Set to start a hot summer at Umbria Jazz!

Fred is excited about heading to Italy tomorrow to start his next tour with an exciting 10-day residency at the fabled Umbria Jazz Festival, which this year features artists including Marcus Miller, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, George Clinton, Buddy Guy, Ron Carter, Kumasi Washington, Peditro Martinez and many more. Fred and the New JBs play free outdoor concerts July 8-17.

Thank you to photographer Paul Nathan for this portrait of Fred with his excited face taken backstage last month at the Chicago Blues Festival. Also many thanks to director Jeneene Brown-Mosley, her team, Fernando Jones and all the Chicago fans for helping make it such a funky good time. Scroll down for some family photos and click here, here and here for more photos from the Chicago Sun Times.

A view of the damage in South Carolina

Fred celebrated his 73rd birthday July 4 with love and wishes from friends and fans around the world (thank you!), after a bit of personal drama courtesy of Mother Nature. A small tornado put a tree through the roof of his bedroom! No one was hurt, he and the family have been riding it out at a nearby hotel, and repairs are almost complete.

From Umbria the tour continues through Italy, the UK and France, and includes a stop in Zadar, Croatia. Here are all the dates with links for purchasing tickets.  

July 19 -- Suzzara, Italy (free)

July 20 -- Palermo, Italy

July 21 -- Ancona, Italy

July 22 -- Poretta Soul Fest

July 23 -- Catania, Italy

July 24 -- San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy

July 25 -- Noale, Italy

July 27 -- Zadar, Croatia

July 28 -- The Famous Spiegeltent, Edinburg, UK

July 29 -- Southern Fried Festival, Perth

July 30 -- Under the Bridge, London

Aug. 5 -- Jazz a Sete, France

Aug. 6 -- Crozon, France

Aug. 8 -- Marciac Jazz Fest, France

New JBs horn section before their Chicago set.

Fred with his Chicago cousin Joshua Edwards