Great outdoor music begins in June at UNM with Summer Staff Appreciation Concerts. Concerts will be held monthly on Fridays, noon to 1 p.m. at University Honors Plaza, southeast of the Student Union Building. Hot dogs, lemonade and ice cream will be sold for $1. Trees nearby allow for ample seating in the shade.
On June 23, the final day of UNM Staff Appreciation Week, the Adobe Brothers will perform. They are an eclectic band that plays a wild mix of acoustic music including Celtic, Latin folk music, Western swing and international bluegrass. Members include Civil Engineering Professor Bruce Thomson, performing on fiddle and guitar as brother Toby Adobe. This band has played together more than 25 yeas and has received numerous awards.
Rahim AlHaj, a native of Baghdad, will perform solo on July 21 on the Iraqi oud, an ancient stringed instrument. AlHaj, who lives in Albuquerque, is known as one of the worldwide virtuosos on the lute-like instrument. He recently collaborated and recorded an album “Friendship” with a quartet of classical musicians from the area known as the Sadaqa Quartet.
Jasper plays on the final Friday before the start of classes, August 18. Jasper plays a danceable groove of reggae, New Orleans soul, world beat and rock & roll. Members are veteran Albuquerque musicians Terry Bluhm, bass guitar; Frank McCulloch, guitar and banjo; and Jefferson Vorhees, drums and percussion. These guys are sure to get your feet tapping.
Concerts are presented by the UNM Staff Council and the Work + Life Committee and are free and open to the public. Support is provided by the Office for Institutional Advancement and the Student Activities Center.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu