The Winters Friends of the Library summer concert series continues with a free outdoor concert by Meredith Axelrod and Craig Ventresco on Thursday, July 8, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Rotary Park Gazebo, on Main Street at Railroad Avenue, in front of the Community Center in Winters.
Meredith Axelrod is a multi-instrumentalist with a passion for early jazz and pre-1930s American pop music. She loves to seek out the hidden gems in the nooks and crannies of old-time music, vintage jazz, ragtime, and blues, and bring them to new life with her rich, distinctive voice and quirky sense of humor. She has performed with Dan Hicks, Maria Muldaur, David Grisman, the Cheap Suit Serenaders, R. Crumb, and the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. Craig Ventresco is “one of the country’s foremost ragtime guitarists” (S.F. Chronicle) with a legendary command of early American jazz and blues. During the pandemic, they have performed online every night from their San Francisco kitchen. Their videos are available at facebook.com/meredithaxelrod.
The performance is part of the Winters Friends of the Library 23rd season of Summer Concerts at the Gazebo. WFoL has presented free outdoor concerts every Thursday in July since 1998, except in 2020. This year the series will continue with Geoffrey Miller and his band playing country, western swing, honky-tonk, and rockabilly on July 15; Los Tres de Winters playing Norteño-style music on July 22; and The Easy Winners, playing classic rags, waltzes, cakewalks, tangos, and marches on July 29.
Everyone is invited to pack a picnic, bring a blanket or lawn chairs or sit on the grass, sip a cool drink, and enjoy some fine live music. The Friends of the Library will have delicious refreshments and quality used books for sale, and all proceeds will support the Winters Library. This year’s concert series is co-sponsored by Waste Management and Oates Country Store. For more information, contact Keith Cary at kcary@dcn.org or (530) 795-3173, or visit wfol.org.
