In brief…
Arts festival set GREENSBURG – The Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival has partnered with Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour to bring Pete Smyser, Ernie Hawkins and the Joe “Grkmania” Grkman Band to the festival.
From New Orleans jazz and swing to the more cerebral sophistication of bebop, cool jazz and hard bop, Pete Smyser’s music exudes passion and integrity. Critics have likened this seven-string guitarist to the legendary Wes Montgomery.
Smyser’s repertoire includes jazz and great American songbook standards, as well as original compositions in the straight-ahead jazz tradition.
Smyser will be performing at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival on Saturday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on the Island Stage.
Ernie Hawkins is an acoustic blues guitarist in the East Coast Piedmont and Texas steel-string flattop finger-picking traditions. His performances consist of rags, soulful ballads, gospel, African instrumentals and anecdotes of blues history.
Hawkins, who has toured internationally and studied with the Rev. Gary Davis, is now a vital link in the preservation of American country blues.
Hawkins will perform at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival today from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the Island Stage.
Three generations of the Grkman family make up the Joe “Grkmania” Grkman Band.
This seven-piece Slovenian-style polka band has received a Grammy nomination and represented Pennsylvania at the Kennedy Center’s “State Days.”
The Grkman Band performs traditional Slovenian polkas and waltzes with vocals by Joe Grkman Sr., as well as Grkmania-style polkas featuring the button accordion.
The Grkman Band will perform at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival 4 to 5:30 p.m. today on the Laurel Stage and 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday on the Laurel Stage.
For more information about the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, which will be held this weekend, call 724-834-7474 or visit the Web site at 222.artsandheritage.com.