Kind of Blues will play Thursday at Out to Lunch in Iron Mountain and Music in the Park in Norway. Members of the band include, from left, John Beck, Phil Lynch, Craig Recla and Greg Hunt.

NORWAY — Music in the Park continues this week as the Kind of Blues Band performs for the sixth concert of the season. The free summertime music series will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the bandshell in downtown Norway.

Kind of Blues draws their membership from all over the south central Upper Peninsula, and this group of musicians has been pleasing audiences for more than 20 years. The band, composed of all public school educators, features the vocal talents of Iron Mountain Schools Director of Bands Craig Recla, who also plays lead guitar and trumpet. Keyboard specialist Phil Lynch, Escanaba High School instructor, retired, handles mainly blues organ/piano, vocals and yes, trombone. John Beck, Escanaba Schools choral instructor, retired, plays bass guitar, cigar box guitar, harmonica, and provides vocals. Drummer Greg Hunt, Norway-Vulcan Area Schools music instructor, retired, round out the line-up. The group will present blues made famous by many of the classic greats such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Walter Trout, Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jim Morrison and the Doors and C.C.R. The band is really looking forward to seeing everyone Thursday in Iron Mountain at Out to Lunch and Norway, These two great venues are among their favorite places to perform, and they look forward to lots of blues fans and music lovers coming out for this program.

“We hope folks that come into Iron Mountain for this week’s Out to Lunch concert with Kind of Blues, a ‘double-header” with Out to Lunch, will enjoy the afternoon, have a nice dinner in the area and come on down to beautiful Band Shell Park in Norway for our sixth free performance of this summer’s series, The Kind of Blues Band always brings a really fun show,” MIP Programming Director Carol Sundstrom said.

A near-perfect summer evening greeted another capacity crowd July 11 at the fifth Music in the Park concert of the 2024 season. The Dickinson County area-based group The Descendants performed, and it was great to welcome them back to the series.

Music in the Park is grateful for the financial support they have received from several organizations, businesses and individuals this year, without whom this concert series would not be possible. Major underwriters include: The Curtis J. Brackett Memorial Foundation; Carrie Toretta-Partello, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group of Iron Mountain; Northern Interstate Bank, Norway and surrounding areas; The Iron Mountain Iron Mine in Vulcan, Norway Township; Law Offices of Mouw and Celello, Iron Mountain; Steven and Debra Tinti; Larry and Kathy Bourdeau; William and Darlene Asselin; Preferred Powersports of Norway; Jim’s Music of Iron Mountain; Tourism Association of the Dickinson County Area; Loadmaster of Norway; media support from WJNR-WOBE-WHTO Radio, The Iron Mountain Daily News, the Advertiser; and numerous individual and anonymous sponsors. This support is greatly appreciated.

Upcoming Music in the Park performances include —

— July 25: 141 North, Iron Mountain/Dickinson County area*;

— Aug. 1: Sunny & the Heat, Marinette, Wis.;

— Aug. 8: The DayDreamers, Marquette*;

— Aug. 15: The River Cities Big Band, Menominee/Marinette, Wis., area;

*Indicates a double-header concert with Iron Mountain’s Out to Lunch.

In case of inclement weather, concerts will be at the Crossroads Church (Grace United Methodist/Bethany Lutheran) on Odill Drive behind the Norway Historical Museum on the east edge of Norway. Check the Norway Music in the Park Facebook page for updates if the weather appears questionable for Thursday evening.