'Jazz on the Square' expands to include blues

This year’s Jazz on the Square event featuring Holton native and jazz trumpeter Jim Seeley will include a new element – blues.

Hailed as Jazz & Blues On The Square, the fourth annual event has been set for Saturday, Sept. 12, on Holton's Town Square.

In edition to Seeley, Kelley Hunt of Kansas City will be the other featured entertainment that evening. Hunt is a blues and gospel singer and songwriter. She plays piano and guitar.

“Kelley performed at the Second Saturday event in Holton in January, and we had a good response from the community,” said Carolyn McKee, Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce director. “People really enjoyed her.”

For the past three years, Holton Main Street sponsored the jazz event as a fund-raiser for the organization. When Holton Main Street disbanded at the end of last year, Chamber members agreed to continue Jazz On The Square. 

McKee said that the addition of blues music to the event, which also includes wine, beer and food tastings, was an easy decision.

“Jazz and blues have always been a good fit together,” she said.

The event starts at 4 p.m. that Saturday when ticketholders can stroll Holton’s historic Square and sample wine and beer at selected locations, which also include food pairings. Live pre-show entertainment will also be featured around the Square.

McKee said that general admission ticketholders will be able to visit five locations around the Square to sample food and drinks. A sixth location is available to VIP ticketholders.

The concert showcasing the featured entertainers will begin at 7 p.m. on the Courthouse lawn.

Tickets are $30 for general admission or $75 for a limited number of VIP tickets.

All ticket prices include five tastings and the evening concert. VIP ticketholders will receive the additional tasting, reserve seating at the performance and an invitation to a private meet and greet with the bands.

General admission ticketholders are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets to the concert. All ticketholders must present a valid ID to participate in the wine and beer tastings.

Seeley is a New York-based trumpeter, composer and educator.

He is a 1978 graduate of Holton High School, and in 2009, he won a Grammy as part of Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. This will be his fourth year headlining the Holton music event.

Seeley has toured with a variety of musicians, including the Ray Charles Orchestra. He collaborated with Doc Severinsen’s Tonight Show band and is a longtime fixture in the New York jazz music scene. Seeley continues to perform and conduct seminars and master classes throughout the world.

Hunt is a national blues and gospel singer and songwriter.

She is a described as a “show-stopping boogie piano player” by The Reader, a music and lifestyle magazine in Omaha. Hunt says her style is dynamic, funky and inspired. 

Tickets for Jazz & Blues On The Square may be purchased at any of Holton’s banks and at the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce website, www.exploreholton.com. For more information, call 364-3963.