Sandy River Ramblers at Little Brown Church

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 8:15am

On Wednesday, July 31, the Sandy River Ramblers will bring their energetic Maine-themed Bluegrass show to the Little Brown Church, Rte. 32, in Round Pond. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Ramblers have just released their second CD of all original songs about Maine. The recording, called “Home in the Heart of Maine,” follows “Cry of the Loon” and other original songs about Maine as the band’s second Maine-themed project.

Maine journalist George Smith hailed the Loon CD as “a gift to Mainers,” and Maine bluegrass legend Bill Thibodeau has said of the new recording, “What a great collection of true Maine songs. The vocal harmonies are some of the best I’ve heard. The Sandy River Ramblers are a Maine treasure.”

The band features three great lead vocalists: Stan Keach, 17-year-old Dana Reynolds, and Julie Davenport, who Keach calls, “one of the best singers in Maine in any genre.” Keach, the Maine songwriter for the band, has had many of his songs recorded by world-famous bands, and is a recent inductee into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.

The band also showcases great instrumental skills on mandolin, banjo and fiddle. Fiery mandolinist Dan Simons (the younger brother of movie and TV star Tim Simons) is a standout.

This concert is part of the Little Brown Church Concert Series, a 20-year-old series that has featured a wonderful variety of top-notch entertainment.

The Little Brown Church (also called The Union Church) is located on Rte. 32 in Round Pond. Admission price is $12; children free. A portion of the proceeds will go toward maintenance of the historic building.