On Saturday, May 10, The Mainstay welcomes nationally celebrated singer/songwriter Vance Gilbert. Vance Gilbert is one of the principal players on the national folk scene, and one of the originators of the R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover genre.

Starting out, he hoped to be an R&B and jazz singer but soon discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of the acoustic singer-songwriter genre. Word spread quickly about Gilbert’s stage-owning singing and playing, and national recording artist Shawn Colvin invited him to be the opening act on her 1992 Fat City tour. In his 30-year career he has also shared the stage with artists as varied as Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, The Milk Carton Kids, and Southside Johnny. The mid 2000’s found Gilbert opening 150+ shows for comedian George Carlin.

Gilbert is known for his humorous, comfortable, improvisational stage manner. His repertoire has a wide range, covering Joni Mitchell one moment and doing what sounds like a jazz classic (but is actually his own) the next. Many songs tell profound stories and touch on important topics.

30 years into his career, the songwriter’s influence can be felt all over the contemporary national Folk and Americana scene as he has helped pave the way for many of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color musicians artists who have followed.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described him as having “the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god.”  Richmond Magazine commented that “If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert”.

Gilbert has also been a prominent presence at some of the world’s most prestigious gatherings and halls, among them the Newport, Winnipeg, Rocky Mountain, Calgary, Ottawa, and Falcon Ridge Folk festivals, the Kate Wolf Music Festival, Mountain Stage, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Nashville’s Lyman Auditorium, and The Barns at Wolftrap.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall,

The Chestertown Jazz Festival committee announced today that the 28th Chestertown Jazz Festival will be held September 6-7, 2024.

Said Festival Chairman Mel Rapelyea,“Jazz is a family and this year the family welcomes jazz infused with rock, R&R, gospel and fusion.”

Renowned jazz/R&B singer Ronnie Leigh will kick off the festival at The Mainstay in Rock Hall on Friday, September 6. A long-time headliner, Ronnie has appeared with performers including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Smoky Robinson. The founder of one jazz festival describes Mr. Leigh as “one of the finest song stylists working in jazz today”. Ronnie – who says that performing is “in my life blood” in my life blood” – returns to the Eastern Shore after a successful performance last year at The Mainstay.

Tickets to see Ronnie Leigh can be purchased at www.mainstayrockhall.org or by calling The Mainstay at 410.639.9133.

Following the practice of the Newport Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Saturday’s “Jazz at the River” will begin at noon in Wilmer Park by welcoming back traditional gospel artist Sylvia Hackett Frazier and the Anointed Vessels. Sylvia grew up in Chestertown surrounded by music including, she remembers, when James Brown came to town.With the Anointed Vessels, Sylvia presents traditional gospel music, whose spiritual roots have long provided inspiration and comfort to troubled minds in troubled times. Sylvia has produces gospel music festivals and sings at countless church services and social gatherings.

Next up will be Prairie-Rodger’s Grateful Jazz, highlighting rhythmic and improvisational traditions of the Grateful Dead alongside the sounds of traditional jazz. Drummer Prairie Prince rocks with jazz, schooled in the music of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich; touring this summer with Todd Rundgren and performing in the past with elite rock performers like Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby Lee Rodgers is a cross-over guitarist, from teaching jazz at the prestigious Berklee College of music to playing with Warren Haynes of The Allman Brothers Band.Singer and musician Ella Rodgers, Mr. Rodgers’ teenage daughter, adds to the trio her enthusiasm for the music of old-time jazz.

The sounds of sax follow when Brent Birckhead takes the stage. Appearing with his band, Brent brings to life the history, theory and creativity he teaches as adjunct professor of saxophone at Morgan State University. In 2024, Brent released his latest album, “Cacao”, featuring smooth and sweet composition and infectious rhythms.. Lauded as a student performer by Downbeat Magazine and named “Best Alto Saxophonist” by the Washington City Paper, Mr. Birckhead has performed with artists that include multi-Grammy Award winner Lauryn Hill.The New York Times labeled Brent, as Baltimore native and graduate of Howard University, as “one of the most riveting young improvisers in New York.”

Closing the Festival will be headliner, The David Stryker Quartet featuring Warren Wolf. The Village Voice described David as “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years”. His discography includes 35 albums as a leader; his most recent “Groove” has logged more than 20 weeks on the JazzWeek Radio Chart. Winner of many Downbeat awards, it’s no wonder that jazz guitar-god Pat Metheny has lauded Mr. Stryer for producing “one of the most joyous feels around.” Vibraphonist Warren Wolf has recorded seven albums as a band leader, teaches at the Peabody School of Music and has performed around the world, including with Christian McBride.

Tickets to Saturday’s festival, which runs from 12-6 pm, can be obtained at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling or 410.810.2060. As always, the festival will offer a wide variety of food and drink from local vendors.

Lead photo is of Ronnie Leigh.

On Saturday, April 20^th The Mainstay is proud to present nationally acclaimed bluegrass banjo player Tony Trischka. He and his group will perform a program they have titled “EarlJam”, a tribute to one of the heroes of bluegrass, Earl Scruggs whose “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” brought bluegrass to popular attention in 1949. Trischka credits Scruggs with moving him to “put the guitar aside and take up the banjo” at age 13.

The New York Times has hailed Tony Trischka as “the father of modern bluegrass”.

Tony was born in Syracuse, N.Y. As a young boy he was influenced by the folk music his father held dear, including the work of Woody Guthrie, the Kingston Trio, Pete Seeger, and Leadbelly. He positioned himself in the New York City-centered folk revival in the early ’70s and settled in among a peer group of extraordinary musicians who saw American roots music as a thriving, living language. The experience offered him the opportunity to broaden his style and acknowledge the influences of different musical genres. His numerous albums that followed found him refining his eclectic bluegrass style and featured such newgrass royalty as violinist Darol Anger, guitarist Tony Rice and mandolinist David Grisman. Béla Fleck began studying with Trischka as a teenage bluegrass wunderkind. Trischka was also a mentor of Steve Martin.

Earl Scruggs actually recorded with Trischka on his Grammy-nominated album “Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.” The EarlJams program includes Trischka’s note-for-note transcriptions of jam sessions Scruggs played with John Hartford and others.

Trischka will be joined on stage by guitarist/ bluegrass vocalist Michael Daves, fiddler Nate Lee and bassist Jared Engel.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

For more about The Mainstay, go here.