Pasadena’s Mount Wilson Observatory Presents Jazz Concert

The Lounge Art Ensemble will be playing on Sept. 2. – Courtesy photo / Van Webster

On Sunday, Sept. 2, Mount Wilson Observatory will present the fifth in its summer season of concerts in the 100-inch Telescope Dome on Mount Wilson above Pasadena.

The Lounge Art Ensemble jazz trio featuring Peter Erskine on drums, Bob Sheppard on saxophone, and Darek Oles on bass, will offer a freewheeling selection of standards and original tunes in the observatory’s unique and historic venue. The performance will be acoustic without amplification, promising that the full tonality of the instruments and the dynamic control these musicians possess will be fully appreciated by the audience. Since group leader Peter Erskine has carte blanche for selecting the tunes and sequence, he will announce his program on the spot.

The program will be offered in two performances, one at 3 p.m. and one at 5 p.m. There will be a reception with the artists following each performance.

The 100-inch telescope is the instrument with which astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered our place in an expanding universe and so expanded our comprehension. The dome for the telescope is a 20th century temple to science whose acoustics rival the great cathedrals of Europe and provides a unique setting for this ambitious music series.

Albert Einstein wrote that, “There exists a passion for comprehension, just as there exists a passion for music.” This extraordinary venue energizes that passion for music.

In addition, concert-goers will be treated to an exhibition featuring rare scientific artifacts, drawings, and illustrations from the Observatory’s collection.

Tickets for these concert events may be purchased online at mtwilson.edu/concerts.

All proceeds go to support the Mount Wilson Institute in its mission to preserve, protect, and promote the observatory and the science accomplished there.

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