Platte River Jazz performs Thursday in Norris Park

Platte River Jazz of Kearney will perform on the Hot Summer Nights concert stage Thursday in Norris Park.

The show will start at 7:30 p.m., McCook National Bank will give away door prizes and the McCook Chamber of Commerce will serve watermelon to concert-goers.

Platte River Jazz consists of six musicians from the Kearney area. Wes Hird, a piano technician of Kearney, plays guitar and bass for the band. He also lends to the vocals of the group.

Ron Crocker, chairman of the department of music and performing arts at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, is the percussionist for the group.

Dr. Jim Payne of Kearney, a professor of music at UNK, provides vocals and trumpet sounds for the band.

Bonnie Payne, the wife of Jim and the daughter of Floyd Hershberger of McCook, is a secretary with the administration at UNK. She plays bass and sings for the group.

Greg Tisdall, a lab technician at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, plays the saxophone and flute for the band and Dale Hopkins of Gibbon, who works for the Nebraska Department of Roads, provides keyboards and vocals for the band.

The group was originally formed, around seven years ago, as a faculty jazz combo from UNK. Through a few member changes, the current Platte River Jazz has played at a International Flying Farmer event, a Nebraska Music Education Association event, the Museum of Nebraska Arts, for the McCook and Kearney Area Arts Council and for UNK's Concert on the Platte series.

Platte River Jazz plays many types of jazz music including A Foggy Day, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Girl From Ipanema, Tee Funk, Sentimental Journey and The Nearness of You.

The Hot Summer Nights concert is free to the public, courtesy of McCook National Bank and the efforts of Russ Ankerson, Matt and Walt Sehnert, Mike Thomas, Lonnie Weyeneth and Chamber of Commerce officials.

Concert-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to help relax and enjoy the Platte River Jazz sounds.

One other concert is planned for Aug. 29, featuring classic and country rock from Blackwater Haze.