Karen Somerville sings some of her favorite and most memorable songs from her many musical projects in a concert at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday July 20 at 8:00 p.m. She will be joined by Lester Barrett, Jr and Jerome McKinney from Sombarkin’ on vocals, Stef Scaggiari on piano and Tom Anthony on bass. Admission is $20. For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Blues, jazz, gospel… Karen Somerville sings it all with grace and passion. For this evening she’ll pull out some of her favorite and most memorable songs from her many musical projects, and bring along some of her favorite people to sing them with.
Somerville will sing a capella, spirituals and contemporary standards from Ellington to Leonard Cohen with Lester Barrett, Jr and Jerome McKinney from Sombarkin’. The jazz and blues with Stef Scaggiari on piano and Tom Anthony on bass will include Oscar Brown’s “People of Soul” which she learned for playwright Robert Earl Price when she appeared in his original drama “All Blues” in Chestertown and in Atlanta. Also included will be some Karen Somerville originals, jazz and blues standards by her longtime friend, songwriter Ross Schneider, and by Chestertown singer/songwriter Pam Ortiz.
Mainstay founder, Tom McHugh describes Somerville as “a jazz singer, par excellence.” She is a favorite of regional audiences for her jazz vocals that are by turns sweet, sassy and sultry. She has received high praise for her gospel performances with Sombarkin’ and the New Gospelites and for her stunning performance as Bob Kaufman’s muse in Robert Earl Price’s play “The Golden Sardine.”
Somerville was born the second oldest of four children in rural Kent County, MD. She speaks proudly of the advantages of being reared in a small town; of close knit families, and everyone looking out for the other, of church services filled with praise.
Her love for music began at home, and was cultivated in church. She says, “Both of my parents played instruments and sang; that was how we entertained each other at home. It was our favorite pastime. My Pop Pop Emory played the accordion and harmonica though he called it a mouth-harp. He was awesome. He would sing and play for us, and make the sound of the train whistle blowing, the dogs barking, and would be telling a story all at the same time. That was my first experience with the sound of the Blues.”
“When I was barely in first grade, my Mom taught us to sing harmony; I remember it like yesterday. She would take us with her when she was asked to sing in churches around the County. My sister Cathy and brother Alton Jr. (Gary wasn’t born yet) and I would sing background for her as she played piano. I don’t know how we had the nerve, except she was so confident that we could do it well.”
Somerville’s recordings include “Love Cures” and “The New Gospelites, Every Day Is Sunday.” She is also a local historian who is the founder of the African American Schoolhouse Museum.
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