Celebrate the start of Independence Day weekend on Thursday evening, July 2, at 6:30 p.m. with the down-home music of the Back Porch Blues band in concert on the Custom House lawn, 101 South Water Street, Chestertown. The sweet and lowdown sounds of American blues highlight this program, the second in the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience’s Riverfront Concert Series exploring America’s musical traditions through song and commentary. Bring blankets, chairs and a picnic-supper; the concerts are free, and so are the cookies and lemonade. Young and young at heart are welcome at this annual summertime event.
The Back Porch Blues, a nationally acclaimed acoustic trio, includes guitarist Eleanor Ellis, the blues harmonica virtuosity of Jay Summerour, and the percussion talents of Eric Selby. Ellis began her musical career in New Orleans and has traveled and played with the late gospel street singer Flora Molton and bluesman Archie Edwards. Summerour learned his art from his grandfather, Smack Martin, an accomplished blues harmonica player. Later he polished his skills with legends like Sonny Terry, James Cotton, and Magic Dick. Rounding out the trio, Eric Selby has performed with the Memphis Gold Band, the Daryl Davis Band, Mark Wenner, Warner Williams, and Charlie Sayles. The Back Porch Blues has performed at venues across the country, including the Music Center at Strathmore and the Kennedy Center.
The concert will be hosted by Michael Buckley, Program Manager and oral history instructor at the Starr Center. A 30-year veteran of the American roots music scene, Buckley has an award-winning radio show on WRNR.
In the event of inclement weather, concerts will be held at Hynson Pavilion, Wilmer Park, Chestertown. The 2015 series concludes the following Thursday, July 9, with Chestertown-based favorites The High and Wides playing their mix of country, swing, and rockabilly. For more information and weather-related updates, call 410-810-7156 or visit www.starrcenter.
Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in colonial Chestertown on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. For more information, visit www.washcoll.edu. The College’s C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience is dedicated to fostering innovative approaches to the American past and present. Through educational programs, scholarship and public outreach, and with a special focus on written history, the Starr Center seeks to bridge the divide between the academic world and the public at large. For more information on the Center, visit https://www.starrcenter.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.