SUMMER CONCERTS IN THE PARK

The Morgan Arts Council launches the 27th season of
Summer Concerts in the Park on July 6, 2013

The summer concert series was the brainchild of the late Linda Fallon, introduced in 1987 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Morgan Arts Council. In the years since, it has become MAC’s best known program drawing more than 40,000 attendees over the years, many returning year after year. Music of all genres is included with high quality performers and recording artists from all over the USA including Grammy nominees and other award winners.

2013 SUMMER CONCERTS SCHEDULE
All concerts are held on Saturdays at 5:30pm in downtown Berkeley Springs State Park
Rain location: the Ice House

JUL 6 • BROTHER JOSCEPHUS & THE LOVE REVOLUTION • New Orleans Jazz
This 12-piece outfit, led by singer/guitarist Bro Jo, provides a high-energy spectacle as they play self-proclaimed “secular gospel.” It’s a raucous and infectious mix of New Orleans soul, jazz, rock and gospel in a Mardi Gras groove shaped with horns, guitars, a scrap rhythm section and back-up chorus singers. Yo’ bones will wanna git up and dance!
www.brotherjoscephus.com

JUL 13 • PHIL WIGGINS & the Chesapeake Sheiks • Piedmont Blues
America’s foremost blues harmonica virtuoso began his more than 30-year career rooted in the melodic Piedmont or “Tidewater” blues of the Chesapeake region along with his blues duo partner, the late John Cephas. Phil now transcends stylistic boundaries and has various collaborators. He has performed on every continent and in legendary venues from the White House and Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House.
www.philwiggins.com

JUL 20 • BANANA EXPRESS • Not Traditional Bluegrass
This young but experienced quartet has become a regional sensation with an electrifying sound that is one big musical sandwich stuffed with blues, jazz, folk, oldtime and bluegrass. It features a MASHing guitar, rockin' bass and old-timey fiddle with some mighty fine vocals.
www.bananaexpressband.webs.com

JUL 27 • JULIE ADAMS & STEVE HILL • Folk
Veteran-members of the house band for the nationally-syndicated Mountain Stage radio show, Julie Adams' warm, sunny vocals are a perfect match with Steve Hill's funky, improvisational, one-man-band acoustic guitar style. On the side, they’ve spent the past 20 years performing and recording original songs and covers in the folk-pop roots with jazz and blues genre generating 5 CDs.

AUG 3 • MARTINSBURG JAZZ ORCHESTRA • Swing, Jazz, Tango, Polka
For 22 years, 17 of the region's best musicians and vocalists have performed as the Martinsburg Jazz Orchestra delighting audiences with its great sound, impeccable performance, and high-energy contemporary big band music. Not only do they perform authentic swing and traditional big-band tunes but they also notch it up with contemporary big band jazz.
www.froggy-bottom.net/mjo

AUG 10 • LINDA LAY & SPRINGFIELD EXIT • Country, Blues, Swing, Bluegrass, Folk
In the past decade, the Springfield Exit has become one of Virginia’s outstanding musical groups. David and Linda Lay along with Grammy-nominated musician, David McLaughlin perform both original songs and a wide variety of their own arrangements of familiar bluegrass, country and traditional folk songs. Linda is a favorite jazz and country vocalist on the folk festival circuit. The pair of Davids are both guitarists and harmony vocalists with Linda.

AUG 17 • DARYL DAVIS BAND • Rhythm & Blues, Rock
Daryl Davis is a smokin’ hot boogie woogie keyboard player as well as a vocalist, guitarist and composer. An international recording artist, published author, actor and band leader, he showcases impressive keyboard work as well as strong vocals in his four-person band. Davis has played with everyone from Chuck Berry to Jerry Lee Lewis.
www.daryldavis.com

PAST CONCERTS

2012 Summer Concerts

HIGHER HANDS - JUN 30
Infectous, funky music pops and sizzles with artful sax, trumpet and percussion creating a big, thick original sound that blends vintage funk, jazz and hip hop and is made for dancing. Their debut CD, Grab Hold, generates lots of buzz for this Annapolis based band.

HILLBILLY GYPSIES - JUL 7
Five young natives formed a West Virginia string band with an award-winning banjo/mandolin player, great harmonies and an eclectic mix of original material, bluegrass standards and catchy old fiddle tunes. Their sound is homegrown Appalachian old time mixed with hard-driving bluegrass.

SANKOFA DANCE THEATER - JUL 14
For more than two decades, Sankofa has toured nationally and internationally with their authentic African beat. The ensemble features legacy drumming, dancing and costumes used to bring greater intercultural awareness for the global community.

THE CARPENTER ANTS - JUL 21
West Virginia's premier rhythm and blues band for the past 25 years, the group has a trademark country-soul sound with rich, soulful harmonies, string solos and a rock-solid rhythm section complete with saxophone. The Ant's guitarist, Michael Lipton, is house guitarist for Mountain Stage and founder of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.

CARAVAN OF THIEVES - JUL 28
Branding themselves as gypsy swinging serenading firebreathing circus freaks, Caravan is noted for high energy shows that are theatrical, humorous and musical. The quartet performs original music with driving jazz rhythms, mesmerizing harmonies and fantastic stories using guitars, upright bass and a fiery violin.

THE PLAYERS BAND - AUG 4
The Players deliver a rocking big band sound worthy of an eight-piece ska group from Baltimore. Their pioneering musical style combines Jamaican ska, rock and reggae characterized by the use of upbeat horns and percussion.

EDDIE BECKER BAND - AUG 11
The five piece Eddie Becker Band, a Washington, DC favorite, performs everything from classic '60's soul music, swing and blues to rock-a-billy and roots rock. Their playlist also features originals from Becker, an award-winning songwriter who now makes his home in Charles Town.

THE FABULOUS MARY ANN REDMOND BAND - AUG 18
Mary Ann's 19 Wammies pay tribute to her vocals from blues and jazz to rock-pop and traditional roots - and her voice which soars effortlessly from alto to soprano. She toured with Mary Chapin Carpenter and opened for an array of artists including The Pointer Sisters, The Neville Brothers and Smokey Robinson. Her band includes guitar, bass and drum.

2011 Summer Concerts

RUTHIE & THE WRANGLERS - JUL 9
Ruthie and The Wranglers’ albums have consistently ranked high on Americana, Folk and Roots music radio charts around the world. Their clever songwriting skills were described by Billboard Magazine as “...nothing short of brilliant”. The Washington Post describes them as "kindred spirits with Loretta Lynn, Bill Kirchen, Asleep at the Wheel, and Delbert McClinton."
www.ruthieandthewranglers.com

DENI BONET - JUL 16
Popular demand brings Deni Bonet and her signature blue fiddle from Manhattan back to the summer concerts. A classically trained violinist, she now performs lyric based original rock. Her latest CD includes industry veterans Peter Buck (REM), Fred Schneider (B52s) and Richard Barone (The Bongos). During her early days in West Virginia, she was an original member of Mountain Stage and performed with Julia Adams in The Fabulous Twister Sisters.
www.denibonet.com

BEN PRESTAGE - JUL 23
A one-man, multi-instrumentalist, polyrhythmic powerhouse of traditional acoustic blues. According to Artvoice magazine, “Prestage has made a reputation on lighting things up on stage, so those with the preconception that the blues are dull are sure to be blown away. Armed with a host of homemade guitars, a foot operated drum set, and a distinctive southern growl, he blasts an electrified mix of swamp and delta blues."
www.benprestagemusic.com

ONE WORLD TRIBE - JUL 30
A diverse, 10-person world music group featuring hip hop, reggae, funk and African rhythms. Along with just plain sounding great, their mission is to promote unity, diversity, and justice through their music. Includes a pre-concert African drumming/dancing workshop (one hour) and 5:30 regular concert.
www.oneworldtribe.com

3 PENNY ACRE - AUG 6
This folk/Americana trio from Fayetteville, AR performs with guest David Glaser from Annapolis, MD. They’ve been tearing up the folk circuit with awards and recognition including the official showcase artist to the 2009 and 2010 International Folk Alliance Conference; #1 song on Folk DJ Radio; and original score for Arkansas New Play Fest play Sundown Town.
www.3pennyacre.com

JOSHUA DAVIS GROUP - AUG 13
This jazz quintet selects well-known music of rock bands such as The Police or classical musicians such as Beethoven and performs them as jazz to meet their mission of making jazz accessible to all. Even the park audience will be appreciating jazz without realizing it.
NOTE: Pre-concert workshop on how jazz works and making your own music; 5:30 regular concert.
www.joshuadavis.org

THE WEBER BROTHERS - AUG 20
The local stage was too small to keep the Weber Brothers here so they returned to the legendary Ronnie Hawkins, the man who mentored The Band, in Canada. On tour this summer, they come back to close out the concert with their original blend of rockabilly, roots rock, and country stylings. Their double CD “Left Right, Left Right” is their seventh release with 26 original songs including one featured on Westvirginiaville.com.
www.weberbrothers.com

POSSUM HOLLER - OCT 9
MAC’s first-ever Roots Concert at the Apple Butter Festival features a hometown favorite family band on their final performance tour. This local roots country, rock, Americana band is known for their melodic sound and a grab-bag of something-for-everyone music that comes from original songs written by all members of the band.
www.possumhollerband.com

 

2010 Summer Concerts

THE WEBER BROTHERS - JUL 10 Taking up residence in Berkeley Springs and making their mark on the local music scene, this nationally touring band performs their original music -- a blend of roots country, rockabilly and pop. Sam and Ryan Weber perfected their raw talent and stomping country rock at the hands of Canadian-based rock legend Ronnie Hawkins. They have released seven CDs. http://www.weberbrothers.com/

THE WOODSHEDDERS - JUL 17 This multi-piece band from Shepherdstown, WV uses acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies to play a mixture of Hot Club Gypsy and American jazz styles as well as folk songs and inspired originals. They explore the boundaries of traditional roots music moving into the sound of ‘mountain jazz’. Their first CD was an award-winner. NOTE: Rain location for this concert ONLY is the Star Theatrehttp://www.reverbnation.com/thewoodshedders

THE DILL PICKERS - JUL 24 The Dill family plays Americana music, combining blues, bluegrass, Cajun, folk, gospel, Irish, and rock -- all with a country flavor. Together, Keith, Viqui and Jim Dill play more than a dozen different instruments, including Viqui on 12-string, Keith on fiddle, and Jim on djembe. http://home.earthlink.net/~viquidill/cd.html

THE DEBLOIS MILLEDGE BAND - JUL 31 Miami-born, San Diego-based Deblois is a soulful singer/songwriter who performs her original music in the American roots tradition. She is accompanied by a rhythm section that is a powerhouse of the music industry: Billy Thompson on guitar, James East on bass, and Danny Campbell on drums. Deblois is currently working on her fifth studio album. http://www.debloismusic.com/music.html

SVIRAJ, BALKAN JAM - AUG 7 A quartet of Balkan musicians perform tamburitza, the great multi-ethnic instrumental and vocal music tradition of the central Balkan peninsula. Their rhythmic complexities, sweet harmonies and virtuoso picking earn them a reputation as one of the best known Slavic music bands in the U.S. Sviraj plays instruments ranging from a red hot violin to dumbek, tamburica and bugarija. NOTE: Begins at 4pm with a music and dance jam. Bring any and all instruments or just dance. Concert begins at 5:30. http://www.sviraj.com/

BABATUNDE LEA - AUG 14 This distinguished drummer/percussionist creates music steeped in the rhythms of the African diaspora along with traditional Caribbean rhythms. "In African life, music accompanies everything," said Lea. Backed by a New York City jazz quartet, his supple, flowing drum work is the core of a tightly arranged, jazz-influenced sound. He has released five albums. NOTE: Come an hour early for a drumming workshop/jam. Bring any percussion instrument. http://www.babatundelea.com/music.html

DOWN HOME ROOTS - AUG 21 Led by noted musicians Tari Hampe and Sam & Joe Herrmann, this local roots music concert showcases several of the legendary musical families developed through the Morgan County Music Census. Hear everything from traditional bluegrass and country to gospel.

2009 Summer Concerts

July 11, 2009 -- THE CARPENTER ANTS A four-piece old style rhythm & blues, gospel, soul, and country funk band that is a mainstay of the Charleston, WV music scene.

July 18, 2009 -- BILLY THOMPSON BAND Hard-driving blues with jazz and rock influence.  Billy Thompson performs with a core trio plus a horn section.  He is an award-winning bluesman with credits that range from playing back-up for almost every major blues musician of the past two decades to performing on Broadway.

July 25, 2009 -- RYAN CAIN and THE CHAOTICS This West Virginia rockabilly quartet plays roots of rock from the 50s and 60s with a little country swing thrown in.

August 1, 2009 -- CELLOFOURTE The young, classically trained cello quartet melds genres from the classics to rock in an original and organic sound guaranteed to entertain.

August 8, 2009 -- SOUL IN MOTION PLAYERS A 17-member troupe from the DC area was established in 1984 to promote Afro-American culture through African dance and drums.

August 15, 2009 -- THE PLAYERS BAND The Players Band is an 8-piece ska band formed in Baltimore in 1999 with a musical style that combines Jamaican ska and reggae, and is characterized by the use of upbeat horns and percussion. The band hasplayed over 350 live shows, opening for acts such as The IsleyBrothers, Toots & the Maytals, The B-52s, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Joe Strummer, The English Beat, Third Eye Blind, Citizen Cope,Fishbone, The Toasters, The Skatalites, The Pietasters, and manyothers. Venues played include 9:30 Club, Verizon Center, KnittingFactory, Trocadero Theatre, Chance Theater, Bottle & Cork, Rams HeadLive!, Recher Theatre, 8x10, First Night Annapolis, Baltimore's InnerHarbor, and many others.

August 22, 2009 -- JUNKYARD SAINTS Baltimore-based seven-piece band with full horn section perform their own brand of the New Orleans sound blending funk, swing, Latin and R&B with a splash of Zydeco.