Riversdale Hosts Jazz on the Lawn

Residents can enjoy a free night of jazz and food on the lawn of Riversdale Mansion this Thursday evening, where the well-known tenor saxophonist Buck Hill and his quartet will play jazz sets starting at 7 p.m.

"It was my idea for the jazz concerts," said Edward Day, museum director for the Riversdale History House Museum. "Most of the things [the museum] does are geared to the interpreted period, the early 19th century. But we have a really beautiful lawn and backdrop with the mansion, so we decided we'd do something different."

The jazz on the lawn performances have taken place once a month from June until August and have been a staple for summer events at the mansion for several years. With funding from the Maryland State Arts Council, the mansion hosts events with "straight-ahead" jazz, a widely-accepted style that encompasses some swing and acoustic bass, the opposite of smooth jazz. Day said there's nothing else that's more appropriate for the setting.

"We don't want to do something that doesn't work," Day said. "We wouldn't do rap or pop. We wouldn't do classical either [on the lawn], because when it's amplified it loses its sound. But jazz uses traditional and electric instruments."

The genre has various performance options, including subgenres like western swing jazz, and it allows vocalists to showcase their talent. Performances at the mansion this summer included the Oklahoma Twisters last month and a jazz group that originated at the University of Maryland in June.

Buck Hill and his quartet will bring a soulful style to the lawn with 45- to 50-minute sets this week. A musician for more than 40 years, Hill is known as the "Wailin' Mailman," since he was a postman by day when he first emerged on the jazz scene.

Born in Washington, D.C., Hill has played in the area since he started on the saxophone at age 13, and he is known for his work in the U Street corridor of the District.

Day chose this legend after searching for talent through the jazz pipeline, without much knowledge about Hill's styling. He was aware of the saxophonist but has never actually heard his music. 

"This will be a treat for me," Day said. "There's just something about jazz."