At 88, drummer Roy McCurdy has shared stages with jazz royalty from Cannonball Adderley to Ella Fitzgerald.
On Saturday, August 2, music lovers in Pasadena will have a rare opportunity to hear this living legend perform live at Vroman’s Bookstore.
The free concert, running from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., is part of Vroman’s Summer Concert Series, co-sponsored by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. McCurdy will be joined by Pasadena Conservatory of Music Jazz Faculty and Friends, including Nicole McCabe on saxophones, Aaron Janik on trumpet, Jonathan Richards on bass and Sam Hirsh on keyboards.
Born November 28, 1936, in Rochester, New York, McCurdy carved out his place in jazz history during his decade-long tenure with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet from 1965 to 1975. His discography features collaborations with Sonny Rollins, Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald.
“If everybody is playing together, if it’s happening right, then it would get to such a level that you would feel like you were floating, almost out of your body so that you could look down and watch yourself play. It’s a beautiful peak to get to,” McCurdy once said.
Trumpeter Aaron Janik, co-founder of HornFX, is an active Los Angeles performer. Sam Hirsh joined the Pasadena Conservatory of Music faculty in 2024 as a keyboard instructor.
Vroman’s Bookstore, founded in 1894, is Southern California’s oldest and largest independent bookstore, hosting more than 400 free community events annually.
“Summer Concert Series” runs on August 2, 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. At Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., in Pasadena. For more call (626) 449-5320 or visit https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-08-02/summer-concert-series. Tickets: Free.
