Jonathan Edwards, Front Country to share stage this weekend

Contributed story

OLD SAYBROOK — The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center presents Jonathan Edwards at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Four decades into a stellar career of uncompromising musical integrity, Jonathan Edwards simply delivers, night after night — songs of passion, songs of insight, songs of humor, all rendered in that pure and powerful tenor that has only grown sweeter with age. Though a veteran performer, Edwards is a vital and relevant artist in today’s folk and Americana scenes, and is much more likely to be found looking forward rather than back. Still, the journey that has brought him to towns and theaters all over the globe is well worth revisiting.

Edwards says, “I’ve been doing what I do best, which is playing live in front of people. I’ve been concentrating on that and loving it.” He maintains that it is the feedback he receives after his shows that keeps him going. “It is really gratifying to hear [someone say], ‘Your stuff has meant a lot to me over the years.’”

The indie folk/Americana band, Front Country, with The Sea The Sea, will perform on Sunday at 7 p.m.

An acoustic band born in the land of tech innovation, Front Country was unlikely to be accepted as an authentic American roots band out of the gate. Cutting their teeth in progressive bluegrass jams in San Francisco’s Mission District and rehearsing across the bay in Oakland, they fashioned their own take on roots music and indie folk, with the tools they had on hand.

A mandolinist with a degree in composition and classical guitar. A guitarist trained in rock and world music. A bassist equally versed in jazz and newgrass. A violinist with technique that could seamlessly hop between honky tonk and electropop. And a female lead singer with grit and soul that was also a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. In a wood-paneled country dive bar in the shadow of the San Francisco skyline, Front Country forged a sound hell bent on merging the musical past with the future.

The upstate New York-based indie folk/pop duo The Sea The Sea opens the show. Named one of Atwood magazine’s 2018 Artists to Watch, The Sea The Sea released their latest album “From The Light” in June 2018.

For information and tickets for all shows at the Kate, visit www.thekate.org or call 860-5100453.

Contributed photo Jonathan Edwards performs at The Kate Nov, 3, followed by Front Country on Sunday.