Get ready to groove with Serpentine Fire

Carmel Symphony Orchestra to kickoff patriotic weekend with fusion of live funk, soul & George Cohan musical performances

The Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) kicks off the summer holiday Wednesday, July 3 at Coxhall Gardens with an unforgettable evening of live music.

Enjoy pre-concert entertainment at 6:45 p.m. with Bashiri Asad followed by a George Cohan tribute at 8 p.m. with Actors Theatre of Indiana. Then get fired up with the CSO R&B Ensemble featuring Serpentine Fire performing the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire at 8:30 p.m. The talented and energetic group, formed by Tyriq Johnson, takes you on a musical journey through the ‘70s and ‘80s featuring songs like “September” and “Let’s Groove.”

“With this concert in CSO’s Summer Concert Series, we wanted to offer an alternative and unique way to celebrate the Independence Day holiday,” CSO Executive Director Anne Marie Chastain said. “The community has not had a chance to see the orchestra’s R&B Ensemble in a setting such as this and we hope that the audience is able to see how multitalented our musicians are through this experience. We also hope the music of Earth Wind and Fire evokes some fun memories from that era.”

The CSO R&B Ensemble is comprised of:

Clark Hunt, lead trumpet

Hailing from Louisville, Ky., Hunt has performed with Marie Osmond, Roger Ingram, Vince Mendoza, Carl Fischer, Vince Gardner, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Sean Imboden Large Ensemble, Duffy Jackson, Terrell Stafford, Paquito D’Rivera, Jerry Weldon, and Eddie Daniels.

Jay Young, sax

Leader of Naptown Jazz 5, Young has toured, performed, and recorded internationally with some of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry. A brief list includes Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Johnny Mathis, Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra Jr., Frankie Valli, and numerous Broadway shows.

Ben Carrasquillo, trombone

Currently instructor of trombone at Eastern Illinois University, Carrasquillo has performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Temptations and the Four Tops, the Beach Boys, Jukebox Saturday Night, the Unexpected Boys, the national tour of Chicago: The Musical, Black Jacket Symphony, and more.

Jim Rhinehart, piano

Associate Teaching Professor of Music Theatre at Ball State University, Rhinehart has performed throughout the United States in venues as diverse as Walt Disney World, the San Francisco Improv Festival, and Kitty Hawk, N.C., the site of the Wright Brothers’ first flight.

Gerardo Becerra, latin percussion

Becerra frequently performs with Indianapolis favorites Pavel & Direct Contact, along with hall-of-famers that have shared the stage around the globe with Ray Charles, Peter Erskine, Kenny G, Dave Valentin, Patti LaBelle, Ben E. King, Pavel Nuñez, and Henry Mancini.

Coxhall Gardens is located at 1677 Towne Road, Carmel. In the event of rain, the 8:30 p.m. CSO performance will move to Clay Middle School, 5150 E. 126th St., Carmel.

Click here to purchase tickets.