The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music announced the return of its Midsummer Nights concert series, a lineup of free outdoor jazz performances curated by acclaimed jazz vocalist and BKCM Jazz Leader Fellow Melanie Charles.
The concerts will take place at 6:30 pm on July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14 on the front steps of BKCM’s Park Slope headquarters at 58 7th Ave.
Charles, a Brooklyn native and NPR Tiny Desk performer, curated the series as part of her Jazz Leaders Fellowship. Her selections highlight the richness and range of New York’s jazz scene, blending styles from R&B and hip-hop to Afro-Caribbean rhythms and experimental traditions.
“It’s a true honor to be invited back to curate this year’s Midsummer Night Festival. The 2025 lineup is a vibrant reflection of Brooklyn’s cultural tapestry; from diasporic rhythms that make you move, to uptown jazz swing and bold, women-led bands redefining the stage,” Charles said in a statement.
On July 31, Charles’s “Trill Mega Jam” brings together tenor saxophonist Mary Orji, bassist Destiny Diggs and pianist Lafayette Harris for an improvisation-driven set. Each artist brings a distinct voice; Orji infuses spiritual jazz with neo-soul, Diggs blends technical mastery with global influences, and Harris draws on decades of experience performing with jazz legends.
Bassist and composer Amina Scott performs on Aug. 7. Based in New Orleans and originally from Oakland, Scott has toured globally and collaborated with artists including Nicholas Payton, Ingrid Jensen and Christian Scott. Her debut album, Where the Wild Seed Grows, explores Black womanhood and her evolution as a musician and educator.
The series concludes Aug. 14 with Charles Turner & The House of Spilata, a Brooklyn-based project merging jazz with house, disco and R&B. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Turner has performed on international stages and continues to champion Harlem swing through contemporary interpretations.
