New Jersey jazz artists, a nationally touring roots-rock band and singer-songwriters from Nashville and New York will appear in concert in the spring season of the Fanwood Performance Series. Now in its 16th year, the series returns to its home at the Kuran Cultural Arts Center (a.k.a. the Carriage House), next to Fanwood Borough Hall.
The season kicks off April 13 with a night of original jazz, featuring the Ted Brancato Trio as well as Alejandro Ataucusi. Brancato is a pianist with four decades of experience composing, arranging, performing and recording music, and has worked with such artists as Ron Carter, Paquito D’Rivera and the late Milt Jackson. Ataucusi, a member of Afro-Peruvian jazz band Forbidden Tropics, will open the show performing his original compositions and arrangements on guitar, charango and hatun charango.
The Empty Pockets will fill the listening room on May 11. The Chicago-based band will take a break from a national tour backing Al Stewart to bring its own special mixture of Americana, folk, rock and soul to the Carriage House stage. The group’s two most recent albums each topped Billboard’s Blues Albums chart.
Singer-songwriter-guitarists Ryan Harris Brown and Nicola Vazquez come to Fanwood on June 8. Series regulars may remember Brown from his 2018 performance. Based in Nashville, he cites John Mayer, Ben Folds and James Taylor among his musical influences. Vazquez has performed her original blend of rock, pop and soul in venues around the New York area, opened for Eve 6 and Edwin McCain, and shared stages with Ricky Martin and other recording artists.
All shows are on Saturdays and start at 7 p.m. at the Carriage House, on Watson Road just west of Martine Avenue. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors – cash at the door. Reservations are strongly suggested and can be made by emailing fanwoodperformance@gmail.com.
The Fanwood Performance Series is a presentation of Mayor Colleen Mahr and the Fanwood Borough Cultural Arts Council. It is made possible in part by a HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of County Commissioners.
The Empty Pockets will perform at the Kuran Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, May 11.
The Ted Brancato Trio will appear at the Kuran Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, April 13.
Alejandro Ataucusi will perform on Saturday, April 13 at the Kuran Cultural Arts Center.
Ryan Harris Brown will perform at the Kuran Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, June 8.
The series will continue in the fall, with shows planned for September 14, October 19 and November 9. Performers for those shows will be announced soon. Music fans can find more information and updates at the series website (https://fanwoodperformanceseries.org) and on its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FanwoodPerformanceSeries).
