Concert Recap: Blackbird Society Orchestra

Jun 7, 2022 by George

It was a perfect clear and breezy spring evening on June 4 for the Blackbird Society Orchestra’s return to the Glen Providence Park. The park’s historic WPA-era stage was absolutely the ideal venue to host Blackbird’s 1930’s era big band jazz and kickoff the Friends of Glen Providence Park’s 2022 Arts in the Park season.

Opening with the theme song from the Little Rascals shorts, the orchestra swung right into Roaring 20’s numbers Happy Days Are Here Again and Bessy Couldn’t Help It – reproduced note for note from the original 78rpm recordings.

The Louis Armstrong 30’s hit Mahogany Hall Stomp and That’s My Baby Now by the The Nighthawk Jazz Band nailed the sound and tempo of the flapper era to a “T”.

The band, the audience and the glen came together for another beautiful evening of entertaining music here in Everybody’s Park in  Everybody’s Home Town.

♦

You can see their performance on YouTube (also linked below) thanks to volunteer Carol Carmon. In ten seasons of concerts, Blackbird Society Orchestra is the first performer we have brought back! You can see photos and a recap from their 2015 concert.

Many thanks to all who made this concert possible: Delaware County Parks & Recreation; a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts; Concert Series Sponsors Media Recreation Board and West End Flats; Concert Sponsor Shere-E-Punjab Indian Restaurant; our volunteer Concert Committee; the well over 250 people who attended; and of course Blackbird Society Orchestra!

Our 2022 Arts in the Park was made possible by funding from Program Stream, a grant initiative of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts that is regionally administered by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. 

Click on any photo for a closer look!