A summer evening with the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra

The Minnesota Jazz Orchestra came to Hudson for an outdoor performance in Lakefront Park on Thursday evening, Aug. 2, as part of the city’s Concerts in the Park series.

It was a hometown concert for Debbie O’Keefe, the orchestra’s female vocalist, and Christopher Tank, a trumpet player.

Tank is a North Hudson resident and the director of bands at East Ridge High School in Woodbury, Minn. He used to be a band director at Hudson High School.

The Jazz Orchestra delivered a highly entertaining program of big band and swing standards, and threw in a polka for the Wisconsinites.

Next up for the Lakefront Park band shell is Caleb Hawley and his band from New York. Hawley is a former “American Idol” contestant, a Hudson High School graduate and O’Keefe’s son-in-law.

He’ll be playing what the concert schedule says is funk, rock and dance music. The show starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9.

Tags: lifestyle, arts, minesota