On Friday, June 21 the Mainstay in Rock Hall welcomes a unique musical collective when The Five Families Ensemble take the stage. The five players, all hailing from Upstate New York (Mainstay Director Matt Mielnick’s old stomping grounds) adeptly combine the highest levels of musicianship and relaxed humor to establish a connection between the musicians and the audience.

The group’s name suggests the format of a traditional chamber ensemble (combining sounds from each of the four instrument groups — brass, woodwinds, percussion, and strings). Add a fifth (the human voice).  From that departure point the audience may in fact recognize a touch of Beethoven. But from there the program takes a left turn towards music heard on a long hot night on the Bayou to a card game in the back alleys of St. Louis, and from Brubeck to the blues. That’s the platform for the Five Families Ensemble led by jazz pianist/ sax player Monk Rowe. Their fans add that Rowe, is not so much a conductor as he is “a captivating tour guide, a master of showmanship.”

One music critic commented that their music was “unlike anything we’ve heard before — exquisite arrangements of vintage pieces to dazzling originals performed by outstanding instrumentalists/vocalists.” Mielnick caps off his comments by saying “This is definitely not a classical music recital. This is a feel-really-good band from start to finish.”

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.