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MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. The Summer Breeze Concert Series held its final Tuesday night concert for the summer with "Old School R&B" music from 1970s group Blue Magic and Mount Vernon's own The Blue Mystics.
"Blue Magic had a lot of hits in the 70s and everybody came out see them," said Event Organizer Jeff Redd of Sol Real Records. "We have singers from Mount Vernon that gave us a great performance and people from all over attending the show."
The Summer Breeze Concert Series began on the Fourth of July with reggae and featured hip-hop, gospel and Italian music throughout the course of the summer. Redd said that the concert series spread through word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising and promotion.
"We made it happen organically," Redd said. "There was not a lot of publicity. We got a lot of help to from various city officials but it's the music that brings people back."
State Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson (D-Mount Vernon), who sponsored the final concert on Tuesday night, said the concert series gives people a chance to get out of their homes for some free entertainment.
"Many people can't afford to pay for some act so we are bringing it to them for free," Hassell-Thompson said. "It brings people out and gives them a chance to socialize and be together with friends. This music lends itself to an older crowd but this music crosses all spectrums."
Redd said that he is not sure if he'll be back for the Summer Breeze Concert Series next year but is hoping that it continues.
"The city is getting a lot of positive attention from it," Redd said. "I'm just excited that we were able to do the best we could with a limited budget.
The Summer Breeze Concert Series wraps up on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Roosevelt Square with Caribbean Night.
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