Events

LEXINGTON, KY— On Saturday, Aug. 9, Transylvania University will host an All Star Jazz Showcase of musicians on the lawn of Old Morrison during the 7th annual Lexus Smooth Jazz Fest. Presented by the African American Forum, Inc., the Summer Breeze Saturday Concert will feature singer Maysa Leak, keyboardist Brian Simpson and saxophonist Kim Waters. Maysa’s sensuous, sublime and lush voice is featured on numerous solo albums. She has been a member of Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove, a vocalist in Incognito and a guest on “Oprah” and “The Tonight Show. Simpson is another smooth jazz favorite. He is not only a solo performer but also serves as music director and featured keyboardist for the Dave Koz Band. A winner of the American Smooth Jazz Keyboardist of the Year Award, Simpson often is a guest on national radio shows. The other all-star, Waters, has sold more than a million albums and performed with legends such as Patti LaBelle and Isaac Hayes. He is known for his romantic ballads, which are compiled on “Sweet and Sexy: The Ultimate Collection Of Kim Waters’ Romantic Classics.” This is the third year Transylvania has hosted the event.  Gates will open at 5 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7:30. The African American Forum is a non-profit organization based in Lexington. The group supports African Americans’ cultural, artistic and educational achievements. Money raised at the Lexus Smooth Jazz Fest will benefit the African American Forum Endowment

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Keeping a  longstanding, locally-beloved tradition alive, Transylvania University will again host the annual Patriotic Concert on the Old Morrison lawn Thursday, July 3, at 8 p.m. The free concert draws around 5,000 people to campus each year to spread out blankets, bring a picnic dinner and enjoy music celebrating America’s heritage. Complementing the city’s Fourth of July Festival’s theme of “Celebrating Heroes,” this year’s music will be performed by the 202nd Army Band of the Kentucky National Guard. University of Kentucky professor and director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre Dr. Everett McCorvey will direct the singers, and Dixieland jazz band Young at Heart will perform in Gratz Park before the concert. “It’s a wonderful evening,” Renee Jackson, president of the Downtown Lexington Corporation, said. “With the ‘Celebrating Heroes’ theme and the 202nd Army Band performing, it will be a real treat. If you haven’t attended one, it is definitely worth coming downtown and experiencing.” Jackson said that especially with this summer being the 70th anniversary of D-Day, this year’s event will be “extra special.” Free parking is available in the university’s general lots. Guests are encouraged to bring their own dinners, and food and beverages will be available for purchase at the event. Alcohol is prohibited. “With the rich history of Transylvania, it just makes it all the more special to be able to use the steps of Old Morrison and have that as the backdrop,” Jackson

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Tickets are still available for the Kentucky Lions All-Star Classic Friday, June 13, in the Clive M. Beck Center at Transylvania University. They can be purchased ahead of game day at www.kyallstars.net or at the door beginning at 4:30 p.m. Bench seating is $20 and chair-back seating is $30. Tip-off for the girls’ game is at 5:30 p.m., and the boys play at 8 p.m. The event, which has been held since 1940, pits the best high school senior basketball players from Kentucky and Indiana against each other in an annual matchup that raises money for the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation. The current agreement will keep the game at Transylvania for three years, the first time it has been held in Lexington since 1996. Lexington’s WKYT-TV will broadcast the event live on the CW Network in Lexington and WYMT in Hazard, Ky., along with WKYT affiliates across the state. “It’s going to be a really great event,” Director of Athletics Holly Sheilley said. “Any time we can showcase not only Transylvania, but our city, I get excited.” The game will have an especially Bluegrass flavor this year, as three of the four players of the year on the teams have committed to play college basketball in Kentucky. Kentucky Mr. Basketball Quentin Snider from Ballard High School signed with the University of Louisville; Indiana Mr. Basketball Trey Lyles of Indianapolis Tech will attend the University of Kentucky; and Kentucky Miss

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