The 2018 Baldwin Summer Concert series runs from June 20 to September 2, 2018 - every Wednesday and Saturday evening from 7-9:15 p.m., rain or shine.  Come out and support live music at Wenger Pavilion in Baldwin, Michigan.

Wednesday, June 20 - Community Gospel Explosion - A Heart and Soul Reboot

The Community Gospel Explosion features nationally-recognized musical minister Chris Greer, and a multi-denominational group of singers for  an informal evening of inspirational song and praise.

Saturday, June 23 - Boogie Woogie Babies

A revue of great girl groups and singers from throughout pop music history. The group features Mary Rademacher Reed, Barb Wisse and Francesca Amari, with musical director/pianist Mark Kahny The Boogie-Woogie Babies are known for their tight harmonies, beautiful blends and entertaining shows. Come out for their high-energy show that features time-honored songs by the McGuire Sisters, Shirelles, Carol King and more.

Wednesday, June 27 - Robin Connell Band with Kathy Lamar

Keyboardist/ arranger Robin Connell, Ivan Akinsiima on guitar, Charles Johnson on bass and Kevin Jones on percussion provide the music for Kathy Lamar's beautiful renditions of R&B, soul and pop music.  Robin was West Michigan's 2017 Musician of the Year.  To hear Robin, click here.  

Kathy has made her mark in Las Vegas, working with Gladys Knight and The Four Tops.   To hear Kathy, click here.

Kathy Lamar

Saturday, June 30 - Biscuit Miller and The Mix

Biscuit Miller and his group are two-time winners of the  Blues Foundation Music Awards, in 2012 and 2017.  David "Biscuit" Miller  on bass is joined by the Mix including Dr. Love on drums, with  Bobby B  and Alex "Southside" Smith on guitar. This group, whose touring schedule takes them all over the country, plays blues at its best, with a fun and funky style.  To hear their music, click here.

Wednesday, July 4 - Saline Fiddler Philharmonic

An astonishing group of high-school fiddlers from Saline, Michigan.  The show features music from American folk, fiddle, bluegrass, jazz, western swing and Celtic traditions.  Spirited vocals and Appalachian step dancing combine with the instrumentals to create an unforgettable live performance  To learn more, go to the group's web page here.                                                                           

Saturday, July 7 - Big Boss Band  

Winners of the 2014 Lansing Capital Area Blues Society Blues Competition,  the band, whose members are all from West Michigan, perform mostly original roots rock, and blues.  The band consists of Bill LaValley on vocals and bass, Joe Ferguson on vocals and harmonica, Max Brown, vocals and guitar and Eric Busch on drums. In 2015, the group was nominated for a WYCE radio "Jammy" award for best blues album. To hear one of their songs, click here.

Wednesday, July 11 - Jenna Mammina

A singer with a sultry and seductive voice and a hypnotic delivery, Jenna Mammina's repertoire includes folk, pop, and jazz. A native of SW Michigan, Jenna now calls San Francisco home.  Her new album is getting rave reviews internationally. She is touring the world with New York City guitarist Rolf Sturm and Western Michigan's own Keith Hall on drums.  To visit her web page, click here.

Saturday, July 14 - Paul Keller's At Sundown Quartet

The PKB plays swing and straight ahead jazz with an emphasis on fun and surprising presentation. When not leading his own ensemble, Paul records and tours the world with Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli and Russell Malone.  Featured are veterans Steve Wood on sax and flute, Kevin Kanner on drums, Duncan McMillan on keyboards and the beautiful voice of vocalist Sarah D'Angelo.

Visit Paul Keller's web site by clicking here.

To listen to Sarah D'Angelo with Paul Keller and friends, click here.

Wednesday, July 18 - Mustang Band

The Mustang Band combines country, classic rock and strong vocals.  Come on out and see why this band has been a crowd pleaser on the  West Michigan music scene since 1994.  

Saturday, July 21 - Tell Yo Mama

Tell Yo Mama is a Lansing, Michigan based groovy mix of funk, soul, rock and blues.  The group features the head-turning vocals of Lucas Holliday.   

To hear their music, go to their web page here.

Wednesday, July 25 - The Greg Nagy Band

Greg Nagy, a Baldwin blues favorite, takes the stage tonight with the Abbey Road 2.0 Band for an evening of Beatles songs with a bluesy feel.  A Flint native, Nagy's music is infused with elements of soul, r&b, rock and gospel. Nagy's first feature album, Walk that Fine Thin Line earned him a prestigious Best New Artist debut nomination from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, as well as praise from media outlets including Downbeat, All About Jazz and Blues Revue, which called Nagy "one of the blues world's best newcomers of recent years. To find out more about Greg or to listen to his music - including tracks from his latest album, Fell Toward None - go to his web site here. 

Saturday, July 28 - James Cloyd Group

A native Detroiter, blues bass player and vocalist James Cloyd has performed with all the great names of blues.  He is a winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Blues Society of Detroit. A regular on the Chicago blues scene, he has performed to rave reviews at clubs and festivals around the world. 

Wednesday, August 1 - Sunset Groove

Manistee-based performers Tony and Jeri Dziabuda  and their long-time musical family from downstate are Sunset Grove. Their music is  an energetic mix of blues, rock and rhythm and blues.

Saturday, August 4 -  The Planet D Nonet 

The "D" is for Detroit and this tightly-rehearsed, big band infuses all its music with a bluesy Detroit sound.  The Nonet will rock you with swing music from Ellington & Strayhorn, Count Basie and Benny Carter to more modern charts by Sun Ra and Pharoah Saunders.  Planet D Nonet is all about swing, blues, jazz and classic songs.  You'll be tapping your feet from the first bars and you're guaranteed to go home with a smile on your face.  Sample their great music here.

Wednesday, August 8 - Robert Pace

A great bassist and guitarist who hails from Grand Rapids, Robert Pace is returning to Wenger Pavilion. He writes and explores all types of music, but never strays too far from his trusty bass and guitar, and his soulful mix of blues and popular music.  To hear a studio recording, click here.

Saturday, August 11 - Benny Reeves

Benny Reeves is a Motown legend and former member of the Contours.  He has performed with all the greats of Motown and tonight he will be performing all the favorites of the era, along with plenty of blues.  To hear Benny Reeves, click here.

Wednesday, August 15 - The Key West Permafrost Blues Band 

"Hot Rod" Harry Dempsey, music professor at Ferris State University and former member of Frank Sinatra Jr's touring big band, leads this eight-piece group that plays "Big Band Blues" from Chicago to Key West Caribbean. To visit their web page, click here.

Saturday, August 18 - Jeremiah Johnson Band

The Jeremiah Johnson Band, a rock group from St. Louis, Missouri plays soulful, grinding, heart-pumping blues with a mix of good old fashioned rock n' roll and a little southern drawl. Johnson has won numerous Blues Music Awards over the years.  You can learn about the band and see their official music video  here.

Wednesday, Auguts 22 - Harper and Midwest Kind 

Award-winning Australian singer-songwriter "Harper" has a strong resonant voice and a deep almost mystical approach to music.  His World Blues are a rich musical stew of 50s rhythm and blues, a 60s message of love and unity and a 70s funky soul, stirred up with masterful harmonica and the deep, woody, percussive tones of the didgeridoo.  Visit Harper's web site here.

Saturday, August 25 - Jenna Mammina//Rolf Sturm

Jenna Mammina returns to Wenger Pavilion for an encore performance (see July 11 above).  To go to her web page, click here.

Saturday, September 2- The General Assembly Big Band

In keeping with tradition, the Baldwin Summer Concert season comes to an end with the great music of The General Assembly Big Band. This all-star band, led by Tom Sheppardson, was formed in 1971.  Over the years, the personnel has changed, but the band - playing the music of Basie, Ellington, Woody Herman, Glen Miller, and other greats - continues to receive  rave reviews from audiences from Traverse City to San Francisco.  This is not just a big band sound.  It's a full 17-piece orchestra with a female vocalist performing the best of the old and new in music for listening and for dancing. 

To learn more about the band and to hear some of their music, visit their web site by clicking here.