CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — For many local musicians like Mike Guerra and Randy Solis, having people enjoy their music and promote their band goes a long way.
"He always tries to bring new bands and give them the exposure so people get to hear them," Mike Guerra said.
In the late 1980s, Del Mar Professor John J. Nelson and the city of Corpus Christi's Parks and Recreation Department started the Bay Jammin' Summer Concert series, which is a free event at Cole Park.
"We got known partly because of the Bay Jammin," Randy Solis said.
The Bay Jammin' series features bands who play different genres of music, from Tejano to country to rock 'n' roll. It gives musicians the opportunity to perform and gain exposure. In turn, the community gets the chance to jam out to some great music. Undoubtedly, Nelson said it is important to feature these artists.
"The city has grown, and so has the caliber and the number of really great musicians," Nelson said.
Nelson and the Bay Jammin' Concert series helped put bands like Mike Guerra and Trisum on the map.
"We get more exposure. It's a venue with lots of people. It's a free concert. People who don't know say, 'Hey, it's a free concert,' and they get to hear us, and we have new followers," Guerra said.
Randy Solis with Cruise Control has been performing at the Bay Jammin' series for the past 30 years. He also credits Nelson for helping local musicians get their name out there — because of the exposure, his band has been able to land many gigs across the Coastal Bend.
"He just seems to have his hand in everything that has to do with music in a positive way. It is not self-serving at all. He is trying to help people out," Solis said.
Robert Dodd with the Parks and Rec Department said he's known Nelson for 30 years and respects what he's done for local musicians.
"He does so many things for the music community and has for decades, and I think this is something that is well deserved for him, and our team loves working with him," Dodd said.
Nelson's dedication to helping local musicians bring live entertainment to our community is the reason why Mr. Nelson is a KRIS 6 Angel.
