Rachel Z & Ozymosys August 30th

**DATE CHANGED DUE TO IMPENDING WEATHER**

Rachel Z is a spiritual human expressing her light through alternative electronic jazz rock music, composition and production. Rachel Z is a keyboardist with a long history of award-winning performances in the worlds of jazz and rock. She co-wrote the Grammy-winning song 'Tokyo Blue' with saxophonist Najee. In addition to her 13 albums as bandleader and her work in internationally acclaimed bands such as Steps Ahead, Vert?, the Omar Hakim Experience, and OZmosys, she has played and toured with artists like Wayne Shorter (on the Grammy-winning album High Life), Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, Al Di Meola, and Regina Carter. She also co-wrote the Grammy-winning song, 'Tokvo Blue' with saxophonist Najee Rachel came to worldwide prominence in the rock world in the Peter Gabriel concert films Growing Up Live and Still Growing Up Live.

Since 2000, she has been a Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Music Studies at The New School University in New York. Since 2022 also a Professor of Jazz Studies and Electronic Music at Montclair State University and Cali School of the Arts.

Her Timeline Bio reads like this: 1988 co-wrote the Grammy Award-winning and certified Gold Record "Tokyo Blue" saxophonist Najee. From 1988-96 keyboards and piano with fusion band Steps Ahead with vibes player Mike Mainieri. 1995 joined Wayne Shorter, on his album High Life, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. 1996 Columbia Records Trust the Universe, Rachel Z Band. 1997 "Room of One's Own - A Tribute to Women Artists" Rachel Z. Performs original pieces, including "Gently Sleeps the Pear Tree" and "Artemisia," and duets with host Marian McPartland in "Autumn Leaves." 1999 Rachel Z was a part of a jazz fusion project by Stanley Clarke and Lenny White "Vert?". 2000 Peacebox as a vocalist. 1996-2015 Neapolitan Italian pop legend Pino Daniele. 2002-2006 Peter Gabriel Growing Up tours and Hits Live. 2006 "Dept. of Good and Evil". 2010 with Omar Hakim &The Trio Of OZ. 2012-13 Recorded with Pino Daniele for La Grande Madre Tour while also performing OZ tour dates. 2013-14, Rachel Z recorded with The Omar Hakim Experience. 2014 recorded and toured with Wayne Escofferey "Live at Firehouse 12". 2014-16 Terri Lyne Carrington Mosaic 2 "Love and Soul" on Concords Records. 2015 Neal Schon Vortex/Journey. 2020-2021 Rachel Z earned her Masters at Suny Purchase in Studio Composition and Electronic Music. 2022 recorded, produced, and recorded Luna Lagos an electronic dance artist who performs IDM recordings. These two CDs, A Way of the Word Angelica, will be also released in Dolby Atmos Immersive audio.

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is very excited to present the rising star Katie Henry on August 23rd at Dykstra Park.

The New Jersey songwriter might have started out banging on doors, braving New York's blues clubs, playing piano until her fingers bled, and winning over the city one show at a time. But lately, the multi-instrumentalist has raced through career milestones at a rocket pace. There was her Blues Blast and IBMA-nominated 2018 debut album, High Road. Then her international breakout on Ruf Records' 2022 Blues Caravan Revue. And her starburst of media acclaim, including Henry Yates of Classic Rock, NME, and The Guardian, saluting "a runaway talent you need to keep up with."

Now, with the release of her second album, On My Way, Katie has found another gear. Whether slinging her trusty Gibson SG, hammering the keys, or hollering up a storm, these ten original songs, co-written with bassist and slide-guitar maestro Antar Goodwin, announced her as an alchemist who creates gemstones from the base metals of American roots.

"There's a great range of songs on this album," Katie reflects. "You get a sense of the things I've been going through, the fights I've won, the fights I've lost, and the determination needed to continue. All wrapped in a rock and roots package."

The story goes that at one early show, a fan astutely observed: "It's like she's got John Lee Hooker in her pocket!" Scratch this young artist, and you'll find an old soul. Fingering her first piano chords, aged six, and scrawling early songs in the back of her school notebooks, Katie was the heart of singalongs at her family home in New Jersey.

With fiery guitar chops and natural charisma, she was soon a New York City jam scene favorite. Those who were there, remember songs of many genres, blues, rock, R&B, funk, pop, soul, and country, and her stage presence evoked Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin at their most magnetic.

And while "High Road" was the introductory handshake, On My Way is the profoundly personal second album on which Katie gives you her beat-up heart. It all started in May 2021, when Brooklyn's Degraw Sound opened its doors to Katie and producer/guitarist Ben Rice. The crack lineup of Goodwin, Kurt Thum (piano/organ,) and Greg Wieczorek (drums/percussion,) plus British harp ace Giles Robson. "We recorded the album live during the pandemic," reflects Katie, "and it was so fun to be able to record in a room with people after feeling isolated for such a long time. The majority of the album was laid down live, and I love that feeling. It's like capturing lightning in a bottle."

The evening will start with a performance by the The Atlanta Cafe Band. Based in Stillwater, NJ, consists of 4 seasoned players of the blues/southern/country rock scene who have been together for the past decade playing hundreds of shows while at the same time receiving very respectable airplay and sales of their CD's "Waiting all night" and "American Spirit". "American Spirit" features the amazing slide guitar work of Sonny Landreth on the song "Playin' To Live". Their own compositions of blues/southern rock styled tunes along with a different take on selected covers has garnered them a dedicated following in the New York tri state area. Over the years the members have been in bands with players from or in concert/festivals with many national acts including: Sonny Landreth, Scott Sharrard, Blackfoot/Skynryd, Vanilla Fudge, George Porter, Jon Cleary, Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball, Anthony Gomes, The Good Rats, Mickey Gilley, Hank Williams Jr, Buck Owens, Willie Nile, Garland Jefferies, Tedeshi Trucks, Brewer and Shipley, From Good Homes and many, many others. They have appeared at the Black Potatoe Fest, The Highlands Fest at Waterloo, WNTI Stage Music Fest, Big Brew Fest , NJ Food and Music Fest, and Michael Arnones' Craw Fish Festival where they conducted a masters session and shared the stage with Grammy award winners George Porter, Marcia Ball and Jon Cleary. They also have worked with Homegrown Radio NJ and WNTI at various events and benefits for the stations. Come on out to hear them as their music will put a smile on your face, a stomp in your feet and a boogie in your pocket!

Jerry Vivino was born to Emily and Jerry Vivino, Sr. on January 8th, 1954, in Paterson, New Jersey. Music and art was an everyday thing in the Vivino household during Jerry's childhood and throughout his adolescence. Influenced by both his parents, Jerry couldn't help but to be exposed to the likes of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker as well as Count Basie, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. His older brother Floyd (Uncle Floyd Vivino) played a lot of Louie Prima and great swing and jump blues from the 30's, 40's and 50's. Jerry found that he enjoyed listening to many different types of music. He would even listen to symphonic music as well. Stravinsky, Debussy and Leonard Bernstein were among his favorites.

At 9 years of age, his third grade teacher gave him a soprano recorder and within 2 or 3 weeks, he was mastering the instrument. His parents took notice of his progress and by the age of 10, Jerry was taking clarinet lessons and he quickly progressed.

In 1968, when Jerry was 14, he bought his favorite album, Jethro Tull's, "This Was", and he still owns it to this day, keeping it in excellent condition. He also loved Al Kooper's original Blood Sweat and Tears, and their first recording, "Child Is Father To The Man" was his favorite. Jerry also actually wore out all of Chicago's first three albums! Other favorites included Elton John, The Beatles, James Taylor and especially Sly and the Family Stone. Jerry listened to a lot of R&B and Funk as well. And because of brother Jimmy's stereo speakers infiltrating into his room more often than not, he ended up being exposed to A LOT of Jimi Hendrix.

At the age of 16, Jerry started playing the saxophone. Jerry won state honors in the New Jersey All-State Jazz band in his junior and senior years in high school, which was ranked #1 in the state in 1971 and 1972. Throughout his high school years, Jerry listened to all types of music, but Jazz was his favorite. Stan Getz was his first real influence and Jerry knew he wanted to be a saxophonist after hearing Getz play.

Jerry attended the Manhattan School of Music in 1972 and 1973 where he studied with woodwind guru, Joe Allard. He left the Conservatory to pursue a musical career on the road. In between road gigs he would continue to study with Joe Allard and Ray Gerrard. Jerry formed a band with his brother Jimmy in 1974 and the brothers haven't stopped working since. As a horn player in the disco 70s, Jerry found that work was plentiful.

Jerry toured the country with Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons in 1978 and 1979. Jerry did not want to continue with lengthy tours, and wanted to make a living in New York, so he got off the road and started working steadily in the tri-state area. Jingle work and show work quickly followed. Jerry found himself working with Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles, to name a few. Jerry played in the band in many Broadway shows, including Leader of the Pack, Annie, A Chorus Line, Cats, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Starlight Express, Just Once, Groucho and Grease.

In 1989 Jerry was asked if he would play on a record with a relatively unknown band called Killer Joe. It was started by Joe Delia and Max Weinberg, who decided to contact a few session musicians in the NY area to form the group. A recording was released in 1990 and even though the project never really got off the ground, this is how Max Weinberg got to know Jerry.

In 1993, when Max was asked if he would put together a band for a late night talk show, he contacted Jerry to find out if he would like to audition for Late Night With Conan O'Brien. At that time, Jerry and his brother Jimmy were both playing with Donald Fagen and New York Nights, and were on the verge of making a commitment to the first Steely Dan Reunion tour. More than a few people thought they made the wrong decision, passing on a great opportunity to tour with Fagan and Becker for just the slim possibility of a TV show. Yet, Jerry eagerly agreed to the audition, and as it turned out, the Steely Dan Reunion tour only lasted five weeks! Jerry can still be heard nightly, playing in the Max Weinberg 7 on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

If you don't know Jerry personally, you certainly have heard him play. Featured on countless recordings, TV commercials and movie soundtracks, his resume reads like a Who's Who In Entertainment. Jerry has played with Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Son Seals, Paul Shaffer, Frankie Valli, Al Kooper, Dion, James Brown, Phoebe Snow, Donald Fagen, Dr. John, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis and the legendary Keely Smith, to name just a few.

Recordings for ESPN, Oreo cookies, Charmin and Wendy's head the list of advertisement (or jingle) work. Jerry has also played on many movie soundtracks, including such recent films as Maid in Manhattan, Auto-Focus, The Tao of Steve and the Sundance Official Selection for 2003, Camp. Jerry plays tenor, alto, soprano, baritone and bass saxophones, b-flat, e-flat and bass clarinets, flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, ocarina, recorder and Irish penny whistle.

Jerry's true passion in music is Jazz and R&B. In addition to being a member of the Max Weinberg 7, he can be heard playing with his brother Jimmy in the Vivino Brothers Band. He also is the leader of a really fun group with bass player Mike Merritt, drummer James Wormworth, keyboard player Brian Charretteand frequent guests, trumpet player Lew Soloff and guitarist Melvin Sparks.

Jerry's saxophone influences include Ben Webster, John Coltrane, King Curtis, Johnny Hodges, Cannonball Adderly, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon. Clarinet influences include Benny Goodman, Buddy deFranco, Aker Bilk, Pete Fountain, Sidney Bechet and Eddie Daniels. Flute influences include Jean Pierre Rampal, Hubert Laws, James Galway and Ian Anderson. However, Jerry's favorite musician is his wife, flutist Laura (Renino) Vivino.

Local favorite The Fabulous Rhythm Aces will get the party started. The Fabulous Rhythm Aces are a Blues, Jump, Swing and Rock & Roll band based in NJ & NY Hudson Valley

The Sparta Summer Concert Series welcomes legendary singer Bobby Harden on Friday August 2nd. Bobby, New York City's acclaimed soul singing sensation, thrills audiences globally as lead singer with the Original Blues Brothers Band, which features the legendary musicians Steve Cropper and 'Blue Lou' Marini. Bobby Harden is a classic example of a true "Soul Man."

Backed by his Soul Purpose Band, Bobby has opened up for soul legends Solomon Burke and Bettye LeVette. He has shared the stage with Eddie Floyd, Lionel Richie and, as lead singer of The Uptown Horns Revue, with Howard Tate & Benny King. Having toured Russia Bobby Harden is believed to be the first soul singer to perform in Siberia. He starred in the 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute concert at New York's Symphony Space. He has entertained royalty, Hollywood's elite, music superstars, and industry movers and shakers.

Whatever the venue or occasion, Bobby Harden is at home on stage. A natural entertainer, his engaging personality immediately connects with his audience. He's as compelling performing at New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center as he is in an intimate nightclub. Bobby is a performer's performer, and a singer's singer. His special gift is being able to make each and every audience member feel like the show was performed especially for them. Everyone leaves a Bobby Harden performance feeling like royalty.

He performed at President Obama's inauguration party and regularly plays with his Soul Purpose Band at City Winery, City Vineyard, The Falcon and Minton's Playhouse. Bobby holds a three-night a week residency at Greenwich Village's historic Arthur's Tavern. He's headlined at BB King's Club in NYC with his Soul Purpose Band, the venue where he himself was inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.

Ever the philanthropist, Bobby believes in giving back to the community whenever possible. He has performed at high-profile events for the American Cancer Society and Hearts of Gold Charity alongside fundraisers for local causes, including health care facilities and schools in his neighborhood. As a favored voice of corporate America, Bobby has sung TV jingles for American Express, Budweiser, Holiday Inn, and Slimfast.

Currently available online are Bobby Harden's two solo CD's, "Soul Purpose" and "River of Soul." Bobby stars on many other recordings, including the Original Blues Brothers Band's 2017 release "Last Shade of Blue Before Black", Stew Cutler's "Every Sunday Night", and Chris Carter's "Up All Night". His latest single "Runnin' (To Get To Your Love)" is out on Dala Records. More material is due out soon featuring Bobby Harden with The Soulful Saints (the house band for Dala Records, who backed Charles Bradley). Bobby is featured on Stew Cutler's forthcoming CD, and there's more music to come with Soul Purpose in the near future.

Bobby Harden is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, the fertile soil that gave rise to legends such as The O'Jays and Bobby Womack. The "Big Apple" is now proud to claim Bobby Harden as its own "Soul Man". Sparta may lay claim too, after the show!

Adam Jacob is a singer/songwriter who has performed throughout the Northeast, playing solo shows and opening for various local, regional and national acts. Adam currently lives, writes and records in his home studio in Sparta, NJ. He spends his free time with his wife and two boys, who are often the subject of his original folk/rock and country tunes, providing an unfiltered and humorous view of modern family life.

Coming all the way across The Atlantic is French bluesman Manu Lanvin & The NYC Session Band. After releasing his first three albums between 2000-2006, in which he mainly focused on rock music, Manu Lanvin finally found his most natural path with the Devil Blues, a power trio that suited him perfectly.

In 2013, he played 120 concerts, including prestigious stages in Europe and the United States (such as Olympia, Apollo Theater, and Montreux Jazz Festival), and was jointly invited by Claude Nobs and Quincy Jones to perform at the Jazz Foundation of America's galas in New York. He was selected to represent France at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis in 2014, and finally won the Cognac Blues Passions Prize in July 2015. During this infernal tour,  the Devil Blues found time to produce the brilliant "SON(S) OF THE BLUES" in 2014, which retains a large part of the musical heritage of the southern United States and Highway 61.

On November 13, 2015, Paris suffered an unprecedented terrorist attack. Youth, freedom, and the world of entertainment were targeted, and the whole world was shaken. "If the gods are here to kill, then I prefer to be the Devil because mine doesn't kill, mine advocates peace and love through music, blues, and rock 'n' roll," Manu said, getting a devil tattooed on his back. This strong image was immortalized by photographer Eric Martin and became the cover of the album "BLUES, BOOZE AND ROCK’N’ROLL" released in 2016.

"BLUES, BOOZE AND ROCK’N’ROLL" is undoubtedly Manu's album of maturity and earned him praise from the music press and recognition from professionals. The album was selected as one of the "Best Albums of the Year" by Le Parisien, his show was recognized as one of the best performances of the year by Rock & Folk magazine, and Manu was nominated for "Best Male Performer" at the 2017 Globes de Cristal. 

Acclaimed by an increasingly large audience at "Le Diable" concerts and hailed by his peers such as Paul Personne, who regularly joins him on stage, or Johnny Hallyday, who invites him to open for him, Manu perfectly embodies the disillusioned bluesman who sings about life's low blows while remaining an optimistic rocker who advocates for devil's music for a better world.

During the 2017 tour, Manu and his team stopped for three days at the 4A Sound Factory, a recording studio located near the Forges Les Eaux casino, to record some covers. These 3 days quickly turned into 13 studio days, during which Manu, surrounded by his favorite musicians, embarked on recording a new full album consisting of some revisited blues classics as well as original songs, all recorded live in this superb vintage-equipped recording studio. The result is "GRAND CASINO" a pure Blues n' Roll album where one also discovers and savors with delight some duets with prestigious friends who have answered the Devil's call: Taj Mahal, Beverly Jo Scott, Johnny Gallagher, Popa Chubby and  Paul  Personne.

The NYC Session Band are an allstar cast featuring guitarist Arthur Neilson (Blue Angel w/Cyndi Lauper & decades with Shemekia Copeland), bassist, producer & composer Mike Muller, and British drummer Steve Holley (Wings, Joe Cocker, Ian Hunter & Elton John).

Opening the show, Cold In Hand. Veterans of the Tri-state Blues scene, Bob Lanza and Al Gold join forces in a new group they call, “Cold In Hand”. Both are singers, songwriters, guitarists and recording artists with their own sound, vision and inspiration. Add Mark Pavlica and Tom Papadatos (bass & drums) and you add tone, taste, ability, experience and an unflappable nature to go above and beyond what’s asked of them. Playing from NYC, NJ to Texas, New Orleans and back again, their energetic up-tempo style connects with any age audience.

Whether Billy Hector is teasing you with his sultry slidework, picking through delta blues or flat-out cranking it up and crunching out the electric blues/rock on his beloved vintage Fender Stratocaster, his music reflects the true soul and origins of the blues; always passionate, engaging and dedicated to making the audience move and sweat. Having honed his chops and style through three decades of performances, Hector is critically recognized as one of the hottest and most interesting guitarist/songwriters on the original circuit and has even been called "A New Jersey state treasure" by music writers.

Early in his career, Billy Hector identified himself as a deeply-grounded and versatile player drawing his influences from important predecessors including T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan and a host of others across musical style and genre. But, as with all truly great musicians, recognizable influences are interesting only insofar as they provide a departure point for the musician's spirit. It falls on the musician to shape his predecessor's ideas into music that does not simply replicate but engagingly adds to the whole. Most can only aspire to this level of creation; Billy Hector generates it in spades and it happens every night.

In the late 70s, Hector's first stop was as the guitarist for The Shots, a horn-driven R&B group that took over the house band role from Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes at the renowned Stone Pony. He moved on as lead guitarist for Hot Romance, a band based at the infamous Mrs. Jay's biker bar in Asbury Park that also began receiving New York City radio airplay for its original songs.

In the mid-80's, drawn back to earlier musical roots, Billy Hector formed the five-piece blues/rock band The Fairlanes and, co-wrote and released three independent albums on the Blue Jersey label.

By early 1993, Hector regrouped as a power trio and renamed his band The Billy Hector Band. The band's present lineup is guitars/lead vocals Billy Hector, drummer Sim Cain and bassist Tim Tindall. The Billy Hector Band also performs acoustic blues in multiple personnel configurations.

A prolific songwriter/composer, Billy Hector has fourteen albums to his credit, most on the independent Ghetto Surf label. And with over thirty-five years of performing under his belt, Billy Hector is recognized as one of the hottest guitarists and songwriters playing the original circuit and serves up what more than one reviewer has called "one of the best shows you'll ever see".

The night will begin with another Jersey guitar great, a W.C. HANDY/BLUES FOUNDATION AWARD WINNER, Mr. Johnny Charles. JOHNNY CHARLES HAS TAKEN HIS BLUES GUITAR ON THE ROAD FROM SYRACUSE TO MEMPHIS, AND ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN. JOHNNY HAS SHARED THE BILL WITH BLUES GREATS SUCH AS B.B. KING, ROY BUCHANAN, JIMMY VAUGHAN, ANSON FUNDERBURGH, ROOMFUL OF BLUES, JOHN MAYALL, JOHNNY COPELAND, DR. JOHN, HUBERT SUMLIN AND RONNIE EARL. THIS EXCEPTIONAL BLUES ARTIST TAKES HIS OWN SOUND AND UNIQUE STYLE INTO NEW AND EXCITING BLUES HORIZONS.

***Unfortunately, Danielia Cotton is forced to cancel her performance on Friday due to illness.  Danielia is a favorite of our series, and we wish her a speedy recovery.  The good news is that her friend Debra Devi is stepping in to bring us a night of Blues-Rock guitar!***

Debra Devi plays "dreamy blues-rock and blistering psychedelic jams" (Relix) driven by her soulful voice and expressive guitar playing. American Blues Scene says, "Imagine you're preparing a list of today's top female blues/rock guitarists. No doubt you'll include Bonnie Raitt, Samantha Fish and Susan Tedeschi. If you don't include Debra Devi, your list is not complete." 

 Devi is a popular draw at blues and rock festivals from Memphis to Montana. Her live EP, Jamification Station Vol. 1, reached #5 on the Relix/Jambands Top 30 Radio Chart, staying on the chart for three months.

Gov't Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson joined Devi on her previous EP A Zillion Stars Overhead. Americana Highways calls their collaboration "exciting and mesmerizing."

Devi has opened for Willie Nile, Joan Osborne, Jesse Malin, Ana Popovic, Fantastic Cat and more. She is also the author of The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (foreword by Dr. John), winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. She's based in Jersey City NJ.

Part-Time Custodian is an indie rock band from New Jersey.  Over the past few years they have built a diverse catalog of songs that have caught the ear of new fans at venues throughout the tri-state area.   Some have said their sound has a Counting Crows/Wallflowers vibe.  They're totally fine with that.  Mike Herz, the band's frontman and accomplished folk singer,  has a degree in English Lit  (questionable choice) and lead guitarist Joe Palmisano is married to a Librarian, so perhaps the best way to define their sound is "Language Arts Rock".   They have released two critically acclaimed EP's,  “Crown in Afterglow” (2021) and “Vacant Valleys” (2023), and a single “All Boxed In” (2024) which can be found on all streaming platform.

Kicking off the summer season with a bang. A little about these Gentlemen...DUSTIN DOUGLAS & THE ELECTRIC GENTLEMEN’s dynamic, heavy, swagger- injected, sexy & dirty, blues-influenced rock n’ roll brings vintage sound and vibe to modern ears. The band’s much-anticipated third album Black Leather Blues via Mo Mojo Records underlines this and much more.

“All I’m trying to do is continue the tradition of The Stones, Zeppelin and The Faces,” says Dustin Douglas. “Take the traditional blues spirit, mix it with some heavy rock n’ roll and play it for a new generation. But it ain’t your poppa’s blues,” he adds. “I listen to Rage Against the Machine as much as I listen to Muddy Waters. That blend of influences is what makes it unique.”

Fronted by the transcendent lead guitarist/singer/songwriter Dustin Douglas, The Electric Gentlemen—rounded out by drummer Tommy Smallcomb and bassist Matt “The Dane” Gabriel—command the stage with virtuosic musicianship and classic-rock spirit mixed with punk rock attitude that leaves even the most discerning music fans falling in love with their style at the end of any live show.

On the 10-song Black Leather Blues, Pennsylvania’s Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen put the pedal to the floor, asking for no mercy with heavy riffs, huge hooks and memorable, blues-inspired rock n’ roll rhythms that takes listeners on a familiar yet fresh musical journey.

Black Leather Blues was recorded at Eight Days a Week Studios in Northumberland, PA by Paul Smith (Badlees) who engineered and co-produced the album with Douglas. It was mixed by Brian Moncarz (Alice Cooper, Our Lady Peace, Phillip Sayce) and mastered by Brian Lucey (Black Keys, Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys, Buddy Guy, Doyle Bramhall II, Green Day, Liam Gallagher, Elvis Costello.)

The album was launched with the single/video “Broken,” described by Rock and Blues Muse as “a soul-cleansing shot of progressive blues/rock minimalism that’s as much about the space between the notes as the notes themselves. Dustin Douglas is a first-class guitar shaman, weaving together spellbinding riffs and solos that transport listeners directly into his world.” The publication added: “His vocals are strident and strong, expressing the hard blues inherent in 21st Century life.”

The album’s second single/video is the rhythmically dynamic and lyrically pointed “Why Would You Say Such A Thing,” which underlines the band’s ability to create modern blues-rock with plenty of attitude and drama. “From the moment I wrote it, I felt it would be a signature song for us,” says Douglas. “It defines what we do as a band. It has a big riff, danceable rhythm, catchy chorus and an ole’ school broken-hearted, blues-inspired lyric.” “Why Would You Say Such a Thing” is destined to be one of the band’s best-received songs.”

BLACK LEATHER BLUES is the follow-up album to DDEG’s 2018 release, Break It Down which charted on The Blues Album Charts, Blues Singles Charts and Blues-Rock Single Charts. In 2018, the band took home two Steamtown Music Awards (Scranton, PA) for both “Blues Artist Of The Year“ and “Album Of The Year.” Notably, again in 2019, they found themselves with 3 Steamtown Nominations—Guitarist Of The Year, Video Of The Year for “Broken” and Live Performers Of The Year—as well as an Independent Blues Music Award nomination for Blues/Rock Song of The Year for “Out of My Mind.” On top of that, the Central PA Music Hall Of Fame nominated the band in 2021 and 2022 for “Blues Rock Band Of The Year.”

The Outcrops will get the concert started. The Outcrops play music with heart. They have dug their roots into the music of rock n roll, blues, funk, and soul legends. Within their show, they often pay homage to artists such as BB King and Aretha Franklin, and bands such as The Grateful Dead and The Band. Their original music stems from that same soulful soil, ranging from gritty blues to upbeat Americana.

Chris O’Leary Band Concert September 1st

Chris’s musical background includes duties as lead singer and front man for rock and roll hall of famer and Grammy award winner Levon Helm’s band, The Barnburners. During the 6 years that Chris and Levon played together they toured across the US and Canada lighting up stages everywhere they went. Chris has appeared on stage with: Legendary Rolling Stones sideman Bobby Keys, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmy Vivino, Jeff Healy, Dan Akroyd, Albert Lee, Dave Edmunds, Dave Maxwell and the great James Cotton to name just a few. Chris has also recorded with Bill Perry and Hubert Sumlin, among others.

The Chris O’Leary Band’s debut CD “Mr. Used to Be” won the 2011 Best New Artist Debut CD Blues Blast Award and was nominated for best new artist debut at the 2011 American Blues Music Awards.

The regular members of the band include: Tom Terry — bass, Chris DiFrancesco — baritone sax, Andy Stahl — tenor sax, and Andrei Koribanics — drums.

There latest recording is ‘7 Minutes Late’. Once again Chris O’Leary delivers a versatile and varied blues/rock album. He digs into his roots and delivers on twelve kickin’ new tunes.

“Chris sings in a strong, clear voice and plays a mean harp … It is always good to see new acts writing their own material and not resorting to covers of the usual suspects. A band to watch out for, in my view.”— John Mitchell, Blues Blast Magazine.

Opening the show to kick off Labor Day weekend is Bobby Syvarth & The Spartians. It’s the fall of 2007 and Bobby Syvarth is in a recording studio at the foot of Laurel Canyon. He’s working with producer Bruce Witkin on his next record, “Hellos And Goodbyes”, for Bruce’s fledgling record label, Unison Music; the label he started with the help of his old bandmate and music aficionado Johnny Depp. Looking back in time through his retrospectascope, he spies a 15 year old Bobby trying to learn how to strum a guitar and sing at the same time. Even though California was always his North Star, he never imagined a kid from Jefferson, NJ could navigate his way to L.A. to be surrounded by the ghosts and spirits of Laurel Canyon. But here he was, writing and recording songs — walking the same streets as his songwriting heroes of decades past.

Fast forward 15 years and to the casual observer, success still seems elusive. But success isn’t always about those who burn brightest. One can dance around the cracks without falling through them and the act of creation, bringing a fully formed song into existence, is itself a success.

And now comes Silver Lake Boulevard, the long anticipated follow up to Hellos And Goodbyes. By the time Bobby got to town, Silver Lake Blvd. was the new Sunset Blvd. and he felt right at home chilling with the rovers, wanderers and artists who were dreaming their own dreams there. L.A.(and Silver Lake Blvd. itself) inhabit most of the songs on this new record. And as if to mirror the Wrecking Crew, the vaunted group of L.A. studio musicians that were responsible for the vast majority of the hit records pouring out of southern California in the 1960’s, Bobby used his own Wrecking Crew. Bill Goodwin (himself an actual member of the original Wrecking Crew) and Tony Marino, both veterans of the Phil Woods Quartet, are the rhythm section for two stand out tracks on the record, including California, the first single and video from the record. California, was filmed by Academy Award winning cinematographer Jessica Young and directed by Tim Carbone from the band Railroad Earth, Bobby’s longtime collaborator who also produced the record.

And so the dance around the cracks of life continues and Bobby looks good doing it. Falling through those cracks may or may not be in his future but the songs keep coming. Birds fly, fish swim — songwriters write songs and songwriting is Bobby in his natural state.

Billy Hector Concert August 18th with Guitar Giveaway !!

Whether Billy Hector is teasing you with his sultry slidework, picking through delta blues or flat-out cranking it up and crunching out the electric blues/rock on his beloved vintage Fender Stratocaster, his music reflects the true soul and origins of the blues; always passionate, engaging and dedicated to making the audience move and sweat. Having honed his chops and style through three decades of performances, Hector is critically recognized as one of the hottest and most interesting guitarist/songwriters on the original circuit and has even been called "A New Jersey state treasure" by music writers.

Early in his career, Billy Hector identified himself as a deeply-grounded and versatile player drawing his influences from important predecessors including T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan and a host of others across musical style and genre. But, as with all truly great musicians, recognizable influences are interesting only insofar as they provide a departure point for the musician's spirit. It falls on the musician to shape his predecessor's ideas into music that does not simply replicate but engagingly adds to the whole. Most can only aspire to this level of creation; Billy Hector generates it in spades and it happens every night.

In the late 70s, Hector's first stop was as the guitarist for The Shots, a horn-driven R&B group that took over the house band role from Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes at the renowned Stone Pony. He moved on as lead guitarist for Hot Romance, a band based at the infamous Mrs. Jay's biker bar in Asbury Park that also began receiving New York City radio airplay for its original songs.

In the mid-80's, drawn back to earlier musical roots, Billy Hector formed the five-piece blues/rock band The Fairlanes and, co-wrote and released three independent albums on the Blue Jersey label.

By early 1993, Hector regrouped as a power trio and renamed his band The Billy Hector Band. The band's present lineup is guitars/lead vocals Billy Hector, drummer Sim Cain and bassist Tim Tindall. The Billy Hector Band also performs acoustic blues in multiple personnel configurations.

A prolific songwriter/composer, Billy Hector has fourteen albums to his credit, most on the independent Ghetto Surf label. And with over thirty-five years of performing under his belt, Billy Hector is recognized as one of the hottest guitarists and songwriters playing the original circuit and serves up what more than one reviewer has called "one of the best shows you'll ever see".

The evening will start with a performance by the The Atlanta Cafe Band. Based in Stillwater, NJ, consists of 4 seasoned players of the blues/southern/country rock scene who have been together for the past decade playing hundreds of shows while at the same time receiving very respectable airplay and sales of their CD's "Waiting all night" and "American Spirit". "American Spirit" features the amazing slide guitar work of Sonny Landreth on the song "Playin' To Live". Their own compositions of blues/southern rock styled tunes along with a different take on selected covers has garnered them a dedicated following in the New York tri state area. Over the years the members have been in bands with players from or in concert/festivals with many national acts including: Sonny Landreth, Scott Sharrard, Blackfoot/Skynryd, Vanilla Fudge, George Porter, Jon Cleary, Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball, Anthony Gomes, The Good Rats, Mickey Gilley, Hank Williams Jr, Buck Owens, Willie Nile, Garland Jefferies, Tedeshi Trucks, Brewer and Shipley, From Good Homes and many, many others. They have appeared at the Black Potatoe Fest, The Highlands Fest at Waterloo, WNTI Stage Music Fest, Big Brew Fest , NJ Food and Music Fest, and Michael Arnones' Craw Fish Festival where they conducted a masters session and shared the stage with Grammy award winners George Porter, Marcia Ball and Jon Cleary. They also have worked with Homegrown Radio NJ and WNTI at various events and benefits for the stations. Come on out to hear them as their music will put a smile on your face, a stomp in your feet and a boogie in your pocket!

It doesn’t end there. The Atlanta Café Band has generously donated a Fender Squire Stratocaster signed by guitar greats Sonny Landreth, Cindy Cashdollar, Steve Forbert, Johnny Charles and more, to be auctioned off at the concert.

Kara Grainger August 11th

"Talk about star power, a killer voice and guitar skills. She said to the band as much to the audience, "I think tonight, we'll just play some blues." Playing slide guitar, Grainger began with rootsy blues, her voice full-bodied with plenty of soul. There was clarity there too with that unmistakable bell tone mixed with grit. We were in for some serious musicianship with Kara Grainger. Her vocals packed a punch and she played monster guitar solos that had the crowd whooping and clapping. Nice to see a female musician kick some a** like that". - Rock & Blues Muse.

Her music career began in a small suburban town of Sydney Australia and since then has taken her on an incredible journey throughout the globe. Combining slide guitar, soulful vocals and a heartfelt approach to songwriting, Kara's truly unique sound will leave you uplifted, inspired and always wanting more.

At the age of 16 Kara joined with her brother Mitch Grainger to form the band "Papa Lips". The band toured consistently throughout Australia and produced two studio albums that received national air play. The band was heavily influenced by the sounds of Stax recording in Memphis, and by the Funky style of blues and soul that derived from New Orleans.

In 2008 Kara signed to Australian label "Craving Records" and was invited to the US by producer David Kalish where she recorded her debut solo album. The recording entitled "Grand and Green River" received critical acclaim and remained in the top 30 of the Americana Charts for 38 straight weeks.

Since then, Kara has made three further albums whilst residing in the US. In 2011 "LA Blues" was recorded live at Studio City Sound. The cd paid tribute to some of Kara's earliest blues inspirations and in 2013 kara recorded and released "Shiver and Sigh" through Los Angeles record label "Eclecto Groove." The album was produced by grammy award winning producer David Z with some of LA's finest musicians, including Mike Finnigan, Hutch Hutchinson, James Gadson and Kirk Fletcher among others.

One of Kara's touring highlights was performing in North East India for the Himalayan Blues Foundation. Her performance at the "18 degrees cultural Festival" introduced the local community to roots and blues music for the very first time. She has traveled to Indonesia several times to perform at the the Jakarta International Blues Festival, performing together with her US band and also as a special guest with "The Jakarta all Women Blues Review".

In 2011 she toured Japan opening the show for "The Swampers and Donnie Fritts", the infamous house Rhythm section for "Fame Recordings" in Muscle Shoals. She has taken her band to Switzerland where she performed at the "Sierre Blues Festival" as well as at "Lucerne". The band has also toured in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Spain.

In the US, Kara has performed at several Festivals such as 'The Portland Waterfront Blues Festival', 'Blues from the Top' in Colorado and "Austin City Limits". She has also opened the show for many extraordinary acts such as Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal and Jonny Lang, to name a few.

Opening the concert is a well-known guitarist from Jersey, Johnny Charles. He's an exceptional blues artist with his own sound and unique style. Johnny is a W.C. HANDY/Blues Foundation Award Winner who has shared the stage with blues greats like B.B. King, Roy Buchanan, Jimmy Vaughan, Anson Funderburgh, Roomful Of Blues, John Mayall, Johnny Copeland, Dr. John, Hubert Sumlin and Ronnie Earl. His recordings include Hot Wired, Roadmaster, New Summer and Straight Eight.

Dave Keyes August 4th

Solo or Sideman, Everyone Knows Dave Is King of the Keys. Native New Yorker, keyboardist, singer and songwriter, Dave is a 30 year veteran of the Blues and American Roots music scenes. With the release of his 7th CD, "Rhythm, Blues and Boogie" October 21st, 2022, featuring special guest legendary drummer Bernard Purdie and others, the 3x Blues Music Award nominee returns to his own soulful roots, having toured the world both as a solo artist and with his own Dave Keyes Band.

For much of the last 10 years, in addition to his own band and solo gigs, Dave worked with bluesman Popa Chubby, and R&R queen Ronnie Spector until her recent passing. Previously Dave had lengthy stints with such iconic and varied artists as Odetta, David Johansen, Bo Diddley, rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef and gospel great Marie Knight.

Dave's music finds its roots in deep blues, soul and rock and roll. These roots are the foundation of his recent albums and vibrant live shows. His well-received previous albums are rambunctious sets of mostly original material that range from New Orleans second line funk to slow sensual blues, swaggering shuffles and boisterous rocking boogie woogie.

Dave's live work with his own band has earned him many kudos including winning the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge. He has made numerous festival appearances both in the US and abroad including 3 appearances at France's prestigious Cognac Blues Festival and annual appearances at Lugano, Switzerland's Blues to Bop festival among many others. He also worked as a sideman for a who's who of roots, soul and Rock and Roll music masters such as Eddy Clearwater, Big Jay McNeely, Tracy Nelson, Gladys Knight, Pam Tillis, Darlene Love, and the late great Ruth Brown, Lou Rawls and Levon Helm.

Dave's extensive Broadway and TV music credits include being the conductor for the 6 year Broadway run of the Grammy winning show "Smokey Joe's Cafe". Other credits include most recently music directing "Rock and Roll Man" a show based on the life of trailblazing DJ Alan Freed.

The opener for the show is no stranger to the Sparta stage. Don Elliker is a 20-year Sparta resident singer-songwriter crafting blues-based original songs with irony, wit and humor. After years opening for known artists across northern NJ stages, Don has come to view his music career in like fashion saying of it "always the groomsman, never the groom but then grooming is overrated".

Rachel Z Trio July 28th

Rachel Z is a spiritual human expressing her light through alternative electronic jazz rock music, composition and production. Rachel Z is a keyboardist with a long history of award-winning performances in the worlds of jazz and rock. She co-wrote the Grammy-winning song 'Tokyo Blue' with saxophonist Najee. In addition to her 13 albums as bandleader and her work in internationally acclaimed bands such as Steps Ahead, Vert?, the Omar Hakim Experience, and OZmosys, she has played and toured with artists like Wayne Shorter (on the Grammy-winning album High Life), Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, Al Di Meola, and Regina Carter. She also co-wrote the Grammy-winning song, 'Tokvo Blue' with saxophonist Najee Rachel came to worldwide prominence in the rock world in the Peter Gabriel concert films Growing Up Live and Still Growing Up Live.

Since 2000, she has been a Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Music Studies at The New School University in New York. Since 2022 also a Professor of Jazz Studies and Electronic Music at Montclair State University and Cali School of the Arts.

Her Timeline Bio reads like this: 1988 co-wrote the Grammy Award-winning and certified Gold Record "Tokyo Blue" saxophonist Najee. From 1988-96 keyboards and piano with fusion band Steps Ahead with vibes player Mike Mainieri. 1995 joined Wayne Shorter, on his album High Life, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. 1996 Columbia Records Trust the Universe, Rachel Z Band. 1997 "Room of One's Own - A Tribute to Women Artists" Rachel Z. Performs original pieces, including "Gently Sleeps the Pear Tree" and "Artemisia," and duets with host Marian McPartland in "Autumn Leaves." 1999 Rachel Z was a part of a jazz fusion project by Stanley Clarke and Lenny White "Vert?". 2000 Peacebox as a vocalist. 1996-2015 Neapolitan Italian pop legend Pino Daniele. 2002-2006 Peter Gabriel Growing Up tours and Hits Live. 2006 "Dept. of Good and Evil". 2010 with Omar Hakim &The Trio Of OZ. 2012-13 Recorded with Pino Daniele for La Grande Madre Tour while also performing OZ tour dates. 2013-14, Rachel Z recorded with The Omar Hakim Experience. 2014 recorded and toured with Wayne Escofferey "Live at Firehouse 12". 2014-16 Terri Lyne Carrington Mosaic 2 "Love and Soul" on Concords Records. 2015 Neal Schon Vortex/Journey. 2020-2021 Rachel Z earned her Masters at Suny Purchase in Studio Composition and Electronic Music. 2022 recorded, produced, and recorded Luna Lagos an electronic dance artist who performs IDM recordings. These two CDs, A Way of the Word Angelica, will be also released in Dolby Atmos Immersive audio.

Opening the evening is singer/songwriter Mike Herz. With an uncanny ability to turn a phrase and deliver lyrics that rattle around in your head, Mike Herz writes and performs in a style that is all his own. Born and raised in northwest New Jersey, music has brought him across America and into venues of all shapes and sizes. He's been recognized for his songwriting at the NJ Folk Festival , Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. He's also played dive bars where intoxicated people request songs he does not know. In addition to his solo work, Mike fronts the indie rock band Part-Time Custodian which plays throughout the tri-state area and beyond. His latest album "Painting Over Paintings" was released in April 2023.

Diane Gentile & The Gentle Men July 21st

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is excited to present NYC based singer/songwriter Diane Gentile & The Gentle Men on Friday July 21st.

Diane Gentile had done a 15 city tour as support for Jesse Malin in 2019. On route, she stopped for an afternoon coffee with Alejandro Escovedo at his lovely backroad abode in Austin, TX. Taking a walk with both he and his lovely wife Nancy Rankin Escovedo, and the playful dogs, down a long quiet white sandy road, lined with wild trees and brushes of pale green foliage, came a sense of ease and quiet so unfamiliar to her. Born, raised and living in a concrete based NYC, her rushed and hectic routine was wildly chaotic in comparison. In this sense of ease came a mood, and somewhat of an answer, that later found itself in the song "Walk With Me".

Diane Gentile started The Gentle Men, one of two bands in her life, 10 years ago. Midway through recording her first album, Caught in a Wave, with producer/musician Don Diego (Fantastic Cat), she found drummer Colin Brooks, bassist Matt Basile and guitarist Jason Victor, who helped her showcase songs from that first record, and then record another full album titled The White Sea. She had early unexpected support from press on Caught in a Wave, which propelled further nterest in The White Sea, and the Underground Garage "Coolest Song in the World" airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio of "Motorcycle", the first single from The White Sea, gave her international attention and another round of exposure to a wider audience of both peers and fans. Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate was the producer of "Motorcycle". She had been a long time fan of The Dream Syndicate and world renown Steve Wynn and Jason Victor, were her guitar idols. RolingStone.com debuted her video of "Little Things", the second single.

She says "the newest collection of songs on The Bad and the Beautiful all began from those "vignettes I spoke about on my last record - small scenes like the beginnings of films in my head, that create the basis for the songs. I relate these short visual flashes of incomplete stories to my own experiences, but I am never really conscious of that until the songs are completed. What I write about, at first, is usually just a mystery to me. I hope that, to the listener, the mystery is their own interpretation of the lyric, as it relates to their own experiences."

The new album features the duet with Alejandro Escovedo, plus a song titled "Lace Up Your Sneakers" produced by British born singer songwriter James Maddock. Producer/musician Oscar Albeis Rodriguez produced and played on "Dance 'til Dawn" at Studio G in Brooklyn, and Jesse Malin produced a song titled "Sugarcane" recorded at Flux Studios in the East Village, NYC. The Gentle Men on this record include Colin Brooks, Jason Victor, James Cruz, James Mastro, and Rob Clores with guest musicians Charlie Giordano, Danny Ray, Alfonso Velez, and more. The record is mixed by Geoff Sanoff, engineered and co-produced by Merle Chornuk.

During the pandemic, Gentile released a single titled "The World is a Goner", covered by American Songwriter Magazine. The song is "not a melancholy tale of a very tragic year, but a song towered above hardships." Diane also co-produced, with producer Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne) during this time compiling an online Celebratory Memorial to the late, great Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), still available for viewing on-line. She also produced a Memorial Tribute to Sylvain Sylvain of the NY Dolls (still on YouTube). Both shows were sold and featured through online streaming service RollingLive.com. She also then performed through RollingLive.com, her own live concert from the Bowery Electric in NYC.

Recently Diane and the Gentle Men supported Alejandro Escovedo for a sold out show at the Iridium in NY. They appeared for 7 shows at the Montauk Music Festival and Diane played with the Jesse Malin band at the Fine Art of Self Destruction 20 Year Anniversary show at Webster Hall in NYC with other guests Lucinda Williams, Butch Walker, Aaron Lee Tasjan and more. In 2021, Diane toured solo as support for The Replacement's Tommy Stinson (currently touring his new band Cowboys in the Campfire) on a 23 city tour from NY to the 30A Songwriter Festival in the Pan Handle in FLA. Prior to 2021, Diane Gentile has performed on bills with Chuck Prophet, Steve Wynn, Kevn Kinney, Laura Cantrell, Richard Lloyd, Leslie Mendelson, Lenny Kaye and more.

"My priorities have always been music driven, hence the difficulties and exuberances in my life. Haha!," says Gentile.

Sparta local Adam Jacob will be opening the evening. Adam is a singer/songwriter who has performed throughout the northeast, playing solo shows and opening for various local, regional and national acts. He currently lives, writes and records from his home studio in Sparta. He spends his free time with his wife and two boys, who are often the subject of his original folk/rock and country songs, providing an unfiltered and humorous view of modern family life.

Dave Stryker Trio July 14th

Whether you've heard jazz guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 35 CD's as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him "one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years."

Hot House magazine awarded him Best Guitarist - Fans Decision for 2017. He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2022 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 15th time.

"I have followed Dave Stryker's playing since his early days in Omaha through his long stay with Stanley Turrentine? and he just gets better and better with one of the most joyous feels around." Pat Metheny

Dave's last 5 CD's have all gone to #1 on the JazzWeek Radio chart. Prime, his most recent, features his longtime working trio of Jared Gold and McClenty Hunter fresh off a tour opening for Steely Dan. As We Are features John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Julian Shore and a string quartet led by violinist Sara Caswell. It received one of the Top Album of the Year honors in the Downbeat Readers Poll and Jazz Times magazine. Eight Track III stayed at #1 on JazzWeek Radio chart for 6 straight weeks. Messin' with Mister T, is a celebration of the man he worked with for over a decade - Stanley Turrentine, "Mister T" - with ten of the greatest tenor sax players on the scene today. It went to #1 on JazzWeek Radio and stayed in the Top 50 for 20 weeks and has received great reviews including 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat magazine.

"Guitarist / composer Dave Stryker possesses golden tone, urgent style, and the kind of heated technique that can blow the roof off any gig. Stryker cut his teeth with organist Jack McDuff and tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, and that grits-n-gravy goodness seemed to mark his music: an urban tale spinner, a sharp stylist able to improve any bandstand, a storyteller in sound of the highest degree." Ken Micallef / Jazz Times, Jan. 2022

Dave Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and moved to New York City in 1980. After establishing himself in the local music scene, he joined organist Jack McDuff's group for two years 1984-85. When McDuff wasn't on the road (literally traveling by van all over the country) they worked a steady four-night a week gig at Dude's Lounge in Harlem. His first break, this turned out to be an invaluable experience, paying his dues night after night with the soulful jazz organist.

It was at Dude's Lounge that Stryker met tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, who would occasionally sit in. After leaving McDuff, Turrentine asked Stryker to join his quintet. From 1986-1995 he played with the legendary saxophonist at all the major festivals, concert halls, and clubs throughout the world. He is featured on two Turrentine CD's (Stanley recorded Stryker's tune "Sidesteppin").

With Turrentine, Stryker was able to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard. The ten years playing alongside the tenor legend helped Stryker realize the importance of having his own sound. Dave continued to work with Stanley and was with him during his final week at the Blue Note in NYC, when he passed in Sept. 2000. Stryker has also performed with James Moody, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jimmy Heath, Kevin Mahogany, Eliane Elias, Joe Lovano, Steve Slagle and many others.

Early on Stryker realized that as much as he loved playing standards and the jazz repertoire he had to have something of his own to give to the music. He feels that his writing combined with his playing is what shapes his musical expression. He has recorded and published over 150 of his own compositions and has released The Dave Stryker Songbook with most of his original music. Also 18 of the compositions (from the first five SteepleChase CD's) are compiled in the book: The Music of Dave Stryker (SteepleChase Music).

Some of the other artists who have recorded Dave's music are: Stanley Turrentine, Kevin Mahogany, Victor Lewis, and Steve Slagle. Dave continues to perform with The Dave Stryker Organ Trio, Dave Stryker Eight Track Band, and his Blue to the Bone Band. Dave Stryker's Trio opened for Steely Dan's 2022 Summer tour "Earth After Hours".

Recent gigs have included Birdland, the Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Newport Jazz Festival, The Keystone Korner in Baltimore MD, The Jazz Bakery in LA, and tours of Europe, Canada and Japan.

Dave co-led The Stryker/Slagle Band for 30 years with saxophonist Steve Slagle. He has appeared on over 75 CD's as a sideman. Past sideman work has included vocalist Kevin Mahogany's group, with Dave writing and arranging music for Kevin's Telarc release Pride and Joy and Another Time, Another Place on Warner Bros and tours of Europe, Japan, Brazil, Poland and Carnegie Hall.

As a producer, Stryker compiled the CD The Guitar Artistry of Billy Rogers which is the only existing record of the brilliant jazz playing of the late underground legend who was his friend, former teacher and member of the Crusaders. Dave has also produced A Tribute to Grant Green on Evidence Music and has produced many other artists.

Dave is Adjunct Professor of Jazz Guitar at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. Dave recently launched his online teaching school at www.artistworks.com. His book Dave Stryker's Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method Vol III is available on his Bandcamp site.

The opening act for the evening is a local group, The Brian St. John Band.

Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen Concert June 30th

A little about these Gentlemen...

DUSTIN DOUGLAS & THE ELECTRIC GENTLEMEN's dynamic, heavy, swagger- injected, sexy & dirty, blues-influenced rock n' roll brings vintage sound and vibe to modern ears. The band's much-anticipated third album Black Leather Blues via Mo Mojo Records underlines this and much more.

"All I'm trying to do is continue the tradition of The Stones, Zeppelin and The Faces," says Dustin Douglas. "Take the traditional blues spirit, mix it with some heavy rock n' roll and play it for a new generation. But it ain't your poppa's blues," he adds. "I listen to Rage Against the Machine as much as I listen to Muddy Waters. That blend of influences is what makes it unique."

Fronted by the transcendent lead guitarist/singer/songwriter Dustin Douglas, The Electric Gentlemen-rounded out by drummer Tommy Smallcomb and bassist Matt "The Dane" Gabriel-command the stage with virtuosic musicianship and classic-rock spirit mixed with punk rock attitude that leaves even the most discerning music fans falling in love with their style at the end of any live show.

On the 10-song Black Leather Blues, Pennsylvania's Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen put the pedal to the floor, asking for no mercy with heavy riffs, huge hooks and memorable, blues-inspired rock n' roll rhythms that takes listeners on a familiar yet fresh musical journey.

Black Leather Blues was recorded at Eight Days a Week Studios in Northumberland, PA by Paul Smith (Badlees) who engineered and co-produced the album with Douglas. It was mixed by Brian Moncarz (Alice Cooper, Our Lady Peace, Phillip Sayce) and mastered by Brian Lucey (Black Keys, Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys, Buddy Guy, Doyle Bramhall II, Green Day, Liam Gallagher, Elvis Costello.)

The album was launched with the single/video "Broken," described by Rock and Blues Muse as "a soul-cleansing shot of progressive blues/rock minimalism that's as much about the space between the notes as the notes themselves. Dustin Douglas is a first-class guitar shaman, weaving together spellbinding riffs and solos that transport listeners directly into his world." The publication added: "His vocals are strident and strong, expressing the hard blues inherent in 21st Century life."

The album's second single/video is the rhythmically dynamic and lyrically pointed "Why Would You Say Such A Thing," which underlines the band's ability to create modern blues-rock with plenty of attitude and drama. "From the moment I wrote it, I felt it would be a signature song for us," says Douglas. "It defines what we do as a band. It has a big riff, danceable rhythm, catchy chorus and an ole' school broken-hearted, blues-inspired lyric." "Why Would You Say Such a Thing" is destined to be one of the band's best-received songs."

BLACK LEATHER BLUES is the follow-up album to DDEG's 2018 release, Break It Down which charted on The Blues Album Charts, Blues Singles Charts and Blues-Rock Single Charts. In 2018, the band took home two Steamtown Music Awards (Scranton, PA) for both "Blues Artist Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year." Notably, again in 2019, they found themselves with 3 Steamtown Nominations-Guitarist Of The Year, Video Of The Year for "Broken" and Live Performers Of The Year-as well as an Independent Blues Music Award nomination for Blues/Rock Song of The Year for "Out of My Mind." On top of that, the Central PA Music Hall Of Fame nominated the band in 2021 and 2022 for "Blues Rock Band Of The Year."

Opening the show are longtime participants in the series The Fabulous Rhythm Aces. The band members from North Jersey have played all over the world. Fifty years of experience playing the blues. With Lester Veith (The Texas Shuffle King) on drums & vocals, Pierre Roulier on guitar, Angelo Mancuso on the bass and Tony Sky on the harmonica & vocals. Mixing it up with Chicago blues, Swing, Jump blues and Boogie.

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is thrilled to welcome Frank Bang back to the stage in Dykstra Park. Frank Bang is a man on a blues journey. Willie Dixon once said, "The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits." As true as that is, it still doesn't explain the blues, because the blues cannot be explained.

When one thinks of the blues it's easy to think of Robert Johnson, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, or Muddy Waters. Connoisseurs of the genre will mention Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Leadbelly. Others will mention Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Butterfield, and Eric Clapton. All would be correct.

The blues is raw. It knows no culture. Its brutally honest and uncompromising. It's your worst feelings and your best moments all at once. The blues will never apologize. Nor will Frank Bang. And he doesn't need to. He is the nicest guy you'll ever meet, but when he picks up a guitar, he'll slice your throat, woo your woman, make you cry, and might even make you dance. Ultimately, he will just make you feel. Something or everything. The real deal.

Born with the Bohemian Irish name of Frank Blinkal into two generations of Chicago police officers and a mother that often worked three jobs, Frank learned at an early age about the grit and sometimes stark reality of the world he was born into and turned that into his own brand of the blues - weaned from years of trying to learn everything he could by putting himself into the middle of everything that the Chicago music scene had to offer. And it paid off.

In his twenties, Frank found himself working at Buddy Guy's Legends club, while making a name for himself fronting bands of his own. He was soaking up invaluable knowledge from the clientele and getting an education that not many have a chance to experience. Numerous touring bands came through the club, but amongst the club's regulars were Junior Wells, Otis Rush, and Lonnie Brooks.

And then he became Buddy Guy's touring guitar player for five years. No late night conversations with your heroes will prepare you for that, if you don't have the chops to pull off the gig. You have to work your ass off, which Frank did, as an employee of Legends, while working through the ranks.

As Buddy's guitar player, his work ethic paid off. Hard work is a big part of what makes up Frank Bang, He never stops playing. He never stops honing his craft. Some of that was learned from his environment at Legends, but most of it has been ingrained in him since he was born. With Buddy, he toured the world and shared the stage with the likes of Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton, but that's only semantics that make up pieces of a scene.

As a solo artist, Frank has released four critically acclaimed albums under the names Frank Bang and the Secret Stash and Frank Bang and the Cook County Kings. He currently has 14 songs in regular rotation on B.B. King's Bluesville Station on Sirius/XM. Whether it be dirty blues that sounds like Led Zeppelin through a beautifully blown speaker or the faithful tribute to his hometown Chicago blues, Frank Bang knows how to read a room. And there's a good chance that on any given night in America, you might find yourself in a room where Frank Bang is making you feel something. Or everything! It's the roots and the fruits. It's rock and roll. And it's definitely the blues?however you define it.

Opening the show will be Don Elliker, NYC born and Sparta, New Jersey resident guitarist and singer-songwriter. Ably assisted by area musician performers, Paul Kuzik (Bass, vocal), James Ryan (Pedal Steel Guitar) and (Drummer / Percussionist) Ned Stroh, they create a free-wheeling mix of country-dipped, humor-tinged lyrically rich music best enjoyed live and in person. As he says - “Life’s an adventure, we’d like to provide a little traveling music”

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is proud to present an evening of pop music with singer/songwriter AJ Smith.

Denver-born, and recently relocated from NYC to Nashville, AJ Smith's unconventional path to becoming a pop artist is reflected throughout his music, which has the uncanny ability to evoke a nostalgic desire for dramatic pop of decades past while sounding modern, fresh, and in-the-moment emotional. A flare for the dramatic is likely written into his DNA - AJ's father ran away and literally joined the circus (as a promoter who was unafraid to step into the ring or even the "Globe of Death" for the sake of the show), while his great great uncle was famed Cuban pianist Ernesto Lecuona, who composed the famed standard "Malague?a".

It's no surprise then, that Smith's songwriting and performance abilities have earned multiple awards, including the prestigious Abe Olman Scholarship from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a semi-finalist ranking in the 2020 International Songwriting Contest. Recent highlights include making his national TV debut on The Kelly Clarkson show, consistent airplay on SiriusXM, the cover feature as Performer Magazine's Artist of the Month, collaborating with Martin Guitar's launch of a new line of ukuleles (which included teaching a SpaceX astronaut how to play a Black Pumas song in space!)...and stories in American Songwriter, Good Morning America, CBS Radio, Spin Magazine, and more.

Opening for the show will be HARE.

HARE is the project of NYC singer/songwriter Seb Isaac. Blending his musical influences in the studio to produce music that showcases an appreciation for a rock, pop sound, and experimental electronic production, HARE released its first EP, “First Impressions” in May of 2018. Made over the course of several years in and out of the studio, the EP was an arrangement of talented instrumentation surrounding a guitar-led story of heartbreak and heartbreaking.

Since then, HARE’s songwriting approach has been driven by varying passions for underrepresented sounds in music. Performing live in the NYC area and at festivals across the US, HARE has appeared alongside acts such as: Louis the Child, Major Lazer, The Happy Fits, POWERS and more.

The Sparta Summer Concert Series brings country music to the stage on August 12th with the arrival of country cantadora Kelley Swindall.

The oldest of 7 children, Kelley Swindall was born and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where she grew up listening to the music of Kris Kristofferson, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash on the way to church every Sunday morning, because that's what her Daddy listened to. The rest of the week she listened to the Atlanta classic oldies station, because that's what her ride listened to. When she was old enough to drive herself, she added Petty & Dylan to the mix.

After high school, she moved NYC to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, but got sidetracked when a break up with a musician inspired her to write a few songs, in an attempt to win him back. It worked, but by then she had come to the conclusion she was better off with just her and her songs and not him.

Drawing from her Southern roots, her style is a blend of soulful & bluesy folk coupled with a witty, gritty, classic country sensibility, inspired by the outlaw tradition, and deeply rooted in story songs and talking blues, driven by strong female characters who tell it like it is and don't take any guff.

With a rafter reaching voice and crazily charismatic stage presence, she's equally at home in a Biker Bar or under a Proscenium Arch. You can find her playing, touring the country solo, as well as with her band, in her adopted hometown of NYC. Part Patsy, Part Dolly, and all heart, her debut studio album "You Can Call Me Darlin' If You Want" is out now on NYC based Velvet Elk Records.

Don Kincaid is opening the show. Former Sparta native Don Kincaid honed his songwriting craft in the Hill Country of Texas and in the Picker's Circle in the state's iconic town of Luckenbach. The now Warren County resident travelled back to NW New Jersey to where his journey started. Gathering a formidable group of musicians and friends, they recorded their first album Whiskey and Women.

Now working on the second (yet untitled) album Kincaid was quoted, saying -"We used to be a country band with a rock and roll problem to a rock and roll band with a country problem. Either way. It all comes from the heart and life experiences."

The Sparta Summer Concert Series welcomes legendary singer Bobby Harden on Friday August 5th. Bobby, New York City's acclaimed soul singing sensation, thrills audiences globally as lead singer with the Original Blues Brothers Band, which features the legendary musicians Steve Cropper and 'Blue Lou' Marini. Bobby Harden is a classic example of a true "Soul Man."

Backed by his Soul Purpose Band, Bobby has opened up for soul legends Solomon Burke and Bettye LeVette. He has shared the stage with Eddie Floyd, Lionel Richie and, as lead singer of The Uptown Horns Revue, with Howard Tate & Benny King. Having toured Russia Bobby Harden is believed to be the first soul singer to perform in Siberia. He starred in the 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute concert at New York's Symphony Space. He has entertained royalty, Hollywood's elite, music superstars, and industry movers and shakers.

Whatever the venue or occasion, Bobby Harden is at home on stage. A natural entertainer, his engaging personality immediately connects with his audience. He's as compelling performing at New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center as he is in an intimate nightclub. Bobby is a performer's performer, and a singer's singer. His special gift is being able to make each and every audience member feel like the show was performed especially for them. Everyone leaves a Bobby Harden performance feeling like royalty.

He performed at President Obama's inauguration party and regularly plays with his Soul Purpose Band at City Winery, City Vineyard, The Falcon and Minton's Playhouse. Bobby holds a three-night a week residency at Greenwich Village's historic Arthur's Tavern. He's headlined at BB King's Club in NYC with his Soul Purpose Band, the venue where he himself was inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.

Ever the philanthropist, Bobby believes in giving back to the community whenever possible. He has performed at high-profile events for the American Cancer Society and Hearts of Gold Charity alongside fundraisers for local causes, including health care facilities and schools in his neighborhood. As a favored voice of corporate America, Bobby has sung TV jingles for American Express, Budweiser, Holiday Inn, and Slimfast.

Currently available online are Bobby Harden's two solo CD's, "Soul Purpose" and "River of Soul." Bobby stars on many other recordings, including the Original Blues Brothers Band's 2017 release "Last Shade of Blue Before Black", Stew Cutler's "Every Sunday Night", and Chris Carter's "Up All Night". His latest single "Runnin' (To Get To Your Love)" is out on Dala Records. More material is due out soon featuring Bobby Harden with The Soulful Saints (the house band for Dala Records, who backed Charles Bradley). Bobby is featured on Stew Cutler's forthcoming CD, and there's more music to come with Soul Purpose in the near future.

Bobby Harden is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, the fertile soil that gave rise to legends such as The O'Jays and Bobby Womack. The "Big Apple" is now proud to claim Bobby Harden as its own "Soul Man". Sparta may lay claim too, after the show!

The Fabulous Rhythm Aces featuring Son Lewis will be opening the concert. They play a solid mix of blues and rock and roll with guitars, a harmonica, bass and drums. The members of the group hail from North Jersey and Eastern PA. They have opened shows for J.Geils, The Nighthawks, Elvin Bishop, Peter Tork, King Solomon Hicks, Billy Hector, Robert Gordon and many more.

Chris Bergson is an internationally acclaimed American born guitarist, singer, and songwriter. "Chris Bergson plays the kind of guitar you can build a house on - it's B.B. meets Steve Cropper meets John Scofield." (ROLL Magazine) Hailed as "the New York street poet with a blues soul" (MOJO) and "one of the most inventive songwriters in modern blues music," (All Music Guide) Bergson is best known as the leader of the Chris Bergson Band. Elmore Magazine calls the Chris Bergson Band "one of the most talented bands playing today," whose soulful blend of American Roots music encompasses "blazing rock to funk to soul to Delta blues and all that's in between." Bergson is also an accomplished sideman who has performed with luminaries across a wide range of genres including Pop/Rock (Norah Jones, Levon Helm), Blues/Soul (Hubert Sumlin, Bernard Purdie) and Jazz (Annie Ross, Al Foster, and Matt Wilson.) The Chris Bergson Band's 2007 album Fall Changes, recorded at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York, was named MOJO Magazine's Number One Blues Album of the Year in 2008. Bergson was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist in 2015.

Bergson's latest solo album, All I Got Left (2 Shirts/CRS) was named MOJO's #4 Blues Album of 2021. "Four Stars?elegant slide guitar chops," writes MOJO's Tony Russell: "But what lingers are lines from lockdown: "I want to believe the cavalry's coming - but what if this is as good as it gets?" As Sean McDevitt details in Vintage Guitar: "This collection of evocative, unaccompanied recordings from singer/songwriter Bergson is inspired by the 2020 lockdown and all that came with it. Highlights include the hopeful title track with Bergson on an SG Standard, along with "Hector and Donna," a survival story told with an open-tuned '60s Teisco. Pandemic-era emotions chronicled through the lens of the blues."

In September 2021, Chris Bergson was appointed an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he teaches guitar and songwriting.

Born in New York City in 1976, Chris Bergson moved with his family to Boston when he was three years old and returned to New York City in 1995 at the age of eighteen. Things seem to have come full circle for Bergson as far as Boston and Berklee College of Music are concerned - his formative guitar teachers were all Berklee grads and Bergson credits a 1987 Dizzy Gillespie concert at the Berklee Performance Center with making him want to become a professional musician. Bergson's love and affinity for music started early, as writer Kay Cordtz details in her profile of Bergson for ROLL Magazine: On Chris Bergson's tenth birthday, his parents gave the young guitar prodigy a pile of record albums. They included Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf's Muddy and the Wolf, the Waters, Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield and Otis Spann collaboration, Fathers and Sons, a Thelonious Monk disc and a couple of albums by Miles Davis. Bergson, who started taking classical guitar lessons at the age of seven, had just learned the modern blues scale so he could play along with Muddy and copy some Bloomfield riffs. "Hearing all that music at the same time had a really powerful effect on me," he said.

If you listen to Bergson's CDs such as Fall Changes and Imitate the Sun, it's obvious that he learned his lessons from the masters well - both those he heard on vinyl and those he had the privilege to know and play alongside. But you also hear a musician with the fire and intelligence to chart his own path and resist being classified as any one particular genre. (Kay Cordtz, Roll Magazine, "Chris Bergson: Singer/Songwriter, Guitarist, Husband, Father Is Living His Dream) Bergson began his professional career at the age of thirteen playing in Boston area rock clubs. In 1995, Bergson returned to New York City and studied with jazz guitar master Jim Hall. While attending Manhattan School of Music, Bergson began freelancing as a guitarist on the New York jazz scene. In 1996, Bergson recorded his debut album Blues For Some Friends of Mine (Juniper Records) featuring bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Greg Bandy. "With his first release, Bergson proves himself ready for the big time," Jim Fisch wrote in 20th Century Guitar Magazine. In 1997, he recorded with legendary jazz vocalist Annie Ross on her album Cool For Kids (Juniper Records.)

In the Spring of 1999, Bergson graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree and landed a steady gig at Vintage, a lounge in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, where he led a trio two nights a week backing up singers including Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Dena DeRose.

In 2002, Bergson was appointed a Jazz Ambassador of the USA by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and he toured eight countries in West Africa with his trio. His subsequent album Blues (2003) reflected his immersion in the Blues tradition, while adding roots and soul influences. The album was recorded live at NYC's Smoke Jazz Club with organist Brian Charette and drummer Matt Wilson. Incidentally, Matt Wilson coined the name for Bergson's independent record label, 2 Shirts Records, saying "Man, you sweat so much, you gotta bring two shirts to every gig - one for each set!" Anyone who's ever attended a Bergson live show can attest to the soulful intensity - and the sweat - that pours out of him in every performance.

In 2004, the Chris Bergson Band were featured as Artists-In-Residence at NYC's Jazz Standard performing every Monday night that Fall. The band featured saxophonist Jay Collins (Gregg Allman), bassist Chris Berger, and drummers Matt Wilson or Tony Mason. "We were able to really develop as a band and that's when I really started writing," Bergson explained to writer Kay Cordtz, "We recorded the album Another Day right at the end of our residency. It documented the tunes we'd been playing every week, and that was really the start of the Chris Bergson Band." Bergson credits the influence of The Band's music for inspiring "High Above the Morning," the first of seven original songs he wrote for Another Day." (Kay Cordtz, ROLL Magazine.)

Fittingly, the Chris Bergson Band recorded their next album, the widely acclaimed Fall Changes (2007) at The Band drummer Levon Helm's Woodstock studio. The band included Jay Collins, keyboardist Bruce Katz and drummer Tony Leone with Helm's daughter, singer Amy Helm, guesting on a few tunes. The sessions led to Bergson being personally invited to perform at the famed drummer's Midnight Rambles while opening the way for more stateside festivals and subsequent tours of Europe. Bergson is one of the artists included in photographer Paul LaRaia's book, The Levon Helm Midnight Ramble. Fall Changes (2 Shirts Records/Bertus Distribution) was released in October 2007 to rave reviews and established Bergson as an eloquent, evocative and lyrical songwriter with a sharp urban vision. Living Blues magazine called him "a serious talent" and Blues scholar Tony Russell wrote in his four star review of the album for MOJO:

One of the major themes in blues is a sense of place and this band lay down their local credentials in the opening track about a Brooklyn neighborhood, Gowanus Heights. The catchy melody, stabbing horns and fervent vocal also establish that these guys could strip down the engine of a soulbluesmobile and put it back together blindfold. Fall Changes went on to be named MOJO's Number One Blues Album of the Year in 2008 by Tony Russell, the first of Bergson's five consecutive albums to be named on MOJO's year-end list of the Best Blues Albums.

Bergson performed in Europe for the first time in 2008 in the UK at England's Leicester Blues Festival. Over the next decade, Bergson's international tours became more and more frequent, expanding his European fan base with performances in twelve countries including Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia.

Notable European festival performances include Moulin Blues (Holland), Groningen Rhythm and Blues Night (Holland), Harvest Time Blues (Ireland), Blues in Hell (Norway), Salaise Blues Festival (France), Cahors Blues Festival (France), Ingolstadt Bluesfest (Germany), Gevarenwnkel Festival (Belgium), Swing Wespelaar (Belgium) and the Burlada Blues Festival (Spain.)

In 2013, Bergson began performing and writing songs with acclaimed soul singer Ellis Hooks. Born in Bromley, Alabama, All Music Guide calls Hooks "the true continuum in the celebrated Southern traditions of soul, blues, and gospel." Bergson and Hooks met in 2004 when they were sharing a bill at NYC's Joe's Pub. Their collaboration over the next decade would find them selling out shows at top NYC venues like Jazz Standard and City Winery and headlining festivals in Europe including France's oldest Blues festival, the Cahors Blues Festival.

Ellis Hooks appeared as a guest on Bergson's 2014 release Live at Jazz Standard which included the debut of their original Stax-inspired modern soul classic "The Only One." With a three-piece horn section led by saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith (The Roots/Late Night With Jimmy Fallon), Live at Jazz Standard captured the Chris Bergson Band's "gut-busting, horn-bedecked NY blues" (MOJO) and was named one of MOJO's Best Blues Albums of 2014. Just days after the two nights of recording live at Bergson's favorite NYC club, the Chris Bergson Band performed at the Saratoga Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, New York, playing right before Tony Bennett and Buddy Guy. In 2014, the Chris Bergson Band performed at the largest Blues festival in North America, the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon.

"Over the past decade, Chris Bergson has become one of the most interesting blues-inspired songwriters," wrote Tony Russell in his review of Live at Jazz Standard for the UK's Blues Magazine. "He describes the streetscapes and nightscapes of city life, painting small, memorable pictures, a kind of Edward Hopper of the blues."

Ellis Hooks co-wrote three songs and appeared as a guest vocalist on the Chris Bergson Band's 2017 studio album Bitter Midnight (2 Shirts Records/Continental Blue Heaven.) Recorded to two-inch tape at Brooklyn's Mighty Toad Studio, Bergson was joined on the album by baritone saxophonist Jay Collins, trumpeter Steven Bernstein (Levon Helm), drummers Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors), Tony Mason (Darlene Love), bassists Andy Hess (Gov't Mule), Richard Hammond (Santana), Matt Clohesy (Patti Austin) and keyboardist/tenor saxophonist Craig Dreyer (Dispatch). "It was great to record with some of favorite musicians," said Bergson. "Some of the guys, like Richard Hammond, Aaron Comess and Tony Mason, I've been playing with for years but had never recorded with before, so it was nice to finally document the rapport we've developed over many gigs."

Released in Europe on the Continental Blue Heaven label, Bitter Midnight was featured as "Album of the Month" in Holland's Gitarist Magazine and France's Soul Bag Magazine. Gitarist's Kevin Passman wrote, "As we've come to expect from Bergson, Bitter Midnight is full of tasty, intuitive guitar work and passionate vocals but besides that, the album is also a triumph for his qualities as a composer. An absolute must for fans of blues, soul and southern rock."

In 2018, Bergson and Hooks toured together in Europe for the first time playing festivals in Denmark, Germany and France. Their performance in Normandy for the Nuit du Blues festival, held at a stadium, the Z?nith de Caen, was filmed and recorded and released on CD/DVD in 2019 as Chris Bergson & Ellis Hooks - Live in Normandy (2 Shirts Records/Continental Blue Heaven.)

Live in Normandy captures Bergson and Hooks backed by their longtime working European band. Bergson estimates he's played over 100 concerts with the top-notch rhythm team he refers to as "The French Connection" with Philippe Billoin on keyboards, Philippe Dandrimont on bass and Pat Machenaud on drums. "Live albums don't get any better than this," wrote Jim Hynes in Glide Magazine, "Bergson and Hooks have become a blues-infused modern-day Sam and Dave, bringing a similar kind of gritty, rousing blues that is chill-inducing, whether vocally or via Bergson's stinging, piercing solos (check out "Bitter Midnight") ?Bergson's guitar lines echo two of his heroes, Hubert Sumlin (with whom he performed in his later years) and Freddie King."

Soul Bag Magazine's Marc Loison wrote, "Far from blues-rock clich?s and guitar demonstrations in vertiginous pyrotechnics, here are 12 twelve live tracks as additional proof of the vitality and authenticity of a major artist on the New York scene. In perfect harmony with the splendid vocalist Ellis Hooks, guitarist-singer Chris Bergson is accompanied by a "French connection" of choice?Superb!" Jos Verhagen wrote in his review of the album for Holland's Blues Magazine, "The music of Chris Bergson and Ellis Hooks is genuine Delta soul blues?The soulful voice of Hooks is reminiscent of the great soul men like Sam Cooke and Otis [Redding], and together with Chris, he turns it into a true party."

Opening the evening's performance is singer/songwriter Craig Greenberg. Craig has been hailed as NYC's most acclaimed post-millennial piano man. Over the past 15 years, the native New Yorker has been a staple on the city's music scene, capturing and building on the spirited ivory traditions of greats like Billy Joel, Ben Folds and Randy Newman with sparkling, soulful new musical twists, a larger than life personality and his insightful, dramatic sense of storytelling.

Craig has independently released 4 albums (his most recent full length Phantom Life released in Dec 2020), and has performed upwards of 1000 shows, since his start playing in bars while living in Chile, and later Spain, in the early 2000s. His songs have received praise in American Songwriter, the Huffington Post, Relix Magazine, and have been played on radio stations all around the country and internationally (as well as locally on WFUV). He has performed everywhere from Lincoln Center in New York, to Israel and Cambodia, and with esteemed musicians such as Jackson Browne, Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Jane Wiedlin (the Go Go's), Louise Goffin, and Jerry Joseph. Craig is currently prepping a new EP for release in 2022.

Ozmosys (NextGen) 2022 is an innovative jazz-rock quartet that features Omar Hakim on drums, Rachel Z Hakim on the keys, Jonathan Toscano on bass and Chogyi Lama on guitar.

Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959) is an American jazz fusion and pop music virtuoso drummer, producer, arranger and composer. He has worked with Weather Report, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits, Journey, Kate Bush, George Benson, Miles Davis, Daft Punk, Mariah Carey, The Pussycat Dolls, David Lee Roth , Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stanley Clarke, Sting, Michael Jackson, Bryan Ferry, Sinkane, John Scofield, Nile Rodgers/Chic, The Trio of OZ, and Ozmosys.

Hakim first came to major attention backing Carly Simon in 1980, and joined Weather Report in 1982. He played drums on David Bowie's 1983 album Let's Dance, as well as the follow-up, Tonight, in 1984. Bowie described Hakim as "a fascinating drummer, with impeccable timing" and "always fresh in his approach".

In the mid-1980s, Hakim joined Dire Straits as drummer while recording their fifth album Brothers in Arms. Hakim was also part of the band for Sting's album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. "By this time, Hakim was teaching himself to program drum machines, which put him in even greater demand as a pop, rock, and R&B session musician, and landed him work with Madonna." He kept working in jazz fusion, playing with Roy Ayers, George Benson, Miles Davis, Lee Ritenour, Joe Sample, David Sanborn, and John Scofield across the 1980s and 1990s.[2] His debut album as leader, Rhythm Deep, was released in 1989, also featured his singing, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. In the 1990s, Hakim developed further in electronic percussion, which gave him more opportunities as a session musician: he recorded with pop stars Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Jewel. His jazz career had faded by the mid-1990s. His second album as leader, The Groovesmith, was released in 2000. In 2013 Omar performed with Kate Bush at the Hammersmith Apollo for 22 Sold out shows of Before the Dawn. He also performed with Pino Daniele on his final two CDs and tours. On June 18, 2015, Journey announced that Hakim would replaced longtime drummer Deen Castronovo on their Canada tour as well as performing in the opening act Vortex.

Hakim was featured on the cover of Modern Drummer in 2014, and was on the cover of DrumHead in 2017. Hakim became the Chairman of the Percussion Department of Berklee College of Music in 2017-2019, replacing the previous Department Chair, John Ramse.

Rachel Z is a spiritual human expressing her light through alternative electronic jazz rock music, composition and production. She is "a jazz and rock pianist and keyboardist and is considered one of the most influential and versatile musical forces of her generation".

"Rachel Z is an improviser whose spontaneous playing is by no means eclipsed by the work of presiding geniuses such as Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner", opined John Fordham in The Guardian.

In 1988 Rachel co-wrote the Grammy Award-winning "Tokyo Blue" with saxophonist Najee. From 1988-1996 she played keyboards and piano with fusion band Steps Ahead with vibes player Mike Mainieri, she was featured on Wayne Shorter's album High Life, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

In 1996 Columbia Records released Trust the Universe by The Rachel Z Band. A year later "Room of One's Own - A Tribute to Women Artists". On NPR Piano Jazz, Rachel performed original pieces and duets with host Marian McPartland. She was a part of a jazz fusion project by Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. From 2002-2006 she played in Peter Gabriel's Growing Up tours.

Rachel released "Dept. Of Good and Evil" in 2006. She and Omar began Trio Of OZ in 2010. Then came The Omar Hakim Experience. Rachel played on Terri Lyne Carrington's "Mosaic 2: Love and Soul". Omar and Rachel Z have released a number of recordings as Ozmosys. And somehow Rachel found time to earn her Masters at Suny Purchase in Studio Composition and Electronic Music.

Jonathan Toscano is an emerging bass player enjoying collaborations with world class talent on the international stage. New York born Toscano's dynamic style on upright and electric bass has brought him major performing credits with celebrated artists. Toscano's collaborators include Gregoire Maret, Steve Wilson, Jeremy Pelt, Billy Kilson, Kader Japonais, Adam Falcon, Richie Morales, Minu Cinelu, Pheeroan Acklaff, and The Cotton Club AllStars.T oscano has performed at the Blue Note in Beijing; Winter Jazz Fest in New York City; The X Jazz Fest in Berlin, Germany; the Dobos Festival in Cegled, Hungary; Long Beach Jazz Festival, and the Zadymka Jazz Festival in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. Currently working with drum master Omar Hakim and virtuoso pianist Rachel Z, Toscano's harmonic range and percussive feel have made him a sought after man on the bandstand in his early career.

Chogyi Lama guitarist ,is a new force on his instrument, repping the younger generation. He is the grandson of Richie Havens and has taste, soul, and groove in his prodigious bones! He has performed with Michael Clip Payne (40 year veteran of Parliament Funkadelic and leader of 420 Funk Mob), Jayna Nelson's Musical Mythology, Bad Brains, and Donald Fagen. He has his own neo soul project called "Karma." Chogyi is a versatile, multi-instrumentalist, a shapeshifter, moving intuitively across genres and styles in connection with whatever he is playing. Chogyi is a remarkable young guitar player and person who carries himself with elegance, inner power and humility far beyond his years.

The opening act for the concert is Adam & Howard. They are a folk pop duo, covering folk, rock and blues tunes that span from the 1960's onwards. Adam Meyers has been playing guitar for nearly 50 years and is an accomplished blues and rock guitarist. Howard Burg is a harmonica player, combining a mainstream rock musical style with blue grass beats that he has honed over his long musical career. Adam & Howard harmonize together to capture the power and beauty of the classic tunes that they cover.

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is very excited to present the rising star Katie Henry on July 15th at Dykstra Park.

The New Jersey songwriter might have started out banging on doors, braving New York's blues clubs, playing piano until her fingers bled, and winning over the city one show at a time. But lately, the multi-instrumentalist has raced through career milestones at a rocket pace. There was her Blues Blast and IBMA-nominated 2018 debut album, High Road. Then her international breakout on Ruf Records' 2022 Blues Caravan Revue. And her starburst of media acclaim, including Henry Yates of Classic Rock, NME, and The Guardian, saluting "a runaway talent you need to keep up with."

Now, with the release of her second album, On My Way, Katie has found another gear. Whether slinging her trusty Gibson SG, hammering the keys, or hollering up a storm, these ten original songs, co-written with bassist and slide-guitar maestro Antar Goodwin, announced her as an alchemist who creates gemstones from the base metals of American roots.

"There's a great range of songs on this album," Katie reflects. "You get a sense of the things I've been going through, the fights I've won, the fights I've lost, and the determination needed to continue. All wrapped in a rock and roots package."

The story goes that at one early show, a fan astutely observed: "It's like she's got John Lee Hooker in her pocket!" Scratch this young artist, and you'll find an old soul. Fingering her first piano chords, aged six, and scrawling early songs in the back of her school notebooks, Katie was the heart of singalongs at her family home in New Jersey.

With fiery guitar chops and natural charisma, she was soon a New York City jam scene favorite. Those who were there, remember songs of many genres, blues, rock, R&B, funk, pop, soul, and country, and her stage presence evoked Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin at their most magnetic.

And while "High Road" was the introductory handshake, On My Way is the profoundly personal second album on which Katie gives you her beat-up heart. It all started in May 2021, when Brooklyn's Degraw Sound opened its doors to Katie and producer/guitarist Ben Rice. The crack lineup of Goodwin, Kurt Thum (piano/organ,) and Greg Wieczorek (drums/percussion,) plus British harp ace Giles Robson. "We recorded the album live during the pandemic," reflects Katie, "and it was so fun to be able to record in a room with people after feeling isolated for such a long time. The majority of the album was laid down live, and I love that feeling. It's like capturing lightning in a bottle."

The concert will open with Adam Jacob. Adam is a singer/songwriter who has performed throughout the northeast, playing solo shows and opening for various local, regional, and national acts. Adam currently lives, writes, and records from his home studio in Sparta, NJ. He spends his free time with his wife and two boys, who are often the subject of his original folk/rock and country songs, providing an unfiltered and humorous view of modern family life.

The Sparta Summer Concert Series kicks off the 2022 season with the much awaited return of The Billy Hector band to The Nicholson Pavilion stage.

Whether Billy Hector is teasing you with his sultry slide work, picking through delta blues or flat-out cranking it up and crunching out the electric blues/rock on his beloved vintage Fender Stratocaster, his music reflects the true soul and origins of the blues; always passionate, engaging and dedicated to making the audience move and sweat. Having honed his chops and style through three decades of performances, Hector is critically recognized as one of the hottest and most interesting guitarist/songwriters on the original circuit and has even been called "A New Jersey state treasure" by music writers.

Early in his career, Billy Hector identified himself as a deeply-grounded and versatile player drawing his influences from important predecessors including T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan and a host of others across musical style and genre. But, as with all truly great musicians, recognizable influences are interesting only insofar as they provide a departure point for the musician's spirit. It falls on the musician to shape his predecessor's ideas into music that does not simply replicate but engagingly adds to the whole. Most can only aspire to this level of creation; Billy Hector generates it in spades and it happens every night.

In the late 70s, Hector's first stop was as the guitarist for The Shots, a horn-driven R&B group that took over the house band role from Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes at the renowned Stone Pony. He moved on as lead guitarist for Hot Romance, a band based at the infamous Mrs. Jay's biker bar in Asbury Park that also began receiving New York City radio airplay for its original songs.

In the mid-80's, drawn back to earlier musical roots, Billy Hector formed the five-piece blues/rock band The Fairlanes and, co-wrote and released three independent albums on the Blue Jersey label.

By early 1993, Hector regrouped as a power trio and renamed his band The Billy Hector Band. The band's present lineup is guitars/lead vocals Billy Hector, drummer Sim Cain and bassist Tim Tindall. The Billy Hector Band also performs acoustic blues in multiple personnel configurations.

A prolific songwriter/composer, Billy Hector has fourteen albums to his credit, most on the independent Ghetto Surf label. And with over thirty-five years of performing under his belt, Billy Hector is recognized as one of the hottest guitarists and songwriters playing the original circuit and serves up what more than one reviewer has called "one of the best shows you'll ever see".

The Atlanta Cafe Band, an original band with American roots, is opening the show. Based in Stillwater New Jersey, the group consists of 4 seasoned players of the blues/southern/country rock scene who have been together for the past decade playing hundreds of shows. Their latest CD "American Spirit" features the amazing slide guitar work of Sonny Landreth on the song "Playin' To Live". Their own compositions of blues/southern rock styled tunes along with their own take on selected covers has garnered them a dedicated following in the New York tri-state area. Over the years the members have shared stages in concerts/festivals with many national acts including: Sonny Landreth, Vanilla Fudge, Jon Cleary, Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball, The Good Rats, Mickey Gilley, Hank Williams Jr, Buck Owens, Willie Nile, Garland Jefferies, Tedeschi Trucks, Brewer and Shipley and From Good Homes. They have appeared at the Black Potatoe Fest, The Highlands Fest at Waterloo, WNTI Stage Music Fest, Big Brew Fest , NJ Food and Music Fest, and Michael Arnones' Craw Fish Festival. Come on out to hear them as their music will put a smile on your face, a stomp in your feet and a boogie in your pocket!

DYNAMIC SINGER DANIELIA COTTON ON SPARTA STAGE

Danielia Cotton closes her new record, The Mystery of Me, with a message of resilience. "The dark spots will appear," she sings on the title track. "Just remember, you're still here. "Cotton penned "The Mystery of Me"—a lovely ode to self-acceptance—in just one night. "I sat down and the song came, I was settling into that good place I’m al-right with the fact that there’s a few mysteries to life and to myself. I don’t think I always felt that way, but I do now." The new album's 10 tracks feature an eclectic mix of rock and soul, from the soaring "Set Me Free" to the deeply personal "Drink” and the upbeat "4 Ur Life," which pulls inspiration from classic Motown as well as Sly and the Family Stone, in this we find the Cotton coming to terms with her newfound happiness.The song’s carpe-diem message also makes it a call to arms for the younger generation in our current political climate, she adds. “I just feel like we need that right now. It's saying something that needs to be heard, but not in a way where you're like ‘goddamn.’ It's not throwing it in your face, but it's also like ‘this is it, the moment it changes.’ Right now, what we do now with everything that's going on, it will change everything. It will change how we are here now and possibly the future.”It’s a strikingly optimistic message, one that Cotton’s arrived at after enduring some incredibly difficult times—where she dropped into an abominable low. But The Mystery of Me sees the singer/songwriter rising from the ashes of that tumultuous period and finding a new healthier perspective. "This is sort of the album that's coming up to the other side," she says. "There was an EP released before it that was sort of the beginning of the emergence. I was just coming up for the first bit of air. This is me standing more solidly on the ground...It was just writing in a better headspace, mentally and physically."

Cotton believes The Mystery of Me accomplishes what she only hinted at with previous albums Small White Town and Rare Child, crediting her recent dedication to the piano with taking her to new creative heights. "It gave me more vocabulary," she says. "And instead of coloring with seven colors, suddenly I had like 19 colors. My vocab expanded and woo, I was off to the races...It just opens up the door and there's a new way to say hello. It's like learning a new language and all of a sudden you can just say things completely different and the inflections are different. It's awesome."

It's telling that after so many years, the Hopewell, N.J. native—who first picked up a guitar at age 12, released her debut album in 2005 and has opened for the likes of Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks and Bon Jovi—is still looking for fresh ways to say hello to audiences. Though she's constantly evolving as an artist, Cotton's quick to point out that she's always managed to remain herself. Working on a new record, Danielia just released an uplifting new single entitled ‘Good Day’.

"I still stayed true to myself because to me, I had to keep redefining success along the way and decide what it is I truly wanted," she says. "Did I want adoration or did I want a certain level of artistry and acknowledgement from my peers versus fans? And I keep redefining and answering that question over and over again. I believe I’ve stayed true to who I was in the process, so that's a deep thing. I went the long route, but I wouldn't do it any other way. My first entertainment lawyer, Jaimie Roberts, always said 'if it comes quick, it doesn’t last.' If it’s a slow build, you’ll get there and you are much more likely to have longevity." She's still here, and she's got no plans to leave.

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The opening act is 54 Ultra, based out of New Jersey. It is the indie pop solo project of self-taught singer, songwriter, and producer John Anthony Rodriguez. While finding his start by making beats for local rappers throughout high school, he began to discover new genres of music after graduating and was inspired to learn to play the guitar, bass and piano. He went on to produce and write songs for what would then be his first demo project.

Ultra released his demo EP, Paris, which was entirely self-produced and recorded at home, in November 2020. After writing new material, he went on to form a 4 piece band supported by Nick Nestico (lead guitar), Zach Ammirati (drums), and Mark Shannon (bass guitar). They released the single ‘Should I Let This Go?’ in April of 2021. Looking to artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Tennis, and Mac Demarco for inspiration, 54 Ultra is developing a sound that is a fusion of bedroom pop and garage rock.

PETER KARP & THE ROADSHOW IN DYKSTRA PARK

Peter Karp is known for many things. An assertive singer, a skilled guitarist and a passionate performer, he’s also an individual who writes songs that frequently reflect tales told as part of life’s journey, spawned by passion and personal experience. Consequently he’s not easily confined to any singular genre. Blues, Americana and rock and roll reverence all find common ground within his visceral template. He taps tradition and yet also maintains contemporary credence. As his friend and collaborator, Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor once noted, “Guys like Peter Karp, James Taylor and Bob Dylan embody Americana Blues, and us English guys are inspired by it.”

That’s never been more evident than on Karp’s striking new album, Magnificent Heart. A stirring collection of songs and observations, it bends the boundaries from blues to ballads, all conveyed with the insight and authority for which Karp’s come to be known. Whether it’s the gritty defiance inherent in such songs as “Sitting on Top of the World” and “The Letter,” the assured swagger of “This World,” the stoic determination inherent in “The Grave,” or the softer sentiments conveyed through “The World,” “Scared,” “The Last Heartbeat,” and “Face the Wind,” Karp conveys a knowing perspective that resonates through common cause.

The dozen songs that make up Magnificent Heart were written over the course of the past few years while Karp was touring both domestically and abroad. They were intended, he insists, for those he describes as either “doomed or redeemed.” They’re stories about people he met along the way and the experiences he encountered along the way. He describes it as a reflection of “the triumphs and tragedies that you leave behind and await you as you move ahead. Only love, faith and a magnificent heart will see you through.”

Karp has always taken his task seriously, one reason he’s able to convey his music with such passion and purpose. “For me, writing and performing has always been about making a connection...maybe even a difference,” he declares. “This record reflects where I’ve been and what I’ve experienced through growth, emotion, aspiration, conflict, love, loss, and mortality. Is it a bit heavy? Sure! It better be...if you want to dance with me.”

That said, individual offerings burrow deeper into the psyche. He says “Sitting On The Edge Of The World'' was inspired by a book called “The Road.” “I read it while I lived for a few days in the Reeperbahn in Hamburg Germany. The rain soaked lights in the red light district, the perfume of the street walkers, the ghosts of the young Beatles and ‘The Road’ delivered me this post apocalyptic love song.” Likewise, “Face The Wind'' was written while living in a little village in Turkey. “The isolation, the calls to prayer and walking 2,000 year old streets inspired this idea. “ On the other hand, Karp suggests that “The Letter” could be construed as autobiographical, although, he says, “everyone carries the letter.” Likewise, “She Breaks Her Own Heart” relates the story of a not so bitter break-up. “When people break up they blame each other,” he reflects. “Not so in this case. I don’t kiss and tell. I write songs. Pure fiction. Ugh.”

Other tracks had more complicated backstories. “One day I received a call from another artist asking me to write something for his new record,” Karp recalls. “I was not in good shape. It was the dead of winter and I had writer’s block. I wasn’t very nice to him but I wrote and wrote and wrote. ‘This World’ was my favorite, and so I kept it for myself. I’ll be nicer next time. ‘Scared’ originally started as a poem by my late great wife and poet Mary Lou Bonney Karp,” Karp explains. “I took it and re-wrote it as a ballad while trying to keep the woman’s perspective intact. Over the years it’s been recorded by different artists. This is the definitive version. My son James plays the solo. The circle is complete.” He explains that “Compassion,” is about narcissism, self-empowerment and egotism, and how they often live in the shadows of empathy, understanding and compassion. “At least that’s what I hope,” he adds.

Written and produced by Karp, Magnificent Heart features Karp on slide guitar, solo guitar, guitar, piano and vocals, along with Kim Wilson (harmonica), Jason Ricci (harmonica), John Ginty (B3 organ), Jim Eingher (piano and keyboard), Paul Carbonara (guitar and solo guitar on “The Letter,” “This World”), James Otis Karp (solo guitar on “Scared”), Niles Terrat (bass), Edward Williams (bass), Michael Catapano (drums/percussion), Cold City Horns (Jacob Wynne, trumpet and David Kasper, tenor sax), and Eyrn O’ree (background vocals).

The album follows on the heels of last year’s critically acclaimed Blue Flame, another triumph that marked Karp’s artistic progression over the course of the past 20 years. Born in the tiny hamlet of Leonia New Jersey, just over the Hudson River from New York City, Karp was introduced to music at an early age by his mother and sister who would take him to shows featuring the stars of the nascent English Invasion, Murray the K’s freewheeling road shows and the soul artists emerging from Motown with the beckoning of Top 40 radio.

That instinctive love of music was accelerated when he went to live with his dad in a trailer park, in rural Enterprise, Alabama. It was there that he became aware of the musicians that laid the seeds for the seminal sounds of the Blues, revered pioneers like Sun House, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Howlin’ Wolf. He also began exploring the artists that picked up that gauntlet early on, original American masters like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Having been bitten by the bug, Karp embarked on his own musical journey, picking up the accordion at age seven and then making a segue way to guitar and piano in his mid-teens. He formed his first band, They Came From Houses, which quickly became a staple of New York’s nascent underground scene, as represented by such iconic clubs as CBGBs, Folk City and the Mudd Club. The band shared stages with the likes of Marshall Crenshaw, Mink Deville, the Stray Cats, John Hammond Jr., George Thorogood and David Johansen, among the many, but eventually Karp became disillusioned with the music scene and walked away, preferring to spend his time caring for a new family instead of finding himself always out on the road.

He went to work for his family, but still kept his connections to music. He frequently sought out other songwriters and performers to perform with and seek advice to help him further his songwriting skill, gleaning thoughts from such artists as Willie Dixon, Robert Lockwood Jr., Sammy Cahn, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Richie Havens and Ric Ocasek. He also took some time to travel, expanding his interest in African American culture and the indigenous music of the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina.

Revitalized after his hiatus, Karp eventually returned to performing, writing songs that reflected his accumulated life experiences. That core commitment led to his first independent release, 1998’s Live at the Americana Roadhouse, a poorly recorded but well received collection of original songs captured in concert. It was also the record that brought him to Taylor’s attention after hearing some of its rough recordings. Taylor subsequently flew to the States to play on Karp’s next effort, The Turning Point, and shortly thereafter the two embarked up a tour together.

As a result Karp continued to accumulate a national following, and in 2007, he released a follow up, Shadows and Cracks, his first record for the respected blues label Blind Pig. He Said -- She Said, which found him partnering with Canadian singer/songwriter Sue Foley, was released in 2010 and quickly made it into Billboard’s Top Five as well. The duo’s follow up, Beyond the Crossroads, came soon after and was subsequently cited by Alternate Roots Magazine as the #1 CD of the Year for 2012. In 2016, Karp released The Arson’s Match, a series of recordings made with Mick Taylor at New York’s Bottom Line. Funds from the project go towards a charity Karp started in his wife’s memory.

In the meantime, the accolades have kept accumulating. Blues Blast Magazine described him simply as “One of the most well-respected songwriters in America.” AllMusic.com noted, “Karp is his own man, an artist who blends roots music styles into something that transcends blues, country, R&B and swamp, John Prine’s wordplay, Joe Ely’s rocking instincts, Billy Joe Shaver’s fatalistic outlook.” Goldmine declared “Peter Karp is a star. From his muscular slide guitar soloing to his observational and oh-so-true songwriting and, most of all, that soulful expressive voice of his, dripping with innuendo. Dude’s entertaining as hell,” while USA Today described him as “a great writer and performer whose songs are driven by verbal word play and insights into the human experience. Like James Taylor and Bob Dylan, Karp embodies Americana music.”

“What turns me on is absolute honesty,” Karp confesses. “You have to take it seriously to stay committed to who you are and where you’re coming from. That’s the way I connect to my audience. You can’t BS people. It’s always about honesty.”

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Starting the evening off is “Me & My Big Ideas”, a creation of Don Elliker, NYC born and New Jersey resident guitarist and singer-songwriter. Ably assisted by area musician performers, Paul Kuzik (Bass, vocal), James Ryan (Pedal Steel Guitar) and (Drummer / Percussionist) Ned Stroh, they create a free-wheeling mix of country-tinged, acid-dipped, lyrically rich music best enjoyed live and in person. The band debuts in this post-pandemic 2021 music season area wide with some spirited renditions of Elliker’s compositions from his upcoming release by the same name. As he says - “Life’s an adventure, we’d like to provide a little traveling music”

JOHN BYRNE BAND BRINGS CELTIC MUSIC TO TOWN

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is bringing Celtic music back to town on Friday August 13th. The John Byrne Band is led by Dublin native and Philadelphia-based John Byrne.

Their debut album, After the Wake, was released to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011. With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Planxty, John's songwriting honors and expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes. John and the band followed up After the Wake in early 2013 with an album of Celtic and American traditional tunes. The album, Celtic/Folk, pushed the band on to the FolkDJ Charts, reaching number 36 in May 2015. Their third release, another collection of John Byrne originals, entitled "The Immigrant and the Orphan", was released in Sept 2015. The album, once again, draws heavily on John's love of Americana and Celtic Folk music and with the support of DJs around the country entered the FolkDJ Charts at number 40. Critics have called it "...a powerful, deeply moving work that will stay with you long after you have heard it" (Michael Tearson-Sing Out); "The Vibe of it (The Immigrant and the Orphan) is, at once, as rough as rock and as elegant as a calm ocean..each song on this album carries an honesty, integrity and quiet passion that will draw you into its world for years to come" (Terry Roland - No Depression); "If any element of Celtic, Americana or Indie-Folk is your thing, then this album is an absolute yes" (Beehive Candy); "It's a gorgeous, nostalgic record filled with themes of loss, hope, history and lost loves; everything that tugs at your soul and spills your blood and guts...The Immigrant and the Orphan scorches the earth and emerges tough as nails" (Jane Roser - That Music Mag)

The album was released to a sold-out crowd at the storied World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and 2 weeks later to a sold-out crowd at the Mercantile in Dublin, Ireland. John has toured with or opened up for acts as diverse as The Hothouse Flowers, Ian Gillan (of Deep Purple), Gaelic Storm, Murder by Death, Finbar Furey, Luka Bloom, The Saw Doctors, The Solas, Sharon Shannon, The Young Dubliners and The Greencards. Both as a solo/acoustic act, and a full 6-piece band, John logs in over 150 shows per year, building a loyal and devoted following. John spent 2017-18 recording and releasing an album of folk songs with his father John Sr. Released under the name "John J.Byrne and the Twangmen" the album has been included in the National Archives in Ireland. His next record, "A Shiver In The Sky", was released in Fall 2019. It features John’s group of multi-instrumentalists vibrantly executing ten new originals. Strings, horns and guitars escort Byrne’s vocals through a set of songs about living and pushing forward through negative times.

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Opening the evening are Adam & Howard, a folk pop duo covering folk, rock and blues tunes that span from the 1960’s onward. Adam Meyers has been playing guitar for nearly 50 years and is an accomplished blues and rock guitarist. Howard Burg is a harmonica player, combining a mainstream rock musical style with blue grass beats that he has honed over his long musical career. Adam & Howard harmonize together to capture the power and beauty of the classic tunes that they cover.

YOUNG PHENOM KING SOLOMON HICKS IN SPARTA

King Solomon Hicks grew up in Harlem "around a lot of great musicians." That certainly shows on HARLEM, an 11-song salute to those roots -- and how the 24-year-old guitarist and singer has turned them into his own fierce and distinctive style over the years.

The set, produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey), showcases Hicks as a writer, player and interpreter. Originals such as the roadhouse ready "421 South Main," the gospel shuffle of "Have Mercy on Me" and the aching instrumental "Riverside Drive" rub musical elbows with staples such as "Every Day I Sing the Blues" and "It's Alright," a Latin-tinged take on Blood, Sweat & Tears' "I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know," a funked-up romp through Gary Wright's "Love is Alive" and a searing rendition of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help me" that closes the album.

Hicks' playing and singing shine throughout HARLEM, blending reverent familiar with vigorous fresh, the work of an artist deeply rooted in blues birthed decades before him but equally invested in finding his own way of playing it. Yes, every day he sings the blues, but in a manner only Hicks himself can. "This has been a long time coming," Hicks says of his first major recording, "but I'm really happy with the sound and the way everybody played. This music is where I come from. It's really special to be able to record these songs -- and really important to get 'em right."

Hicks has been steeped in music for as long as he can remember. Harlem, he says, "is not like New Orleans, where music is 24 hours a day -- but it's close." His father and mother played music at home constantly. His mother also took him, as a youth, to local nightspots such as the Lennox Lounge, Saint Nick's and the Cotton Club, where Hicks witnessed performances that made a significant impact on his outlet and ambitions. "When you're around good musicians, it gives you that spark -- 'I want to do what you do. I want to hold my own,'" says Hicks, who started playing guitar when he was six years old. "But being around those types of musicians also taught me to NOT be the fastest guitar player. I wanted to be the one who knew the most riffs and drew on a lot of knowledge so I could play anything, and with anyone."

The self-described "kid in school that had a guitar on his back, interrupting all the classes," Hicks was on stage at the Cotton Club when he was 13, and during high school as part of a 15-piece band playing there three nights a week. "The owner saw I was serious and genuinely loved the music," Hicks recalls. He also learned a great deal from playing rhythm guitar at first, gradually developing his lead and soloing skills at gigs as well as at private parties and open jams -- the latter of which provided a kind of master class for the developing artists.

"I wouldn't know the song or the key of the song; They'd say, 'Hey, go...' and either you sank that day or you swam, and if you didn't get it you got to try to come back the next week and do it again," he remembers.

Hicks, not surprisingly, stayed afloat during those encounters, building a reputation on the scene that began to spread outside of the New York area -- while his home turf expanded to venues such as the Iridium, the Red Rooster, Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar, Terra Blues and more. After high school Hicks began playing in Europe, opening for Jeff Beck and Ringo Starr, playing festivals in Spain and France, as well as at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, and being booked on KISS Kruise V in 2017 and on this year's Joe Bonamassa Blues Alive at Sea Cruise. He's shared stages with the likes of Tony Bennett, Beth Hart, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Mavis Staples, Paul Shaffer and others.

Hicks also became a member of the Blues Foundation in Memphis and he has Judged the IBC's in Memphis [International Blues Challenge]" along with being a supporter of young Blues Musicians and The Blues Foundation.. He paid his own success forward by teaching music for the Children's Aid Society and working with the Harlem Arts Alliance and the New York City Jazzmobile. "It's a lot of hard work and responsibility," Hicks notes. "The older I get, it's not just playing music just for me anymore. It's playing music for people to feel good and enjoy themselves, maybe take their minds off their problems."

Hicks and Yano started working on HARLEM two years ago, finishing up during late 2019. "It was just about getting my own sound together," explains Hicks, who was aided by a corps of players that includes members of Soulive, Lettuce, Jack White and Hank William Jr.'s band and others -- including Foghat/Savoy Brown veteran Roger Earl, who plays drums on the smooth, R&B flavored take on Fred Koller's "What the Devil Loves." "I wanted to have a foot in the blues, like coming back home to mama," Hicks says. "But I didn't want it to be traditional. I wanted people to feel like they're in a juke joint, listening to what the blues sounds like in 2019, my own spin on it."

Hicks certainly achieves that on HARLEM, and he's planning on more for the future. As well-traveled as he is Hicks has a long list of places he hasn't played yet that he intends to add to his itinerary. There are also more original songs he plans to release after future forays into the recording studio. "This is like a first impression," he says of HARLEM. "I want people to know me as a musician first. I'm trying to get my roots planted with the blues fans, and later I'll cross over into some different worlds. There's a lot I want to do -- I'm patient, but at the same time I'm really ready for people to hear my music. Can't wait, actually..."

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Opening the show is the group Gladys and The Powertones, a crowd pleasin’, jump swingin’, roots rockin’ band from Central Jersey. Their debut single Day Drinkin’ was released last year and their debut CD is in the works. Founder and guitarist Mike Post had the vision of creating a unique sound for the band combining rockabilly, New Orleans and jump blues. He’s bringing a retro 50’s sound into the present day. Frontwoman Gladys contributes exciting and sultry vocals, and lays down the bass groove too. Tony Sky, who collaborated with Mike in many projects over the years, lends his raw harmonica style to the project. Lifelong musician Chris Reardon is on the drum kit. The talented bassist Phil Butler plays upright bass for the group.

MULEBONE BRINGS THE BLUES TO SPARTA

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is very happy to welcome the very unique blues duo Mulebone back to the stage on Friday July 30th. Mulebone is a musical partnership comprised of multi-instrumentalist, John Ragusa and roots music specialist, Hugh Pool. The grist for their mill is traditional blues.

Together Mulebone has recorded 5 critically lauded CDs and achieved AMA Top 100 with all. Their fouth CD "Keep on Movin" earned the distinction of being the only independent release in the AMA Top 40 for 6 weeks in 2015. Along with playing live and TV appearances, they won blues artist of the year at radio stations from Seattle, Washington to Red Bank, New Jersey and Hugh Pool was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.

“John Ragusa can play anything he can put his lips on ...wait a minute....did I say that out loud?” In Mulebone, John plays conch shell, Jews harp, cornet, all manner of flutes, tin whistle, and chimes in on the harmony vocals. He is member of Beth Nielsen Chapman's group as well as his own John Ragusa outfit, and plays regularly in conjunction with Deepak Chopra's speaking engagements. Amongst dozens of his studio credits are contemporary jazz greats Joe Taylor, Jeremy Wall and world music icon Tom Ze. Hugh says, "One time we were in Lexington, Kentucky sitting at an outdoor cafe and John played me a bunch of melodies sliding a straw up and down in a cup of ice water"...you get the drift.

Hugh Pool plays guitars, harmonica, boot board and sings, all with a mouth full of whiskey and a giant heart. He has played in clubs and at festivals from Jakarta, Indonesia to North Cape, Norway; From Vienna, Austria to Ottawa, Ontario and has been critically lauded by The New York Times, New York Press, The Village Voice, Pittsburgh Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Blues Revue Magazine...the list goes on. He is also a noted recordist and producer who has worked on hundreds of records at his Williamsburg, Brooklyn studio, Excello Recording including sessions with Taj Mahal, Debbie Harry, Marshall Crenshaw and even Molly Ringwald.

Together in Mulebone, Hugh and John play slide guitar boogies, 1 chord trance riffs a la Howlin’ Wolf, the uptempo rags of Reverend Gary Davis and country blues of all shapes and colors. Sometimes they play close to the source, almost as if tracing the image, and at other moments, they re-examine the source, float above it, take a new look as one understanding their home from a distant land.

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The opening act for the evening’s show is a great group from Brooklyn called BIN 251. Smooth and sultry original music with select cover songs. BIN251 got together for the first time to play in a small rehearsal studio in Manhattan. The band features Donna Zanger on keyboards and vocals, Tim Frost on guitar and vocals, Armand Diaz on bass and Alan Schissel on the drums. Growing as friends and players over the years helped them to create their debut record "Flights of Fantasy". They hope you’ll enjoy their bluesy, cocktail lounge sound.

KARL LATHAM & FRIENDS COMING TO SPARTA

The Sparta Summer Concert Series is thrilled to present a wonderful night of jazz as Karl Latham & Friends come to town on Friday July 23rd.

Karl Latham and Friends featuring renowned musicians, guitarist Mitch Stein, bassist Calvin X Jones and a very special guest will be performing iconic pop standards with a rock/jazz twist. Selections from Latham’s release “Living Standards” will take you on an adventurous jam band/jazz journey, exploring smash pop, rock and soul hits that have become modern standards, overlapping generations of listeners.

Former Sparta resident Karl Latham is known for his work with many acclaimed artists including Grammy winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Members and the groups he co-leads with Don Braden/Karl Latham; Laurence Hobgood and James Robbins; Alex Collins and Ryan Berg and his regular appearances with John Lee (Director of the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Groups). Karl has subbed on the Broadway productions of “Hamilton”, “Beautiful” and “Ain’t Too Proud”.

Guitarist Mitch Stein has performed with Tania Maria, David Sanborn, The Brecker Brothers, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, Steve Kimock, Jim Weider, Stone Alliance, and Adam Holzman. Calvin X Jones has performed with numerous artists including Patti Austin, Don Braden, Tom Brown, Alex Bugnon, Donald Byrd, Steve Coleman, Craig Harris, Jon Hendricks, Andrew Hill, Eartha Kitt, Dave Koz, Les McCann, Greg Osby, Max Roach, Pharoah Sanders and James "Blood" Ulmer. Mr. Jones has performed on Broadway with “Bring 'N Da Noise, Bring 'N Da Funk (including the first national tour), "Aint Nothin' But The Blues", "All Shook Up" and "The Janice Joplin Show”.

Karl is on the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee and is an adjunct professor at Drew University, the County College of Morris and Passaic County Community College. Karl is an endorsee/clinician for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, and Innovative Percussion. For information on this show and Latham’s other projects visit: www.karllatham.com.

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Opening the evening concert is Adam Najemian , a guitarist and singer who specializes in blues music. Playing since he was 9 years old, Adam now performs as a solo musician, both acoustically and with a full electric band. He plays throughout the greater NYC area, including the legendary Stanhope House, Jockey Hollow, Salt Gastropub, music festivals and several other venues in Vermont, North Carolina, Philadelphia (The Twisted Tail), New York City (Shrine; Terra Blues) and Memphis. Adam has opened for and played with several big names in music and blues, including Grammy nominated artist Danielle Nicole, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Pat Dinizio of The Smithereens, Eric Steckel, Shemekia Copeland, Matt Schofield and Billy Hector. He has been featured on local radio stations HomeGrownRadioNJ.org and WNTI.org, including interviews and live performances.