I cannot tell you how excited I am that Rhiannon Giddens is returning to the Lowell Summer Music Series on September 5th! She is one of my favorite performers, regardless of the iteration, and I missed her previous appearance at the Series due to a bout of temporary insanity that caused me to move away from Boston!

“The elegant bearing, prodigious voice, and fierce spirit of Rhiannon Giddens combine into a talent that has won her international acclaim and even the attention of the White House, masterfully blending American musical genres like gospel, jazz, blues, and country.

“Singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the co-founder of the Grammy award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, in which she also plays banjo and fiddle. She began gaining recognition as a solo artist when she stole the show at the T Bone Burnett – produced Another Day, Another Time concert at New York City’s Town Hall in 2013. Giddens debuted her solo career with the critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated album Tomorrow Is My Turn, which showcases her extraordinary emotional range and dazzling vocal prowess.

“Giddens’ follow-up album Freedom Highway was released in February, 2017. It includes 9 original songs Giddens wrote or co-wrote along with a traditional song and two civil rights-era songs, “Birmingham Sunday” and the Staple Singers’ well-known “Freedom Highway,” from which the album takes its name.

“Giddens’ recent televised performances include The Late Show, Austin City Limits, Later…with Jools Holland, and both CBS Saturday and Sunday Morning, among numerous other notable media appearances. She performed for President Obama and the First Lady on a White House Tribute to Gospel along with Aretha Franklin and Emmylou Harris. The program was televised on PBS. Giddens duets with country superstar Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism song “Kill a Word;” the two have performed the song on The Tonight Show and the CMA Awards, among other programs. Giddens received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year and has won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo in 2016.

“Giddens, who studied opera at Oberlin, made her acting debut with a recurring role on the television drama Nashville, playing the role of Hanna Lee “Hallie” Jordan, a young social worker with “the voice of an angel”.

“Rhiannon Giddens’ latest album, There is no Other, recorded with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, was released May 2019 on Nonesuch Records.”

Tickets for the Rhiannon Giddens show are priced at $46 in advance. There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the Series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $146. Tickets for this show go on sale Friday, January 24th at 10 a.m. through Lowell Summer Music Series, by calling 1-800-657-8774, or by visiting the Lowell Memorial Auditorium box office, open Monday-Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.. Children under 12 are always free courtesy of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union – parents, this is a great way to introduce your kids to live music in a safe, family-friendly environment. Don’t forget their ear protection!

For those of you who are unaware of the Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable. The Series is co-presented by the Lowell Festival Foundation and Lowell National Historical Park.

Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.

The Series generally runs from mid-June to early September.

This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be another excellent year!

I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.

So far, the  lineup is:

July 11 (Saturday) – Joss Stone

July 18 (Saturday) – Leonid & Friends

September 5 (Saturday) – Rhiannon Giddens