“The Greatest Songwriters of the 20th Century” brings to mind – at least to music lovers of a certain age – “The Great American Songbook” of mostly pre-World War II standards by such artists as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael and many other unforgettable composers and performers. But as interpreted in concert by a married duo–vocalist Sharon Sable and guitarist Shawn Qaissaunee – the playlist expands to include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Carole King, to name a few.
But for “First Friday” regulars of The Mainstay in Rock Hall, the name that draws their attention each month is piano accompanist extraordinaire Joe Holt. So to his many Mid-Shore fans, First Friday, Aug. 1, is a must-see calendar date. Thereafter, Holt will be taking a sabbatical from his monthly Kent County gig.
He won’t, however, be taking time off from performing altogether. “I’ll be taking a break for a while to reset and refresh,” Holt said in a phone interview. He’s also in demand in upstate Wilmington, home to his Friday night guest stars Sable and Qaissaunee, as well as at nightspots in and around D.C.
Joe Holt, Sharon Sable and Shawn Qaissaunee
For 10 years, beginning on Memorial Day, 2016, Holt has been a mainstay – forgive the pun – at The Mainstay, which proclaims itself “The Home of Musical Magic.” Some of that magic began with that first holiday Monday night, later known alliteratively as “Mainstay Mondays.”
“I thought I’d lost my hearing,” Holt recalls, when he was offered a regular slot for 15 weeks that stretched into five years. As an accompanist by his own preference, he often invited young local artists a chance to showcase their work enhanced by Holt’s piano versatility. No matter the genre, tempo, or style – he could play it.
Holt became so popular that Mainstay’s new (at the time) artistic director Matt Mielnick suggested moving from Mondays to a first-of-the-month Friday night series, which has now rounded out Holt’s tenure at Mainstay to a full decade. The move to a TGIF weekend-opener slot also gave him the opportunity to spotlight broader regional headliners and, in some cases, recording artists with a national following.
His series has run the musical gamut from jazz to soul and classical to country. And rock ’n’ roll too. (Rap, not so much.) His guest artists have included, for instance, Kevin Short, a Morgan State University graduate and a Metropolitan Opera bass-baritone; Paula Johns, a jazz chanteuse and cabaret singer specializing in Great American Songbook favorites; Billy West, a voice actor (“Bugs Bunny,” “Ren & Stimpy” to name a few credits) and singer-songwriter/guitarist who ranges from soul to rockabilly with a dose of comic relief; plus The Midiri Brothers, a couple of Holt’s high school buddies from New Jersey who form a clarinet-and-xylophone jazz duo.
Yes, we told you Joe Holt’s guest stars run the gamut – including locally. Songwriter and pianist Stephanie LaMotte, besides touring globally and performing in “33 Variations,” a play about Beethoven’s life and music, performs for the Chester River Choir and is music director and choirmaster for Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown, where she now lives.
To hear Holt talk about himself and his career is more like listening to rave reviews on the virtuosity of each invited guest he accompanies. “If I could do just one thing in my life in music,” he says earnestly, “it’s to be the best accompanist I can be. The stage belongs to my guest artists when I invite them to play up front. And that’s what I’m best at. I can pull it off.”
Holt leaves it to others to speak about what he brings to the stage behind the performers he accompanies:
Beth McDonald, a singer-songwriter who co-wrote and performed in a tribute to Peggy Lee show and appears in jazz festivals and concert tours of American standards and some of her own songs, calls Holt her longtime accompanist and collaborator. They have performed together at The Mainstay, the Stoltz Room in Easton’s Avalon Theater and other venues.
“He’s the most in-tune accompanist I have ever encountered,” McDonald says, “and not just because he hits the right notes – ha-ha – but because he is able to meet those who share the stage with him exactly where they are. He isn’t thrown off by switching genres or trying new arrangements. Musically speaking, he takes the hand of the one he’s accompanying and together they find that sacred place of connection with their audience. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Whether or not you can make it to the “First Friday” concert (Aug. 1) before he takes a break, you can catch him here and there in the next few months, including the “Blossom Dearie Project” tour promoting “Once Upon a Summertime,” an album of the late singer’s music performed by Sharon Sable and Joe Holt. The upcoming concerts, besides Friday’s at The Mainstay, are the Elana Byrd’s Jazz Series in Annapolis, Sept. 28, and “Broadway’s Jazz Gems of the Great American Songbook” in Lewes, Delaware, Nov. 2. (Elana is the widow of jazz bassist Joe Byrd, the younger brother of guitarist Charlie Byrd.)
Meanwhile, you can keep up with Holt’s appearances hither and yon in Delaware and D.C. and anywhere else he may pop up on joeholtsnotes.com.
The Last Joe Holt ‘First Friday’ (For Now)
8 p.m. Aug. 1, The Mainstay, 5753 N. Main St., Rock Hall. Upcoming concerts with singer Sharon Sable, Sept. 28, Elana Byrd’s Jazz Series, Annapolis. (Call 410-626-9796); and in Lewes, Delaware, Nov. 2. (Also check joeholtsnotes.com for details on any of these shows.)
Steve Parks is a retired arts critic and editor now living in Easton.
Sally Borghardt says
Love Joe and his music.. I will miss him until he is back at the Mainstay. Play on!!!