New Orleans Jazz Legend Don Vappie

On Saturday, May 17 The Mainstay in Rock Hall is thrilled to welcome Creole jazz banjo legend Don Vappie. Vappie is descended from a long line of jazz musicians from the river parishes of New Orleans. He plays with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (one of the most illustrious bands ever to appear at The Mainstay) and Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders, fan favorites of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. His music credits include performances at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis and recordings with Bette Midler, Terrence Blanchard, Diana Krall, Peggy Lee, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Eric Clapton, and many others. His film credits include American Creole: New Orleans Reunion, Zora Neal Hurston: Jump At The , and the television series Treme.

Vappie also teaches jazz guitar at Loyola University in New Orleans and is an expert on the history of Creole music.

In addition, he has received awards for his contributions to the preservation of New Orleans Creole Culture through music and film. He has produced 7 of his own albums, co-produced and starred in a PBS documentary, performed as a featured artist with orchestras on movie and television soundtracks, and at concerts and festivals around the world. It is said that Vappie’s highly regarded unique and original tenor banjo style is equal only to his love of his Creole heritage and tradition.

On Saturday, May 10, The Mainstay welcomes nationally celebrated singer/songwriter Vance Gilbert. Vance Gilbert is one of the principal players on the national folk scene, and one of the originators of the R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover genre.

Starting out, he hoped to be an R&B and jazz singer but soon discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of the acoustic singer-songwriter genre. Word spread quickly about Gilbert’s stage-owning singing and playing, and national recording artist Shawn Colvin invited him to be the opening act on her 1992 Fat City tour. In his 30-year career he has also shared the stage with artists as varied as Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, The Milk Carton Kids, and Southside Johnny. The mid 2000’s found Gilbert opening 150+ shows for comedian George Carlin.

Gilbert is known for his humorous, comfortable, improvisational stage manner. His repertoire has a wide range, covering Joni Mitchell one moment and doing what sounds like a jazz classic (but is actually his own) the next. Many songs tell profound stories and touch on important topics.

30 years into his career, the songwriter’s influence can be felt all over the contemporary national Folk and Americana scene as he has helped pave the way for many of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color musicians artists who have followed.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described him as having “the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god.”  Richmond Magazine commented that “If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert”.

Gilbert has also been a prominent presence at some of the world’s most prestigious gatherings and halls, among them the Newport, Winnipeg, Rocky Mountain, Calgary, Ottawa, and Falcon Ridge Folk festivals, the Kate Wolf Music Festival, Mountain Stage, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Nashville’s Lyman Auditorium, and The Barns at Wolftrap.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall,

On Friday, May 2, Joe Holt, the host and accompanist for the Mainstay’s First Friday series, has come up with another intriguing gathering of talent for his monthly show. Joe will share the stage with jazz/ Klezmer clarinetist Seth Kibel and bluegrass fiddler Nate Grower.

Nate Grower is perhaps best known as the fiddle player for superstar David Bromberg’s band. He has played with the late Allen Toussaint, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, John Oates (of Hall and Oates), KebMo, and Arlo Guthrie.

Seth Kibel is highly regarded as a jazz and ethnic Klezmer music sax and clarinet player. He is the winner of 28 Washington Area Music Awards (Best World Music Instrumentalist and Best Jazz Instrumentalist).

The evening celebrates what Klezmer, bluegrass, and jazz have in common – improvisation.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall,

On Friday, April 25 the Mainstay is excited to present the legendary blues and “roots rock” band The Nighthawks. The group was founded in Washington, D.C. more than 40 years ago by Little Walter-disciple Mark Wenner.  The musical product of AM radio in D.C., Werner did not know there were rules against mixing blues, R&B, honky-tonk country, doo-wop, gospel and rockabilly into one delicious stew. The result was a work-every-night band based on American roots music. The Nighthawks subsequently survived all the professional and personal struggles of keeping a band afloat for more than four decades. But they soldiered-on for four decades, along the way playing with the great blues masters, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Gregg Allman, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, and John Lee Hooker. And despite their notoriety, awards, and international acclaim they remain a roll-up-your-sleeves/ drive to the next gig/ carry your own gear up the steps and make people happy kind of band. After all these years, they still maintain an incredible touring schedule and continue to add to their growing repertoire.

Today, the band’s lineup consists of Mark Wenner on vocals and harmonica; Johnny Castle on vocals and bass; Paul Bell on guitar; Mark Stutso on drums and vocals.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets

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The Mainstay Presents Its Next Free Singer/ Songwriter showcase

On Sunday, April 27, the Mainstay in Rock Hall is pleased to host another Singer/ Songwriter Showcase concert event. The idea for the Showcase is the brainchild of The Mainstay’s ongoing Delmarva Singer/Songwriter Association that meets monthly. The Showcase features an afternoon of original music written and performed by over a dozen local singer/ songwriters who share the stage in small groups in a Nashville-style “round” format and then take turns performing selections of their original music.

The show will feature award-winning songwriters as well as up and coming local and regional artists.  The list of performers includes Ashley Chapa, Stephanie Aston Jones, Tom Chirip, Julie Derrick, Don Clark, Jerry DiAngelo, Mark Einstein, Frank Hogans, Jimmy Jimmy, Barbara Parker, Nick Ray, Dave Simmons, and Scott Wells

The showcase starts at 4 PM and there is no charge for admission, but donations are appreciated. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Saturday, April 12, The Mainstay in Rock Hall is pleased to once again present vocalist Karen Somerville in a new retrospective tribute show about the legendary Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.

Somerville is a favorite on the Eastern Shore for her stylish vocal arrangements and her ability to interpret and convincingly deliver a wide variety of musical genres. Her name has long been associated with the shows she has produced for solo and group performances, including programs of Gospel, Blues, jazz, and folk music.

Mainstay founder, Tom McHugh described Somerville as “a jazz singer, par excellence.” She is a favorite of regional audiences for her jazz vocals that are by turns sweet, sassy and sultry. She has received high praise for her performances with the Gospel trio Sombarkin’ and the New Gospelites, and for her stunning performance as Bob Kaufman’s muse in Robert Earl Price’s play “The Golden Sardine.”

Karen has also done back-up vocal work for numerous artists, including Stevie Wonder on his “Songs in the Key of Life” 2014 tour, and she has produced 3 albums: “Everyday Is Sunday, the heritage of a cappella gospel”, “Love Cures”, and “Our Stories, Our Songs”.

American Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson was widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson peaked the popularity of gospel blues in black churches during a time when racial segregation was pervasive in America. She sold an estimated 22 million records and performed in front of integrated and secular audiences in concert halls around the world.

Accompanying Karen on the Mainstay stage will be Gerry Werner on piano, Jeff Davis on bass, Ray Anthony on drums, Van Albert on acoustic guitar, and Steve McGovern on harmonica.

On Friday, April 4 Joe Holt, accompanist and host of the Mainstay’s First Friday series, and his guests take the evening’s music in a brand new direction. Joe, who is well-regarded throughout the Delmarva area as a jazz pianist, welcomes Kevin Short (vocalist with the country band Big Hat, No Cattle) and Chet Atkins-style guitarist Billy West (from the band Bird Dog and the Road Kings) for an evening of familiar classic country tunes. They will perform classic tunes by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Larry Gatlin, Willie Nelson, and more.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall,

At 4 pm, March 30, The Mainstay in Rock Hall will host a special fundraiser for the Kent County High School Music Boosters.

“Generations Band Together” project, started by Judi O’Neill, includes five KCHS musicians and several local professional musicians who are volunteering their time to perform with the students.

The pros are Philip Dutton, Sem Ortiz, Dave James, Dave Sharp, Marc Quigley, Nevin Dawson, and Frank Gerber.  The students are seniors Teo O’Brien and Phoebe Preston, junior Lynden Saunders, sophomore Bjorn Birkmire, and freshman Beckett Vivier.

The musicians have played at Open Mic at The Garfield on February 26th, and will be performing at Heron Point on March 26th,

Their programs include multiple styles of music, from Mozart to Chicago to Herbie Hancock.

There is no admission charged for the show. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall. For more about the Mainstay, go here.

On Sunday, March 30 at 4 PM The Mainstay is pleased to present the only public full presentation of Generations Band Together. This performance showcases a recent collaboration between local professional musicians and five music students from Kent County High School. The aim of the program is to support, strengthen, and celebrate the Kent County High School music program, and to give motivated students the opportunity to not only perform with seasoned professional players, but also to gain from the experience of playing publicly.  The program includes multiple styles of music from Chicago (the group) to Herbie Hancock to Mozart.

The students who will be performing are Beckett Vivier, Phoebe Preston, Teo O’Brien, Lynden Saunders, and Bjorn Birkmire. The adult players include Philip Dutton, Dave Sharp, Frank Gerber, Nevin Dawson, Mark Quigley, Dave James, and Sem Ortiz.

There is no admission charged for the show. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall. For more about the Mainstay, go here.