$15 advance | $20 day-of | $10 student *fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

A Walk In The Woods: Album Release

5 years ago, pianist-composer Clifford Cameron recorded and released his genre-bending debut album Katahdin, featuring some of the brightest new improvisers and musical voices on the New York scene. This recording would serve as a snapshot of his time in New York City before moving to Maine, leaving behind the trains, subways and dollar pizza for the farms, forests and fields. In that time he has reunited with his family, released several albums of original music and said farewell to his ailing father. Such a turbulent and shifting course of years has led him to lean hardest on the things that never fail to offer support and nourishment: being out in nature with his dog, Alpine, and creating music.

A Walk in The Woods takes us through all four seasons and back again. This music winds through the sometimes haunted, sometimes golden woods, past the stone-walled fields that meet the coastline and always homeward on the stretching road. The musical content oscillates between the minutely composed, to the entirely improvised, with the ensemble comprised of some of the most creative musicians in Maine playing orchestral, folk and modern jazz timbres.

Featuring:

Josie Lawrence- Vocals
Special guest Dan Bui- Mandolin
Mia Bella D'Augelli- Violin
Shannon Allen- Cello
Jesse Heasly- Bass
Jesse Beckett Herbert - Flute/Bass Clarinet
Gene Gill- Alto
Clifford Cameron- Piano and compositions

Club d'Elf has been helping audiences lose track of time for twenty five years with its mesmerizing synthesis of Moroccan traditional music and electronic, dubbed-out funk. Circling about bassist/composer Mike Rivard and drummer Dean Johnston, each Club d'Elf performance features a different line-up, drawn from a constellation of some of the most creative improvisers from the jazz, DJ, rock & world music scenes of Boston, NYC and beyond.

The band's music draws from a startlingly wide spectrum of styles, including jazz, hip hop, electronica, avant garde, prog-rock and dub. Under the tutelage of member Brahim Fribgane (who hails from Casablanca) the band has absorbed Moroccan trance music, which is now an essential part of the mix. Diverse audiences are drawn to Fribgane’s mesmerizing oud stylings, and Rivard’s commanding playing of the Moroccan sintir. Trance forms the central core of the Club d’Elf aesthetic, weaving together the band’s various influences.

In April 2022 the band released its latest album, 'You Never Know', which rose to #2 on the Relix chart. The record unfurls upon kaleidoscopic clouds of spiced smoke, shifting from chopped dub-jazz through trance epics that reimagine Boston as a city of bazaars. Club d’Elf pay tribute to the music and musicians who have been primary influences, with half the album being covers of gnawa, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Moroccan band Nass el-Ghiwane, and Frank Zappa. The other half consists of original music inspired by Rivard's personal journey into darkness following a near death experience in the remote jungle of the Peruvian Amazon.

"You Never Know is a wide ranging romp, full of serenity, chaos, longing, improvisation and peerless musicianship inspired by music from India and Morocco as well as the maverick jazz of Miles Davis and Frank Zappa."

- Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $15 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Ruth and Ben String Band

w/ special guests: "Old Time" Dave Talmage Band

Led by guitarist Ruth Rappaport and her fiddler son, Ben Wetherbee, the band's repertoire includes rousing, powerful old-time fiddle tunes and traditional, modern, and original songs that feature tight harmony singing. Ruth played for many years in the eclectic string band The Poodles, and Ben has made a mark for himself as a popular old-time, roots rock, and alt music fiddler. Both Ruth and Ben are instructors at the Passim School of Music in Cambridge.

Besides fiddle and guitar, the band features Joel Wennerstrom on clawhammer banjo. The Ruth and Ben String Band works with a number of great bass players, including Gian Criscitiello, Larry Unger, Stuart Kenney, Mike Siegel, and Riley Mullany.

"When they've brought their high-energy old time music [to Bluegrass Tuesdays] in the past, they've absolutely electrified the audience, which is really saying something for all-acoustic music."  

-Bluegrass Tuesdays (Cambridge MA)

Danza Orgánica
CUERPX

CUERPX focuses on the imprints of colonialism and patriarchy in the body. We are looking at the body as the human body, and also the Earth body. How do we embody liberated realities? How does that look like within the context of colonized bodies? What is the work we need to do to get to an internal liberated space that leads to collective liberation?

Danza Orgánica is a Boston-based dance theater company whose work is centered around equity, social justice, and decolonization. Through Danza Orgánica, we create the world we want to live in as BIPOC. Our values are rooted in antiracist social justice, and decolonization. We envision a world where all living beings are valued, and Mother Earth is in balance. Our legacy is one of opening doors for others, creating spaces for artistic expression, and leaving a body of work carefully created to shed light upon our human experience, and that of our collaborators.

Taíno Afroborikua and award-winning choreographer Mar Parrilla is the founding artistic director of Danza Orgánica (DO). She the proud mother of Caleb, an interdisciplinary movement artist, an educator, and a community organizer. Mar is the founder of the acclaimed program Dance for Social Justice™, as well as the founding producer of the acclaimed Boston-based annual festival: We Create!. Parrilla is a luminary artist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where she has been commissioned to create artistic work- and continues to collaborate with in several capacities. Danza Orgánica is also collaborating with Puerto Rico-based artists on an ongoing cultural exchange towards the continued development of Melaza: a project that explores the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States of North America. Most recently (2021), Danza Orgánica was awarded the Powering Cultural Futures Multi Year Partnership with the BARR foundation.

*There is a FREE Workshop at 1:00 before the show --> Register HERE

$20 General Admission | $10 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

*This performance is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

Dance for Social Justice

Free Workshop

Danza Orgánica will be offering a public workshop, hosted by The Dance Hall, as part of their Dance for Social JusticeTM workshop series. Founded in 2014, the Dance for Social JusticeTM (DSJ) workshop grew out of Mar Parrilla’s desire to use dance as a tool for social change. While she was teaching dance in urban settings, she organically provided her students with dance composition tools with which they explored themselves and their connection to communities.

The DSJ curriculum is informed by Paulo Freire’s philosophy of education as expressed in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, her studies on dance composition, and her experience as a performer and choreographer in the diaspora.

ALL-AGES | ALL-ABILITY LEVELS | MOVEMENT WORKSHOP

FOR TICKETS TO THE PERFORMANCE, VISIT HERE

*This workshop is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

$15 advance | $20 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Drawing on their eclectic backgrounds and passions , Dharma Down delivers a musical adventure spanning centuries and the globe, while always pushing their genre-bending music into the future. Presenting music across the jazz compendium, Dharma Down also draws on influences from East European and Middle Eastern music and turns this identity crisis into its biggest asset. The group’s upcoming debut album, Owl Dreams, prominently features original compositions inspired by American and Arabic traditions.

About their new album, Owl Dreams:

Dharma Down’s new release, Owl Dreams, is 10 original tracks plus a modern reinvention of a 1000-year-old classical Arabic song. The recording leans into the breadth of the group’s influences and styles, buoyed by the sensitivity and virtuosity of the individual players. Owl Dreams is an exploration of ancient Arabic melodies (Jalla Man), modern and postmodern jazz (Ex One Blues), and new original repertoire in middle eastern influenced jazz (Baghdad, Jurjina, Tadafuqun), all sharing the distinctive sound of Dharma Down.

The ensemble is made up of some of New England’s top players united by their love of modern jazz and middle eastern music: Mike Effenberger (piano), Duncan Hardy (alto sax & qanun), Scott Kiefner (upright bass), and John Mettam (percussion) create a sound that is as intimate as it is powerful. Their compelling rapport creates an exciting new ensemble to follow closely for years to come.

PowerMoneyCake plays stripped down yet faithful versions of the entire Steely Dan catalog. This time around they will be playing the labrum The Royal Scam and Gaucho in its entirety, plus a smattering of hits and deep cuts spanning their career. We'll also have special guest Josh DiJoseph joining us on electric guitar.

If you love Steely Dan, you’ll love PowerMoneyCake. It’s that simple.

The band:

Rick Habib: drums and vocals (Dreadnaught, Diaspora Radio, Wheel of Awesome, Kate Redgate Band)

Bob Lord: bass guitar (Dreadnaught)

Sky Rubins: electric guitar (Trade)

Chris Sink: keyboards (Trade, Queen City Soul, Amorphous Band)

People often ask us why we named a Steely Dan tribute Power Money Cake. The truth is that the band name has nothing to do with Steely Dan. We started as a band doing mostly odd covers that we didn't have an outlet for in other bands (Bob Lord came up with the tagline "Music for very few occasions"). By this date in 2012 we had crossed the threshold into a "mostly Steely Dan" cover band. I kept suggesting more Steely Dan tunes and the guys - god bless them - were receptive. By the end of the year it's all we did.

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Foreside Funk

with special guests KING DEAD

Get Ready to Funk! Prepare to groove with Foreside Funk, the 10-member powerhouse based in their hometown Kittery, Maine! 

Known for their electrifying blend of classic and contemporary funk, this dynamic ensemble brings together seasoned musicians from diverse backgrounds, all united by an unstoppable love for the rhythms that move the soul. Drawing inspiration from funk legends like Maceo Parker, Tower of Power, and contemporary trailblazers like Lettuce and Dumpstaphunk, Foreside Funk infuses their sound with the energy of modern funk while paying homage to jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, and Freddie Hubbard. Their performances are a high-energy celebration of sound, featuring soulful melodies, tight rhythms, and an electrifying horn section that will keep you moving all night long.

Don't miss your chance to experience Foreside Funk live!

Band Members:

Jenny O'Dell - Lead Vocals

Scott Abene - Guitar

Keith Augeri - Drums

Matthew Lavigne - Bass, Vocals

Gary Lorusso - Trumpet

Justin Leach - Trombone

Stefan Vittori - Saxophone

Dan Will- Keys, Vocals

Tony Gallo- Percussion, Vocals

Special Guest: Will Cicola - Saxophone, Flute

KING DEAD

KING DEAD draws inspiration from their shared love of jazz fusion, funk, soul, Brazilian jazz, improvisation, bagels, and having a good time. Since forming, the band has performed its instrumental compositions across coastal New Hampshire (mostly in breweries). Currently, the KING DEAD boys continue to write and record new music, with a new collection of tunes expected to release in 2024.

The band is:

Sky Rubins – guitar

Chris Sink – keyboards

Justin Greenberg – bass

Seb Sink – drums

kingdead.band

kingdead1.bandcamp.com

Get ready for a night of funk you won't forget!

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

SWING DANCE with THE SMACK DABS

*7:00pm, before the show, join us for a brief lesson on the basics of swing with Jen & Ray of Lindy Maine!

The Smack Dabs, out of Boston MA, specialize in good-time Swing Blues music from the 1930s, featuring the songs of Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, The Harlem Hamfats, and many others. This delightful and timeless genre features a rich variety of musical styles, ranging from mournful blues to joyful celebrations, setting the stage for incredible solo and group improvisations and delighting audiences and dancers alike.

We are proud to feature some of Boston's most compelling improvising musicians in our rotating lineup, bringing a fresh and unique sound to each performance.

• Mark Earley: guitar, vocals, kazoo

• Richard Saunders: piano

• Jim Gray: upright bass

• Mark Berney: cornet

• Kit Buckley: saxophone, clarinet

• Jon Kraus: washboard

SWING BLUES: THE BACKSTORY

The 1930s were halcyon days for Swing music, but not just for the likes of big bands like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Lunceford, and the Dorsey Brothers. There were literally hundreds of small Swing combos from trios to octets, each with its own unique take on the music that dominated the market during the height of the Great Depression. The list of artists who led small combos include Tiny Grimes, Slim Galliard, Billie Holiday, and Fats Waller. In addition to these groups, several important vocal harmony groups were also active on the scene, including the Cats and the Fiddle, the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots, and the Spirits of Rhythm. Evolving out of New Orleans jazz and ragtime stylings, Swing music was fueled by the improvisational and rhythmic innovations of soloists like Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins. It remains primarily dance music. 

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Stray Horses

LET IT BE

Known at The Dance Hall for producing tribute nights to honor your favorite artists, Seth Warner and Marc McElroy are back at at it. This time they will lead an all-star band in a celebration of The Beatles "Let it Be". 

Past tribute shows include: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Cure, The Last Waltz, etc.

For this performance the band will feature Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire veteran musicians: Charlie Kickham, Zac Francis, Andrew Hodgkins, Marc McElroy and Seth Warner

$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

San Miguel Fraser is a project bringing together Galen Fraser, a Berklee graduate and son of renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and Maria San Miguel, a native of Castile and graduate of Oviedo Conservatory with deep family roots in the traditions of her homeland. Together, they combine dynamic fiddling and string arrangements with the soaring, life-celebrating singing of Maria and the exciting, oh-so-sensitive cittern accompaniment of Galen. Surprises abound in this project, with fresh compositions and startlingly touching and deeply thoughtful arrangements.

Their new album “Dots of Light” sparkles with life and creativity, as they explore traditional music from their combined homelands as well as new compositions in their own unique chamber music style.

“A triumph of an album, the debut from this duo is an absolute delight from start to finish. Neither of them is new to recording, or to the partnership here, so their first joint collection of music builds on firm foundations. Nevertheless, it towers over the landscape of fiddle music and Spanish-Celtic folk.”

—Alex Monaghan, Folk World

$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling," and brilliant Californian cellist, Natalie Haas, spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 16 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding, and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo's debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music "Album of the Year" award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record three more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.

"Fraser, one of the most respected of all exponents of the Scots fiddle, would look long and hard to find a more appropriate cellist as a partner...A positive joy." — The Scotsman

$30 advance | $38 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

BALA-BILA

Balla Kouyate & Matchume Zango at the East-West Crossroads

BALA-BILA brings together two African master musicians--Balla Kouyate on balafon, calabash, bass guitar and voice, and Matchume Zango on timbila, mbira, percussion and voice--through a live concert framed as an intercultural musical conversation between the two artists. Kouyate, from the West African country of Mali, and Zango, from the East African country of Mozambique, are leading exponents of their respective principal instruments–balafon and timbila.

BALA-BILA brings together live in concert for the first time these two traditional instruments and these two revered contemporary masters at the height of their careers. This living-room-style concert features Kouyate and Zango as composers and multi-instrumentalists sharing the joy, beauty and complexity of their music but also provides a unique opportunity for the audience to get to know Kouyate and Zango as human beings, artists, ambassadors, and global citizens as they explore their connection to each other, their art, and their cultural patrimony.

Both the balafon (representing Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire) and the timbila (Mozambique) are part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (tim-bila is plural, and m-bila is singular). Kouyate and Zango are leading exponents of their respective instruments, and known for preserving, advancing and contemporizing their rich musical traditions

. . .

Balla Kouyate is a renowned balafon player and “djeli” who is originally from Mali and currently based in the U.S. Kouyate teaches at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, has collaborated with artists such as Yo Yo Ma and Andjelique Kidjo, and is recognized by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts as an NEA National Heritage Fellow.

Matchume Zango is a master timbila player, percussionist, composer and producer from Maputo, Mozambique. He has a Masters Degree in Music Performance from the University of Cape Town, and has toured extensively throughout the world and collaborated with local and international artists. Zango has received funding support from international donor agencies, and has built Nzango Artist Residency, a recording studio and artist residency where he collaborates with local and visiting artists.

$25 advance | $30 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Tiger Saw with Dan Sullivan and Friends play

Songs: Ohia's "Magnolia Electric Co."

w/ special guest Nad Navillus

For one night only, Tiger Saw will be joined by guitarist Dan Sullivan to perform the Songs: Ohia album "Magnolia Electric Co." in its entirety. Sullivan was a member of Songs: Ohia and played guitar on that seminal album, recorded in 2002 at Electrical Audio in Chicago by Steve Albini.

"Magnolia Electric Co." is now considered an all-time classic in the indie rock / Americana world, and the defining statement of the late bandleader Jason Molina. Tiger Saw played shows with Songs: Ohia throughout the early 2000's, befriended the band, and was heavily inspired by them. They've paid tribute to Molina over the years, playing several of their songs live and on record. Now, Dan Sullivan will join Tiger Saw to play all of the songs from "Magnolia Electric Co" at the Dance Hall in Kittery, ME on October 11th. In addition to Sullivan, the six-piece Tiger Saw will be joined by several guests including Hamilton Belk (Dead Gowns, Dylan Earl) on pedal steel, and singers Justin Carloni (Eastern Sleds), Kelsey Wilson (Diaspora Radio), and Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull).

The Chicago-based Sullivan will open the show with a set of his own songs, under the name Nad Navillus.

Please join us in Kittery, to celebrate the music of Jason Molina, with a lineup that will not be repeated anywhere.

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

9th Annual Django by The Sea~ Gypsy Jazz Festival!

FRIDAY 10.04.24 @ 7:30PM

- Acoustic Nomads

- Django in Brazil feat. Ian Coury​ & Jason Anick

​SATURDAY 10.05.24 @ 7:30PM

- Henry Acker Trio

- Tatiana Eva-Marie & Avalon Jazz Band

SUNDAY 10.6.24 @ 3PM

- Django's Campsite All-Star Jam

For more info about the festival and bio for each artist, visit:

www.djangobythesea.com

Tickets:

ONE NIGHT/DAY PASS:

~FRIDAY 10.4.24

$30 Advance | $35 Day-of 

~SATURDAY 10.5.24

$30 Advance | $35 Door

~SUNDAY 10.6.24

$20 Advance | $25 Door

WEEKEND PASS:

~$70 Advance | $80 Day-of

Includes: Tickets to Friday-Sunday 

VIP PASS:

~$150

Includes:

-Tickets to Friday-Sunday

-Special VIP Tables​

​-Access to VIP Meet and Greet

-Donation to The Dance Hall

9th Annual Django by The Sea~ Gypsy Jazz Festival!

FRIDAY 10.04.24 @ 7:30PM

- Acoustic Nomads

- Django in Brazil feat. Ian Coury​ & Jason Anick

​SATURDAY 10.05.24 @ 7:30PM

- Henry Acker Trio

- Tatiana Eva-Marie & Avalon Jazz Band

SUNDAY 10.6.24 @ 3PM

- Django's Campsite All-Star Jam

For more info about the festival and bio for each artist, visit:

www.djangobythesea.com

Tickets:

ONE NIGHT/DAY PASS:

~FRIDAY 10.4.24

$30 Advance | $35 Day-of 

~SATURDAY 10.5.24

$30 Advance | $35 Door

~SUNDAY 10.6.24

$20 Advance | $25 Door

WEEKEND PASS:

~$70 Advance | $80 Day-of

Includes: Tickets to Friday-Sunday 

VIP PASS:

~$150

Includes:

-Tickets to Friday-Sunday

-Special VIP Tables​

​-Access to VIP Meet and Greet

-Donation to The Dance Hall

9th Annual Django by The Sea~ Gypsy Jazz Festival!

FRIDAY 10.04.24 @ 7:30PM

- Acoustic Nomads

- Django in Brazil feat. Ian Coury​ & Jason Anick

​SATURDAY 10.05.24 @ 7:30PM

- Henry Acker Trio

- Tatiana Eva-Marie & Avalon Jazz Band

SUNDAY 10.6.24 @ 3PM

- Django's Campsite All-Star Jam

For more info about the festival and bio for each artist, visit:

www.djangobythesea.com

Tickets:

ONE NIGHT/DAY PASS:

~FRIDAY 10.4.24

$30 Advance | $35 Day-of 

~SATURDAY 10.5.24

$30 Advance | $35 Door

~SUNDAY 10.6.24

$20 Advance | $25 Door

WEEKEND PASS:

~$70 Advance | $80 Day-of

Includes: Tickets to Friday-Sunday 

VIP PASS:

~$150

Includes:

-Tickets to Friday-Sunday

-Special VIP Tables​

​-Access to VIP Meet and Greet

-Donation to The Dance Hall

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

OnWeGo is a collaboration between David Thorne Scott (voice/bass), Mark Shilansky (piano/voice), Sara Caswell (violin), and Eric Byers (guitar/voice) embracing jazz, popular, and world music, with an emphasis on vocal harmony and collective improvisation. Original songs are heard side by side with carefully chosen covers, in arrangements that feature the group members’ virtuoso playing and telepathic interplay.

The Band:

Grammy® Nominee Sara Caswell “is a brilliant world-class violinist...one of the very best of the present generation of emerging young jazz stars” according to the late David Baker, internationally-renowned jazz educator and Director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Rooted in an early exposure to a variety of musical genres, Sara’s technical facility intertwined with her gift for lyricism continue to attract growing attention to her artistry as a jazz soloist, sideman, and teacher. Her artistry and unique sound led international recording artist/violinist Mark O’Connor to write:

“Most good violinists will never experience what Sara creates with her instrument. It is beautifully refined emotion that lifts the spirit…Jazz violin needs a universal ambassador...a player who can pick up where the last generation left off. Sara is well on her way to extending that tradition to touch new audiences.” 

"Inventive, modern mainstream jazz pianist” (Jon Garelick, Boston Globe) Mark Shilansky provides melodic improvisation and infectious compositions on his own and to a host of jazz luminaries. Shilansky has six recordings as a bandleader and is featured on over 60 recordings as a keyboardist, vocalist, composer/arranger, or producer, and in performance as band member for such artists as the New York Voices and Luciana Souza. As an artist he embraces the history of the styles in which he works, while seeking connections between them as a way of expressing a personal musical vision, characterized by lush harmonies, the exploration of the line between composition and improvisation, and an ever-present sense of humor.

David Thorne Scott is a singer and songwriter who “explores the intersection of Jazz and Americana, city and country, instrumentation and lyrics to create lush compositions and covers that are unifying, and healing, in their beauty.” (Eponymous Review) David has long been known for bringing a modern edge to the classics of the Great American Songbook. Cadence Magazine said "he phrases like a saxophone player and is as slippery and hip as the young Mel Tormé." Herb Wong, one of the west coast's leading jazz experts, wrote “I haven’t been this moved by a performance of ‘For All We Know’ since Carmen McRae.”

Eric Byers’ extraordinary proficiency and versatility as a guitarist and composer/arranger have been heard on recordings and in concert halls (including at Berklee College of Music where he serves as a professor of Harmony and Jazz Composition) and clubs around the world, with artists like Dave and Maureen Budway, George Russell, Jr, The Fifth Dimension, Lydia Harrell, No Static (New England’s Premier Steely Dan tribute band), Adrian Sicam, and Andrea Capozzoli. 

This performance has been POSTPONED. Please stay tuned for the rescheduled date!

“A sense of mystery and majesty.” –No Depression

From the front-lines at Standing Rock to the archaic streets of Jerusalem, the Sahel Desert to Carnegie Hall, music has been the source of strength for Billy Wylder. The band features Avi Salloway (Bombino/Hey Mama) joined by an inspired cast of singular artists who have performed across five continents including concerts at Coachella, Newport Folk Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Montreal Jazz Fest, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center.

Billy Wylder released their seminal third album, Trying to Get Free (Sand & Gold Records), on August 25, 2023. The music weaves together American folk and rock with sensibilities from the Sahara Desert, exploring new musical space akin to Devendra Banhart, Beck, and Tinariwen. Billy Wylder’s new recordings evoke musical evolutions built on grooves informed by ancient African rhythms, art-rock textures, expansive guitars, violins, synths, and drum machines. Salloway’s lyrics flow with inspiration from mythical songwriting hero Leonard Cohen, while threading together more abstract imagery reminiscent of Thom Yorke.

“Songs that sound impossibly up-to-minute while remaining steeped in tradition.” –PopMatters

On the new record, Billy Wylder grapples with some of the most critical questions of our time. What is freedom? Has the American dream died? What is truth and what is truly important to us? The band knows that it takes courage to follow your dreams, to create your own sense of purpose and meaning while living in a society where the media and politics relentlessly project fear, hatred, division, and consumerism. Billy Wylder’s live shows are known for bringing together diverse audiences and building community through uplifting performances, movement, and a sense of universal goodwill. The global band includes musicians from Vermont, Cuba, Peru, and Chicago. 

Billy Wylder has toured extensively, performing and collaborating with renowned artists including Jack Johnson, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bombino, The Low Anthem, and Pete Seeger. 

Touring band:

Avi Salloway (vocals, guitar), Rob Flax (violin, synth, vocals), Jennifer Giammanco (bass, vocals), Ricardo Guerra (drums, vocals)

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Trem das Cores: The Music of Caetano Veloso

Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble + Jaques Morelenbaum

Trem das Cores is a celebration of Caetano Veloso, Brazilian singer-songwriter, and important figure in Brazilian culture and in Morelenbaum’s and Wilmer’s lives. The idea comes from their love and great pleasure in working together with Caetano’s work while celebrating his 80th birthday and, most of all, honoring him as a composer, beyond his greatness as a singer and a poet – hence the idea of an instrumental journey through his music.

Gaia and Jaques worked together for the first time in 2018, in a project paying homage to Egberto Gismonti’s music - also a celebration of his 70th birthday – in a series of concerts in Brazil organized by Gaia, and the recording of “Folia – The Music of Egberto Gismonti”, with Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble and Jaques as one of the guests. They followed up with a collaborative project paying homage to Caetano, featuring an ensemble of two flutes, clarinet, two saxophones, cello, electric guitar, accordion, bass and drums, and began developing arrangements for songs that were less or more well-known, all written by Caetano Veloso (including some collaborations, such as Terceira Margem do Rio, with Milton Nascimento).

Jaques Morelenbaum is a cellist, composer, arranger, and musical producer who has worked with great names of Brazilian music, such as Caetano himself, as well as Tom Jobim, Gilberto Gil and Egberto Gismonti. Morelenbaum has recorded and arranged/produced some of the most important recordings of Brazilian music. He has also been a fundamental part of the Jobim-Morelenbaum quartet and the duo and trio with Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Gaia Wilmer is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and music producer and has been active both in Brazil and the United States. Wilmer has been carving herself quite a niche in the jazz and Brazilian instrumental music scene and has worked with the likes of Egberto Gismonti, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses, Frank Carlberg, amongst others.

Ensemble Personnel:

Maiara Moraes - flutes

Yulia Musayelyan - flutes

Oran Etkin - clarinet/bass clarinet

Josué dos Santos - tenor sax/flute

Vinicius Gomes - electric guitar

Vitor Gonçalves - accordion

Eduardo Belo - bass

Eduardo Ribeiro - drums

Gaia Wilmer - alto sax

Jaques Morelenbaum - cello

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Hannah O'Brien and Grant Flick are a transatlantic-style fiddling duo that explores musical meaning found in cross-cultural exchange. Their collaboration began in 2020 when they discovered their shared curiosity for finding the meeting point between their respective styles. By merging their influences in Irish, Classical, and American folk idioms, Hannah & Grant aim to rework their own traditional music and give it new expression. The duo’s original music tells a story about people, places, experiences, and events, directly paralleling much of the writing from their upbringings in European and North American fiddling.

Grant, a multi-instrumentalist currently living in Ann Arbor, MI, grew up playing within American improvisational idioms (bluegrass, jazz, Texas swing). He uses his experience to write original music that interacts with the diverse group of musicians and backgrounds with whom he collaborates. Hannah, a Classical and Irish fiddle player based in Boston, MA, grew up learning fiddle from her dad Andrew O’Brien. She enjoys connecting her two worlds through composing and arranging new and traditional music that reaches across genres.

While the duo feels at home on double fiddle, they also change instrumentation incorporating tenor guitar and nyckelharpa. They have received multiple awards including the 2020 University of Michigan Excel Enterprise Grant, the 2021 Binkow Chamber Music Grant, the 2023 Iguana Fund Grant generously supported by Club Passim, and were participants at the 2023 Honeywell Arts Resonance Week.

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

SOME Fest 2024

Welcome to SOME Fest, a captivating and family-friendly celebration of creativity, the arts, and community, nestled in the picturesque town of Kittery, Maine. This vibrant music festival will bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, creating an immersive experience that showcases the power of music and art to unite and inspire.

SOME Fest offers a platform for both emerging and established artists to showcase their talents across a wide array of musical genres. From the infectious beats of local indie bands to the soul-stirring melodies of more recognized artists, the festival curates an eclectic lineup that caters to diverse musical tastes. There's something for everyone to enjoy at SOME Fest.

• Featuring music from – Ovlov, Dead Gowns, Hello Shark, Sweet Petunia, Kill Kennie, Sponge Head, Megan From Work, Happy Just To See You, Kendra, Deer Isle, Mulva 

• Multimedia Arts Market & pop up gallery w/contributions from nonprofit arts collective WRONG BRAIN

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Half-Day Tickets: $15  | Full-Day Tickets: $25

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket {even for cash sales} + cc processing fees)

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE 

1st half of the day: 

12pm - DOORS OPEN. Arts Market + games and kids activities all day until 5pm. 

12:30pm - 6pm; music 

Sweet Petunia

Deer Isle 

Hello Shark 

Kill Kennie 

Megan From Work 

Happy Just To See You 

Dead Gowns 

2nd half of the day:

6:30pm - end; music 

Kendra 

Sponge Head 

Mulva 

Ovlov

Half-Day Tickets: $15  | Full-Day Tickets: $25

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket {even for cash sales} + cc processing fees)

Writers in the Round features Morgan Eve Swain, Craig Werth, Jocelyn Mackenzie, Dylan Metrano, Shiloh Hawkins & Guy Capecelatro III

As this eclectic group of songwriters makes their way to the Star Island Writers in the Round Retreat, they are excited to come together for an intimate evening of performances.

The show is in the round, 3 performers will be on stage at a time, taking turns singing songs and sharing stories. With songwriters MorganEve Swain (Brown Bird, Huntress & The Holder of Hands), Craig Werth, Jocelyn Mackenzie (Pearl and the Beard), Dylan Metrano (Tiger Saw), Shiloh Hawkins and Guy Capecelatro III.

$15 general admission | $8 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Portsmouth Athenaeum Presents:
Neave Piano Trio

The GRAMMY®–nominated Neave Trio has earned praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances. New York City’s WQXR explains, "'Neave' is actually a Gaelic name meaning 'bright' and 'radiant', both of which certainly apply to this trio's music-making." 

Formed in 2010, the Neave trio includes violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura. Their 2022 album Musical Remembrances was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble category. Musical Remembrances features Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Ravel. It is the Neave Trio’s fourth album with Chandos Records. 

Neave has performed at many esteemed festivals worldwide, including Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 92nd Street Y, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music Series (United Kingdom), and the Samoylov and Rimsky Korsakow Museums' Chamber Music Series in St. Petersburg (Russia). 

During the 2023-24 season, the Neave Trio will be the inaugural Ensemble-in-Residence at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The concert is a presentation of Portsmouth Athenaeum Chamber Music 2024

$30 General Admission | $10 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Jazz Improvisation Clinic: Alexa Tarantino will discuss improvisation and coach and jam with clinic attendees. Jazz Musicians from High School to College to all ages are welcome, as well as jazz fans who want to hear a young master musician break down the methodology of this music.  ADMISSION IS FREE.

Alexa Tarantino : In the words of Wynton Marsalis, Alexa Tarantino is a “one-woman wrecking crew, [...] an indomitable force for expression, education, and absolute excellence.”

The vibrant and versatile jazz saxophone & woodwind artist has been triple-nominated as a Rising Star Alto Saxophonist by Downbeat Magazine"s Critics"#Poll from 2020-2022, was named one of the Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019 by the JazzTimes Critics"#Poll, and was one of 100 alumni to receive The Centennial Award from the Eastman School of Music (2022). Alexa !lights up rooms when she [plays]” (JazzTimes). Her radiant spirit and artistry uplift and inspire her audiences one performance at a time.

Alexa tours worldwide with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Alexa Tarantino Quartet. Her records (Firefly, Clarity, Winds of Change) and compositions have consistently topped jazz radio charts, and her discography includes 25+ released recordings as a leader and sidewoman.

Tarantino is in-demand internationally as an energetic and impactful clinician, mentor, and coach and also represents Jazz at Lincoln Center as a visiting educator for various programs with students of all ages and levels. She holds a master"s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School and bachelor"s degrees in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education with a certificate in Arts Leadership from the Eastman School of Music. Alexa is Founder and Artistic Director of the Cape Ann Jazz Workshop in Rockport, Massachusetts (est. 2014).

Alexa Tarantino is a Vandoren Artist, a Yamaha Performing Artist, and endorses BAM Instrument Cases.

Limited Space Available. Register in Advance.

(sponsored by the Seacoast Jazz Society Israel Yost Jazz Education fund)**

note: the rain date for the Seacoast Jazz Festival is August 25th.

If the festival is moved to that day, the clinic will be as well.

About Seacoast Jazz Society

The Seacoast Jazz Society was formed in 1990 with an objective of supporting jazz on the New England Seacoast, roughly from Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Our mission is to foster an appreciation for the jazz tradition, support young artists through jazz education, and engage jazz musicians with our community in performances and events. 

To further these aims the SJS organizes regular jazz listening and discussion opportunities, presents an annual lecture series, sends a regular email newsletter of jazz listings and articles, supports guest artists at local jazz venues, funds an annual scholarship to benefit a young student of jazz, and partners with other jazz organizations.

The Seacoast Jazz Society is registered with the State of New Hampshire as a Charitable Trust, and has nonprofit, tax deductible 501(c)(3) status. All contributions are tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

https://www.seacoastjazz.org

This performance has been postponed! Please stay tuned for a new date!

"A truly personal work of art" - Downbeat Magazine

The Chet Doxas Trio with Scott Kiefner and John Mettam is a musical sandbox where Doxas’ compositions and these world class improvisers get the chance to play and discover new sonic territories together. Eminently imaginative in inspiration, construction and delivery, Doxas’ trio gels to create a varied emotional palette filled with wonder, playfulness and curiosity.

Chet Doxas (woodwinds)
Scott Kiefner (bass)
John Mettam (drums)

Raised in Montreal in a musical family, Chet Doxas’ love of music was fostered by his father (musician, teacher, recording engineer and producer), and his older brother, drummer Jim Doxas, with whom he regularly performs. Chet is a multiple Juno Award nominee, has appeared on over one hundred recordings, and has released eight albums as a leader and co-leader. He was recently voted to Downbeat Magazine's 2022 & 2023 Rising Star Critic's Poll in the tenor saxophone and clarinet category.

$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Jessie Jeanne Stinnett (Founder, Co-Director) describes Strong Women as, “A playlist of some of the hottest female choreographers in the US today that should get played on repeat!”

Since its inception, Boston Dance Theater has maintained a deep commitment to amplifying the voices of strong female choreographers of color. Strong Women is an evening of short works that the company commissioned from: Rena Butler (African-American), Rosie Herrera (Cuban-American), Micaela Taylor (African-American), and Yue Yin (Chinese-American).

“With its expert dancers and an evolving repertory of works by important choreographers, BDT has found away to maintain its sparkle further into the 21st century.”-WBUR

$20 advance | $25 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

*This performance is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

Rock My Soul

Roots-based, raise-the-rafters Rock My Soul comes to The Dance Hall! Join us for a spirit-soaring evening of spirituals, Civil Rights songs, soul, blues, pop, and Americana. Hear all flavors of American music influenced by the African American tradition, and learn about how they all connect.

For over 20 years, Rock My Soul has established itself as a musical force in northern New England. With its unique brand of rousing, raise-the-rafters music, the group has garnered an ever-growing following and has performed to packed houses throughout New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. Rock My Soul has been featured on TV shows NH Chronicle and 207, as well as Maine Public Radio, and one of its songs was included in the PBS documentary Freedom Songs: Music of the Civil Rights Movement.

Rock My Soul’s concerts attract hundreds of fans, who often dance in the aisles to a sound that is at once traditional and contemporary. The group is tight and polished, yet has the immediacy and soulfulness of the old-school roots sound it seeks to revive. Guaranteed to be a foot stomping, hand clapping good time.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)