The 2024 Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival is a second-generation Bluegrass Festival, and 2024 marks 45 Years of Bringing Bluegrass Music and Family to the shores of Mid-Coast Maine. The festival is a 4-Day event, starting August 29th, 2024. It features world-renowned acts and legendary late-night picking. It truly is a can't-miss event, where the Music Meets the Sea!
The Concord Open Bluegrass Jam is a weekly, community driven jam session that prides itself in being an open space for local musicians and music-lovers to socially engage and create music together. Maxfield Anderson leads the group through vocal songs and instrumental tunes from a variety of musical traditions, including bluegrass, old time, classic country and western, blues, swing, and beyond. Musicians are encouraged—never required—to bring in songs to play with the group. The Jam is open to acoustic musicians including voice, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, dobro, bass, cello, harmonica, etc. and at all levels, as well as community members who wish to listen and enjoy the beautiful sanctuary. The Jam is open to the public. A $10 suggested donation is greatly appreciated! Thank you. July 11, 18 August 1, 29
For twenty-three years, this duo has been thrilling audiences around the world with their singing and guitar playing. Multiple IBMA award winners, including several best guitar player wins for Kenny, and best vocalist for Amanda. They played at GuitartownCT twice, the last time in 2018, and we are thrilled to have them back! Bring chair and refreshments. Outdoor concert at 166 Mather Street, Hamden, CT. Tickets $35 at https://www.guitartownct.com. In case of bad weather we will move inside.
One of the brightest young luminaries in roots music today, Sierra Ferrell brings a dose of beautifully strange magic to everything she touches. Since the arrival of Long Time Coming (her acclaimed debut LP for Rounder Records), the West Virginia-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist has earned the Emerging Act of the Year prize at the Americana Honors & Awards, collaborated with the likes of Margo Price, the Black Keys, Shakey Graves, Zach Bryan, Diplo, and Old Crow Medicine Show, and enchanted audiences all over North America and Europe with her high-spirited and dazzling live performance. On her new album Trail OfFlowers, the Nashville-based artist expands her sound while deepening the urgency of her songs, often revealing a wealth of wisdom within her wildly imaginative storytelling.
From an early age, Michael Cleveland heard old-time and bluegrass music at local jams and festivals near his hometown of Henryville, Indiana. His grandparents hosted regular bluegrass gatherings at the American Legion, and at age four, he began playing the fiddle. He attended the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, where he learned the Suzuki method of violin. While he practiced the violin at school, he played fiddle at home. Cleveland had always dreamed of leading his own band and in 2006, he formed Flamekeeper, seven-time recipients of the IBMA’s “Instrumental Group of the Year” award, including Josh Richards, Nathan Livers, Jasiah Shrode, and Chris Douglas. In addition to touring with his band, Cleveland has performed with a legendary list of bluegrass greats: Bela Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, Vince Gill, and more. Widely considered the bluegrass fiddler of his generation, Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the IBMA’s Fiddle Player of the Year and in 2018 was inducted into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddler’s Dream was nominated in 2018 for a GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album, and in 2019, he won a GRAMMY for his album Tall Fiddler. The same year, Cleveland’s amazing life of adversity and achievement was featured in the documentary film Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. And in 2022, he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship.
An alumnus of celebrated progressive bluegrass bands Joy Kills Sorrow and the Yonder Mountain String Band, Jacob Jolliff is one of the genre’s top mandolinists and a sought-after collaborator, sharing the stage with Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, Sam Bush, David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Michael Daves, and many others. In 2022, Jacob was called on by banjo master Béla Fleck to tour as part of My Bluegrass Heart. He performed around the country alongside Béla and some of the top musicians in the genre: Bryan Sutton, Cody Kilby, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Michael Cleveland, Stuart Duncan and Billy Contreras. Now, the mandolinist’s main focus is The Jacob Jolliff Band, a group of virtuosic pickers – Jolliff on mandolin and vocals; Myles Sloniker, bass; Ross Martin, guitar; and George Jackson, fiddle – who play Jacob’s original instrumentals and songs. They tour nationally in the US, Scotland, and Australia, and have released two albums, “Instrumentals Vol. 1” in 2018 and “The Jacob Jolliff Band” in 2022.
Saturday, October 12, 7:30 pm at Cafe Amici, 1640 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT. Tickets $30. Tray is a young banjo virtuoso, and a 2 time IBMA winner. His hard driving young band have their feet in traditional bluegrass, and their hearts in progressive string music. Guitar/ Nick Weitzenfeld Mandolin-fiddle/ Josiah Nelson Bass/ Katelynn Bohn Banjo/ Tray Wellington Festival favorites, catch this rising star while you can!
Based in Raleigh, NC, banjo star Tray Wellington has received a number of accolades, including two awards from IBMA — 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year and 2019 Momentum Band of the Year (with Cane Mill Road). Tray can now be found performing all over the country with Tray Wellington Band.
Based in Raleigh, NC, banjo star Tray Wellington has received a number of accolades, including two awards from IBMA — 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year and 2019 Momentum Band of the Year (with Cane Mill Road). Tray can now be found performing all over the country with Tray Wellington Band.
Celebrate the cool fall days with a delicious catered dinner at the historic Seashore Trolley Museum. Take a trolley ride before dinner! Dinner runs 4:30-5:30. Southern Rail's concert runs 5:30-7:30