Plan to bring the family and join us on Monday, December 18th at 6:30 PM in the downstairs Lane Room for a special Yuletide concert by local folk group Great Bay Sailor.  Promising an evening of music that they call "the hidden sounds of the season", the GBS Yuletide repertoire is comprised of songs from traditions honored in such diverse settings as isolated Irish village churches, English pubs, the mountain cabins of Appalachia, Hebridean households, Canadian social clubs, and the creative genius of contemporary bards and songwriters.  This is a Christmas that you have never heard before!

As a special treat, and as an end-of-year "thank you" to our wonderful patrons, the library will provide hot mulled cider and a delicious assortment of staff-baked cookies for those who arrive a little bit early.  The concert is free of charge, open to the public, and suitable for all ages.

About the performers:

Great Bay Sailor performs a brash but thoughtful brand of “contemporary/traditional” folk music.  The crew is composed of singers Bruce MacIntyre, Steve Carrigan and Mike Blaire; fiddle player, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki; multi-instrumentalist Taylor Whiteside and noted Nashville strings man, Jim Prendergast.   A hallmark of the band is its eclectic repertoire of maritime, Irish/Scottish and ol’ timey songs and tunes, out of which the band weaves a rollicking, toe tapping, romantic, bitter-sweet and soul-soothing musical tapestry for the enjoyment of listening audiences in Northern New England.

Barbara London’s art show, entitled “Progression”, will include watercolors showing movement from earlier representational works to abstraction. The title also suggests Barbara’s other creative career as a composer and jazz musician and includes her paintings of performers as part of the exhibit. The art reception will be held on Tuesday October 10 at 6:30 PM, and offers an opportunity for people to meet the artist and hear her talk about her work and process.

On Thursday October 19, at 6:30 PM, Barbara will perform a jazz concert with her quartet:  bassist Jim Lyden, drummer Gary Gemmiti, and guitarist Woody Allen.  The group will perform a combination of standards and Barbara’s original compositions. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Amanda Reynolds Cooper or Darrell Eifert at the library, (603) 926-3368.

Barbara London  is a musician, artist, writer, and educator. Her long career in the arts has involved leading her own jazz groups , exhibiting her watercolor paintings, producing recordings for her wild aster label, and writing workbooks and poetry.   She  has received three NEA grants for jazz composition and performance and is currently working on a new recording. After years of classroom teaching, she became the first female chair at Berklee College of Music in 1994. She left the college in 2005 to focus on her painting and composing.   As with her musical composition,  her art draws from a variety of thematic material including semi-abstracted musicians,  explorations of science and nature, and dreamscapes. Her involvement with the Abstract Artists Group of New England (AAGNE) has inspired Barbara to further explore her improvisational  approach to watercolors. She is experimenting with new colors, subjects, and process.

Jim Lyden studied with both classical and jazz bassists. He gained experience by playing throughout northern New England with blues, funk, rock, and jazz musicians including Tiger Okoshi, Herb Pomeroy, Oliver Lake, and Frank Foster. He currently performs with Curtis Clark, Thomas Snow, The East Enders,  Barbara London, Dos Eckes, Saco River Theatre, and the Portland Stage Company.
Woody Allen (who didn't have to change his name to get it) came to New Hampshire in '95 after many years in Key West. He has become one of the Seacoast’s most respected guitarists, freelancing with a variety of musicians in diverse styles. He was a regular at the Press Room Tuesday night jazz jam and continues to play on weekends in the dining room at the York Harbor Inn. His latest recording, Back in Cayo Hueso, was created with his brother Din Allen.
 
Gary Gemmiti studied with the late world-renowned Alan Dawson. Comfortable in a variety of styles, Gemmiti has worked with well-known New England artists including the Spectras, Cormac McCarthy, Cari Coltrane, and blues great Mighty Sam McClain. He currently tours and records with The Rustic Overtones and Royal Hammer. Along with Jim Lyden and Woody Allen, Gary enjoyed years of  jazz residency at the Press Room in Portsmouth with Larry Garland’s River City Jazz.

The walls of the Weston Gallery, will be covered for the month of September with artwork created by 20 Hampton Arts Network members.  Many different subjects and art mediums, plus three-dimensional work will be on display. The public is invited to visit the Weston Gallery and vote for the "Peoples Choice" award. The HAN group show is part of their 8th annual Art Walk in Hampton. Scheduled events includes art classes, demos, raffle and a kids arts and craft night for kids 8 years old and up on Sept 21st at the Lane Library, 2 Academy Ave from 5:30-7:30. For more information contact: kmmcginness@gmail.com