Silver Spring’s long-running, free “Silver Spring Swings” Thursday Night Concerts, presented by Discovery Communications, kicks off on July 12 with Zia Hassan and his Fancy Band and continues with Origem on July 19, The Eddie Becker Band on July 26, and Big Sur on August 2.

The concerts are held 7 to 9 p.m. on Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building, Ellsworth Dr. and Fenton St. Performances are canceled due to weather only if it is raining at 7 p.m.

The series features a raffle with prizes for adults, as well as toys and gifts for kids. The raffle opens at 6:30 p.m. and is awarded during intermission.

Details on each of the performers follow:

July 12 – Zia Hassan and His Fancy Band, Acoustic Rock

Born and raised in Washington DC, story-telling folk artist Zia Hassan has been writing, producing, and singing his own brand of folk music for nearly a decade. In addition to popular acoustic hits, his performances are interspersed with some of his own songs.

July 19 – Origem, Brazilian Jazz

Origem performs a variety of Brazilian music styles, such as samba, bossa nova, forro, afoxe and maracatu, from the Southeast and Northeast regions of Brazil. The group has been performing in the Washington metropolitan area for over 15 years, fostering public awareness of Brazilian culture through their music. Origem has performed in many local and national music festivals and venues, such as the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival. Its co-founders and leaders, Alejandro and Leonardo Lucini, have both been nominated as “Best Latin Musicians” by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA).

July 26 -- The Eddie Becker Band, Rock, Soul and R&B

Eddie Becker and his band play a rich mix of oldies, soul music, rock, R&B, jazz, blues and originals. The band is a cooperative of musicians who play throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. A Washington DC native, Eddie has played with some of the metropolitan area’s finest musicians since the mid-sixties.

August 2 -- Big Sur, Traditional Rock and Roll

Big Sur started out as a jam group that describes themselves as “a thirty/forty something non-grunge, non-hip hop, non-death metal band that doesn't tour.” They have been playing traditional rock and roll for more than 10 years. The band released a collection of originals entitled “Salt” but still enjoys jamming to rock and roll favorites.

The programs are presented by Discovery Communications, with the support of Montgomery County Recreation, the Silver Spring Urban District and The Gazette Newspapers.

For more information, call Montgomery County Recreation at (240) 777-6821 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

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Media contact:  Susan Hoffmann, Recreation, 240-777-6962; susan.hoffmann@montgomerycountymd.gov