The sound of music rings out in Johnson Park when the annual Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series kicks off June 4 with the Liverpool Central Schools’ JazzFest.
Two dozen free concerts are scheduled at 7 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday from June 4 through Aug. 22, in the Johnson Park amphitheater in the village center at the corner of Vine and Oswego streets.
“We’ve booked a wide variety of bands playing all styles of music from rock’n’roll to country to traditional jazz,” said Colleen Gunnip, chairwoman of the Liverpool Is The Place Committee. “We even have a polka band in August.”
Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Famer Mark Doyle makes his Johnson Park debut with his band, The Maniacs, at 7 pm. Wednesday, June 6. Doyle is one of Central New York’s top rock guitarists, and The Maniacs, who specialize in British blues-rock, have won two successive Sammys for their discs, “Shake ’em on Down” and “Comin’ Home.”
The Liverpool Community Chorus under the direction of Doug McCall, will appear in the park on June 11, followed by the Honky Tonk Hindooz, a new group featuring Liverpool guitarist Terry Quill.
Liverpool musicians are also showcased in several other bands in the summer series. When Dave Baker sings his tribute to Frank Sinatra on June 20, for instance, his quartet’s drummer will be Sun Harbor’s own Larry Luttinger. Clay saxophonist Vince Iarossi will conduct the Liverpool Community Orchestra on July 2, and village resident Paul Davie plays bass for the Fab 570 on July 9.
Local songwriter Shirley Stevens leads the bluegrass band Diamond Someday at the park on July 4. Longtime Liverpudlian Dick DeNeve, who plays the resonated Dobro guitar, also performs with Diamond Someday.
Liverpool resident Carl Borek, who doubles on clarinet and saxophone, will appear in two different bands – he’ll play polkas with Jasiu Klocek and the Salt City Brass on Aug. 8 and 1930s-style jazz with the Bear Cat Jass Band on Aug. 15.
A highlight of the series will be the Aug. 13 concert by Smokin,’ one of the area’s most popular rock bands. Sammy Hall of Fame drummer Jan Fetterly – a local rock legend well-remembered as a member of Sam & The Twisters – will make one of last local appearances here with Smokin’ that evening before he moves to Arizona in the fall.
On Aug. 22 the series will conclude, as usual, with the John Denver Memorial Food Drive Concert featuring folksinger Alan Taylor and Two Feet Short.
The 2012 concert series is sponsored by WellCare of CNY and several dozen area businesses including Nichols Supermarket where series schedules can be obtained. To sponsor a concert, call Gunnip at 516-0316.
In case of rain on concert nights, the performances will be canceled.
For information, visit liverpoolistheplace.com, or call 457-3895.
