Winter concert series returns in January

Snow Library’s “Warming Winter with Music” series, sponsored by the Helen Telfair Trust, returns in the new year with a lineup of weekly concerts featuring stellar performers from the Cape and beyond. All are invited to these free performances, which begin at 2 p.m. in the library’s Craine Gallery every Saturday in January and February.

Kicking off the series on Jan. 3 is the jazz and blues artist Mozelle, who performs alongside Mike Flanagan on piano and saxophone. Mozelle, who grew up along the coast of Cape Cod, credits the rhythm of the ocean for shaping her distinctive sense of timing and emotion, giving her performance as a jazz singer a natural flow and depth. Inspired by the voices of Billie Holiday and Etta James, she brings soulful nuance to every song.

Fred Clayton and his trio will play the blues on Jan. 10, with Clayton on bass guitar on vocals, Chris McCarthy on drums and Alex Pashoian on guitar. The guitar and the blues have been an intrinsic part of Clayton’s life since his hardscrabble childhood, and he feels strongly that real music comes from hardship. “You’ve got to pay to be able to play the blues,” he says, as authentic music “comes out of the true feeling of the soul.”

The Jesse Liam Band returns on Jan. 17. The duo is led by award-winning vocalist Jesse Liam Gauthier and his father, Jack Gauthier, a Grammy-nominated recording engineer and producer of international bands such as Dispatch and blues legend Duke Robillard. They have been performing throughout New England for over a decade, and have also toured in Florida and Finland. Join this father-son duo for an afternoon of upbeat tunes, ranging from original songs to covers of popular classics.

Join Tish Adams and Fred Boyle for an afternoon of musical magic on Jan. 24. Both masters of their craft, this intimate duet will bring to life a mix of jazz, blues and a few surprises, mixing music with fun, friendship and laughter. Whether it’s an elegant torch song, high-energy swing, or a rip-roaring’ blues rendition, Tish and Fred will render each note to new heights with nuanced feeling.

Bart Weisman’s Smooth Jazz Group, featuring Steve Hambleton on guitar, Ron Ormsby on bass, and Bart Weisman on drums, performs on Jan. 31. The group performs a blend of jazz, Latin & pop, appearing at venues including the Provincetown Jazz Festival and the Cape Cod Cultural Center’s Jazz Jams in South Yarmouth. When not performing onstage, Bart directs & performs in schools across the Cape for the Jazz in the Schools program. 

Come along on a musical journey through “Lost Legends of Country Music” with the Lariats on Feb. 7 at 2 pm, a program that features songs and stories of forgotten country artists. Jo Miller and Joel Sklar play the heartfelt melodies and share colorful legends of the musicians and folk heroes whose voices once echoed through roadside honky-tonks and radio airwaves. From ballads to lost love to foot-stomping sing-alongs, you’ll hear songs that shaped the golden age of country.

The Kingfish (formerly known as Steve Morgan & the Kingfish) perform a special concert, which they’ve entitled, Valentine Kisses from the Kingfish, on Feb. 14. Their music encompasses a diverse range of genres, including roots Americana and classic rock and roll, along with their original compositions. The band consists of Hope Finch on lead vocals, Alex 'BZ' MacClellan on guitar/vocals, Roe Osborn on bass/vocals, Pete Mann on keys/vocals, and Eddie Wanamaker on drums/vocals.

Rose and the Thorns trio will be playing a mix of rock and blues on Feb. 21, with the audience quickly joining into the mood, tapping their feet in time with the beat. Rose Martin (guitar) performs a versatile mix of original and cover songs with her rich vocals and bluesy style. Jerry Doherty (lead guitar) has shared stages with Charlie Daniels, The Beach Boys, Ricky Skaggs and many other Nashville greats, as well as performing on the national stage as a songwriter. Don Barry (upright bass) has been a performing musician for over 50 years, from small blues clubs in Mississippi to the main stage at Carnegie Hall. =

Fred Boyle’s trio closes out the series on Feb. 28. A gifted pianist and accompanist, Boyle has performed nationally with artists as diverse as Bobby Rydell, Chet Atkins, and Joan Rivers to New England favorites Suede, Dick Johnson, Cape Cod Jazz Quintet and the Cape Cod Symphony. He plays the piano soulfully, as if he and the instrument were one, while his facial expressions replicate the fun he’s having with each note. His execution of the music exudes tenderness, grandeur and playfulness, all leveled with a serious respect for his instrument. He’ll be accompanied by Rich Hill on bass and Steve Langone on drums.