Augusta Presents First Summer Concert
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The Augusta Heritage Center kicks off its five-week summer concert series at 8 p.m. Tuesday with Cajun/Creole bands and a nationally known acoustic guitar musician in Harper-McNeeley Auditorium on the Davis & Elkins College campus.
Tuesday's concert will feature performances by Wayne Henderson, Jason Frey and Joel Savoy, Tracy Schwarz and Ginny Hawker, Courtney Granger, Pat Donohue and The Magnolia Sisters.
Donohue has earned national recognition for his mastery of acoustic fingerstyle guitar, which he exhibits weekly as the guitarist for the Guys All Star Shoe Band on Garrison Keillor's radio program "A Prairie Home Companion." Chet Atkins called him one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today and Leo Kottke called his playing "haunting."
The Magnolia Sisters is a Cajun music band comprised of diversely talented singers and musicians. The group evolved from its founding members, Ann Savoy and Jane Vidrine, whose long musical collaboration revealed the need to give a woman's voice to Cajun music while maintaining a soulful, gutsy feeling. The third Magnolia Sister performing on Tuesday is Lisa Trahan Reed, the Louisianian in the group, who is the daughter of accordionist Harry Trahan and grand niece of the 1920s recording artist Bixby Guidry.
Concert admission is $10 general admission and $8 for seniors age 60 and older or youths 16 and younger. A Zydeco dance in the pavilion will follow the concert with music by Dexter Ardoin and the Creole Ramblers. Dance admission is $5 per person. Concert attendees may dance at no additional charge.
Jane Vidrine will give a special lecture this week titled "Preserving and Presenting the Cajun Culture." The date, time and location will be announced. For all event information, go to www.augustaheritage.com/whatshappening.html or call 637-1209.
