Pure Ecstasy, Sandy Cressman to Close Out Summer Evening Sounds Concerts September 19th in Downtown Oakland

On September 19th, rhythm-and-blues  group Pure Ecstasy and Brazilian jazz musician Sandy Cressman will bring the 16th annual Summer Evening Sounds concert series at Oakland City Center to a rousing close. The two groups will perform in City Square and in the Zen Garden at 1111 Broadway, respectively.

Free of charge, the three-hour concerts begin at 5 p.m. and are just steps away from the 12th Street BART station in downtown Oakland.

San Francisco-based Pure Ecstasy has performed nationally and internationally since 1991. The group entertains with a rich tapestry of styles including Motown, a cappella, and gospel. Sandy Cressman originally began performing with the highly acclaimed vocal trio Pastiche. In 1992, Cressman began a solo career while still a member of Pastiche, and in 1996, she began performing as a duo with Brazilian master keyboardist Marcos Silva. In 1997, they expanded the group to a quintet, and in 1999, they released “Homenagem Brasileira,” their critically acclaimed tribute to the great composers and performers of Brazilian jazz.

Summer Evening Sounds concerts coincide with 3rd Thursday Art Night, an evening of art gallery openings and activities organized monthly by the City of Oakland’s Crafts and Cultural Arts Department and the Oakland Arts Alliance. The concerts, along with the gallery openings, provide a full evening of entertainment in Oakland.

The Summer Evening Sounds concerts are sponsored by the Shorenstein Company, L.P., the Oakland Tribune, BART, and KBLX radio.