WINTHROP — The distinctively throaty tenor voice of Jonathan Edwards will fill the Winthrop Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 8.
Known for his 1971 blockbuster hit “Sunshine (Go Away Today),” Edwards will also bring tunes from his new CD, “My Love Will Keep,” to the performance. The album is his first studio recording in 14 years, and it was produced in Maine, Edwards said in a telephone interview a few days ago.
Edwards now lives in Portland. “It’s a really creative city. It has an all-in-it-together kind of feeling,” he said, adding Maine has become a primary part of “who I am and what I do.”
Making beautiful music in friendly settings is what Edwards has done throughout his 40-year career, which produced 15 albums.
Joining him for the Oct. 8 concert will be some familiar Maine faces. Members of Devonsquare, the perennially popular vocal group from Portland, will perform and the opening act will be the Colwell Brothers (unplugged). Pat Colwell, former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, and his brother, Bob, will perform a mix of rock ‘n’ roll, soul and blues.
“I’ll be doing some old songs as well as some from the new CD,” Edwards said. His new music includes five originals: “Surrounded,” “Johnny Blue Horizon” (inspired by John Denver), “Crazy Texas Women,” “How Long” and “The Lightkeeper,” which is a celebration of the world’s oceans.
Edwards said the new CD is a total Maine product. It was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, which has turned out releases by many famous performers.
“This new album grew like a wildflower by the side of the road out of a deep desire to follow the music from the stage to the studio,” Edwards said. “It started with finding this wonderful, comfortable world-class studio right here in Portland, and one day we started rolling tape and following the songs that I had written and selected wherever they led us.”
In mid-July, Edwards and other performers were invited by the U.S. State Department to tour Israel and the West Bank. He said he has been calling it the “Peace and Understanding Tour.” Edwards is confident the tour made a positive difference, and, he said, “The experience certainly made a difference to me.”
Much of his work is still influenced by world events, Edwards said.
“Sunshine (Go Away Today),” a defiant anti-war anthem with a deceptively upbeat sound released during the Vietnam era, propelled him into fame.
Edwards said it’s unfortunate that the world is still plagued by “numbskull wars” and he still sings “Sunshine” with the hope of having some influence for peace.
Recalling his early years, Edwards said he would simply go alone to college campuses, set up his equipment in a dormitory and begin playing for students. He has toured steadily since “Sunshine.” Not long ago, he learned that a small town in the Netherlands had a dedicated group of followers of his music. At their request, he went to Holland and performed for them.
The concert is presented by the Winthrop Education Corp. and the Winthrop Lions Club. WEC is a nonprofit founded in 1995 to raise funds for the Winthrop school system. The 450-seat performing arts center, built about five years ago, is a component of the school at 211 Rambler Road.
Go and do
WHO: Folk icon Jonathan Edwards
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8
WHERE: Winthrop Performing Arts Center, 211 Rambler Road, Winthrop
TICKETS: $45/$35 or $30 general admission
FOR MORE INFO: www.winthropconcerts.org
Legendary folk singer Jonathan Edwards will perform some old songs, like his 1971 mega hit “Sunshine (Go Away Today),” and new tunes from his new CD, “My Love Will Keep,” on Oct. 8 at the Winthrop Performing Arts Center.
Grammy-winning Suzy Bogguss will perform Nov. 18
WINTHROP — Grammy and County Music Association award winner Suzy Bogguss will give a concert at the Winthrop Performing Arts Center on Nov. 18.
On the heels of the release of her CD and companion songbook, “American Folk Songbook,” she will perform the standards that helped propel her to the top of the country and folk charts.
Bogguss won the 2005 Grammy for Traditional Folk Album and is a past winner of the CMA’s Horizon and Album of the Year awards.
For more information, visit www.winthropconcerts.org.
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- Stephen Ide photo Legendary folk singer Jonathan Edwards will perform some old songs, like his 1971 mega hit “Sunshine (Go Away Today),” and new tunes from his new CD, “My Love Will Keep,” on Oct. 8 at the Winthrop Performing Arts Center.
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