The Venue in Aurora adds jazz festival to outdoor music series

The Venue in Aurora has added a jazz festival to its outdoor summer music series in Mundy Park, which is adjacent to the performance space.

Four bands will play as part of the inaugural jazz festival, which will take place starting at 5 p.m. July 10 with Chicago-based ensemble Hanging Hearts. The Venue, which opened in June 2019, is run by the nonprofit Fox Valley Music Foundation.

The band is led by saxophonist Chris Weller and features Cole DeGenova on keyboards and Quin Kirchner on drums. Hanging Hearts’ music is a multi-genre affair with focus on energy, groove and exploration.

At 6:15 p.m., The Joe Policastro Trio takes the stage with a unique blend of jazz with an acoustic aesthetic. Featuring Dave Miller on guitar, Mikel Avery on drums with leader Joe Policastro on bass, this alternative jazz trio puts its spin on anything it touches.

The Chris Greene Quartet begins at 7:30 p.m. Lead by saxophonist Chris Greene, the quartet grounds itself with jazz but incorporates elements of funk, hip-hop, reggae.

Rounding out the evening at 9 p.m. will be The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective. In 2017, The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective began paying tribute to old soul jazz records and quickly realized there was more there for the band to uncover. Adding original compositions by saxophonist John Fournier, this ensemble not only pays tribute to the great soul jazz recordings from the past but pushes forward with new music.

The Jazz in The Park Concert Series will take place the third Thursday of each month and will kick off June 17 with The Regulators. The Regulators are a trio based on traditional instrumental jazz and funk.

The Venue is located at 21 S Broadway Ave. in downtown Aurora. More information can be found on The Venue’s website, themusicvenue.org.