They say you can’t go home again, but guitarist Joe Taylor would beg to differ. The South Carolina native returned to the Palmetto State after decades in New York City and hasn’t missed a beat. Now he feels like he’s coming home again, with a date: Aug. 19 at Music On The Mountain at The Homestead. “The fellas and I are really looking forward to it,” he says of himself and his bandmates. “We love the place.”
These cats can play. That will be obvious when Randy Marsh, Clif Metcalf and Lee Heerspink perform at Music On The Mountain July 22. The next show in The Homestead’s music series at the top of Bay Mountain features the threesome, a.k.a. Cat Daddy, performing music that recalls everything from the soul-jazz of the ’60s and ’70s to modern sounds. Music is life for Marsh. If he’s not drumming up a storm somewhere, maybe it’s because he’s put down the sticks to showcase his harmonica playing. Or he’s working on his next gig, whether with Cat Daddy, Big Fun, the Jeff Haas Trio, or one of the many other musical entities he performs with.
The next Music On The Mountain concert at The Homestead will be a throwback. On July 8, the Blue Water Ramblers will take the stage, performing their mix of traditional favorites in the folk tradition, songs by Woody Guthrie, Tom T. Hall, John Denver and others, along with their own originals. “We come out of the Woodie Guthrie-Pete Seeger folk and bluegrass tradition,” says bandleader R.H. “Bear” Berends.
The last of the season’s outdoor music shows are upon us. Music on the Mountain at The Homestead concludes its season with East Bay Drive and special guest Miriam Pico on Sept. 18, while Leelanau Uncaged in Northport takes place Sept. 27. East Bay Drive is a quintet of music veterans from the Traverse City area who bring together varying interests in soul, jazz and funk. Think the Rippingtons, the Crusaders, Fourplay and others of that ilk. The core quartet of David Chown (keyboards), Rick Kiehle (guitar), John Paul (bass) and Alex Wyant (drums) has been joined by new official member Ryan Critchfield (saxophone), formerly a regular guest.
Blackthorn welcomes you to the rich tapestry of Celtic music, on Thursday, Aug. 6, atop Bay Mountain at The Homestead resort, one mile north of Glen Arbor on M-22.