(PRINCETON, NJ) -- West Windsor Arts presents Channel Collective on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at the Nassau Park Pavilion from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. Dan Kassel and Friends, featuring Gregg Merkle, will open the night. This is the first of three in their free summer concert series sponsored by Site Centers. Admission is free.
At each event you will be treated to soulful music by local talent in a variety of genres. While you listen, you can even try your hand at free art activities designed for all ages. Bring a picnic and enjoy the sounds of summer with them!
5:00pm: Dan Kassel and Friends, featuring Gregg Merkle - Dan Kassel is an innovative cellist who has transformed the role of his instrument in contemporary music. Combining classical technique with innovative live-looping technology, he creates lush, multi-layered soundscapes that transcend traditional genres. His music fuses elements of electronica, jazz, rock, and global traditions, offering audiences a deeply immersive and emotionally resonant experience. With performances at renowned venues like Times Square Summer Stage, World Cafe Live, and McCarter Theatre, Dan has captivated listeners across a wide range of settings, from intimate gatherings to grand stages. For this show, he is joined by Gregg Merkle, a guitar virtuoso who performs his own remarkable compositions. His dizzying finger-tapping style is intricately technical yet intrinsically beautiful. Greg enjoys a cult-like following in his native New Jersey, and has also opened for musicians like Taj Mahal, John Hammond Jr., Iris Dement and Johnny Cash.
6:00pm: Channel Collective is an ever-changing lineup of musicians led by multi-instrumentalist, Jon Thompson, and drummer, Justin Leigh. Their vision is to capture the beauty of the unexpected in the spontaneity of improvised and composed music. Channel Collective is about connection and untold stories through sonic explorations and dialogue in the jazz genre. Channel Collective brings to the West Windsor Arts’ summer stage very special guests, bassist Jason Fraticelli and pianist Glenn McClelland. Jason has toured with Matisyahu, Spaga, Melody Gardot and many more. Glenn is the keyboardist for the comedic/ psychedelic rock band, Ween, and has also played for many years with Blood Sweat and Tears. Together they will be playing an unforgettable night of jazz!
Nassau Park Pavilion is located at 510 Nassau Park Blvd in Princeton, New Jersey (behind Panera). Admission is free.
West Windsor Arts believes that the arts are for everyone! They offer a diverse array of art and cultural events, workshops, and classes for all ages and abilities.
Many of these programs take place in the arts center building, conveniently located near the Princeton Junction train station in the renovated Princeton Junction firehouse in the Berrien City neighborhood of West Windsor, New Jersey. The space is warm, welcoming, and available for birthday parties and other space rentals with free parking and other features designed to support accessibility.
Throughout the year, the arts center is a hub of cultural and community activities, from art exhibitions to summer camps, art workshops and lectures to family fun nights, dance parties, and community service programs.
