30 Years of Jazz
Sweet Lizzy Project Photo by Alejandro Menéndez-Vega
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or the first time, the Benjamin Russell High School Band will open this year’s Jazz Fest concert in Strand Park on Friday, Aug. 7, with selections from this year’s show, Rhapsody on a Bad Romance. The band’s 2020 repertoire includes music by Queen, Bruno Mars, George Gershwin, Lady Gaga and others. “We wanted to showcase our own. We’re very proud of the Benjamin Russell Pride Band, and we wanted to let them shine,” said Ed Collari, CEO and president of the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates the free twoday concert series. This year’s concert, originally scheduled for June, was postponed and rescheduled for the second weekend in August 18 Lake Martin Living
due to the coronavirus pandemic. Collari urged concertgoers to take responsibility for their own safety and that of others in regards to health and welfare during the event. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the music series that began when Frohsin’s Department Store treated the community to an outdoor concert to celebrate its 100th birthday. Following the Pride of BRHS, Tragic City will take the mid-stage on Friday night, followed by headliner Sweet Lizzy Project, a Cuban band featuring lead singer Lisset Diaz. An instrumental sextet from Birmingham, Tragic City blends elements of funk, jazz, hip-hop and rock to create a sound uniquely its own. The band includes Will Cash,
