Sock Joplin Trio will join RSO brass

Wayne County’s internationally known jazz heritage will be celebrated during the first of five free concerts at parks, country clubs and a historic district.

The Sock Joplin Trio joins Richmond Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet for the July 9 start to the annual Sunset Series of outdoor concerts.

The performance, called “A Day in the Life of Gennett Records,” starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, in the Starr Gennett Building, 101 S. First St., Richmond.

The concert includes classical, jazz, blues and neo-soul music that honors the legacy of Gennett Records. Artists including Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Hoagy Carmichael put their compositions on wax in the 1920s at that site.

Performers say “A Day in the Life” offers audiences a glimpse into these artists while elevating the transformative role of Gennett Records in music and culture.

Classics from Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Margaret Bonds, Florence Price and Oswald Russell will be featured.

The performance also includes originals from composer/saxophonist Jared Thompson and vocalist PsyWrn Simone, who make up the trio along with pianist Joshua Thompson.

Tickets to see Sock Joplin Trio perform in May in Seaside, Florida, were $60 each.

While there’s no cost to attend RSO’s five summer concerts, reservations are requested at richmondsymphony.org to appropriately accommodate the crowd and keep attendees informed as details unfold, such as rescheduling for rain.

Although the breeze flows through the former factory in the Whitewater Gorge Park, it has a roof, so no rain date is planned for the first performance.

All five of RSO’s Sunset Series concerts are family friendly, and all ages are welcome to attend.

Small ensembles of the orchestra’s musicians offer a different sound than the full ensemble, which resumes concerts Sept. 20 at Civic Hall Performing Arts Center.