Jimmy Mazz set to kick off Concerts in the Park

Jimmy Mazzaferro began singing at age 14 with a group named “Vitus Pike” in his hometown of Ludlow, Mass.

He was the lead singer, and performed covers of such music icons as David Bowie, Kiss and Deep Purple. He later started playing the guitar, and went on to write about 60 songs of his own.

Back in the 1990s, Mazzaferro joined a band called Breezin’, and his climb up the ladder continued while he received lots of local, regional, and even some national media attention.

From there, the Jimmy Mazz Show was created, and his performing career exploded.

Tomorrow night, Friday, July 17, Jimmy Mazz will bring his talents back to Johnston War Memorial Park.

“I cannot tell you how excited I am to come back to Johnston and the Concerts in the Park Series,” he told the Sun Rise Tuesday. “I’ve been looking forward to it all summer.”

That, Mark Gilmore said, “is a statement that speaks volumes, because Jimmy Mazz has played in all the major venues from New York to Las Vegas to California and beyond.”

People who took in last summer’s first-ever Jimmy Mazz performance in Johnston will remember his famed routine, which included music, comedy, and impressions of famed artists. Tomorrow night’s show will begin at 6:30 p.m. and run until 8 p.m.

When asked for a sneak preview of what Johnstonians can expect tomorrow night, he said: “I plan to do a variety of music covering different styles and genres. I now perform 16 differently themed shows, and will be drawing songs from all of them.”

There will be tunes from Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Michael Buble, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and legendary Motown artists – “and of course,” he added, “I’ll throw in a bit of Elvis for good measure, among others.”

Jimmy Mazz, who has an original CD “Ordinary Man” that was co-produced by Billy Joel’s long-time bass player Doug Stegmeyer and has received airtime on many radio stations across the country, concluded his Johnston show preview by saying: “We are going to mix it up this year and really have lots of fun.”

Gilmore, who serves as vice president of the Johnston Community Center Association (JCCA), said, “the feeling behind Jimmy Mazz’s voice will really touch and impress people who take in Friday night’s show.”

The JCCA is again sponsoring the Summer Concerts in the Park Series in conjunction with the Johnston Recreation Department. There’s no charge, and people are advised to bring their own lawn or folding chairs and coolers.

Gilmore also announced that the second in the Concerts in the Park Series is scheduled for Sunday evening, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. That show will featured the Cross Country Band.

The third show is set for Sunday, Aug. 16, also at 6 p.m., and will feature a return visit by the Van Pelt family featuring former “American Idol” finalist Erika Van Pelt.