Weekend Arts Planner: A new film about trumpeter Roy Hargrove, Kamasi Washington opens Celebrate Brooklyn and contemporary choral music at Green-Wood Cemetery

After some stormy weather this week, it looks like a weekend with clear skies and comfortable temperatures in New York City - a perfect time for us to start thinking about cultural events taking place in the great outdoors this summer. We look ahead to a few of them with WNYC's Culture and Arts Editor Steve Smith. Speaking with Weekend Edition host David Furst, Steve brings us his latest picks:

1. "Hargrove" -

The Tribeca Festival is going to draw lots of viewers into movie theaters. And there's a huge range of features screening this year, from actor Ray Romano's debut as a director to a documentary about David Lynch's fixation with "The Wizard of Oz." But the festival also includes outdoor events -- some free, others ticketed -- and it's one of those that I'm looking forward to most: the premiere of a film called "Hargrove," screening on Sunday, June 12, on the plaza outside of Brookfield Place.

Roy was a wunderkind who blew in from Texas and spun heads with his abundant talent – having seen him play in a Texas nightclub as a teenager, I can attest to this effect personally. Director Eliane Henri and her crew followed Hargrove around the world in 2018, not knowing it was his final year – he died on November 2 at age 49. We hear about his impact from marquee names like Herbie Hancock, Questlove, and Erykah Badu, who's one of the film's executive producers. We learn about the vast range of styles he covered: straightahead jazz, Latin jazz, funky fusion, R&B, hip hop. But we get a sense of just how demanding and draining the life of a touring artist is. Roy battled with substance abuse, and even after he put that behind him, he endured chronic pain for the rest of his life. His passing left a hole in New York City's musical life that's still felt, and this documentary honors his memory. You can find out more about this screening and the rest of the festival's offerings at Tribeca Festival.

2. Kamasi Washington -

Year after year after year, Celebrate Brooklyn is one of New York City's best loved and best attended outdoor music series. Presented by BRIC at the Prospect Park Bandshell, this year's festival opens on Wednesday night, June 8 with the ecstatic sounds of Los Angeles saxophonist, bandleader, and multimedia artist Kamasi Washington.

Many listeners will remember that Washington and his extended family of L.A. jazz players first drew attention for working with rapper Kendrick Lamar. His style is a throwback to a more optimistic era of soulful jazz -- he writes big bold music for large bands and choirs. You might also sense his kinship with conscious R&B artists like Curtis Mayfield. One thing's for sure, it's going to sound great outdoors in Prospect Park on Wednesday night.

3. Sarah Kirkland Snider -

Sarah Kirkland Snider is among the most impressive younger composers in the New York new-music scene. She writes music that sounds ageless and contemporary at once, with an emotional impact that's direct and immediate. She's got a hot streak of events happening in June. She's curating an intimate evening at Lincoln Center's Kaplan Penthouse on Wednesday night, June 8, which sets the stage for the world premiere of a new piece she's written for the New York Philharmonic to perform on Friday night at Carnegie Hall.

Everyone always asks, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall." But once you've gotten to Carnegie Hall, what do you do for an encore? Well... would you believe a cemetery? "Mass for the Endangered" is a choral work Sarah wrote with her close collaborator, poet Nathaniel Bellows. The choir, Gallicantus, will perform the mass on June 14, 15 and 16 in the Catacombs at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. It's part of a series called The Angel's Share, which includes an hour of spirits tasting and a twilight walk through the cemetery. These events tend to sell out early, so if you're intrigued, here's the web site: deathofclassical.com.