Tyrone Cotton

w/ Ray Rizzo

Tyrone Cotton’s earliest musical revelation was listening to the raspy, inspirational voice of his grandfather, the Reverend Cleveland Roosevelt Williams, at his childhood home in Louisville, KY. Cotton began playing guitar along to the sounds of popular rock and blues artists and draws inspiration for his debut album from influences such as Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, and Mississippi John Hurt, who intrigued Tyrone with his “finger pickin’ and soft, wispy voice.”

Cotton’s debut album, Man Like Me, is the result of a lifelong journey of his nearly 30 years of performing in venues and as a beacon of the Louisville music community where he continues to reside today. The collection of songs developed over the past decade and documented on Man Like Me, is a deeply stirring reflection of Cotton’s own experiences which explores connection, loss, hope and resurrection, punctuated by a voice that is hauntingly evocative yet equally warm and alluring.

Ray Rizzo is a musician, writer, singer, recording and performance artist and producer currently in his 14th year of gentrifying the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. As a drummer, Ray has recorded and/or performed with Bob Weir, Trixie Whitley, Glen Hansard (incl. Grammy-nominated Didn’t He Ramble), Chocolate Genius, David Pajo, Tara Jane O’Neil, Yo Yo Ma (Grammy-winning Songs Of Joy and Peace), Martha Wainwright, David Wax Museum, Charles Neville, Justin Vivian Bond, Josh Ritter, Claire Bowen, Rhett Miller, Daniel Lanois, Sam Cohen, Danger Mouse, Doveman, Dawn Landes, and James Rado (Hair).

$17 advance | $22 day-of

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

Out of speakers came noise and out of noise came RICK RUDE. Rick Rude feasts on mystical fungi, boredom, mushy guitar riffs, and the delicacy of the human soul.

New England relationships have the benefit of the seasons to cauterize intimacy. Sometimes that happens between friends over cards at the cleared dinner table, or under a locally handmade blanket. For Rick Rude, it started in a living room in York, Maine in the fall of 2013. Ten years later, Rick Rude continues to bring friends together over a piping hot stew of homemade rock n roll. As time oozes on, Rick Rude just released their third studio production Laverne in the winter of 2024, perfect for making new friends, or discovering new depths of love with old ones.

Band Members & Roles:

Ben Troy - Guitar, Vocals

Jordan Holtz - Bass, Vocals

Chris Kennedy, Guitar, Vocals

Ryan Harrison, Drums

$12 advance | $15 day-of

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

BASSOON

w/ Vivian Sisters

“The power trio is one of Brooklyn’s heaviest and most challenging, bringing to mind a mixture of Melvins-style avant-sludge and daredevil ’70s fusion.” – Time Out NY

BASSOON's crushing instru-metal onslaught has been called "the Melvins colliding with Melvin Sparks" and hailed as "Brooklyn’s heaviest and most challenging" trio, delivering hand-hammered stoner-metal-fusion chamber odysseys since 2008. Their "eviscerating eponymous debut" of 2012, dubbed "an unholy union of high-brow fusion and low-end sludge". Originally the brainchild of Stuart Popejoy and Steve Tanner during Stuart’s collaboration with Harvey Milk, heavy bass/keyboard riffs over a drum machine gave way to the current power trio with guitarist Sean Moran and drummer John Mettam. The group heads Northeast in Spring 2017 for a brief tour before entering the studio to cut a second record.

"For fans of intelligent metal... Popejoy turned the concept into a full-fledged vision with the help of guitarist Sean Moran and drummer John Mettam with this eviscerating eponymous debut (released August 2), with nine compositions that sound like the Melvins colliding with Melvin Sparks in an unholy union of high-brow fusion and low-end sludge. Call it ‘Bash and Bop’ with all apologies to Tommy Stinson." -- Dirty Impound

The Vivian Sisters

The Vivian Sisters at their core are uncompromising free improvisers crossing paths with the strange outsider musical subcultures also inhabited by the likes of the Shaggs, Captain Beefheart, and Wesley Willis. Genre fluid virtuosity and stochastic rhythms are matched with naïve séance inspired vocals and melodies. This concert will mark the first on stage reunion of The Vivian Sisters 25 years after the release of their premiere record. They are now working on a follow up album. With special guest Vanessa Saft.

Laura Cromwell is an NYC + Maine drummer with a storied past. She performed Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival in the Helen Wiggin drum chair for the Shaggs reunion (and was dubbed “Helen Junior” by none other than Dot and Betty themselves), plays in the Dot Wiggin Band, Bi Tyrant and Locus Delicti.

Jamie Saft is an internationally reknown keyboardist, producer, and composer from New York. His stylistic versatility, multi-instrumentalist capabilities, and production skills have been featured with Beastie Boys, Bad Brains, HR, The B-52’s, John Zorn, John Adams, Laurie Anderson, Donovan, Antony and the Johnsons, and Iggy Pop. Saft leads the New Zion Trio, Jamie Saft Trio, and Jamie Saft Quartet. Saft has collaborated with legends of music including Wadada Leo Smith, Roswell Rudd, Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, Dave Liebman, Joe Morris, Hamid Drake, Bobby Previte, Steve Swallow, Darryl Jenifer, and Cyro Baptista.

$15 advance | $20 day-of

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

Front man, string wizard and songsmith EJ Ouellette takes listeners on a wild ride every time he performs. Leading his band Crazy Maggy, the guitar journeyman and fiddle master demonstrates creativity and passion with original songs and fiddle-driven tunes. Ouellette jumps genres easily, merging American Roots, Nor’east Acadian/Celt/ Appalachian feels throughout his work.

Making up the band along with Ej is Carol Coronis, Pete Whitehead, Steve Baker, and Ray Himmer Jr.

$17 adv | $22 day of

Greg Abate , Saxophone & flute

Bill Wightman , piano

Keala Kaumeheiwa , bass

Les Harris Jr , drums

Greg Abate jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer continues as an International Jazz/Recording Artist with 225 days a year touring the globe.

In the mid 70’s after finishing a four year program at Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years. In 1978 Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area and from there had the opportunity to play tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under leadership of Dick Johnson from 1986 to ’87.

Following this experience Greg ventured out as post hard bop soloist playing Jazz Festivals, Jazz Societies and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S. Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, UK, and Moscow and Georgia Russia.

Greg’s newest release Gratitude, with the Tim Ray Trio has received glowing reviews and a lot of international airplay. Also, check out Greg's other recordings including special guests Phil Woods and other notable artists.

$20 advance $25 door

This concert is made possible with the generous support of

Friday, Dec 2nd @ 7:30PM

It’s The Nutcracker, but definitely not as we know it. The Bang Group has taken every little girls favorite Christmas show and torn it limb from limb. Mixing Tchaikovsky’s original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and others, the company turns the sugar coated ballet into a percussive piece of dance theatre. Expect tap dancing, singing and some unusual pointe shoe activity. Nothing is sacred as Nut/Cracked twists and melds various dance traditions into an ode to American eclecticism which honors the power of the human urge to dance while riding Tchaikovsky’s voluptuous waves of rhythm.

The Bang Group’s mission, based on choreographer David Parker’s vision of diverse dance forms united by a common purpose, is to facilitate the creation and performance of Parker’s work and to promote, mentor and present the work of artists who embody this vision. Standards of craftsmanship, creative liberty and aesthetic diversity are present in the rehearsal and mentoring process, in the curation of the company’s performances and those presented by The Bang Group at venues throughout the U.S. and Europe.

The Bang Group, a rhythm based, theatrical dance company based in New York City, incorporated as a non profit in 1995. TBG has been presented in NYC by Danspace Project, Dance Theater Workshop, New York Live Arts, Symphony Space, and DanceNow/NYC at Joes Pub at the Public Theater. Through The Bang Group’s 13-year relationship with Summer Stages Dance in Concord, Mass., it also enjoys a sustained presence in Boston through performances on First Night Boston, at The Out On The Edge Festival at the Boston Center for the Arts and through extensive teaching and mentoring of Boston area dancers and choreographers.

They have enjoyed significant domestic touring including engagements and/or commissions from: Philadelphia Dance Affiliates, University of Maryland at College Park, Sushi in San Diego, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Wortham Center in Houston, Northwestern University in Evanston, American Dance Festival, The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, Portland, Maine Performing Arts, Actors Theater of Louisville, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Fire Island Dance Festival, Provincetown Playhouse, and several others.

European touring highlights include The Holland Dance Festival, Tanzsprache Vienna, Dance Week Zagreb, Belluard Bollwerk Switzerland, Invito Alla Danza in Rome, Charleroi Danses Biennale in Belgium, Fondation Cartier in Paris, Konfrontace in Prague, Divdelna Nitra in Slovakia, Folkswang in Essen, Germany, Monaco Danse Forum, OT 301 in Amsterdam, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Tickets are $30 Adults; Seniors and Children $25

Front man, string wizard and songsmith EJ Ouellette takes listeners on a wild ride every time he performs. Leading his band Crazy Maggy, the guitar journeyman and fiddle master demonstrates creativity and passion with original songs and fiddle-driven tunes. Ouellette jumps genres easily, merging American Roots, Nor’east Acadian/Celt/ Appalachian feels throughout his work.

Making up the band along with Ej is Carol Coronis, Pete Whitehead, Steve Baker, and Ray Himmer Jr.

$15 advance

$20 door 

New-Orleans-style jazz band The Soggy Po’ Boys will play a concert to benefit LOWERNINE.org, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization rebuilding Katrina-damaged homes in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. 

The Soggy Po’ Boys serve their jazz messy , mixing brass-fueled mayhem with spirituals, Meters-style old-school funk, and the Caribbean side of the New Orleans tradition. Now in their 10th year as one of New England’s most unique and in-demand groups, you will no doubt hear the heavy influence of the New Orleans sound across the band and in the stories told by their original tunes. Despite the scope of its sound, the outfit is only seven people, and thrives on the interplay and group dynamics that bring this music to life.

The Po’ Boys have learned and gained a lot from New Orleans and they now want to give a little back - 100% of the band's proceeds from the show will go to lowernine.org - a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the long-term recovery of New Orleans’ historic Lower Ninth Ward following Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches of 2005. The organization rebuilds homes for pre-Katrina residents and mitigates blight in this neighborhood. Using volunteer labor under skilled staff supervision, lowernine.org rebuilds flood-damaged homes and brings the cost of construction to approximately 30% of open market rates. Since 2007, lowernine.org has completed 88 full rebuilds and more than 250 housing repairs, such as siding and roof replacements.

The Dance Hall is proud to host to this event. Please come, listen, dance, and help support a great cause!

$15 advance $20 door

Called “one of the brightest fiddlers around today” (Brian O’Donovan, WGBH radio), multistyle violinist and champion fiddler MARI BLACK delights audiences around the world with her energetic playing, sparkling stage presence, and dazzlingly virtuosic fiddling. Raised on a rich blend of traditional musical styles, Mari burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a three-year period. Ever since then, she has been spreading her love for dance-based music, performing as a featured artist at performing arts centers, Celtic festivals, Scottish Highland Games, celebrated folk venues, world music concert series, and acclaimed classical venues including Carnegie Hall. She can even be heard (and seen!) in the award-winning video game BioShock: Burial at Sea. Mari has appeared with such diverse artists as Irish fiddle master Liz Carroll, Americana master Mark O’Connor, and jazzman Willie Ruff, and been featured on the BBC Radio Scotland, Fox and CBS morning news, and NPR’s “Here and Now.” She has played concerts in Brazil, Scotland, Canada, China, Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France…and she can’t wait for the next stop! Currently touring nationally with her trio, Mari's favorite thing to do is sweep audiences away on a spirited musical adventure featuring dance music from around the globe: Celtic, American, and Canadian fiddling, jazz, tango, klezmer, folk, original works, and more!

Mari’s passion for dance-driven music extends far beyond the concert stage, as reflected in her work as a teacher, composer, dancer, competition judge, and musical ambassador committed to connecting people through music. Having earned her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, Mari is a master teacher who is dedicated to helping students of all ages and levels explore the joy of making music. She teaches regularly at prestigious camps and workshops around the country, including appearances at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Acadia Trad School, the Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Fiddling, the Mark O’Connor fiddle camp, the Tanglewood Festival, the Yale School of Music, and more. Several of her students are now becoming champion fiddlers in their own right, winning top awards at the U.S. Scottish Nationals and other competitions. Mari’s ear-catching compositions draw on a broad range of stylistic influences, and have won several awards, including a Gold Medal from the MASC International Songwriting Competition and the composition prize at the prestigious Dan R. MacDonald fiddle competition. Some of her personal favorite compositions are featured on her debut album FLIGHT, and on her new album UNSCRIPTED, a collaboration with 3-time world accordion champion Cory Pesaturo.

To learn more about Mari and follow her musical adventures, visit her website:www.MariBlack.com

$15 advance $20 door

Annie and the Fur Trappers are a Boston based traditional jazz and blues band which formed in 2016. Originally founded in St. Louis, Missouri, the band currently includes clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, banjo, guitar, washboard, and violin.

Annie and the Fur Trappers are dedicated to performing and preserving the music of the 1920s and 30s today. The band plays traditional jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and swing music. Their version of "Delta Bound" was selected to be displayed at the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian, Mississippi. Annie and the Fur Trapper's original song "You Break It, you Buy It" was selected for the St. Louis Blues Society's 17 in 17 compilation album. Annie and the Fur Trappers have performed at a variety of music festivals including the Big Muddy Blues Festival, The Whitaker Jazz festival The Apple Butter Festival, Cherokee Street Jazz Fest, HONK!TX, Musikfest, The Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, and The Rosebud Cafe Music Festival, to name a few.

The band released their second studio album, Muskrat Ramble, on vinyl in 2019. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Paul Niehaus IV at Blue Lotus Studios. The album includes a number of blues, traditional jazz, and swing favorites, and won an award as “Best Self-Produced Album” by the St. Louis Blues Society. The vinyl was pressed by Standard Vinyl. The band, relocating to the Boston area in 2020 during the global pandemic, the band has been working on recording a new album at PBS studios in Massachusetts. The new CD is expected to release in 2022. Annie and the Fur Trappers is available to play for your function with ease in the New England area, or with travel arrangements wherever you are located.

$15/advance $20/door

When Miles Davis turned in his Italian suits for Sly Stone-inspired garb and started using electric piano, guitar and Fender Bass in his bands, he turned over the world of jazz. In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, A Tribute to Jack Johnson and On the Corner fused the best of funk beats, jazz harmony and avant-garde abandon in a way that has seldom been matched.

A new eight piece band, “Listen to This,” is named for the working title for the album that became Bitches Brew. Most of its members were drawn into jazz as teenagers by the groundbreaking work of Miles and his sidemen – Herbie, Chick, Wayne, Zawinul, McLaughlin – when that music was brand new. At the distance of – gulp – a half century, they revisit this music and play it with the delight of teenagers and the skill of veterans.

Jerome Deupree (drums; Morphine) is the ringleader, aided and abetted by Dave Bryant (keys; Ornette Coleman), Russ Gershon (soprano sax, flute, organ; Either/Orchestra, Lookie Lookie), Bryan Murphy (trumpet), Rick McLaughlin (bass, Either/Orchestra), J Johnson (guitar, Parlour Bells), Rick Barry (percussion, Bim Skala Bim, Swampanova) and Todd Brunel (bass clarinet)

Early electric Miles music never gets old, and you’ll never hear it played live the way it’s played by Listen to This.

$15 advance $20 door

Crown Jules is steeped in the essence of Motown, Soul and music that has been heavily influenced and molded by that sound. They deliver a high energy, danceable mix of classic and soon to be classic songs to the stage.

PACM is pleased to welcome back members of this energetic ensemble of young musicians from New York City, who have appeared on the world’s most prestigious stages and have won top international competitions. The New York Concert Review praises them for their "musicality of a high order" and "exquisite sensitivity.”

This season they look forward to returning to the Portsmouth area, which they like to call “their second home,” to present a varied and compelling program of piano trios.

Yoon Lee: piano

Yi Qun Xu: cello

Rose Hsien: violin

Program:

Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Opus 23

Korngold Much Ado About Nothing, suite for violin & piano, Op. 11

I. Maiden in the Bridal Chamber

II. Dogberry and Verges - March of the Watch

III. Scene in the Garden

IV. Masquerade - Hornpipe

 Rachmaninoff Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano, Opus 19

III. Andante

IV. Allegro mosso

*Intermission

Beethoven Piano Trio in C minor, Opus 1 No. 3 

I. Allegro con brio 

II. Andante cantabile con Variazioni 

III. Minuetto. Quasi allegro 

IV. Finale. Prestissimo

TICKETS: $20 advance/ $25 door

MASKS are required until seated for patrons and staff.

The Dance Hall presents Concerts By The Bridge at The John Paul Jones Park.

Bucketlist Jazz Fusion is an energetic jazz/fusion band based in Kittery, Maine, with a growing following around the Seacoast area of New England.

Founded in 2017 by saxophonist Stefan Vittori, the band features a lively horn section, energetic rhythm and percussion, and often introduces guest vocalists. In recent years, the band has performed at leading live music venues around New England, including Cadenza, Port City Blue, the Kittery Dance Hall, and the Canal District Kendall Summer Concert Series in Cambridge, MA. Their repertoire features fresh arrangements of traditional standards, as well as 70’s fusion and the music of contemporary jazz artists.

The Band:

Mike Harrison (piano & keys), William Trafidlo (bass), Dan Lorenz (guitar), Sebastian Sink (drums), Anthony Gallo (percussion & vocals), John Hoar (trumpet), Justin Leach (trombone), Stefan Vittori (alto & tenor saxophone)

$15 or By Donation

Bring your blankets or folding chairs! 

PLEASE NOTE:

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside at The Dance Hall @ 7:30pm

All performances indoors at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS are required until seated for patrons and staff.

Four of the finest voices in New England's traditional music scene shine a renewed light on the tunes of the Northeast with excitement and respect. From festival stages and concert halls to raucous August nights at fiddle camp, the Flyers are here to make sure New England music has a seat at the table as a distinct and vital American tradition. All residents of Portland, Maine, Katie McNally (fiddle), Emily Troll (accordion), Owen Marshall (guitar), and Neil Pearlman (piano) cut their teeth playing for contra dances and learning from the greats. Professionally, they've toured the world playing Irish, Scottish, and Quebecois music and they bring this wellspring of knowledge and technical prowess to the American music that was born from these traditions. Make way for...THE PINE TREE FLYERS!

$15/advance

$20/door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

Front man, string wizard and songsmith EJ Ouellette takes listeners on a wild ride every time he performs. Leading his band Crazy Maggy, the guitar journeyman and fiddle master demonstrates creativity and passion with original songs and fiddle-driven tunes. Ouellette jumps genres easily, merging American Roots, Nor’east Acadian/Celt/ Appalachian feels throughout his work.

Making up the band along with Ej is Carol Coronis, Pete Whitehead, Steve Baker, and Ray Himmer Jr.

$15 or By Donation

Bring your blankets or folding chairs! 

PLEASE NOTE:

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside at The Dance Hall @ 7:30pm

All performances indoors at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS are required until seated for patrons and staff.

Powermoneycake plays the music of Steely Dan. The band consists of:

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)

Powermoneycake plays stripped down yet faithful versions of the entire Steely Dan catalog, serving up the band’s biggest hits alongside some of their deepest cuts. If you love Steely Dan, you’ll love Powermoneycake. It’s that simple.

$15 advance

$20 door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

Stu Dias’ Midnight BBQ plays New Orleans swing with fervor. Modeled after Legendary groups like the New Orleans Jazz vipers, and the Palmetto Bug Stompers, this minimalist swinging group is as comfortable playing Fats Waller as it is playing Django Reinhardt. You will not be disappointed! You will not stop moving!

$15 or By Donation

Bring your blankets or folding chairs! 

PLEASE NOTE:

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside at The Dance Hall @ 7:30pm

All performances indoors at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS are required until seated for patrons and staff.

The Dance Hall presents Concerts By The Bridge at The John Paul Jones Park. 

Lookie Lookie returns for a hot evening of Latin music! 

Dance Hall favorites Lookie Lookie is an eight-piece band playing Bugalú – Latin music from groovy 1960’s New York, when young musicians pollinated elements of soul and pop into mambo and rhumba. Top artists in the genre included Ricardo Ray, Joe Cuba, Pete Rodriguez and Eddie Palmieri.

Lookie features two of the true maestros of Boston’s Latin music scene – Jorge Arce and Vicente Lebron – along with the Grammy-nominated leader of the internationally recognized Either/Orchestra, Russ Gershon. Also aboard are Rick Barry of the legendary ska band Bim Skala Bim, Ken Winokur, founder of the renowned silent film accompanist groups Psychedelic Cinema Orchestra and Alloy Orchestra, Gregory Ryan, who has played bass with jazz giants Billy Harper and Harold Mabern, and top horn players Ted DeColo and Eric Ortiz.

Despite these weighty credentials, the music is bouyant and fun, suitable for dancing – all styles, no salsa skills necessary. If dancing’s not your thing, there’s plenty for listening: with four percussionists, three horns and bass, the music is a treat for the ears, with deep Afro-Carribean grooves, jazz soloing and plenty of singing, in Spanish and English. 

$15 or By Donation

Bring your blankets or folding chairs! 

PLEASE NOTE:

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside at The Dance Hall @ 7:30pm

All performances indoors at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS are required until seated for patrons and staff.

This event is rescheduled from May 7th, 2022.

Randy Armstrong and WorldBeat Marimba in collaboration with Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells return to the Dance Hall on Friday, June 17 at 7:30pm. After their sold-out concert in February 2020, WorldBeat Marimba and the Stairwells are excited to serve up their amazing blend of South African, Zimbabwean, Gospel, Reggae, Highlife and Contemporary songs. A celebration of music, culture and community featuring handmade South African marimbas, world percussion, mesmerizing choral arrangements, a cappella vocals and rhythms from around the globe. Special guests, Cynthia Chatis, voice and Marty Quinn, drums.

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba perform South African, Zimbabwe and Popular Songs on handmade South African Marimbas, Trinidad/Tobago Steel Pans, World Percussion and Vocals. Their exciting collaborative concerts include performances with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops! and with choruses Voices from the Heart, Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells, Songweavers, and the WorldBeat Marimba Singers. When listening and experiencing this upbeat and vibrant music, you will want to get up to dance and sing! It is a celebration of life and the art of unified ensemble playing. Featuring special guests, Cynthia Chatis, Voice and Marty Quinn, drums.

Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells

The Stairwells evolved from an eight-week a cappella class at Traip Academy in Kittery in the early 90’s. At the close of the session, they wanted more and Instructor/music director Ben Baldwin, felt the same. They continued rehearsals each week for many years and after a brief hiatus, re-formed in 2010 and continue to sing a repertoire of songs from Rockin’ Gospel to Doo Wop at concerts, weddings, fairs, libraries and multiple large community events.

$20 ADVANCE; $24 DOOR

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

Outdoors at John Paul Jones Memorial Park!

The acoustic jazz ensemble, Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe. The virtuosic foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary. Led by violinist Jason Anick and guitarist Olli Soikkeli, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke on second guitar and Greg Loughman on bass, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre.

Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and one of the youngest violin professors at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. After relocating from Scandinavia Olli Soikkeli quickly became a top call guitarist in the bustling Brooklyn jazz scene. He has performed alongside Cyrille Aimee, and the celebrated guitarists Frank Vignola and Bucky Pizzarelli, and many prominent contemporary players. 

Max O’Rourke was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, and at 22 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Greg Loughman is a top call bassist in Boston and has been heard with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone.

$15 or By Donation

Parking available at York Hospital in Kittery.

Bring your blankets or folding chairs! 

PLEASE NOTE:

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside at The Dance Hall @ 7:30pm

All performances indoors at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS are required until seated for patrons and staff.

Essex Piano Trio is celebrating spring 2022 with “A French Conversation among Friends.” The concert opens with EPT’s own arrangement of Camille Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan,” the most beloved movement from his Carnival of the Animals, followed by the exquisite “Lento” movement of Cécile Chaminade’s Piano Trio No. 2, which is sometimes reminiscent of “The Swan.”  Germaine Tailleferre‘s Piano Trio, much more modern in sound, reflects the sparkle of French life in the 1920s but transcends any particular place or era with its graceful beauty and sophisticated wit.  The second half of the program includes the serene first movement of Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Trio, written in the last year of his life, and closes with Claude Debussy’s boisterous Trio that exudes vitality and joy as the precocious teenager explores this medium with the enthusiasm of someone in love with the music of his era.  The concert will be presented in Essex Piano Trio’s characteristic audience-friendly format, which involves interesting music interspersed with casual commentary designed to actively involve audience members in the performance.  For more information, see https://essexpianotrio.com

$15/advance $20/door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

Born on a snowy Fat Tuesday night of 2012, the Soggy Po' Boys have been honing their craft of New Orleans' music in their Tuesday residency in their home town of Dover New Hampshire. The New Orleans flavored septet doesn’t just play their weekly gig and call it at that. No, they fit in more than a hundred shows every year, from festivals and concerts to politics-infused burlesque collaborations and street parades. Part of the beauty of New Orleans music is that it's celebrated and appreciated wherever it goes, from the street to the theater. The Po' Boys are doing their part to spread the greatest music on earth around their home in New England and when touring, throughout the rest of the country. The Soggy Po' Boys serve their jazz messy, mixing brass-fueled mayhem with spirituals, Meters-style old-school funk, and the Caribbean side of the New Orleans tradition.NHPR describes the band in this way: "If you've been to Sonny's Tavern in Dover, New Hampshire on a Tuesday night, you could be forgiven for feeling like you've stepped into a New Orleans jazz club. The eight musicians that make up the Seacoast-based Soggy Po Brings the brassy music of 'Nawlins to Dover." London Jazz News agrees, writing of the band's third release in four years No Worse for Wear: "Although boasting a convivial spirit to rival that of a slick cocktail party favourites The Hot Sardines, The Soggy Po' Boys like things a bit rougher around the edges. This sousaphone-powered octet from New Hampshire is a more microbrewery ale than a peach daiquiri. Think Hot 8 Brass Band, but with generally darker subject matter and fewer Marvin Gaye covers." $15 ADV $18 DOOR

For your safety all performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

Standing/dancing room available

The Stan Strickland/Josh Rosen Quartet will immerse you in a kaleidoscope of spontaneous interactions and multilayered compositional journeys. Stan, a legendary New England performer, entrances audiences world wide with his magical singing and soaring woodwinds. Rosen’s writing takes jazz into new dimensions, embracing influences from popular styles and classical forms, “a compositional mix of melodic and more tonally abstruse jazz, ranging from sly and funny to warmly, indelibly tuneful...absolutely gorgeous.” (Lucid Culture)

Bassist Bruno Råberg, with a deep sturdy sound and melodic touch, brings a European sensibility from Sweden. Drummer Dave Fox, virtuoso of many styles, can swing hard, rock out, lay down the funk, or set the mood with atmospheric accompaniment.

The Quartet is near telepathic, daring musical danger and living by the credo of Stan’s renowned never-ending Be Here Now Suite. “Deep listening, open-hearted playfulness, and attunement to the moment results in an amazing ride in the creative stream of ensemble jazz.” (Sue Robbins, Libana)

The concert will feature a unique collaboration with virtuoso violinist Jason Anick, well known to Kittery Dance Hall patrons. A stunning player, Jason has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel.

We expect improvisational fireworks in this meeting of Jason Anick with the Quartet!

A few of Stan Strickland’s prodigious credits include performances with the Boston Pops, the Village People, Aretha Franklin, and jazz greats Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, and Herbie Mann. His one-man show Coming Up For Air, An Auto-Jazzography received the prestigious Eliot Norton Award in theatre for best solo performance.

Josh Rosen has performed/recorded with jazz greats Joe Lovano, Mick Goodrick, George Garzone, Greg Hopkins, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, toured Ethiopia and Ireland with the Either/Orchestra and Ethiopian masters Mulatu Astake and Mahmoud Ahmed, and appeared at Lincoln Center’s Summer Festival. He has several ongoing musical projects, with 8 album releases and 2 more coming this year.

Bruno Råberg, an internationally renowned bass player and composer has made 12 recordings as a leader, and over 30 as a sideman. Råberg has worked with master jazz musicians Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Sam Rivers, Billy Pierce, Donny McCaslin, Billy Hart, Bob Moses, Mick Goodrick, Ben Monder, Bruce Barth, Jim Black, Matt Wilson, Ted Poor, Bob Mintzer, and John Medeski.

Dynamic drummer Dave Fox, always in high demand, performs regularly with The Gravel Project, AS3, and legendary Boston rock group The Stompers. Other artists Dave has performed with include Tom Hambridge and The Rattlesnakes, Jerry Bergonzi, David Tronzo, David Amram, and Charles Neville.

$15/advance $20/door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

This event has been POSTPONED! Please stay tuned as we work to find a new date!

Randy Armstrong and WorldBeat Marimba in collaboration with Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells return to the Dance Hall on Saturday May 7, 2022 at 7:30pm. After their sold-out concert in February 2020, WorldBeat Marimba and the Stairwells are excited to serve up their amazing blend of South African, Zimbabwean, Gospel, Reggae, Highlife and Contemporary songs. A celebration of music, culture and community featuring handmade South African marimbas, world percussion, mesmerizing choral arrangements, a cappella vocals and rhythms from around the globe. Special guests, Cynthia Chatis, voice and Marty Quinn, drums.

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba perform South African, Zimbabwe and Popular Songs on handmade South African Marimbas, Trinidad/Tobago Steel Pans, World Percussion and Vocals. Their exciting collaborative concerts include performances with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops! and with choruses Voices from the Heart, Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells, Songweavers, and the WorldBeat Marimba Singers. When listening and experiencing this upbeat and vibrant music, you will want to get up to dance and sing! It is a celebration of life and the art of unified ensemble playing. Featuring special guests, Cynthia Chatis, Voice and Marty Quinn, drums.

Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells

The Stairwells evolved from an eight-week a cappella class at Traip Academy in Kittery in the early 90’s. At the close of the session, they wanted more and Instructor/music director Ben Baldwin, felt the same. They continued rehearsals each week for many years and after a brief hiatus, re-formed in 2010 and continue to sing a repertoire of songs from Rockin’ Gospel to Doo Wop at concerts, weddings, fairs, libraries and multiple large community events.

$20 ADVANCE; $24 DOOR

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

The Nu Band is a dynamic jazz ensemble from New York City, featuring some of the most unique, compelling and in-demand voices in creative music today. The band was formed in 1999, and since then has released 10 recordings, completed 9 European and several US tours, bringing forward-leaning, provocative and evocative music to the world.

The Nu Band is Joe Fonda on bass, Lou Grassi on drums (both founding members of the group), Thomas Heberer on trumpet and Kenny Wessel on guitar. Each member of the ensemble composes and brings a fresh and individual take on dealing with improvised music, combining structure and freedom. The artists, all of whom lead their own groups, play and record with a variety of world-class musicians. The ensemble has found a voice together, collectively, reflecting years of experience and collaboration.

The band has an illustrious musical lineage and history. Past members of the Nu Band include saxophonist Mark Whitecage and trumpet player Roy Campbell Jr. The current edition of the Nu Band retains the core of the group’s concept, while forging ahead musically into the future.

This performance is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 

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$15 advance $20 door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

Annie and the Fur Trappers are a Boston based traditional jazz and blues band which formed in 2016. Originally founded in St. Louis, Missouri, the band currently includes clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, banjo, guitar, washboard, and violin. Annie and the Fur Trappers is dedicated to performing and preserving the music of the 1920s and 30s today. The band plays traditional jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and swing music. Their version of "Delta Bound" was selected to be displayed at the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian, Mississippi. Annie and the Fur Trapper's original song "You Break It, you Buy It" was selected for the St. Louis Blues Society's 17 in 17 compilation album. Annie and the Fur Trappers have performed at a variety of music festivals including the Big Muddy Blues Festival, The Whitaker Jazz festival The Apple Butter Festival, Cherokee Street Jazz Fest, HONK!TX, Musikfest, The Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, and The Rosebud Cafe Music Festival, to name a few.

The band released their second studio album, Muskrat Ramble, on vinyl in 2019. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Paul Niehaus IV at Blue Lotus Studios. The album includes a number of blues, traditional jazz, and swing favorites, and won an award as “Best Self-Produced Album” by the St. Louis Blues Society. The vinyl was pressed by Standard Vinyl. The band, relocating to the Boston area in 2020 during the global pandemic, the band has been working on recording a new album at PBS studios in Massachusetts. The new CD is expected to release in 2022. Annie and the Fur Trappers is available to play for your function with ease in the New England area, or with travel arrangements wherever you are located.

$15/advance $20/door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

Abiding by a love for adventure, Corner House finds purpose and solace in the beauty of earth and music. Clinging wholeheartedly to studied traditions, they tends to write and arrange music liberally comprised of Irish, Scottish, Appalachian Stringband, and Bluegrass influences.

The singular roots music scene of Boston, MA has long been a destination for musicians seeking level footing to build upon. On winter eves most suited for warm tea and blankets, Ethan Hawkins (guitar), Louise Bichan (fiddle), Ethan Setiawan (mandolin), found a musical home in one another. In the autumn of 2017, Corner House debuted at FreshGrass Festival in North Adams, MA, before recording an EP and touring Scotland the following year. Returning from overseas, the three found the illustrious cellist, Casey Murray, living just down the street and invited her to join the fold, unveiling the new line up on a second EP, Smart Folks, released in 2019. 

Finding themselves displaced, dispersed and unable to perform or travel due to the pandemic in 2020, plans for recording a debut full-length album were put on the back-burner. The group eventually managed to reconvene safely in July 2020, in the beautiful and inspiring setting of the Pennsylvanian countryside, fresh with new compositions, ideas and perspectives. There they laid down their third EP, Caribou Party, released on March 5th 2021. With their full length album underway, Corner House are optimistic for the future and excited for live music's big come-back!

“...ferocious fiddle, with a couple of the most talented and exciting young string players in the US right now. Any corners you get to turn with them are going to be unexpected fun.” Darol Anger

“Corner House’s music is thoughtful and inspired...points straight in the direction of where roots music is headed, and it’s a great and bright destination.” Bruce Molsky

“These fine musicians and lovely people think about each note they make and it comes together in something bigger. Simply beautiful music.” Maeve Gilchrist

“Corner House have created a gem of a second EP…an intricately arranged, wonderfully listenable mix of songs, instrumentals and styles.”  Natalie Haas

“It’s warm, beautiful, and earthly and feels like it comes straight from the soul.” Divide and Conquer

“...expertly played instruments and beautifully arranged vocal harmonies. Lilting, high flying and leaving a flutter in your chest.” Red Line Roots

“...a band of thrilling musicians...my advice is to listen up and watch out.” - Old Time News

“low, minimalist, spooked-mandolin ballad” folking.com

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING

The acoustic jazz ensemble, Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe. The virtuosic foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary. Led by violinist Jason Anick and guitarist Olli Soikkeli, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke on second guitar and Greg Loughman on bass, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre.

Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and one of the youngest violin professors at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. After relocating from Scandinavia Olli Soikkeli quickly became a top call guitarist in the bustling Brooklyn jazz scene. He has performed alongside Cyrille Aimee, and the celebrated guitarists Frank Vignola and Bucky Pizzarelli, and many prominent contemporary players. 

​Max O’Rourke was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, and at 22 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Greg Loughman is a top call bassist in Boston and has been heard with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone.

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS while in motion for patrons and staff.

$20/advance $25/door

Peggo and Paul with Kent Allyn will spread the love for Valentine’s Day. "P squared" and Kent have been musical partners for more than two decades, performing, recording multiple albums and sharing beach bonfires. Their performances are always light hearted and heartfelt featuring original folk songs, with the debut of a brand new tune, "Until the End of Time" and two songs written by Nashville singer-songwriter Ariana Hodes, (yes, a close relation!) including the title song. They will also honor two Seacoast area folk legends, whom we recently lost, with one of their all-time favorites, Roseville Fair, by Bill Staines, and a medley from Dave Surette and Susie Burke, "Give Me One More Day and Time Marches On." There's no better way to celebrate a true Hallmark Holiday than this Valentine's Day concert at The Dance Hall.

$15/advance $18/door

All performances at The Dance Hall require:

PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION against COVID-19 or

PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST administered within 72 hours.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS for patrons and staff.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS REMAIN IN PLACE: PROOF OF VACCINATION & MASKING