Americana ambassadors fill up the calendar for the celebration of our country’s birth month. I’ve decided to extend it beyond the weekend. Joining us in July is Pokey Lafarge’s old-time sensibilities; the Harrisburg Symphony’s annual Negley Park concert that gives proof that our flag is still there; and Glenn Jones’ steel-string guitar picking, which will deliver the ruminative sides of the American folk experience. Each will aim to penetrate the rambling tale of America, albeit in a variety of ways and means.
Glenn Jones, Sanctuary (Second City Church), July 5
Glenn Jones is categorized under the American Primitivism category, a style most easily understood as the solo guitar genre that plays with melding instrumental guitar with blues, country and classical music. John Fahey was its founder and Jones, his favorite son and the successor to his untimely death.
Jones makes Harrisburg a dutiful stop along his show route, and, if you’re into this recipe of experimental, folk, guitar-based music, Jones is like the Phillip Glass of this approach. Meditative, nuanced repetition and a toying with maximalism and minimalism dominate his vocal-less tunes. He’s been highlighted on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and in the Washington Post due to his mindful and moving musical stories that are dense and deliberate—the stuff of real artistry.
The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Negley Park (Lemoyne), July 6
Stuart Malina and the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra donate their talents and fanfare for the common man by performing a compilation of classical Fourth of July sounds in Negley Park. Bring a blanket, some friends and family and come ready for Copland, Sousa and, of course, our adopted favorite, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” a song about Russia’s defense against Napoleon’s army. Don’t forget the sparklers when the latter composition reaches its climax.
Pokey LaFarge, Stage on Herr, July 26
Pokey LaFarge, a St. Louis-based artist, is a multi-genre genius and dips his creative, musical toes across the American roots. Blues, ragtime, early jazz and western swing are all present in his four-album career. Last month, he released his self-entitled album on Third Man Records, Jack White’s label, and recently collaborated with White on his album, “Blunderbluss,” while also being featured on HBO’s acclaimed show, “Boardwalk Empire.” Pokey’s reputation is rising and is a fresh pick if you like music that sounds as if it might be coming from a bygone era.
Mentionables:
July 8, The Mantles, MakeSpace, 8 p.m.
July 25, Joy Ike, Stage on Herr, TBA
July 27, Larry & His Flask, FedLive, 8 p.m.
