News Release Header
For Immediate Release:
December 19, 2012

Media Contact:
Laura Phillips
[email protected]
305-755-7842



Miami-Dade County Parks Hosting Retro Swing Music Band "TK BLU" at County Village Park on January 18th at 8:00 p.m.

A free Tropical Nights concert sponsored by The Knight Foundation


(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- 
Get ready to dance the night away with an exhilarating family-style concert at Country Village Park on Friday, January 18, 2013, featuring South Florida's popular Swing music band-"TK Blu." This live musical performance is part of the season's expanded Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights free concert series presented by the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and sponsored by the Knight Foundation. Showtime is 8 p.m. and admission and parking are free.

TK Blu delivers a wonderful high-energy stage performance and keeps the dance floor packed playing a savory mix of Swing and Rock-and-Roll classics by music legends like Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes and Aretha Franklin.  The band consists of a trio of dynamic female vocalists (Sabrena Rich, Sandra Deal, and Jeanne Lynn Gray) and musicians led by famed musical director and bass player Tony Kessler. With a musical career spanning more than 30 years, Kessler has performed at some of the great world stages and performance venues, including New York City Carnegie Hall and the famous Copacabana night club, collaborating with such entertainment legends as Sid Ceasar, Joel Grey, Red Buttons, Florence Henderson and Regis Philbin. Tony Award winner Melba Moore was so impressed with Kessler, that she asked him to produce her one-woman musical "I Got Love."

Kessler has recorded several albums with a variety of artists, including his own band. In between recordings, live performances and production work, Kessler spends his time writing and producing shows for several Florida youth theatre troupes. His latest album TK Blu and the Uncool, is a mix of jump, funk and love songs.

Country Village Park is located at 6550 NW 188 Terr., Miami. Concert goers are encouraged to bring along a blanket, chairs and snacks to better enjoy the festivities. In the event of rain concerts may be cancelled.  For more information about the Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights concert featuring TK Blue Band at Country Village Park, and future concerts in the 2012-2013 Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights concert season, call 305-271-0812, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks.

The Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights 2012-2013 concert season spotlights an array of music artists and musical genres. The Knight Foundation will host an additional Tropical Nights concert at Goulds Park on March 1, featuring R&B sensation Velvet Rope.  Noches Tropicales concerts sponsored by Target at Tropical Park will include Latin music sensation Carlos Oliva y Los Sobrinos del Juez (The Judge's Nephews) on Feb. 8; and Merengue artist Tony Swing on April 5.

In September Miami-Dade Parks kicked off its free "Noches Tropicales" 2012/2013 concert season with a Latin Jazz gala at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium that featured Grammy award-winning and nominated artists Joan Cartwright, Nicole Yarling, Carlos Averhoff, Kiki Sanchez, Elaine Hernandez, Andy Harlow, Niki Orta, Reinier Guerra and Daniel Berroa. The gala and the expanded concert line-up was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Knight Foundation to expand the Noches Tropicales concert series from its home base at Tropical Park to other venues throughout the County.

The 2012-2013 Noches Tropicales concert series also received a $75,000 grant from Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT).  The grant is part of Target's ongoing efforts to build strong, safe and healthy communities across the country. These efforts include Target's long history of giving 5 percent of its income to communities, which today equals more than $3 million every week. As part of this commitment, Target is on track to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015 to help kids learn, schools teach and parents and caring adults engage. To date Target has provided more than $300,000 in cultural grant funds in support of Noches Tropicales.

Now in its seventh year, Noches Tropicales, inaugurated by Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Sen. Javier D. Souto, has showcased more than 20 evening concerts at Tropical Park that have included traditional Cuban contemporary music and zarzuelas, Argentinean tango, Brazilian Jazz, and a Spanish-language version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  More than 40,000 patrons have attended Noches Tropicales concerts over the years.

About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land.  It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world.  Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more.  For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.

Miami-Dade County Parks is supported byThe Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.parksfoundationofmiami-dade.com.

To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-755-7848.


 

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MIAMI-DADE PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACES DEPARTMENT
275 NW 2nd Street, 3rd Floor Miami, Florida 33128
(305) 755-7842