Jazz lovers rejoice: Live music returns to Dayton Art Institute

Daniel Bennett and The Dirty Shirleys will perform Sept. 9, 2021 at the Dayton Art Institute's Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond series. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Daniel Bennett and The Dirty Shirleys will perform Sept. 9, 2021 at the Dayton Art Institute's Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond series. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Live music, the Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond series, will return to the Dayton Art Institute in August.

“The series has been on hiatus since the close of its 2019 season, due to the pandemic and we are beyond excited to announce the return of live jazz at the museum,” said Michael R. Roediger, DAI director and CEO, in a release.

Soul Express will perform Aug. 12 2021 at the Dayton Art Institute's Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond series. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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The concerts kick off Thursday, Aug. 12 with the 1960s sounds of Soul Express, presented in conjunction with the DAI’s current special exhibition, Changing Times: Art of the 1960s.

The concerts will be held on the second Thursday of each month through Dec. 2021. Doors open at 5 p.m. and all concerts run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Shaw Gothic Cloister.

The series features a variety of performers from around the Dayton and Cincinnati areas. Dates and performers for the 2021 series include:

August 12: Soul Express

Sept. 9: Daniel Bennett and The Dirty Shirleys

Oct. 14: Jimmy Leach Jazztet

Nov. 11: Puzzle of Light

Dec. 9: Kick-N-Flava

Admission to Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond series is free for museum members and included in museum general admission for non-members: $15 adults; $10 seniors (60+), active military and groups (10 or more); $5 students (18+ w/ID) and youth (ages 7–17); free for children (ages 6 & younger).

Tickets may be purchased at the museum the night of each concert, and all seating is general admission. A cash bar will be available for drinks and food.

Puzzle of Light will perform Nov. 11 2021 at the Dayton Art Institute's Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz & Beyond series. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Additional information and updates about the series will be posted on the DAI website and on the DAI’s social media pages.

The museum also recently resumed its series of informal performances on the historic Skinner pipe organ in the Mimi and Stuart Rose Auditorium. The next performance takes place Saturday, July 17 at 2 p.m. Beginning in August, organ performances take place on the first and third Sundays of each month at 2 p.m.

More information about the Skinner pipe organ concerts can be found here.

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