If you haven’t yet enjoyed an outdoor concert at the Sequim Branch Library’s outdoor stage, mark your calendar for Friday, Aug. 23, and Friday, Aug. 30.

The panoramic views of the Olympics make for a stunning backdrop, admission is free, and the memories are priceless. Bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and invite your friends and neighbors to meet you at the library for a show!

Concerts start at 6 p.m.; inclement weather brings the performance inside the library.

Summer Jazz at the Library outdoor concert lineup:

• Friday, Aug. 23 – Jenny Davis Jazz Quartet featuring Dmitri Matheny

• Friday, Aug. 30 – Jazz pianist Ted Brancato with bassist Paul Gabrielson

If these summer concerts have you longing for more jazz, or inspired to learn about the genre, visit the library to explore the jazz collection. Here are a few items of note.

“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (DVD)

This 2015 documentary is about the life of legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the “High Priestess of Soul.”

“Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews” (illustrated by Bryan Collier) (book)

Hailing from New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.

“Our Love is Here to Stay: Ella & Louis Sing Gershwin” (music CD)

This inspired compilation includes songs recorded together by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong for Verve in 1956 and 1957.

“How to Listen to Jazz” by Ted Gioia (book)

Award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America’s premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for in a performance and includes a guide to today’s leading jazz musicians. How to Listen to Jazz is a must-read for anyone who’s ever wanted to understand and better appreciate America’s greatest contribution to music.

“Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album” by John Coltrane (music CD)

Discovered in 2004 and unheard until this album’s 2018 release, these recordings by the John Coltrane Quartet are, as Sonny Rollins says in the liner notes, “like finding a new room in the Great Pyramid,” recorded by the saxophonist and his quartet on a single day in 1963.

“The Window” by Cécile McLorin Salvant (music CD)

This 2018 release from the Grammy-Award winning jazz vocalist features duets with pianist Sullivan Fortner. “You get a singer like this once in a generation or two.” – Wynton Marsalis

For more

Whatever your plans for August, NOLS can help connect you with jazz – listen at home or in the car, watch a documentary, or read a biography of one of the jazz greats.

Come visit the friendly staff at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave, call 360-683-1161 or visit www.nols.org.

Emily Sly is Library Manager at the Sequim Library.