R&B CHART TOPPERS ROBIN THICKE AND JAZMINE SULLIVAN TO HEADLINE 27TH ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SUMMER CONCERT SERIES HOSTED BY BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARTY MARKOWITZ
On Monday, August 3, the 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Summer Concert Series, hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, will feature the R&B sounds of Grammy winner Robin Thicke and Philadelphia soul songstress Jazmine Sullivan. The Seaside Summer Concert Series in Brighton Beach-Coney Island and Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series in Crown Heights have entertained hundreds of thousands of residents over the past three decades and remain the largest free concert series in the New York metropolitan area.
"Music brings us together! In fact, the borough that rocks together flocks together, which is why I have looked forward to hosting free concerts every summer in Brighton Beach-Coney Island for more than three decades and Central Brooklyn for 27 years now," said BP Markowitz. "From Seaside's superstar lineup of Daryl Hall & John Oates Up Close & Personal Tour, Donna Summer, Blondie and Pat Benatar to MLK's Keyshia Cole, Robin Thicke, Teena Marie, The O'Jays, Anita Baker and Sean Paul, stars that perform the world over are thrilled to take the stage in Brooklyn, USA. And even though I always promise that this year's lineup is the most exciting ever, this summer will really be the best!"
The award-winning, multi-platinum superstar Robin Thicke returns to center stage with Something Else, a joyful and modern tribute to the '70s soul and pop records that have inspired an extraordinary career. Something Else is aptly titled. "It's time for hope and change," Thicke says. "It's in the air. And I'm speaking on the times around me." Thicke echoes the change with mesmerizing "Superfly"-era vocals, Gamble and Huff-inspired horn arrangements ("Hard on My Love"), unabashed lyrical optimism and an irresistible invitation to the dance floor ("Side Step"). Born in Los Angeles, Thicke grew up with an ear trained squarely at R&B and hip-hop. André Harrell (then president of Bad Boy Entertainment and mentor to Mary J. Blige, Puff Daddy and Thicke) heard the lanky white kid and was dumbstruck. "I heard what Martin Luther King, Jr. described in his dream of a new America: a place where a white man in the San Fernando Valley can feel Detroit, Harlem and the blues," he says. The spirit of Michael Jackson looms large throughout the new release. Says Thicke, "Michael is the epitome of celebration, and the core of this album has that: it's celebratory, healing, loving music."
What's in a name? Well, if the name happens to include a reference to a musical genre, it could mean a whole lot. Jazmine Sullivan's mother remembers having a sense that the child she was carrying was born to sing, and as a lover of jazz, she named her daughter accordingly. While there are elements of jazz in her phrasing--sultry shades of great vocalists like Phyllis Hyman and Sarah Vaughan--replete with a delivery that has often been compared to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige, the Philadelphia-born Jazmine is very much an artist for today as her exciting first J Records album, Fearless, illustrates. Championed by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott, Faith Evans, and (fellow Philadelphians) Kindred among others, the statuesque and beautiful Jazmine is all at once smart, sassy, insightful, down-to-earth and very real. As the primary songwriter on Fearless, Jazmine brings her own experiences and observations on life and love with vivid storytelling imagery to her songs. The resulting track became a newfound hit on radio and quickly established Jazmine as a fresh voice for the summer music scene and beyond.
Seaside Summer Concert Series performances are held Thursday nights at 7:30 pm at Asser Levy/Seaside Park at West 5th Street and Surf Avenue in Brighton Beach, opposite the New York Aquarium. Chair rentals will be available for $5 or concertgoers can bring their own chairs. Martin Luther King Jr. concerts will be held Monday nights at 7:30 pm at Wingate Field on Brooklyn Avenue between Rutland Road and Winthrop Street. Seating is limited so attendees should bring chairs. Call the concert hotline for updates at 718-222-0600, or visit www.brooklynconcerts.com.
Seaside Summer Concert Series Schedule
July 16
Salute to 40th anniversary of Woodstock: Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Mountain, John Sebastian
July 23
Gladys Knight, The O'Jays
July 30
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Connie Francis, Stewie Stone
August 6
Daryl Hall & John Oates - Up Close & Personal Tour
August 13
Blondie, Pat Benatar, with special guest The Donnas
August 20
Salsa Night - Victor Manuelle, Tego Calderon, Arcangel, Maria Torres Dancers
August 27
Donna Summer
Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series Schedule
July 13
Keyshia Cole, Lyfe Jennings
July 20
Love Train The Sound of Philadelphia - The O'Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. & the New Stylistics, Jerry Butler, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes
July 27
An Evening with Anita Baker, Charlie Wilson
August 3
Robin Thicke, Jazmine Sullivan
August 10
Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Special Guest Ruben Studdard
August 17
Gospel Night - Dedicated to the memory of Reverend Timothy Wright
Yolanda Adams, Israel Houghton and the New Breed
August 24
Caribbean Night - Sean Paul, "King of Calypso" The Mighty Sparrow