On Saturday, June 11^th, The Mainstay in Rock Hall is pleased to present Great American Songbook stylist Hilary Gardner and her band. National Public Radio remarked that Hilary Gardner “evokes memories of another time and place.” Her first gigs were in hometown Wasilla, Alaska, where she sang Patsy Cline tunes in dive bars (as well as singing with the Anchorage Opera), but she was always infatuated with New York City, her home for the last twenty years. In 2010 she appeared on Broadway in Twyla Tharp’s musical “Come Fly Away in which she sang solos and duets with the recorded voice of Frank Sinatra (with the blessings of the Sinatra Estate), backed by a 19-piece live big band. The performance was hailed by critics as “wonderful” (Huffington Post), “elegant” (USA Today), and “terrific” (New York Observer). Her career moved ahead with regular appearances with Mike Longo (Dizzy Gillespie’s pianist), at New York’s prestigious Café Carlyle, and in Errol Morris’s critically acclaimed Netflix documentary-drama, Wormwood. Hilary is also member of the vocal trio Duchess. The group pays tribute to The Boswell Sisters, the legendary close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras. The group also enjoys an ongoing collaboration with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, performing the music of the Andrews Sisters for Taylor’s seminal piece, Company B. She lists Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits among her influences.

Hilary will present a program at the Mainstay she calls “Trail Songs”, a tribute to the familiar Great American Songbook tunes associated with the country’s fascination with Hollywood’s musical Westerns from the 1930s through the 1950s. These are songs that have deep jazz / Songbook connections thanks to Bing Crosby, Johnny Mercer, Jack Teagarden, Benny Carter, Frank Sinatra, as well as the “singing cowboys”, Roy Rogers and Gene Autrey. As Hilary points out, “Everyone knows and loves these songs.”

Hilary will be joined by her band — Justin Poindexter on guitar and vocals; Aaron Thurston on drums, and Noah Garabedian on string bass.

Showtime for the live 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.

On June 3 at 8 pm, The Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland presents another unique live music collaboration in its new “First Friday with Joe Holt” series.  Holt is well known on the Eastern Shore as being a sensitive accompanist and creative collaborator. He commands a repertoire of ballads, classic and swing jazz tunes in the style of piano great Dave McKenna. The First Friday series allows Joe to stretch these limits by inviting different musical guests each month, often from quite different musical genres, to explore their common ground

For this month’s First Friday program, Joe Holt asks the musical question, “What happens when you ask a traditional jazz trumpeter (Danny Tobias), a bop sax guy (Vincent Lardear), and a Latin jazz trombonist (David Sacks) to collaborate on classic selections from the Great American Songbook?”

Equally at home with a cornet or trumpet, Danny Tobias is best known for traditional jazz and swing, either reproducing classic arrangements or artful improvisation. In addition to playing at Birdland with David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, or with Marty Grosz’s Hot Wings, or with the Midiri Brothers’, Danny has worked with a number of high-profile artists such as Vince Giordano, Harry Allen, Marty Grosz, and Howard Alden. He has performed at Birdland, Mezzrow, Lincoln Center, the Players Club, and other prestigious jazz venues in major US cities.

Vincent Lardear is a former member of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under trombonist Buddy Morrow and was lead alto sax with the Illinois Jacquet Big Band.  He has also recorded with Grammy Award winning saxophonist Phil Woods. Vince is currently a member of the Baltimore Symphony Pops andis a well-known figure in the jazz scene in Philadelphia and the surrounding Tri-State area.

David Sacks has performed and recorded with Brazilian greats such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto (the “Girl from Ipanema”), Flora Purim, and Tito Puente. He performed in the Broadway show Gospel at Colonus starring Morgan Freeman. He currently plays and sings Brazilian, Latin, and jazz music in the DC metro area and regularly performs at venues such as Strathmore, Blues Alley, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and the Embassy of Brazil.

Advance tickets are $15, and are available at www.mainstayrockhall.org. Telephone reservations are also accepted by calling 410-639-9133. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N. Main Street in Rock Hall. It receives funding from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Friday, May 27, the Mainstay in Rock Hall, in partnership with the Hedgelawn Foundation, welcomes bluegrass headliner, Della Mae to their stage.

Della Mae is a GRAMMY-nominated, bluegrass band that formed in Boston in 2009. Their name, “Della Mae” comes from the song, “Big Spike Hammer,” a bluegrass classic famously recorded by the Osborne Brothers. The all-women band consists of founder and fiddle player Kimber Ludiker, lead vocalist/guitarist Celia Woodsmith, guitarist Avril Smith, bassist Vickie Vaughn, and mandolinist Maddie Witler. They have shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Dr. John and Alison Krauss. Their second album, This World Oft Can Be, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 56th Grammy Awards ceremony. Bandleader Ludiker comments that the band is at heart more focused on producing a powerful finished body of work that their vocal prowess and technical virtuosity contribute to rather than just showing off their considerable technical talent. They have performed as Bluegrass headliners in more than thirty states at festivals, performing arts venues and clubs and teaching at workshops and music camps. In the fall of 2012, they were commissioned as an American Music Abroad alumni band that brought them on tour through Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where they received rave reviews from embassy staff and program audiences alike.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $25 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 $30 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 also supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Sunday, April 24, the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland, in partnership with the Hedgelawn Foundation, is very excited to present GRAMMY-nominated lutenist, Ronn McFarlane to its stage.

Ronn has dedicated his professional life to bringing the lute — the most popular instrument of the Renaissance – into today’s musical mainstream and make it accessible to a wider audience.

Born in West Virginia, Ronn grew up in Maryland. At the age of thirteen, upon hearing “Wipeout” by the Surfaris, he fell madly in love with music and taught himself to play on a “cranky sixteen-dollar steel string guitar.” It wasn’t long before he shifted to formal studies on the classical guitar.  He graduated with honors from Shenandoah Conservatory and continued guitar studies at Peabody Conservatory before turning his full attention and energy to the lute in 1978.  The next year, he began to perform solo recitals on the lute and became a member of the early music ensemble, The Baltimore Consort and toured throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Ronn was a faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory from 1984 to 1995, teaching lute and lute-related subjects.  In 1996, Ronn was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Shenandoah Conservatory for his achievements in bringing the lute and its music to the world.  He has over 35 recordings on the Dorian/Sono Luminus label, including solo albums, flute & lute duets, the complete lute music of Vivaldi, a collection of Elizabethan lute music and poetry, and recordings with the Baltimore Consort.

Ronn has also made his mark in music as the founder of Ayreheart (an ensemble brought together to perform new compositions as well as early music), as a guest artist with Apollo’s Fire, The Bach Sinfonia, The Catacoustic Consort, The Folger Consort, Houston Grand Opera, The Oregon Symphony, The Portland Baroque Orchestra, and The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra.

Ronn’s original compositions are the focus of his solo CD, Indigo Road, which received a GRAMMY Award Nomination for Best Classical Crossover Album of 2009.

Showtime for the live concert event is 4 pm. Tickets are $15 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 $20 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 also supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Friday, April 22, the Mainstay in Rock Hall welcomes boogie-woogie pianist Bob Malone to its stage. Anointed a “keyboard wizard” by The New Yorker magazine. Bob Malone has toured the world as a solo artist for over two decades and has played keyboards with John Fogerty’s band (of Creedance Clearwater Revival fame) since 2011. Bob combines unforgettable songwriting with an eclectic hybrid of high-energy rock, uptown blues, melodic piano pop, New Orleans R&B, jazz chops and a voice all his own. When not touring with his own big band or with John Fogerty, Bob is perhaps most at home when he is performing his solo show in acoustic listening rooms, small theaters and house concerts around the world. With just a piano, a microphone and a stompbox, his shows have the high energy impact of a full band performance combined with storytelling and pin-drop ballad singing.

Bob is a regular visitor to prestigious venues such as The Duplex (NYC), The Bluebird Cafe (Nashville, TN), Caffe Lena (Saratoga, NY), Freight & Salvage (Berkeley, CA), The Barns at Wolf Trap (Washington, DC), and Club Passim (Boston, MA). He has also brought his eclectic hybrid of rock, blues, melodic piano pop, jazz and New Orleans R&B to the concert spaces at Steinway Piano Galleries all over the United States. His recording of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” was the theme in the Universal Studio’s movie “The Grinch”, heard by millions.

As one music critic put it, “Wondering why nobody writes songs like your old favorites — you know, the ones that fueled the soundtrack of your youth? Bob Malone is the kind of guy that could make you weep.”

Showtime for the live 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.

The Mainstay, Rock Hall Maryland’s 25-year old non-profit music venue, is excited to present nationally-recognized master fiddler Jamie Laval for a concert of Celtic music and storytelling on Friday, March 11th at 8 p.m, just days before the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Laval’s masterful playing weaves through Gaelic love songs, rousing peasant dances, jigs, and reels, all interspersed with mythic tales from the Celtic world. Dubbed “One of the hottest fiddlers out there,” (Asheville Citizen-Times), Laval has appeared on the NBC Today Show, performed on Dave Matthews’ platinum album Some Devil, and gave a private performance for Her Majesty the Queen. Laval’s album, Murmurs and Drones, won the popular vote for “Best World Traditional Album” in the Independent Music Awards.

In 2002 Laval won the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship which helped launch his touring career. He performs over 100 engagements per year throughout the U.S. and Britain.  Keenly devoted to the role of the arts in our lives, Jamie has presented a TEDx Talk on the value of the arts in our community.  Visit his website:  www.JamieLaval.com for artist’s highlight videos.

Joining Jamie is vocalist Amber Rose, whose voice evokes a fairytale quality in ancient airs and ballads.  An exhilarating young artist on the rise, Ms. Rose is making a splash across genres. Equally at home performing folk music styles, opera, oratorio, and musical theatre, her repertoire spans from renaissance to contemporary.

Also on the program will be Celtic Harpist Rachel Clemente. Rachel studied Celtic harp (a different instrument than the large concert harp) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Since returning to the U.S., she has received numerous accolades including winner of U.S. National Scottish Harp Championship and winner of Princess Margaret of the Isles Clàrsach (Celtic harp) Competition. She collaborates regularly with fiddler Jamie Laval, and is a full-time teacher of harp in Brattleboro, VT.

Advance tickets for this special concert are $20 when purchased on the mainstayrockhall.org website. Tickets reserved by phone — (410) 639-0331 — and/ or picked up on the date of the concert are $25. Doors open at 7:15 pm and the show begins at 8:00pm.

The Mainstays COVID policy of requiring proof of vaccination for all in attendance and masks worn during the performance remain in effect at the time of this release but are subject to change.

The Mainstay’s live music offerings are made possible in part with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

The Mainstay at Rock Hall presents “First Friday with Joe Holt,” hosting virtuoso pianist Stephanie LaMotte, on Friday, March 4th at 8:00 PM. This fun, entertaining evening will combine the best of classical music and jazz improvisation with playful duets and solos reminiscent of Victor Borge.

Stephanie LaMotte’s talent on the piano was recognized when she began lessons at age 5. She became the first pre-teen student ever accepted for private instruction by renowned Japanese pianist and professor Aiko Onishi of San Jose State University. To earn the honor, she had to learn Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu in only six weeks. Successful, she continued studying under Onishi, eventually earning her degree in piano performance.

Stephanie settled in Oregon, establishing an extensive musical career spanning three decades. While in Oregon, she earned a Master’s degree in Music, won the Portland Mu Phi Epsilon Piano Competition, and was the featured soloist with the Willamette Falls Symphony, performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto.

In 2016, Stephanie was chosen from an international field of competitors as a pianist for the prestigious Tuscia Opera Festival in Italy and in 2017 was added to their faculty. In late 2017, Stephanie left Oregon for Chestertown. The local media noted she was “leaving Central Oregon’s musical culture appreciably improved through her talent and influence.” They also added, “She has made contributions through her prodigious skill and upbeat attitude. Those who have worked with Stephanie in Central Oregon know that their loss will certainly be Chestertown’s gain.” It certainly was, as she brought her talent to the local stage, playing for Sweeney Todd in 2018 and presenting Beethoven’s 33 Variations in 2019.

The Mainstay’s new “First Friday with Joe Holt” series is hosted by pianist and local favorite Joe Holt. The concert will entertain listeners with the creative interplay of jazz and classical music performed by LaMotte and Holt, along with an exhilarating performance of the first movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto. Come enjoy Schubert, Chopin and Gershwin, along with Joplin, McKenna and more during this special event. Tickets are available at www.mainstayrockhall.org or by calling 410-639-9133. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N. Main Street in Rock Hall.

On Saturday, February 19, The Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland welcomes jazz drummer/ vibraphonist Chuck Redd and his guests in a program titled “A Tribute to the Bossa Nova and the Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim”.

Antônio Carlos Jobim was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Jobim internationalized Brazilian bossa nova and, with the help of important American artists such as saxophone legend Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd, merged it with jazz in the 1960s to create a new sound with staggering popular success. He is known as the “father of bossa nova”.

In 1965, the album Getz/Gilberto was the first jazz album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The album’s single, The Girl from Ipanema, composed by Jobim, has become one of the best-selling and most recorded songs of all time.

Chuck Redd is a frequent and well-known performer at the Mainstay. He began touring and recording when he joined the Charlie Byrd Trio at the age of 21. He also joined The Great Guitars (Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd, and Herb Ellis). To his credit are 25 European tours and six tours of Japan. Redd was also the featured vibraphonist with the Mel Tormé All-Star Jazz Quintet from 1991 until 1996. While appearing in New York with Tormé, Ira Gitler of Jazz Times wrote: “Redd’s vibes were equally notable for vigor and melodiousness.”

Redd’s career highlights include a concert with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet in Africa for the Namibian Independence Celebration, a recital at the White House with the Barney Kessel Trio, concerts at Carnegie Hall with Mel Torme‘s Quintet, and appearances on The Tonight Show.

Chuck Redd’s special guest for this tribute is Brazilian vocalist Maucha Adnet. From 1984 until 1994, Maucha performed all over the world, and toured for ten years with legendary composer Antonio Carlos Jobim during the height of his career. She currently calls New York City home. Since living in New York, Maucha has worked with artists like Randy Brecker, Duduka Da Fonseca, Winton Marsalis, Bucky Pizzarelli and many others.
Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Everyone in attendance needs to provide proof of COVID vaccination and wear a mask. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show, and $25 at the door, and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-0331 with your credit card information. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. It’s 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.

On Saturday, February 12, The Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland is pleased to welcome the dynamic father and son team of Ken and Brad Kolodner and their quartet for a night of bluegrass, and old-timey music. Their popular performances capture a unique, personal, and captivating soundscape that reveals a passion for traditional music. Their line-up, perhaps unique in the bluegrass culture, includes Ken on hammered dulcimer, Brad on clawhammer banjo, Alex Lacquement on bass, and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Eddy on fiddle, banjo, guitar and vocals (Rachel is a former member of the Old-Time supergroup Uncle Earl).

Ken Kolodner is regarded as one of the most influential hammered dulcimer players in North America. The hypnotizing groove of his percussive hammered dulcimer, along with his son’s rhythmic clawhammer banjo are at the core of their sound. Most recently, the quartet won first place in the Neo-Traditional Band Contest at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in the summer of 2019. They released their fourth studio album “Stony Run” in March 2020.

Concert appearances for the group include The Kennedy Center, The Birchmere, The Champlain Valley Folk Festival, The Helicon’s Winter Solstice concerts, several appearances on the legendary “Bound for Glory” radio show in Ithaca, NY (the longest running live concert-radio broadcast in the United States), The Common Ground Festival in MD, The Mountain Arts Gathering in NY, as well as numerous other live radio broadcasts, concerts and festivals along the Eastern seaboard from North Carolina to Vermont.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Everyone in attendance needs to provide proof of COVID vaccination and wear a mask. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show, and $25 at the door, and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-0331 with your credit card information. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. It’s 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.

This program is made possible with funds provided by The Hedgelawn Fund.

https://www.kenandbrad.com/

The Mainstay in Rock Hall MD hosts its annual holiday program featuring Harp and Soul led by Meredith Davies Hadaway on Sunday December 12 at 4 pm. Information and ticket sales are available on the Mainstay’s website at www.facebook.com/mainstayrockhall and www.mainstayrockhall.org. The Mainstay is dedicated to the safety of its patrons, performers, volunteers, and employees. As such The Mainstay requires proof of full vaccination at the door with corresponding ID. Unvaccinated patrons may be admitted if they have documentation of a negative COVID test no greater than 72 hours before the show. Masks required for all patrons at indoor performances when not specifically eating or drinking. If you do not have one, The Mainstay will provide one at the door.

Sunday December 12 4 pm $20 online advance $25 phone/door

Celebrate the Songs for the Season with the lovely and lively traditional songs, dance tunes & carols from the British Isles, Celtic lands & beyond. The core group of Harp and Soul includes Meredith Hadaway (Celtic harp & concertina), Ben Bennington (guitar & vocals), Rebekah Hardy (oboe), Bob Ortiz (percussion), and Nevin Dawson (viola).  Special guest for the afternoon will be singer/songwriter Pam Ortiz who will add some of her originals to the mix as well as adding her voice to the group. This will be an afternoon of delightful and unusual songs for the season and lots of holiday cheer.

The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region and is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Information and advance ticket sales are available on the Mainstay’s website www.mainstayrockhall.org and information for supporting The Mainstay can be found at www.mainstayrockhall.org/sponsors.

Upcoming Mainstay performances include:

November 22 Joe Holt with Barbara Parker and Bob Taylor
December 12 Harp and Soul Holiday Show
December 13 Mainstay Monday Finale Joe Holt with Sharon and Shawn
December 31 New Year’s Eve Potluck with music by Joe Holt