Music in the Palm Garden Series — Every Wednesday night at 6 PM from Jan. 17th through Feb. 14th
January 24 – The Daniel Bennett Group:
New York saxophonist Daniel Bennett has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation. The Boston Globe described Bennett’s music as, “a mix of Jazz, Folk and Minimalism.” The Daniel Bennett Group is celebrating the release of their 9th studio album, ‘New York Nerve.’ Timeout New York called the music, “hypnotic!” Daniel Bennett is joined by master percussionist Koko Bermejo on drums and keyboard. Rounding out the trio is acclaimed six-string bassist Kevin Hailey. Daniel Bennett has been featured in Timeout New York, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, and NPR.The UK Jazz Journal called Bennett “an outspoken voice of hope” during the COVID 19 pandemic. Daniel Bennett Group was recently voted ‘Best New Jazz’ in Hot House Magazine.
The band performs regularly at the Blue Note (NYC), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London) and Zingari Jazz (San Francisco). Daniel Bennett is a touring woodwind clinician and educator at the New York Jazz Academy. Daniel Bennett is also an active woodwind doubler in the New York City theater scene. Bennett orchestrated the music for ‘Whitman at the Whitney,’ a multimedia theater production at the Whitney Museum. Daniel Bennett played woodwinds in ‘Blank! The Musical,’ the first fully improvised musical to launch on a national stage. The New York Times called the show, “Witty, Likable and Ludicrous!” Daniel Bennett’s genre-bending sound has captivated audiences throughout the world.
January 31 – The Kennedys:
Songwriting duo Pete and Maura Kennedy make a strong return to the studio and stage after three years of weekly live-streamed lockdown-era concerts. They took the opportunity to explore classic songwriting in depth, performing over a thousand songs during the pandemic. That vast overview strengthened and refined their own writing and laid the foundation for this new collection of original, socially-conscious songs.
“After such a deep dive into American roots music, we felt like we had a new set of writing tools. We were ready to create this body of work, and there’s just SO much to write about,” says Maura. “During our five-year hiatus from writing and recording, America changed in massive ways, divisive ways that have shaken our whole foundation. That has to be addressed by creative artists, those of us who have a voice to speak for others. Our love of the great things about this country, things that are under threat, is the reason we decided to make “Headwinds” the title track of the CD. Political and social headwinds are making it hard to get back “home’ to our greatness as a nation. We want to push back in a positive way against those winds.”
In addition to singing and writing, Pete and Maura are multi-instrumentalists. The thirteen songs are cast in a soundscape that draws from the classic canon of American roots, in keeping with the theme of getting back “home” as a nation. Acoustic and electric guitars, a vintage steel guitar, a gospel-inflected piano/organ mix, and even a slide ukulele all add colors to a songbag of sounds that have drawn us together during hard times. Pete and Maura believe that those sounds still have the power to pull us through again.
The Kennedys began their writing and touring life three decades ago as members of Nanci Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra, developing their own sound as a frequent support act on Nanci’s tours across America, Ireland, Scotland and England. Collaborations with Nanci continued, culminating in Pete and Maura producing her final album, “Intersections.” Along the way, they hosted a nationwide radio program, “The Dharma Cafe” on Sirius/XM, wrote and released sixteen CDs of original music, and have been core artists on folk radio, expanding their audience further with the inception of the AAA and Americana formats.
February 7 – Toney Rocks
Toney Rocks is an artist caught up in the vortex of erratic cross-country tours, using a pen to dig for a not-so self-evident truth, chasing an unheard sound and rubbing a match against a brick wall looking for a spark. There doesn’t seem to be another way for him. He’s crossed the great barrier into the realms of a chaotic maelstrom where his obsession has taken over all reason. Ask him what his style or genre is and Toney Rocks will probably say, “#$%! I dunno… you tell me. You just gotta listen to it.”
February 14 – Louise Mosrie and Marc Berardo
About Louise: “…this Nashville-based singer/songwriter blew us away with her in-store performance. Like listening to Patty Griffin and Susan Tedeschi at the same time. Highlight of the 30A Songwriter Festival.” – Central Square Records, Seaside, FL“Louise Mosrie may well be the brightest young folk-oriented artist to emerge from Nashville in many a year.” – Rich Warren, WFMT-FM Chicago“Mosrie’s compositions are thoughtful, refined creations.” – Maverick MagazineA Louise Mosrie Coombe show is warm, intimate, funny, and thought-provoking…she weaves together narratives between songs peppered with humorous personal stories and historical anecdotes with her unique Southern POV. The first thing most people remark on is her voice. Louise is a classically trained singer with a big pop voice (and a touch of twang) and an award-winning songwriter. Audiences also love her stories behind the songs and honest polished delivery. She has won top honors at songwriting contests around the country including Kerrville (TX) New Folk (2x winner – the only one!), Telluride Bluegrass Festival (CO), Rocky Mountain Folks Fest (CO), Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (NY) and SolarFest (VT). Louise’s historical songs have been used in two documentaries broadcast on PBS. She has played at esteemed venues such as The Bluebird Café in Nashville, The Birchmere in D.C., Club Passim in Boston, XM/Sirius in D.C., 30A Songwriter Festival (FL) and Caffe Lena in Saratoga, NY.
About Marc: “Berardo takes you to a place within yourself to make changes you want to see in the world.” Mary Sue Twohy, The Village, Sirius/XM Radio”Berardo sings of connection and love in his songs of hope and openness. ” Melissa Clarke, Americana Highways”High-quality story-telling picking and playing.” Rob Ellen – The Medicine Show Radio Moose Mobile, U.K.Singer-songwriter, performer, and keen observer, Marc Douglas Berardo’s songs are sharply drawn and cast a net on unusual and beguiling characters and places. His songs have been recognized at many prestigious national festivals and events such as The South Florida Folk Festival, The Wildflower Art and Music Festival, and the legendary Kerrville Folk Festival. For over thirty years MDB has performed thousands of shows big and small including nights with The Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, John Hiatt, Martin Sexton, Livingston Taylor, Kevin Welch, Red Molly, Guy Clark and late David Olney among others. Berardo’s interview and live performance featured on the Sirius/ XM Satellite Radio show The Village was voted one of the best of the year by listeners. No Depression Magazine called his last CD Whalebone: “sincere, fluid, charming and above all gripping.”
These FREE concerts are sponsored by the Friends of the Key West Library and Monroe County Public Library System. Seating is first-come, first-served. Gates open at 5:30 pm. In the case of poor weather, the concert will be held inside the library.