Photo by Andrea Kane
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Blue Curtain kicks off its 2025 season on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 8:00pm with a powerhouse performance by internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Bosch, also known as El Trombon Criollo. Due to inclement weather in the forecast, the concert will take place indoors at the Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, located at Franklin Avenue and Walnut Lane.
A jazz and salsa powerhouse with deep Puerto Rican roots and New Jersey origins, Bosch has performed with some of the greatest legends of the genre, including Rubén Blades, Marc Anthony, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, and Ray Barretto. His dynamic sound—marked by blistering trombone solos, distinctive melodies, and socially conscious lyrics—has earned him a reputation as one of salsa’s most thrilling live performers. Backed by his Salsa Masters, Bosch brings the full energy of New York Latin jazz to Princeton for a night of dancing under the stars.
Blue Curtain’s 2025 season continues with two more standout performances: On July 19, Puerto Rican cuatro virtuosa Fabiola Méndez brings her masterful blend of tradition and innovation to the stage, fusing Afro-Caribbean roots, jazz and classical influences into a fresh and soulful blend of Latin and world music.
The season concludes on July 26 with the effervescent Elida Almeida, a charismatic singer from Cape Verde known for her warm, earthy vocals and a vibrant fusion of Afrobeat, morna, and pop. Almeida’s songs tell stories of resilience, migration and identity.
All concerts begin at 8:00pm and take place at Pettoranello Gardens Amphitheater, located in Community Park North at Route 206 and Mountain Avenue in Princeton, NJ. Admission is free, and audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the open-air performances.
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.
