SAXTONS RIVER-The free Sunday concerts in the Saxtons River Park continue July 27 at 3 p.m. with the music of Jake & Friends.
The concert will feature local folk musician Jake Grieco on guitar. He will be joined by Cedar Stanistreet on fiddle and Jake Morrow on mandolin. Together, they blend Celtic, Americana, bluegrass, and traditional folk music with instrumental grooves and vocal harmonies.
Grieco is a native of Rockingham and graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School who has recently returned to the area with his wife and new daughter, as have his grandparents, sister and her family, joining his parents and other family members for four generations of Griecos. He works in construction with his father Mark, also a musician.
Grieco began his connection to music in high school with rap, but his interest changed at 17 and grew stronger when he was exposed to the score of the movie Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?
"I ended up loving that movie," he said in a news release. "I loved the soundtrack."
It also led to his concentrating on the guitar.
"But I had a lot of catching up," he said. "I wanted to do it, but I didn't have the chops."
As an undergraduate at the University of Vermont, he majored in music, exploring different genres and theories, but also becoming very interested in traditional Irish music, taking up the tin whistle and Irish flute.
"I loved the social aspects of playing that music," he said.
After graduation, he headed to Portland, Oregon, for its music scene and began to become more focused on performing.
He describes his music as a mix of contemporary covers, traditional bluegrass and old time Appalachian, and said he is looking forward to celebrating American music in his hometown.
The Saxtons River Park Committee is sponsoring the concert, which is open to all. In the event of rain, the concert will move to Main Street Arts across the street from the park.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.