BPL's Lunchtime Courtyard Concerts Start June 1

The Boston Public Library's free Friday lunchtime concert series starts on June 1, and will run throughout the summer.

The live music in the courtyard features everything from jazz to classical; from folk to funk. It's designed to appeal to many different tastes and cultures, and will start at 12:30 p.m. every Friday.

In the case of inclement weather, the concerts will be moved inside to the Rabb Lecture Hall. The complete schedule follows and is available at www.bpl.org/concerts.

Revolutionary Snake Ensemble
Friday, June 1

The award-winning Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is an improvisational second-line brass band playing a unique blend of original and traditional music.

Celia Slattery
Friday, June 8

Celia Slattery, accompanied by Bill Duffy on the piano, sings original music that weaves elements of jazz, pop, and folk/rock with lyrics inspired by artists like Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.

American Century Music
Friday, June 15

American Century Music is dedicated to performing the orchestral, chamber, and solo repertoire of 20th-century American composers.

Greater Boston Asian American Youth Symphony
Friday, June 22

The Greater Boston Asian American Youth Symphony is comprised primarily of string and wind instruments, and performs with an emphasis on Chinese melodies.

Lucia Stavros
Friday, June 29

Harpist Lucia Stavros is a new music enthusiast who has worked with composers to create original music for the harp.

American Century Music
Friday, July 6

The Motivated Sequence
Friday, July 13

The Motivated Sequence is a six-piece, indie-pop group that brings trembling organs, sweeping strings, and intimate vocals in their live shows.

Jenna Moynihan and Hamish Napier
Berklee College of Music
Friday, July 20

Hamish Napier, a pianist, singer, flautist, and whistle player; and fiddler Jenna Moynihan combine to perform music inspired by Scottish and Irish tunes.

Driftwood
Friday, July 27

Driftwood's distinctive sound draws from classical music, the string-based folk traditions of Europe and the Americas, and original commissions and arrangements of everything from Katy Perry to Puccini to Nine Inch Nails.

Solar Winds
Friday, August 3

Solar Winds, a woodwind quintet, includes in its repertoire the most demanding compositions of the modern era as well as the classics and novelty pieces.

Atlas Soul
Friday, August 10

Atlas Soul is an award-winning, Boston-based band performing original music that celebrates and bridges Afro-Mediterranean melodies and grooves with jazz and funk.

Ali Amr
Friday, August 17

Ali Amr sings and plays the Qanun, a stringed instrument similar to a zither, and smoothly moves from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and other contemporary styles.

Akiko Kobayashi
Friday, August 24

New York-born violinist Akiko Kobayashi is a gifted solo and chamber music player, and has appeared with orchestras such as the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo Suginami Kokaido Chamber Orchestra.

Tom Hall's Jazz Time Machine
Friday, August 31

Guided by vocalist April Hall and saxophonist Tom Hall, Tom Hall’s Jazz Time Machine begins their musical journey in New Orleans and ends in an interactive, improvisatory experience, with stops at blues, swing, bebop, R&B, and modern jazz along the way.