‘Sweet Sounds: An Evening of Jazz and Dessert’

WESTFORD — The Jay Geils-Gerry Beaudoin Sextet will headline “Sweet Sounds: An Evening of Jazz and Dessert” to help raise funds for the revitalization of a kindergarten-to-grade-four playground in Groton.

The event will be held Feb. 10, from 7 to 10:30 p.m., at the Westford Regency. Tickets are $35 per person, and are available at www.mktix.com/frbpta.

The night’s entertainment evokes the classic guitar sounds of a bygone era with an original twist. It features multi-reed player Billy Novick on clarinet and saxophone. He’s backed by double bassist John Turner and drummer Les Harris Jr. Opening the show is the Barry Singer Quartet.

Proceeds from the benefit event will help revitalize the Florence Roche Elementary School playground. In addition to live jazz music, the gala will include hors d’oeuvres, dessert, a chocolate buffet, silent auction, raffle and cash bar.

The Florence Roche and Boutwell elementary schools Parent-Teacher Association is fund-raising for a new playground and equipment including a rubberized safety surface. In August 2006, soil testing revealed unsafe levels of arsenic, and the playground was closed.

Although the Groton Dunstable Regional School District paid to remediate the arsenic, most of the PTA funds were depleted for general landscaping, purchasing basketball hoops, and adding a fence.