Americana Community Music Association Events

Sunday February 8 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST

Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL, 33919, United States

ACMA @ The Alliance presents Rod MacDonald in Concert. Bob Patetta opens.

The ACMA is delighted to once again host Rod Macdonald at our ACMA Alliance Concert series.Sunday Feb 8thDoors at 2:30Show at 3:00Tickets at www.artinlee.org$18 for ACMA members/$20 General Public.Rod MacDonald (born August 17, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, novelist, and educator.[1] He was a âbig part of the 1980s folk revival in Greenwich Village clubsâ,[2] performing at the Speakeasy, The Bottom Line, Folk City, and the âSongwriterâs Exchangeâ at the Cornelia Street Cafe. He co-founded the Greenwich Village Folk Festival. He is perhaps best known for his songs âAmerican Jerusalemâ, about the âcontrast between the rich and the poor in Manhattanâ (Sing Out!), âA Sailorâs Prayerâ, âComing of the Snowâ, âEvery Living Thingâ, and âMy Neighbors in Delrayâ, a description of the September 11 hijackersâ last days in Delray Beach, Florida, where MacDonald has lived since 1995. His songs have been covered by Dave Van Ronk, Shawn Colvin, Four Bitchinâ Babes, Jonathan Edwards, Garnet Rogers, Joe Jencks, and others. His 1985 recording âWhite Buffaloâ is dedicated to Lakota Sioux ceremonial chief and healer Frank Fools Crow, whom he visited in 1981 and 1985, and who appears with MacDonald in the cover photograph. Since 1995 MacDonald has lived in south Florida, where his cd, âLater that Nightâ was named âBest Local Cd of 2014â by The Palm Beach Post [3] and reached the top ten in national roots music charts. His first novel, The Open Mike, about a young man in the open mike scene of Greenwich Village, was published on December 5, 2014, by Archway Publishing.[4] On May 1, 2018, MacDonald released his 13th solo recording, âBeginning Again,â on Blue Flute Music.MacDonald has released 12 solo recordings on several record labels in the US, 8 in Europe on the Swiss label Brambus, and 21 songs with Smithsonian Folkways (through the Fast Folk Musical Magazine), and appears as lead singer of Big Brass Bed, a Palm Beach County rock and roll band, on 3 cds of Bob Dylan songs and originals. As with many independent artists, his recordings are often sold directly at concerts, and at online sites. His current label is Blue Flute Music.MacDonald has appeared on stage with fellow artists, including Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Odetta, Tom Paxton, the Violent Femmes, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, Ani DiFranco, Tom Chapin, Jack Hardy and David Massengill. He has performed at festivals in Philadelphia, Winnipeg, Florida, South Florida, Riverhawk, Boston, Kerrville, Greenwich Village, Falcon Ridge, New Bedford Summerfest, Port Fairy (Australia) and Trowbridge (UK), and on the radio program Mountain Stage. He was reportedly the first American singer to tour the newly independent Czech Republic in 1991, and has made 40 tours in Europe since 1985, nearly all of them with NYC bassist Mark Dann.He remains active, touring most often in Florida, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Pacific Northwest, New York and New England.https://rodmacdonald.com/homeOpening is, Bob Patetta is a singer-songwriter specializing in blues, rock and folk, and has been performing and recording on guitar, harmonica and vocals for over 50 years. Born and raised in New Jersey where he started out singing and playing in rock bands, he has also worked extensively along the Gulf Coast of Florida, playing harmonica and washboard with Rosie OâGradyâs Dixieland Band in Pensacola, guitar and blues harp in the greater Tampa area and Lee County, and in Ohio since 1990. He is currently performing with the Hot Potatoes band in Ohio, and with Wildlife Drive in Florida, as well as making many solo appearances. He is also known for making a joyful noise on Sunday mornings at many Unity and UCC churches.

Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL, 33919, United States

Tuesday February 10 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST

Koreshan State Park, 3800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero, FL, 33928, United States

ACMA Songwriters at Koreshan State Park.

ACMA Songwriters at Koreshan State Park. Â The Friends of Koreshan State Park have partnered with the ACMA (Americana Community Music Association) to present monthly concerts featuring all-original music by talented local artists. Bring a chair or blanket and settle in for an evening under the stars. Â The ACMA, a Fort Myersâbased nonprofit, is dedicated to promoting original music by local singer-songwriters. Each showcase features artists sharing their songs, the stories behind them, and a lifetime of experiencesâ Prepare for an evening of professional-quality acoustic Americana music, which blends blues, roots, folk, bluegrass, and country. Details: Tickets: $10 (includes parking) Children under 12 freeÂ Advance Tickets, Guarantee entrance additional tickets at the gate if space allows.Â Â TICKET LINK TO FOLLOWSchedule: Gates open at 6:30. Â Show runs from 7-8:30Â Â Mike McMillanÂ Diwakar (Bon) Mokadam Â Carlene Thissen.Â Â Mike McMillan is a songwriter whose music is deeply influenced by the blues. Though heâll tell you heâs still a student of the genre, his songwriting and guitar work have inspired many local musicians to start writing their own blues songs. But Mikeâs talents donât stop there â his writing draws from folk, Americana, and roots traditions, creating songs that are honest, soulful, and full of heart. Diwakar (Bon) Mokadam is a singer songwriter who has been writing songs since he was a teenager. His musical influences continue to evolve from rock to jazz to pop to progressive. He has released three CDâs âModern Prog,â âPost Modern Progâ and âThe Jon Banders Experiment,â with a band of friends called, âThe Elders.â His last ACMA opening concert can be seen on YouTube. His music is on digital platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, and Sound Cloud. Carlene Thissen is an American singer-songwriter and author, born on June 28, 1950, in Andover, northwest New Jersey.Â She now shares her time between her permanent home in Naples, Florida, and Saugerties, NY, where she dedicates herself to performing, speaking and songwriting, singing and playing piano and guitar at house concerts, clubs, restaurants, festivals and charity events. Carlene started performing in the 1960s and 70s as a young guitar-playing folk singer, doing songs by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Melanie. Â She says the best three days of her life were spent at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969 and she presents a multi-media program today about that experience. In 2024, she donated the guitar she had with her in 1969 to the Bethel Woods Woodstock Museum, where it is included in a display just outside the entrance. Â Along with the guitar is a photo of Carlene and the chorus lyrics to her song, âBack There Againâ that include the line âthe guitar she named Alice.â Â Â As she explains in her autobiographical song, âBack There Again,â this Woodstock hippie girl, ââŚcut her hair and got a career, and lost herself for 30 odd years.âÂ Â Forgetting her dreams of being a doctor working in ghettos, she becameÂ a successful business woman, well known for speeches, articles and books about marketing technology. Â She ended her corporate career as Vice President for a large market research company in Chicago, started her own independent international consulting company and then moved to Naples, Florida. Â Â

Koreshan State Park, 3800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero, FL, 33928, United States

Saturday February 14 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Rupert Wates in Concert! David Bavaria Opens

Need plans for Valentineâs Day? The ACMA listening room has you covered.Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He began his full-time songwriting career in the late 1990s after signing a publishing deal with Eaton Music Limited. In London, he collaborated with top-tier performers before moving to Paris in 2001, where he formed his own quartet and began performing regularly. Since relocating to the United States in 2006, Wates has made his home between New York City and Colorado and has earned more than 50 songwriting and performing awards.His music is an eclectic blend of acoustic, melodic art/folk infused with elements of jazz, vaudeville, and cabaret. He has released twelve solo albums, each earning critical acclaim and international airplay. His songs have been covered by artists across the UK, Canada, and the U.S., with two full-length tribute albumsâCrazy Puzzle (2015) and Wide Open Heart (2017)âproduced independently by other performers and composed entirely of Watesâ material. In 2016 alone, over 20 cover recordings of his songs were released.In 2010, Wates released Joeâs CafĂŠ, a concept album of 15 original songs inspired by true stories of everyday Americans. Each track features a different vocalist, tracing U.S. history through personal narratives spanning world wars, the Dust Bowl, Vietnam, and the Civil Rights era. Recorded live in a single weekend, the albumâs intimate feel evokes a cozy cafĂŠ setting, with standout contributions from Darol Anger (violin) and Michael Manring (bass). Joeâs CafĂŠ has been performed at festivals and venues across North America and was named Best Music Revue at the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival.In 2014, Wates teamed up with Toronto-based pianist Bartosz Hadala to form The Nightwatchers, a touring duo that regularly performs throughout Canada and Europe. Their debut album, The Nightwatchers, was released in 2015 and features standout selections from Watesâ extensive catalog.Performing an average of 120 shows annually across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Wates prefers intimate listening rooms where the focus is on connection and storytelling. He was voted Artist of the Year in both 2013 and 2016 by Concerts In Your Home and was their most-booked performer for five consecutive years. In 2018, he was a finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Song Contest and named an Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.Though British by birth, Wates has been hailed as âa prime figure in American musicâ by Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange, who praised him as âone gifted sonofabitch.â Audiences everywhere respond to the haunting, melodic quality of his songsâmusic that rings true.March 2025: Rupert Watesâ 2025 CD âFather To The Manâ is named âAlbum Of The Monthâ by Bob Leslie at Transatlantic Conversations on Celtic Music Radio.Find out more at:rupertwatesmusic.comOpening the show is ACMA Member and singer/songwriter, David Bavaria. David spent his adolescence influenced by the rock/folk music of the 60s & 70s â Beatles, CSN, Byrds, and the like.He picked up his old guitar in retirement after a 35 year hiatus and hasnât put it down since.He formed a 5 piece cover band, Night Watchmen, in Delaware where he spends his summers. He spends the winter in Fort Myers, and has just started writing songs, entirely inspired by the ACMA.Tickets for the show are available at the door.Door donations:$15/Members$20/General AdmissionThe doors to ACMA listening room open at 6:30 pm and the show begins at 7:00 pm

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Thursday February 19 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 3478 Ortiz Ave, Fort Myers, FL, 33905, United States

Dan Navarro in concert. Kevin John Allen opens. ACMA @ Calusa Planetarium Music Under The Stars

The ACMA and the Calusa Nature Center are thrilled to welcome Dan Navarro and Kevin John Allen to the Music Under the Stars series. Dan is an ACMA favorite at our All Faiths Venue and we are excited to share his talents at our series in collaboration with one of our partner non-profits.Doors open at 6:30, Show at 7:00 PMTickets will be available at calusanature.orgACMA/Nature Center members $18/general public $20.Hereâs a bit about Dan Navarro!Dan Navarroâs long and eclectic resume includes âsongwriter,â ârecording artist,â âsingerâ, âvoiceactorâ, âroad warriorâ and âmedia advocateâ in its range of credits.His acoustic duo, Lowen & Navarro, released twelve albums, enjoyed widespread Triple A radioairplay and performed 1500 gigs before Eric Lowenâs retirement in 2008 and passing from ALS in2012. Dan set out solo in 2007, and maintains a busy touring and recording schedule. He released asolo album, âShed My Skinâ in 2019 to glowing reviews, and is recording its follow-up now.He has just released a new duo album with James Lee Stanley,âAll Wood and Ledâ re-imaginingLed Zeppelin songs in organic âLaurel Canyonâ settings. Itâs the fourth in James Leeâs series of duoalbums with various partners (John Batdorf, Cliff Eberhardt), previously interpreting the songs ofThe Rolling Stones and The Doors. âAll Wood and Ledâ shipped in July, 2021.Dan responded to Covid lockdown by live streaming over 250 2-hour-plus performances in 13months, under the banner âSongs From the CoronaZoneâ, on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch. Hereturned to the road in late April 2021 on his âNomadDanâ Tour, in an 18-foot camper van,covering 66 days, 41 performances and 13,500 miles before breaking to record his next album. TheâNomadDanâ tour resumes in mid August and will roll the remainder of 2021.As a songwriter, Dan wrote or co-wrote songs for Pat Benatar (the Grammy nominated âWeBelongâ), The Bangles, Japanese girl group Wink (the #1 hit âOne Night in Heavenâ), Dutchsuperstar Marco Borsato (the Top Ten âJe Hoeft Niet Naar Huis Vannachtâ), Dave Edmunds,The Temptations, Dionne Warwick, and Austin outlaw country legend Rusty Weir.His songs have appeared in the films Deadpool 2, Pitch Perfect 2 and Talladega Nights, TV seriesThis Is Us, American Idol, The Voice, American Dad and The Office and national commercials forSheraton, Chase Bank and the United Way.As a singer and/or voice actor, heâs sung in the Academy Award winning films Coco and HappyFeet, the newly-released Dora and the City of Lost Gold, The Lorax, Ice Age 2, The Simpsons,Prison Break and American Dad voiced characters in Pirates of the Caribbean 5, The Book OfLife, The Playmobil Movie and We Bare Bears sung on albums by Luis Miguel, Andrea Bocelliand Neil Young voiced video games Red Dead Redemption II, Fallout 4 and Uncharted 4, andperformed vocals and voice-overs in literally hundreds of commercials for Toyota, Coca-Cola,McDonaldâs, Honda, Subaru, All-Nippon Airways and many more.In his âspareâ time, Dan serves on the Board of SAG-AFTRA, the actor-performer-broadcasterâsunion, as the National Recording Artist/Singer Vice President, on the Unclaimed Royaltiescommittee of the Mechanical Licensing Collective, and is a past president of Folk AllianceInternational. Heâs been a vocal activist in Washington DC for intellectual property rights for over20 years, testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee and the Copyright Royalty Board.Heâs the proud father of a 25-year old filmmaker son, thinks art is love, sleep is for babies and is aknown abuser of acoustic guitars.ACMA member musician Kevin John Allen opens the show.A well-traveled songwriter writing in the veins of Americana and country music. With over 40 years of writing, playing, and traveling around the world, Kevin touches hearts with songs about all our heartfelt, intimate topicsâa carny ride through life. His music makes you laugh, love, think, and dance.Winner of Best Country Artist at the Jersey Acoustic Music Awards (2012).Kevinâs discography includes four releases: Dark Songs Written on Black Guitars, Lifeâs Lonely Rodeo, The Long Road of Life, and Colours. A new fifth release, Stories I Left Behind Me, is coming in 2025.This will be Kevinâs first time on our stage, canât wait to hear his songs!www.kevinjohnallen.com

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 3478 Ortiz Ave, Fort Myers, FL, 33905, United States

Sunday February 22 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Muriel Anderson in concert. Bill Metts opens!

Muriel Anderson performs on a 20-string harp-guitar and her facility across multiple genres, combined with gentle sense of humor, is revered by audiences and guitarists worldwide. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Guitar Player ......More

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Saturday February 28 7:00pm - 9:30pm EST

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Moors & McCumber in Concert! Bruce Gallant Opens

A vocal harmony duo fifteen years in the making, Moors & McCumber have done more than just endear themselves to fans â theyâve built a genuine community. Bridging the gap between classic folk rock and present day Americana, they write heartfelt songs directly inspired by lifeâs experiences. With their latest record, released in 2023, âWired to the Moon,â they have created some of their most compelling work to date.The sound of Moors & McCumber is adventurous, eclectic, and endlessly creative. Borrowing from rock, pop, blues, folk, and world music, the two multi-instrumentalists defy common logic and embrace spontaneity to bring their stories and songs to life. Their strong vocal harmonies and unconventional instrumentation combine to create a mesmerizing experience. At the center of it all is their evocative songwriting.Prior to the duoâs formation, James Moors, based in Wisconsin, and Kort McCumber, based in Colorado, each led prolific careers as solo artists. They had both already released six solo studio albums and had begun developing fanbases of their own. The two met at a music festival in 2005 and quickly bonded over their shared passions. James and Kort began performing together as something of a side project, but it immediately became apparent they were meant for much bigger things.While âmore than the sum of their partsâ has become a bit of a cliche, there is no better phrase to describe Moors & McCumber. James is a gifted singer and songwriter, while Kort specializes in creating vocal harmonies and captivating arrangements through inventive instrumentation. With their voices combined, they create a truly special sound. As Grammy award-winning producer Lloyd Maines says, âThey bring it all to the stage and deliver in a big way.âOne of the most notable things that separates them from the crowd is their âMoors & McCumber Adventures.â These music themed travel tours to international destinations such as Ireland, Scotland, and Mexico give fans an opportunity to directly engage with the artists while sharing cultural expeditions.In 2023, Moors & McCumber recorded their tenth full length studio album, âWired to the Moon.â Recorded at Blue Rock Studios in Wimberley, Texas, and at Flowers Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this album features ten new songs showcasing the ever evolving talents of Moors & McCumber. Produced by Patrick Conway and Moors & McCumber, Wired to the Moon includes guest musicians Dees Stribling, Peter Anderson, Patrick Conway, Kris Johnson and The Fiddle Case.Take a listen to some of their music:https://moorsandmccumber.com/Our ACMA member Bruce Gallant opens the show. For over 40 years, Bruce has been writing songs, using them as a journal to reflect the different times in his life. âI started writing songs in my late 20s and have never stopped. Anything of importance in my life is in one of my songs. Writing is essential for my survival.â Bruce is also on the board of the Americana Community Music Association, and hosts the weekly Singer-Songwriting Circle, and can often be found performing around town. He tells the best Dad jokes ever!Tickets for this show are available at the door.Door donations:ACMA Members â $15General Admission â $20ACMA listening room doors open at 6:30 pm and the concert begins at 7:00 pm

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Tuesday March 3 6:30pm - 8:00pm EST

The Collaboratory, 2031 Jackson St, Fort Myers, FL, 33901, United States

ACMA FREE Songwriters Concert at The Collaboratory

The Collaboratory has partnered with the ACMA (Americana Community Music Association) to bring you FREE outdoor concerts featuring all-original music by talented local singer-songwriters. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy an evening under the stars! (Shows will be outdoors, weather permitting.)The ACMA, a Fort Myersâbased nonprofit, is dedicated to supporting original music. Each showcase features three artists sharing their songs, the stories behind them, and the experiences that inspired themâmuch like the Island Hopper Festival or Nashvilleâs Bluebird CafĂŠ. Expect an evening of professional-quality Americana music blending blues, roots, folk, bluegrass, and country. Free Parking. 6:30â8:00 PMMarch 3. Come support local music and enjoy a night you wonât forget!March, Songwriters, Robert Bidney, Mary Dahl, and Steve Waterbury.Robert Bidney, is a Southwest Florida-based singer-songwriter whose songs are both relatable and have a strong commercial sensibility. A seasoned performer, who connects with his audiences through his infectious energy and emotional performances, he has been writing songs for most of his life. Bidney has recorded three studio albums, while an eclectic array of artists around the world have also covered his songs with meaning â songs that define him and reveal his soul. His creativity and commercial awareness merged while Bidney was employed by advertising agencies for which he wrote and produced a number of national radio and TV jingles for clients and worked closely with many top musicians, producers and songwriters throughout the U.S. and Canada.Mary Dahl, performed for 20 years as a member of âThe Lite Sideâ quartet in PA, MD and DC.They performed six times at the White House for 3 different presidential administrations , entertained at Christmas specials at Hershey Park Chocolate World and opened for the original Kingston Trio at the Carlisle Theatre in 1996. As a member of the ACMA she continues to write songs and share her âMusic Therapyâ.Steve Waterbury, Â Steve has been playing, singing and writing music off and on since the later 70âs. His music is eclectic, from some Country to Blues and Folk, reflecting his life observations and experience.

The Collaboratory, 2031 Jackson St, Fort Myers, FL, 33901, United States

Saturday March 7 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Ruth Wyand in Concert! Bill Veach Opens

Being diversified is Ruth Wyandâs specialty. Demonstrating guitar virtuosity with powerful fingerpicking, bottleneck slide and a warm alto voice Ruth plays a mix of Americana, jazz, blues, folk, country with a portion of Piedmont picking and bluegrass clawhammer thrown in. Her songwriting is universal, using a melting pot of styles with lyrics that are timeless, relatable, emotionally resonant, sometimes witty, sometimes serious but always human and genuine.Ruth presents a mixture of originals with poignant lyrics as well as well-crafted instrumental arrangements of classics ranging from Doc Watson, Etta Baker, Jimi Hendrix, Leo Kottke to Thelonious Monk and Nina Simone.Ruthâs songwriting is timeless, relatable, and emotionally resonant. Her lyrics and stories along with her sense of humor will bring a smile to your face or a tear to your eye and her skillful command of the fretboard never ceases to amaze audiences of all ages.Wyand has toured extensively throughout the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Kuwait and France and has won numerous awards for guitar and songwriting including the Gamble Rogers Fingerstyle Guitar Competition, the South Florida Folk Festival Songwriting Competition and the Hank Williams Songwriting Award.Each song, no matter how different, has a firm Ruth Wyand stamp of style on it.Listen to some of Ruthâs music:ruthwyand.comOpening for Ruth is ACMA Member and singer/songwriter Bill Veach. Bill was a drummer in a rock band in college, but guitars are easier to move and make for better neighbors so he spent $100 of his precious college beer money on a flame red acoustic guitar. Moving was a part of his life for years, with a love of travel that is expressed in many of his songs. His songs are often autobiographical, about his experiences, travel, love, loss, hurricanes, and some characters he has met on his journey. Bill is a Western boy, raised in Colorado and lived in Utah and Wyoming before becoming a full time resident of Fort Myers Beach. He became active writing songs as part of the Cheyenne Guitar Society in Wyoming and finds inspiration in the camaraderie of the ACMA Singer Songwriter Circle on Sundays. Bill has never met a genre he didnât like, and his style varies from slow finger picking to channeling that college drummer through a guitar pick.Billâs music can be found on billveach.com.Tickets for this show are available at the door.Door Donations:ACMA Members â $15General Admission â $20Doors at the ACMA listening room open at 6:30 pm and the concert begins at 7:00 pm.

ACMA. at All Faiths Unitarian, 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL, 33901

Sunday March 8 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL, 33919, United States

The ACMA @ The Alliance of the Arts Concert series for March proudly presents Kray Van Kirk.

Doors at 2:30 Show at 3:00 Tickets at www.artinlee.org $20 for ACMA members/$25 General Public. The ACMA Alliance Concert series for March proudly presents Kray Van Kirk a fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories and summon heroes. âWe are driven by myth and the seasons of the heart,â he says, âand the stories are all true. There is a dark cave inside each of us, and monsters of all kinds lurk there, all the more lethal for being hidden. The quest is to journey inside, render the monsters powerless, find whatever it is that burns at the core of your soul and bring it back into the light. In a world divided it is critical to write songs and tell stories that show absolutely everyone they get to be the hero. Nobody is left behind.â Thus his songs: Thunderbird resurrects the Phoenix in an empty desert diner in the American Southwest (yes, the Phoenix drives a Thunderbird), The Queen of Elfland plucks Thomas the Rhymer from the English-Scottish border in 1250 and drops him and the Queen into a subway car, The Library Song has Superman moonlighting among the stacks, Rosa and Hector ride through Sherwood Forest on canes and a wheelchair, and The Midnight Commander celebrates an insane old man leading the city of New York to take up arms (and underwear) against hatred. Of this charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer, the Borderline Folk Club in New York wrote âit is what every singer-songwriter should aspire to. https://krayvankirk.com/Â Frank Corso has been performing early Country blues and Ragtime finger style guitar, focusing on the styles of people like Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Reverend Gary Davis,Tampa Red and others. The originals that he writes draw their roots from this style also. On banjo, he has focused on the early Southern Clawhammer styles, particularly West Virginia and Round peak style Banjo. His live performances will take the listener on a tour through the early styles of rural Southern Blues music and flawlessly intertwines it with his own contemporary songwriting. His songwriting stays in the tradition of complex finger style guitar arrangements and range from insightful heartfelt lyrics to hokum ragtime feeling originals.Â His trademark driving finger style guitar focus on an emphasis on the complexities of the feel of the old Ragtime style piano playing. The listener will take delight in the moving and driving beat of the music. Performances also always include some searing slide guitar performed on one of his National Steel guitars. Depending on the show, one is also likely to hear the old Appalachian style of clawhammer banjo tunes also performed on the 5 string banjo.Â He has performed and shared the stage with many of the legends of this music over the years such as Brownie McGhee and Sony Terry, Dave Van Ronk, J. Geilâs Band, John Mooney, Richard Smith, Taj Mahal, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, John Hammond, Richard Smith and many others. He currently has released 6 CDâs under his own name and has been a guest artist on many other notable Artists records. His last two CDs were recorded at Richard Smiths studio in Nashville with some notable musicians joining in. He has been a Three time winner of the New Hampshire Guitar competition in years past, winning a recording session at FishTracks recording Studio in Portsmouth NH, which was used to record his 1st CD. Â He more often than not performs with beautiful flattop guitars that he has designed and constructed himself. He has artist relationships with both National Resophonic guitars in San Luis Obispo and Fishman Transducers in Boston Ma. He is also well known in the visual Art World for his dynamic realistic landscape paintings that hang in prestigious Corporate and Private collections around the world. He is represented by Galleries and dealers nationwide.

Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL, 33919, United States

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ACMA @ The Alliance presents Rod MacDonald in Concert. Bob Patetta opens.

ACMA Songwriters at Koreshan State Park.

Rupert Wates in Concert! David Bavaria Opens

Dan Navarro in concert. Kevin John Allen opens. ACMA @ Calusa Planetarium Music Under The Stars

Muriel Anderson in concert. Bill Metts opens!

Moors & McCumber in Concert! Bruce Gallant Opens

ACMA FREE Songwriters Concert at The Collaboratory

Ruth Wyand in Concert! Bill Veach Opens

The ACMA @ The Alliance of the Arts Concert series for March proudly presents Kray Van Kirk.

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Pelham Jewish Center

Americana Community Music Association

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