OPENING THE SUMMER SEASON: Jimmy Bosch, the trombonist/composer/bandleader who is also known as “El Trombon Criollo,” is the first attraction of this summer’s Blue Curtain Concerts series at Pettoranello Gardens. (Photo by Andrea Kane)

Blue Curtain returns to Pettoranello Gardens Amphitheater July 12 at 8 p.m. with the first of a three-concert series. Trombonist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Bosch, also known as “El Trombon Criollo,” is the featured artist in this free concert.

A jazz and salsa powerhouse with deep Puerto Rican roots and New Jersey origins, Bosch has performed with some of the legends of the genre, including Rubén Blades, Marc Anthony, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, and Ray Barretto. Backed by his Salsa Masters, Bosch brings the full energy of New York Latin jazz to Princeton.

Blue Curtain’s 2025 season continues on July 19 with Puerto Rican cuatro virtuosa Fabiola Méndez, bringing her mix of Afro-Caribbean roots, jazz and classical influences into a blend of Latin and world music. The season concludes on July 26 with Elida Almeida, a singer from Cape Verde known for her fusion of Afrobeat, morna, and pop.  Almeida’s songs tell stories of resilience, migration and identity.

All concerts begin at 8 p.m. and take place at Pettoranello Gardens Amphitheater, located in Community Park North at Route 206 and Mountain Avenue. Admission is free, and audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. In case of rain or extreme heat, concerts will be moved indoors to the Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, located at Franklin Avenue and Walnut Lane.

Blue Curtain, co-sponsored by the Princeton Recreation Department, is a New Jersey nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting the highest quality of culturally diverse music to audiences in the Princeton area.