Jazz: the Art of Music will feature some of the best local jazz in the Tampa bay area every Friday from 6-9 p.m. June 6-August 29. Admission is $20 per person at the door and will include free gourmet hors d’ oeuvres and tickets for two Peroni beers. A cash bar with creative drink specials will be available.

This is an ideal way to celebrate the beginning of the weekend in one of the most spectacular settings in the area. The groups will perform in the glass Conservatory, and listeners can also mingle on the terrace overlooking the bay.

The new MFA Café will be open with special menus every Friday evening, and visitors can enjoy the art in the Hazel Hough Wing.

The groups are first-rate and highly diverse. Impromptu, with the influence of Django Reinhardt, is one of the premiere “gypsy” jazz bands in the state. The Lounge Kitty will bring traditional jazz with a hint of scat, and the Larry Camp Trio will entertain with the popular be-bop style that has made them a favorite in the local jazz community.

Hot Sun Trio will bring the flavor of Spain and Latin beats to the Museum, while the Smooth Jazz Trio will offer laid-back cool jazz for hot summer nights. The Dan McMillion Jazz Orchestra will infuse their jazz with swing and a big-band vibe, and Dixieland Strutters will transport listeners to Bourbon Street with their good ol’ New Orleans sound.

There will be an exciting Fourth of July celebration with an all-American USO party, and a “wrap” party on August 29 will spotlight the incredible tastes and sounds of the Big Easy.

Scheduled performers:

June 6: Lounge Kitty

June 13: The Larry Camp Trio

June 20: Smooth Jazz Trio

June 27: Impromptu

Fourth of July USO Party: Dan McMillion Jazz Orchestra

July 11: Smooth Jazz Trio

July 18: Larry Camp Trio

July 25: Hot Sun Quartet

August 1: Smooth Jazz Trio

August 8: Larry Camp Trio

August 15: Hot Sun Quartet

August 22: Larry Camp Trio

August 29 Wrap Party: Dixieland Strutters