My husband and I are huge fans of Jesse Cook and with gorgeous music and extraordinary musicianship, his concerts are not to be missed. Tom introduced me to his work several years ago when I was looking for a uniquely beautiful sound to score a short film for the Berkshire Museum, about butterflies in flight, for which Jesse graciously and generously permitted. More about Jesse and Monarchs when my forthcoming documentary is released.
Jesse Cook travels the world with his fingers. Through his globe-spanning and genre-bending compositions, the nimble-fingered guitarist has taken nouveau flamenco to places it has never been, creating new fascinating hybrids. As one of the most celebrated instrumentalists on the planet, Cook is forever restless, constantly searching for new sounds, rhythms and textures to explore.
Born in Paris and raised in Toronto, Cook studied classical and jazz guitar, and as a child was always intrigued by the highly rhythmic rumba flamenco style. Following up on that curiosity, Cook dove headfirst into the gypsy musical tradition as he began to find his own musical voice. After a show-stopping performance at the 1995 Catalina Jazz Festival, Cook’s little-heard debut, Tempest, suddenly took off in the U.S., landing at # 14 on the Billboard Charts. Cook’s career has seen steady growth in the years that followed, his multi-cultural take on rumba flamenco striking a nerve with listeners. One of the hallmarks of his sound and aesthetic is to travel the world, meeting and collaborating with artists and incorporating the results into his music. In addition to headlining concerts and festivals, he has opened for such legends as B.B. King, Ray Charles, The Chieftains and Diana Krall.
In 1998, Cook was nominated for a Juno Award as Instrumental Artist of the Year. In 2001, he received a Juno Nomination for Best Male Artist, as well as winning in the Best Instrumental Album category for Free Fall. In 2009, he was Acoustic Guitar’s Player’s Choice Award silver winner in the Flamenco category. He is a three-time winner of the Canadian Smooth Jazz award for Guitarist of the Year and numerous other awards. Over twenty years into his career, Cook is now forging more than just musical traditions of the world. With his 2015’s One World, he is now forging the ancient with the modern, infusing contemporary sounds of the electronic digital age into his timeless rumba flamenco rhythms.
“…lightning fast and bright flamenco guitarist…Jesse Cook…is about as seductive, percussive and danceable as this kind of music gets…also a powerful pop songwriter, with each melody standing out above the weaving rhythms sung by his intoxicating strings.” Jazziz
CAST PARTY: Podcast Festival Live 
On Friday, March 6 at 8 pm, Justin Townes Earle will bring his genre-busting style of folk music to the Shalin Liu Performance Center. In the past five years, Justin Townes Earle has emerged as a genre-busting acclaimed singer-songwriter, infusing country, blues, folk and indie rock into his vintage Americana sound. As the son of beloved country folk rabble-rouser Steve Earle, Justin (his middle name Townes is in honor his father’s mentor and friend, the great Townes Van Zandt) had large musical shoes to fill, but after five critically-adored records and an ever-growing legion of fans, it’s safe to say he’s done that.
On Saturday, March 7 at 8 pm, the Billy Childs All-Star Quartet will perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. A tremendous jazz pianist and 2015 Grammy Award winner, Billy Childs plays and composes in a unique style that borrows heavily from the classical world, but still manages to be wholly his own. A three time Grammy winner as well as a 2009 Guggenheim fellow and a recent recipient of the esteemed Doris Duke Performance Award, Childs has been playing professionally since the 70’s. His first big break came when asked to tour with trombone legend J.J. Johnson. He became a fixture in Freddie Hubbard’s band in the late 70’s and 80’s, making a name for himself as a remarkable sideman and accompanist. A composition major at USC, Childs eventually began gaining acclaim for his writing and arranging, receiving commissions from Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Kronos Quartet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and the American Brass Quintet, among others. He has also arranged for mainstream pop artists such as 
On Sunday, March 8 at 5 pm, the Hot Club of Cowtown, expertly combines the dusty stomp of Western swing with hot gypsy jazz. This Austin-based trio has crafted a unique and infectious hybrid that playfully blurs musical boundaries. Fiddler Elana James, guitarist Whit Smith and bassist Jake Erwin have been conjuring the spirit of both Bob Wills and jazz manouche legend Django Reinhardt for close to fifteen years and show no sign of slowing down. Since their first recording in 1998, Hot Club of Cowtown found an almost immediate and dedicated following, the band’s joyous musical alchemy filling dancefloors at first throughout Texas and eventually across the country and the world. Their repertoire covers an understandably large spectrum with little-heard vintage Western swing tunes mixing in with gypsy jazz and pre-war pop standards, as well as a burgeoning stable of catchy originals. They’ve released ten acclaimed records, including 2013’s Rendezvous in Rhythm.  Tickets: $28-$46
On Tuesday, March 10, at 8 pm, Danú, one of Ireland’s most cherished Irish folk bands and among the leaders of the new traditionalist movement in Celtic music, will thrill the audience with their instrumental virtuosity and powerfully emotive ballads at the Shalin Liu Performance Center.  Based in the city of Waterford (Dungarvan Co.), the talented septet (along with kindred spirits like Lúnasa and Dervish) has successfully brought Celtic music back to its earthy, traditional roots while keeping a modern, youthful sensibility. The band has released seven records since forming in 1994, and has been voted Best Overall Traditional Act by 
Saturday, March 14 at 8 pm, two-time Grammy nominee and legendary acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke will perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Known for his signature fingerpicking style drawing from blues, jazz and folk music and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies, Kottke is widely recognized as a master of his instrument and has collaborated on records with legends such as John Fahey, Chet Atkins and Lyle Lovett. After Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut album Mudlark, he became somewhat uneasily categorized in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, Kottke flourished throughout the 1970’s with albums like Greenhouse, My Feet Are Smiling, and Chewing Pine. In 2002, Kottke’s collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, on the album Clone, caught audiences’ attention and the collaboration continued with an island music inspired album entitled Sixty Six Steps. Tickets: $39-$58
On Sunday, March 15 at 5 pm, Maceo Parker stands among the legends of funk, forging the first half of his stellar career as a sideman for the genre’s forefathers James Brown and George Clinton. From being an essential voice in Brown’s horn section to helping steer George Clinton and Parliament’s Mothership Connection to platinum status, his soulful saxophone playing and vocals are firmly rooted in funk music history. As a soloist and bandleader for the last two decades, he has created his own musical juggernaut, highlighted by the smashing success of the live record Life on Planet Groove. In recent years Maceo has brought his seminal sound to collaborations with Ray Charles, Ani Difranco, James Taylor, Dave Matthews Band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Prince. In 2012, he received the Les Victoires du Jazz in Paris: a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to music, as well as an Icon Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Tickets: $80, $70, $50
On Sunday, March 22 at 3 pm, the American Brass Quintet—Kevin Cobb and Louis Hanzlik, trumpet, Eric Reed, horn, Michael Powell, tenor trombone, and John Rojak, bass trombone—performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. A groundbreaking ensemble that has been at the vanguard of brass chamber music since its founding in 1960, the American Brass Quintet has forged a powerful legacy that cannot be overstated. The ABQ has premiered works by Jan Bach, 
On Thursday, March 26 at 8 pm, the pioneering Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. This Band has crafted a musical legacy that has spawned an entire genre of music, influencing a generation of country-rock bands in its over 45 year history. Their 1970’s album Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy included their first major hit, a cover of Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles.” In 1972, the band made their official leap into country music, releasing a triple-album Will the Circle Be Unbroken that featured many of Nashville’s living legends, including Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson among others. The now-iconic record has since become a landmark country-rock album, setting the stage for bands like The Eagles and Alabama, who gratefully followed in their wake. Later notable releases included Stars and Stripes Forever (1974) and An American Dream (1979). The band has had some line-up changes, but is now made up of a quartet, including guitarist Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden, Bob Carpenter and John McEuen. They’re most recent record (and 33rd release) Speed of Life hearkens back to their freewheeling, live-in-studio acoustic albums for their 70’s heyday.   Tickets: $55-$85
On Sunday, March 29 at 3 pm, the Brattle Street Chamber Players performs in the Community Connections series at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. The fourteen-member Brattle Street Chamber Players has quickly developed into one of Harvard’s most exciting musical chamber ensembles. A conductorless string chamber orchestra, Brattle has brought an intimate and dynamic approach to a broad-ranging repertoire of standard, seldom performed and newly composed music for strings since its founding in 1998. They have garnered rave reviews and a reputation for premiering works by Harvard undergraduates and collaborated with ensembles including the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, the Harvard University Choir and the Harlem Boys Choir. Tickets: $15-$20
Friday, January 2, 8 PM
                       Ian Watson, fortepiano
Next Generation Recital with
Sunday, January 25, 5 PM
On Saturday, September 6 at 7 pm, classical guitarist Sharon Isbin performs a concert including the Massachusetts’ premiere of her documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour. A three-time Grammy Award winner, she has released more than 25 recordings covering a wide range of styles, genres and composers. She’s played with more than 170 orchestras over the world, has commissioned more concerti than any guitarist in the modern era, and has won numerous awards and accolades, including being the first guitarist to win the renowned Munich Competition. Isbin’s music has ranged from Baroque to Spanish/Latin to crossover jazz to contemporary new music. Her documentary includes guest appearances from a wide array of luminaries including Michelle Obama, Joan Baez, Steve Vai, Stanley Jordan, Garrison Keillor, Mark O’Connor, Martina Navratilova and many more. The evening includes an Artist Meet and Greet Reception following the concert. Tickets: $28-$46
On Friday, September 5 at 8 pm, the Scottish folk trio Cantrip perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Expertly balancing tradition and innovation, the band—Jon Bews (vocals, fiddle), Dan Houghton (vocals, pipes, flutes), and Eric McDonald (vocals, guitar, mandolin)—infuses a modern sensibility to beloved Scottish folk tunes as well as their own compositions. Originally a quartet, the band quickly gained a following in Scotland and signed with the well-respected Foot Stompin’ record label, for which they released their 2001 debut, Silver. Their next two self-released records (Boneshaker in 2005 and Piping the Fish in 2008) further cemented their place among today’s premier traditional folk acts. The band has just finished its fourth album and their performance at the Shalin Liu is the CD Release Party.  Tickets: $20-$25
On Thursday, September 25 at 8 pm, singer-songwriter Joan Osborne will perform songs from her latest release Love and Hate, which combines her folk and jazz influences with her tremendous songwriting. Rolling Stone magazine reviewed the new CD stating that “there’s a substance and depth here that is not easily achieved, and I think Osborne is getting more interesting with time.” Well-known for her 1995 breakout album Relish with her hit song “One of Us,” Osborne was catapulted into super stardom with seven Grammy nominations. In recent years, Osborne has worked in the world of blues and R&B, from which her love of singing began. In 2002 she cemented her reputation as a top tier soul singer with the acclaimed documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown and a tour with legendary Motown band The Funk Brothers. Earning a 2013 Grammy nomination, Bring It on Home was her first album composed entirely of covers in that genre, featuring songs by Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Nina Simone and Otis Redding. Tickets: $39-$58
Folk singer Melanie performs for the first time at the Shalin Liu Performance Center on Saturday, September 27 at 8 pm. A singer-songwriter known for her surprise starring role at Woodstock and her subsequent #1 hit “Brand New Key,” Melanie has remained an iconic voice for that generation.  Melanie was just 22 when she got her big break, being invited to perform at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Before that, the Queens native had been playing in relative obscurity in the Greenwich Village folk circuit. It wasn’t until after Woodstock, when she wrote and recorded a tribute to the festival and its attendees called “Lay Down” (Candles in the Rain)” that her star truly began to rise, the single hitting #6 on the pop charts. So began a string of hit singles and albums including “What Have They Done to My Song, Ma?” As the 70’s rolled along, Melanie continued to write and record, releasing a steady stream of albums throughout the years, retaining a cult audience enamored by her whimsical songwriting style and powerful emotive voice. Her most recent effort, 2013’s Ever Since You Never Heard of Me, was produced by her son, Beau Jarred. Tickets: $28-$46
Thursday, August 28 at 8 PM
Saturday, August 30 at 3 & 8 PM
On Tuesday, July 1 and Wednesday, July 2, at 8 pm, singer-songwriter 
On Saturday, July 5 at 8 pm, Dweezil Zappa is keeping the musical legacy of his legendary father alive with a series of tours called 
On Sunday, July 6 at 5 pm, two-time Grammy Award-winning clarinetist 
former lead singer and creative force behind the group YES, Jon Anderson stands as one of the most recognizable voices in progressive rock. His distinctive high tenor remained a fixture on mainstream rock radio for decades, fronting the band’s biggest hits throughout the 70’s and 80’s including “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout,” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” He was also primarily responsible for many of the band’s epic pieces like “Close to the Edge,” “Awaken” and “The Gates of Delirium.” Since parting ways with YES, Anderson has continued his idiosyncratic musical path, touring and releasing solo records while delving into folk and world music.  
Good Morning Gloucester 