*Newtown resident Brett Galotta, who now owns Litchfield Saltwater Grille, has joined forces with Litchfield Jazz Festival to bring Jazz Festival Thursdays to her restaurant. Each Thursday until July 26, the lounge at Brett’s restaurant will be filled with live music from 7 until 10 pm.

There is no cover charge, and reservations are not required.

The remaining shows in the series, on July 19 and 26, will feature appearances by The Litchfield Jazz Camp All-Stars, including faculty members and top level students from Litchfield Jazz Camp.

Jazz Festival Thursdays will of course lead seamlessly into the 2007 Litchfield  Jazz Festival, which will be here the weekend of August 3-5 at Goshen Fairgrounds. This year’s event will include THE MINGUS BIG BAND, COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA FEATURING NNENNA FREELON, KARRIN ALLYSON, CHARLIE HADEN LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA FEATURING CARLA BLEY, DON BRADEN’S CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS ENSEMBLE, MARIO PAVONE/DEEZ TO BLUES SEXTET AND MANY MORE.

The Litchfield Saltwater Grille, a restaurant-lounge-wife loft, is at 26 Litchfield Commons (on Route 202) and can be reached by calling 860-567-4900.

Call Litchfield Performing Arts at 860-567-4162 or visit LitchfieldJazzFest.com for additional Jazz Festival info including tickets and reservations.

*Speaking of Newtown residents, vocalist KELLY MITTLEMAN will be featured this Friday night during one of CityCenter Danbury’s Summertime Festival concerts. Kelly will be headlining the 7:30 show on the green, which is at the corner of Patriot Drive and Ives Street. Admission is free.

(Want to know who else will be playing that series this summer? Check the Enjoy calendar each week.)

*Mohegan Sun Arena will host rock icons AEROSMITH on Thursday, September 20, with special guests JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS opening.

Tickets have been priced at $110, $140 and $165, and will be on sale Friday morning at 10 am through TicketMaster vendors. If they don’t sell out on Friday tickets will also be available at the arena’s box office beginning Saturday morning.

*Fans of country music — JASON ALDEAN in particular — will be pleased to learn that Aldean will be signing copies of his CD Relentless and greeting fans after his opening performance for Rascal Flatts on Saturday, July 14. The excitement begins immediately following the concert in the concourse of The Shops at Mohegan Sun.

Aldean will be opening both Rascal Flatts shows this weekend (July 13-14), and some decent seats are still available.

*If you miss either of those shows, or see one (or both) and don’t get enough Flatts and Aldean don’t worry: The show will be back in Connecticut in six weeks. Tickets will be going on sale Saturday morning for an August 24 show at the Dodge Music Center.

Tickets will be $34.74 for the lawn and $74.25 for reserved pavilion seats, and will be available through LiveNation.com and TicketMaster vendors beginning at 10 am.

*Next weekend, tickets for an October 12 show by L.A.-based quintet MAROON 5 at Mohegan Sun Arena will be going on sale. The Hives will offer the opening set.

Tickets are $67.50 and $75, and will be available starting at 10 am on Saturday, July 21, through the TicketMaster vendor of your choice. The box office at Mohegan will offer tickets beginning Sunday.

Until next week I’ll be seeing you... on the road.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks c/o The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470, or shannon@thebee.com, or call the office at 426-3141. Shows listed at clubs are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING SHOWS

JULY 13 — Sol Dog at Ray Kelly’s Pub, Black Rock; Old School Revue at Georgetown Saloon, Redding; Rascal Flatts at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Jason Aldean opening (also July 14);

July 14 — John Mayer at Dodge Music Center, Hartford, with special guests Ben Folds and Brett Dennen; Sol Dog at Top Side Café, Milford; Blue Steam Band at Georgetown Saloon; Rascal Flatts at Mohegan Sun Arena, Jason Aldean opening;

July 15 — BBQ For New Pond Farm at Georgetown Saloon, with performances by Fairfield Crossing, Randy Brody, Bern McWain, Leeam Aldouby, Lisa Furman & The Bluefly Boys, Hoe, and The All-Grass Blue Stars (starts 2 pm, fundraiser for New Pond Farm);

July 18 — Benjamin Madison Band at Georgetown Saloon;

July 19 — Def Leppard and Styx at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville;

July 20 — Paris Bennett at Ives Concert Park, Danbury; Doug Wahlberg Band at Georgetown Saloon;

July 21 — Smokehouse at Georgetown Saloon;

July 24 — Widespread Panic at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford;

July 25 — The White Stripes at the Chevrolet Theatre; The Goo Goo Dolls at Mohegan Sun Arena, with special guest Lifehouse; All Grass Blue Stars at Georgetown Saloon;

July 27 — Meat Loaf at Mohegan Sun Arena; Hippiefest: A Concert for Peace & Love at The Chevrolet Theatre, featuring The Turtles (Featuring Flo & Eddy), Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals, The Zombies (featuring Colin Blundstone and Rod Argent), Mountain (featuring Leslie West and Corkey Laing), Mitch Ryder, Badfinger (featuring Joey Molland) and Country Joe McDdonald; Uncle Mustache at Georgetown Saloon;

July 28 — Volunteer Jam 2007 at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, featuring The Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Outlaws; paul cortes and friends at Georgetown Saloon;

July 29 — Family Values 2007 at Dodge Music Center, Hartford, featuring Korn, Evanescence, Atreyu, Flyleaf, Hellyeah, Trivium, Neurosonice and Droid; Willie Nininger at Georgetown Saloon;

July 31 — The Police at Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Fiction Plane opening.