Jazz Ensemble Featured at Juneteenth Celebration

Sweet Dreams Jazz Ensemble will perform at Ridgeview Community's Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18^th at 3:00 p.m.  The performance is part of the daylong event at Ridgeview Recreation Center and is sponsored by Ridgeview Branch Library. The performance and all events are free and open to the public.

Sweet Dreams, a jazz ensemble based in Durham, is returning to Hickory by popular demand. The group has been featured in several Black History Month celebrations at Ridgeview Branch Library and was highlighted at last year's Juneteenth event.

Sweet Dreams is a band made up of four musicians, whose sound belies the number of its members. That's because these are four musicians of superlative talent, skill and showmanship.  Individually, the members of Sweet Dreams have explored virtually every form of music expression including jazz, gospel, reggae and rock.

The band has built a reputation that spans the Southeast.  They have played a diversity of events and venues and are the contract band of choice for many recording artists playing live events in the area.  The band has backed up mainstream saxophonist Courtney Pines, contemporary saxophonist Gerald Albright, and rhythm and blues singer Michael Cooper.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19^th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond and was coined "Juneteenth".  Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings.

Hickory's Juneteenth celebration includes games for children, storytellers, gospel singers, praise dancers, food and more. The daylong event ends with Sweet Dreams' performance.

For information call Ridgeview Branch Library at 345-6037.