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Archives

Winter/Spring 2025 Season

National Stage 

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Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light

Jim Shaffer opens

January 11th  $17-22
 

Fresh off a first place win at the 2023 Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival band competition, Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light have been captivating audiences throughout the northeast. With songs as sweet and biting as the nectar and venom in her voice, Sumner's lyric-forward writing and penchant for snaking chord progressions demand something far beyond folk conventions, highlighting the acrobatic range of her brilliant bandmates Kat Wallace (fiddle) and Mike Siegel (upright bass).


Sumner is no stranger to the stage. She spent her early career on the bluegrass circuit, singing and writing with the genre-bending Boston group Twisted Pine. Since setting out on her own, Sumner's songs have been critically acclaimed, winning the Lennon Award in the folk category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song "Radium Girls (Curie Eleison);" earning her a spot in the Kerrville New Folk Competition; and being chosen four consecutive years by WBUR/NPR as one of the top Massachusetts entries in the Tiny Desk Competition.​

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Website: https://rachelsumnermusic.com/home

Video: https://youtu.be/NBmM8UACk8c

Video: https://youtu.be/FPZoKte3zd8

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“Meticulous songwriting” – NPR

 

“Praised by audiences for her powerful, lonesome voice and haunting songs, Rachel Sumner carefully spins melodies that get caught in your head and delivers them “with an attitude and drive in her guitar playing...sure to strike a chord and dig deep into your heart.” – Red Line Roots

National Stage 

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Guy Davis

January 25th  $20-25
 

Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author, and songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. His background in theater is pronounced through the lyrical storytelling of songs “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, “Welcome to My World”, and “Got Your Letter In My Pocket”. His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep, and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music, meant to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking.

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 He recently added Broadway Composer to his CV by writing the incidental music for the recent Tony nominated revival of his father, Ossie Davis' play, "Purlie Victorious". Guy won “Keeping The Blues Alive” Award, and was nominated by The Blues Foundation for Best Song of the Year, Best Acoustic Album of the Year, Best Acoustic Artist of the Year, and Best Instrumentalist. In fact, he's been nominated nearly two dozen times by the Blues Foundation.

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Website: http://guydavis.com/wp/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfuRrQ8hgzY

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“Truth be told, there just aren’t many who can deliver Americana in as interesting and entertaining a manner – or give acoustic traditional blues such a contemporary sound – as Davis, and it sure is a lot of fun hearing him explore the different sides of the genre here on Kokomo Kidd.”

The Blues PowR Blog

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National Stage 

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Mike Powell

February 8th  $17-22
 

“A Mike Powell performance is an exhibit in honest talent. One of the premier singer/songwriters in music today” – NYS Music

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A natural born storyteller with stage presence that's best described as "real".  His spontaneous nature and extreme comfort behind a microphone creates a vibe that engages audiences in a way that only authenticity can. His songs are filled with powerful imagery and thought provoking themes but a Powell performance is much more than just a concert - it's an exploration into the human heart. Seamlessly weaving hilarious tales of everyday life with heartbreaking songs of tragedy, loss & blue collar hardship.  Pulling from his catalog of over 200 original songs and accompanied by his musical companion of over 15 years, multi-instrumentalist John Hanus, they have become one of the "must see" acts in Central New York.

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​Website: https://mikepowell.co/home

Fall 2024 Season 

National Stage

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Delaney Brothers Bluegrass

John Delaney's Birthday Celebration

September 14th   $17-22
 

Back for the third consecutive year to open the Oswego Music Hall 2024 Fall Season,  two-time SAMMY winners, Delaney Brothers Bluegrass is one of CNY's oldest and best-loved bluegrass bands. More than just bluegrass, their music is influenced by many other acoustic traditions such as country, folk, gospel, and celtic. Fans are treated to a musical experience that sets toes tapping and… John Delaney’s birthday celebration!

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Website: https://www.facebook.com/DelaneyBrothersBluegrass/

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National Stage

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Alice Howe & Freebo


Cam Caruso opening

September 28th   $17-22

ALICE HOWE & FREEBO

 

Alice Howe and Freebo present a unique study in contrasts, bringing together a rising voice in Americana music and a venerable rock, folk, and blues icon. Each a compelling performer in their own right, they both lead and support each other in their well-crafted songs with flawless harmonies and tasteful instrumentation. They have worked as creative collaborators in the studio and on stage since 2017. Freebo weaves his unique fretless bass stylings into Alice's superb vocals for a presentation with undeniable chemistry.

 

To hear Alice Howe sing is to be enraptured by the natural, unaffected beauty of her voice. There’s no artifice, no histrionics — just honest, authentic, emotionally resonant singing in the tradition of the roots music that shaped her. On Circumstance, her second and latest album, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter guitarist displays her vocal prowess and introspective writing in abundance, mining both her heart and her musical tastes for a deep, personal journey across an Americana soundscape dotted with blues, folk, country, soul and rock. Recorded in two sessions at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Etta James and Wilson Pickett once shook the walls, the record channels their spirits with 11 stirring tracks that pull no punches diving into the vagaries of the heart and her own personal journey. As an old soul inside a 30-something millennial, Alice puts her stamp on Americana’s venerable strands with 10 standout originals evoking both the classic singer-songwriters and the seminal music that once filled airwaves, roadhouses and juke joints.

 

Freebo is best known for his decade of touring and recording with Bonnie Raitt, and has distinguished himself as one of the great bassists of our time, playing on records with CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, and Neil Young as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live, The Midnight Special, The Muppet Show, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap. Not willing to simply rest on those achievements, Freebo delved more deeply into his creativity and has become a highly regarded singer/songwriter, now working on his 6th full-length solo CD. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo’s music reflects his compassionate concern for the world and people around him, and his lyrics and open stage banter have helped him connect with listeners worldwide. A live musical experience with Freebo is astute, insightful, clever, and truly melodic.

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 www.alicehowe.com

www.freebomusic.com

National Stage

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Peter Mulvey

Mark Wahl Opening

October 19th. $17-22
 

Peter Mulvey has been a songwriter, road-dog, raconteur and almost-poet since before he can remember. Raised working-class Catholic on the Northwest side of Milwaukee, he took a semester in Ireland, and immediately began cutting classes to busk on Grafton Street in Dublin and hitchhike through the country, finding whatever gigs he could. Back stateside, he spent a couple years gigging in the Midwest before lighting out for Boston, where he returned to busking (this time in the subway) and coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional and then national and international touring. The wheels have not stopped since.

Nineteen records, an illustrated book, thousands of live performances, a TEDx talk, a decades-long association with the National Youth Science Camp, opening for luminaries such as Ani DiFranco, Emmylou Harris, and Chuck Prophet, appearances on NPR, an annual autumn tour by bicycle, emceeing festivals, hosting his own boutique festival (the Lamplighter Sessions, in Boston and Wisconsin)… Mulvey never stops. He has built his life’s work on collaboration and an instinct for the eclectic and the vital. He folds everything he encounters into his work: poetry, social justice, scientific literacy, & a deeply abiding humanism are all on plain display in his art.

In late January 2019, Mulvey and his band, SistaStrings (Chauntee & Monique Ross) with Nathan Kilen on drums, decamped to their home turf, the Cafe Carpe, in Fort Atkinson, WI where they spent just five days making two records in the tiny back room. The live record, “Peter Mulvey with SistaStrings Live at the Cafe Carpe” is out now on Righteous Babe Records. It’s a celebration of a world that is temporarily on hold: a small folk club, packed with listeners, and a band shoulder-to-shoulder, playing and singing with intimacy and abandon.

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Website: https://www.petermulvey.com/

Guest Curator Series

Curator: Dave Kaspar

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Jazz By The Lake
featuring Opus Black Strings

October 26th  $15-18   
SUNY Oswego students $10
(with SUNY ID)
 

Opus Black Strings is a dynamic violin, viola, cello string trio. Opus Black Strings reimagines the boundaries of classical music with their innovative arrangements of alternative rock, jazz and pop hits. Their captivating performances blend virtuosity with modern flair, creating a unique and unforgettable musical experience. The group was established in 2016. The contemporary trio performs music from Beyonce to Led Zeppelin. Opus Black Strings has a penchant for the unorthodox,  Opus coming from the traditional catalog of a composer, and Black because they perform with Lewis and Clark carbon fiber instruments. The trio consists of Kristen Kopf, Allyson Skylar and Liz Ingersoll.  

Kristen Kopf is a cellist and veteran performer and pioneer of alternative education for 30 + years. She performs with Monk Rowe, and is a freelancing musician. Allyson Sklar is the owner and operator of Valley Talent Education Center, and The Mohawk Valley Strings Orchestra. She performs with the Half Moon Orchestra, and plays viola with Opus Black Strings. The lifeforce of the Opus Black experience comes from the stylistic interpretations of Liz Ingersoll. Known fondly as Liz “Fiddle”, she was dubbed a “CNY Treasure”. Liz lights up the stage with her dynamic performance and genuine smile. Liz is a freelancing musician and educator, and owns and operates Music With Liz teaching studio and The State Bridge Collective, art and music venue MusicWithLiz.com

National Stage

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Carsie Blanton

November 2nd  $25-30
 

Carsie Blanton is a songwriter with hooks, chutzpah, and revolutionary optimism. Inspired by artist-activists including Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie, her catalog careens through American popular song from folk and swing to pop-punk protest anthems. 

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With her unique mix of humor, soul, and political wit, and fifteen-plus years on the road, Blanton has amassed a dedicated fan base and a small menagerie of viral hits (Rich People, Shit List, Fishin’ With You). Her most recent album After the Revolution, produced by Grammy-winner Tyler Chester, was released in March, 2024.

 

Carsie Blanton is that rare artist who knows how to combine savvy stagecraft and airtight songs with a revolutionary spirit. Take her latest hit, “Rich People,” which swept TikTok by storm with over 3 million views and, true to its name, laid bare wealth inequality in the process. Songs like “Shit List” and “Dealin’ with the Devil” lampoon neo-Nazis and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, respectively, and indicate why she has been hailed as an artist who creates “beautiful, militant anthems,” with the ability to make ”revolution desirable to your body, even if your head resists it” (NPR, American Songwriter).

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Despite the struggles she readily acknowledges, Blanton retains a sense of hope, which shines through in her songs and performances. “When you spend your time watching the news or social media, people seem cruel and stupid,” she says. “But I think that by a wide margin, people are good, and want to take care of each other.” Her songs "Be Good" and “Lovin’ is Easy" are steeped in that spirit, inviting us to “love everybody alive.” 

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After keeping her band afloat throughout lockdown with live-streamed ‘Rent Parties’, going viral with a song memorializing John Prine (“Fishin with You), and releasing a critically acclaimed mid-pandemic album (2021’s Love and Rage, “fighting fascism with big hooks and an even bigger heart" - American Songwriter), Blanton chose to bring some nuance to her success, with her recent exposé in The Nation, laying bare the economics of the modern-day music industry.

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The galvanizing spirit of her work is backed up by expertise. Blanton and her impeccably dressed “Handsome Band” bring skills betraying their long tenure as live musicians. Accompanied by Joe Plowman on bass, Patrick Firth on keys, and Sean Trischka on drums, their performances are a rich musical gumbo of genres, meandering from Americana and rock to cocktail jazz, Motown, and pop punk. With three-part harmonies thickening their sound, and kazoos leavening it, her dynamic sets range from slapstick jokes to call-and-response protest songs, making Blanton and her band “a festival presenter’s secret weapon, guaranteed to win over the crowd” (Promoter Roger Menell).

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Blanton makes no attempt to disguise her far-left political leanings, but at the heart of her music is love, and her songs are capable of tethering us to our shared humanity across socio-political lines. No matter where they begin, every audience leaves her show transformed into friends and comrades, united in laughter, camaraderie, and hope.

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Website: https://www.carsieblanton.com 

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National Stage

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Abbie Gardner

Ryan David Green (from Ryanhood) opening

November 16th  $17-22
 

Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile. Whether performing solo or with Americana harmony trio Red Molly, her acclaimed tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable lap style slide guitar playing. Solo performances feature the dobro as a solo instrument, bouncing between a solid rhythmic backbone and ripping lead lines, all in support of her voice and songs. Her latest recording DobroSinger hit #11 on the Billboard Blues Chart. It’s intimate, real and raw - her dobro and voice recorded at the same time at home, without a band or any studio tricks to hide behind. You can hear every breath, every chuckle, as if you are in the room with her.

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You might recognize Abbie from the female trio Red Molly. That’s where she’s honed her skills since 2004 – writing songs, singing and playing the lap-style resonator guitar often referred to as a Dobra. It’s typically an instrument that you’d find in the midst of a 5-piece bluegrass band, but here Abbie pushes the boundaries and uses it on her own without accompaniment. Here’s the record that she always dreamed of making. Using a tiny closet recording studio in her home in the shadow of NYC, Abbie gathered a collection of songs and recorded them raw – singing and playing without a band, without separating the voice from her instrument, and without any studio tricks to hide behind.

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“DobraSinger is a naked little roller coaster of an album, when we get to hear how good Abbie Gardner really is. By turns awkward, raucous, fragile, and forceful, it sounds like Abbie is in the room with me, maybe sharing a stage and, honestly, I don’t know how to follow her. Nobody wants to follow her.” – Jonathan Byrd, Songwriter

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​Website: https://www.abbiegardner.com 

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Ryan David Green's music has been called "virtuosic acoustic guitar that is remarkably accessible", with fast fingerwork that is always in service of unmistakable melodies. Performing a blend of instrumental guitar pieces and delicate vocal tunes, Green takes audiences to a place both otherworldly, and somehow surprisingly intimate.
A graduate of Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, Ryan David Green has performed on four continents, been profiled in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and twice been named "Best Guitarist" in the Tucson Music Awards (where he currently resides). His original compositions have received numerous film and TV placements, including shows on E!, Lifetime, and ABC Family/Freeform.
His acoustic-duo Ryanhood (with musical partner Cameron Hood) has performed with a wide-range of artists including Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, and Train, and were named the "Best Group/Duo" in the International Acoustic Music Awards.
His debut solo-guitar album Off and Running releases on June 14, 2024.

 

Website: https://ryandavidgreen.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FVcBH2oGV0&authuser=0

Guest Curator Series

Curator: Dave Kaspar

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Jazz By The Lake

November 23rd    $15-18 ($10 SUNY Oswego with ID)
 

The final #JazzByTheLake presentation of 2024 is the group Taj.  This group was formed in 2019 with its first performance at #JazzInTheBurps, where they are a fan-favorite. The group has had various members over the years. The one constant is the founder, guitarist Mikal Serafim.

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Mikal Serafin arrived in CNY in 2010 with his original blues group called Funky Blu Roots. This group performed at area clubs and was featured at the Chenango Blues Fest and Syracuse Blues Fest in various years. If you are a fan of artist like Robben Ford or Larry Carlton, you are in a for a treat. 

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Bassist Sean Peters hails from Utica, NY. Sean has played with various groups in CNY. He explores musical genres of Blues, Americana and Jazz. He released his first solo album in 2023. Keyboardist Dan Pugh has performed at #JazzByTheLake previously with The Count Blastula Trio. He currently has two bands of his own, The Dan Pugh Trio and Lvl 100, where he performs as a bassist. Drummer Gary Iacovelli is a veteran of the CNY music scene. He drummed for the horn band Prime Time and is also a member of the Steely Dan tribute band The Royal Scam. Currently, he performs with the Longwood Jazz Project, the Jill Minye Trio, and the Dan Pugh Trio as well as Taj. 

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This is a presentation of The Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Guest Curator program. It is made possible in part by the NYS Council on the Arts. 

Guest Curator Series
   Curator: Phase Zero, Inc.

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Holiday Rocking Relief

December 14th  $16
 

Phase Zero Inc will be holding a Holiday Rocking Relief at Oswego Music Hall in the McCrobie Civic Center in Oswego.  This evening of fun will be held on December 14 starting at 7PM and will feature The Real News.  Door prizes and raffles will be held throughout the 2-hour event.

 

The Real News is Rochester’s premier high energy rock and cover band.  It is comprised of music industry veterans; with them playing, there's not a chance the crowd will stop dancing! From Los Angeles, to Florida, to NYC and beyond, The Real News has been spreading their musical "message" to satisfied crowds for years. 

 

This event is being held to raise money for Phase Zero which is a new nonprofit organization started in 2024 to find better ways of dealing with the refugee crisis.  In a world where over 117 million people are refugees, better ways must be found!  This enjoyable family-friendly night will help to do that.

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For more information, email tom@phazezeroharbor.com 

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Website: https://www.phazezeroharbor.com/

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National Stage

The McKrells

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December 7th $17-22
 

Somewhere tonight, across the country or across the sea, a singer, sitting on a stool on a pub’s corner stage, is belting out a Kevin McKrell song, and the crowd is singing along. McKrell pioneered American Celtic music beginning in 1979 with Donnybrook Fair. The original trio’s 1982 album, “Tunnel Tigers,” remains a landmark of the form, with its blend of Clancy Brothers swagger and upstate NY attitude. McKrell honed his powerful performance style further in the 80s with The Fabulous Newports, a rambunctious harmony group known as much for its antics, cut-up comedy and long list of eventual members as for its sweet singing.

 

In 1998, McKrell—who has three solo albums to his credit—formed a powerhouse band under his own name, merging the Irish sensibility of Donnybrook with a steely, world class bluegrass edge. The McKrells toured harder than Donnybrook, bringing its music, with McKrell’s lusty vocals supported by hot string band picking, to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Folk, Irish and Bluegrass festivals and concert venues around the country.

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Offstage, McKrell, is a respected painter, with his work hanging in many of the halls he’s haunted, here and in Ireland, Scotland and Italy.He is best known, though, for his indelible songs—classics like “Home In Donegal,” “ You and Me”, “I Miss the Rain” and the eternal “All of The Hard Days Are Gone”—which, in addition to the raft of pub singers mentioned afore, have been sung and recorded by artists like The Kingston Trio, Bob Shane, Hair of the Dog, Wood’s Tea Company ,Get Up Jack, from Ireland The Furey Brothers, Seamus Kennedy ,The Druids, The Dublin City Ramblers from Scotland North Sea Gas, from Australia Pat McKernan.

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​Website:  https://themckrells.com/

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