Singer and songwriter Beth McDonald joins forces with pianist Joe Holt for an evening they call “Love Stories” at The Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday February 13 at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $15. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Joe Holt is an eclectic pianist known for his inventive improvisations and Beth McDonald is known for her sweet/tart voice and stunning interpretations of her own material and jazz, popular and gospel standards.
They each tell stories of love through their music – Beth through the songs she writes and those she chooses to sing, and Joe from the piano, especially through his creative improvisations. Holt and McDonald have worked with each other many times and have recorded an album together. For this evening at The Mainstay, they will be joined by vocalist Tim Dove who will sing accompaniment and solo.
Holt says, “This will be an evening of material that weaves a tapestry that the heart understands, finding – and perhaps remembering – its own stories; because at the heart of music, and the connection it makes, is love. What better time than the weekend of Valentine’s Day to connect, remember, feel and share the musical love.”
A songwriter from the time she could climb onto a piano bench, Beth McDonald grew up in a musical family and always enjoyed singing harmony with her family members and friends. It wasn’t until she was nearly 30 years old that she was willing to try to sing by herself in front of anyone – baptized by fire, so to speak, by becoming the lead singer for the nationally acclaimed DC area New Legacy Jazz Band.
In 2006. she had the opportunity to get into a recording studio to record not just pop standards but also some of her original material. Since that time, she has recorded and produced four of her own titles and one duo collaboration with Joe Holt as her accompanist. She performs at historic theaters, cabarets, churches, and festivals, covering music from various genres, such as gospel, blues, pop standards, and some contemporary material as well as her own compositions, which fall into several of those categories.
Joe Holt is a professional pianist, best known for his imaginative improvisations, and his joy in performing. Also a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), he performs for the connections that music makes and for the shared experience with his audiences.
Holt’s studies include, most notably: Yoheved Kolinsky – classical piano, and Don Glanden – jazz piano. His performances reflect the influence of both worlds and the joy in the moment.
He performs extensively in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. as a soloist, as well as with established vocalists and jazz groups and his own trio. Holt is a featured entertainer for American Cruise Lines at ports along the Chesapeake Bay and has appeared throughout the US in concerts and festivals. He also continues to tour, on occasion, as a soloist.
He is active in recording, having appeared on over 25 albums, 8 of which are on his own label, including his groundbreaking solo improvisation CD: “Stories Without Words”. He is also active in education, introducing “Lessons for the Thoughtful Pianist”: a comprehensive program of study, available on-line, and by mail.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street.
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