By Robert Price

For the New Jersey Herald

The Sparta Summer Concert Series will have a hometown feel this year, with two former Sparta residents and two series “regulars” headlining four of the six shows.

Sparta native Cassidy Catanzaro, who once fronted Antigone Rising and now leads Cassidy and the Music, will perform what she refers to as a “socially responsible” dance party on Aug. 14.

Drummer Karl Latham, a longtime Sparta resident who now lives in Warwick, N.Y., will be in town Sept. 4 with Big Fun(k), a groove-jazz-soul quartet he leads with saxophonist Don Braden.

New York rock-blues singer Danielia Cotton has a date in Sparta every year, and Americana artist Peter Karp has played the series several times, as well as other area venues.

The series will kick with upstart 24-year-old “King” Solomon Hicks, a blues guitarist from Harlem, and end with Philadelphia-based Celtic-folk act The John Byrne Band.

Catanzaro, speaking from her new home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., said the Sparta Cultural Affairs Committee already had booked her before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Then she, like everyone else in the entertainment business, had her life put on hold. Obviously, she wasn’t expecting to play the show.

“I was so happy to hear that Sparta Arts wanted to move forward and that the town agreed,” Catanzaro said. “It’s such a stressful and disorienting time for everyone right now. Fresh air, good music and a night out can’t be a bad thing. Good for you, Sparta Township, for trusting your citizens to act responsibly while giving everyone an opportunity to have a little fun. Lord knows we all need it.”

The Sparta Cultural Affairs Committee announced the surprising news last week. Its concert series will be held as planned, starting Aug. 8, at George Dykstra Park, 25 Mohawk Ave., with social distancing and mask requirements in place.

An abbreviated schedule of six live, full-band shows will be presented Friday nights at 7 p.m., except for the first one, which is a Saturday. All shows are free. Because gatherings cannot be held indoors (at the adjacent Mohawk Avenue School), shows may be postponed to another night or canceled in the event of stormy weather.

“We can’t fund-raise and we can’t do an indoor venue, so we chose artists we’ve worked with before, to help them out, and we’re asking them to hold more than one date available,” said Stew Liebman, a Cultural Affairs Committee member, who books the acts.

“I was a little surprised. I thought we’d just blow it off this year,” Liebman said. “But the committee wanted to try to have it, and the township, I was shocked, was on board.”

This year marks the 175th anniversary of Sparta Township, and most celebratory events have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The schedule for the concert series is: Aug. 8 – King Solomon Hicks; Aug. 14 – Cassidy Catanzaro; Aug. 21 – Peter Karp & the Roadshow; Aug. 28 – Danielia Cotton; Sept. 4 – Big Fun(k) and Sept. 11 – The John Byrne Band.

“The artists are chomping at the bit,” Liebman said.

Liebman warned that plans could be scrapped should the pandemic spike in the state. For the latest information visit www.spartaarts.org or follow Sparta Arts on Facebook.

Two homecomings

Catanzaro grew up in Sparta and attended Sparta High School before heading to New York, then Los Angeles, to start her career. She hit the road in the early 2000s with Antigone Rising, an all-female rock band that opened for The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Steve Perry, and The Allman Brothers Band, among others. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter on Antigone Rising’s 2005 major label debut, “From the Ground Up” on Lava/Atlantic, which sold more than a million copies.

She left the band in 2008 and moved back to Los Angeles to pursue acting as well as music. She has released three solo albums, performed in the world symphony tour “Women Rock,” wrote a song for Demi Lovato’s Grammy-nominated “Confident” album, appeared in many TV ads, and starred in the multi-media rock theater show “Parallel Worlds.” She will also star in the movie version of “Parallel Worlds,” scheduled for shooting this fall. Oh, and she’s also been writing a book.

“The book is about my experience in the band with stories of my childhood woven through. I’d say it’s Holden Caulfield meets Courtney Love with a pinch of Mommy Dearest,” she said. “And the film is a paranormal romantic drama with an original rock score.”

Considering how busy she’s been in recent years, the last four months in lockdown have been trying for Catanzaro.

“Well, I won’t lie, it’s been tough,” she said. “Thankfully I’m in great health and I have lots of amazing people in my life to Zoom with. But, yeah, it’s been taxing emotionally and catastrophic financially. My entire industry has been decimated. But I take it a day at a time and remain grateful because I have more than most. I stay creative. I started a podcast called ‘Happy Hour with Cassidy.’ I cook, I paint, do yoga … and walk my dog a lot. You gotta keep on keeping on.

“Really looking forward to the concert in Sparta, though,” she added. “It’s going to be so fun. The musicians are killer and we’ve selected the best set possible.”

Latham, who was drum-subbing for “Beautiful” and “Ain’t Too Proud” on Broadway before the pandemic struck, has been back performing live recently at Shanghai Jazz in Madison, and he has been video streaming “Concerts From the Cabin” from his home studio. He was chair or co-chair of the Sparta Cultural Affairs Committee from 2003 to 2013, when he moved to Warwick.

“I was so happy to hear that the concerts are ongoing. I lost touch with the concerts since moving away. Stew gave me a ring to see if I wanted to perform with one of my groups on the concert series, socially distanced, and I was honored that he thought of me,” Latham said. “It will be great to go back to Sparta. I miss many of my Sparta area friends and former colleagues on the committee. I am so happy to see that they are continuing the great work.”

Braden and Latham will be backed by Oscar Perez on keyboards and Calvin Jones on bass.

Latham and Braden are both award-winning, globe-trotting artists, mainly in the jazz world, with many recordings as leaders, sidemen and producers. Latham’s latest release is “Living Standards” with Mark Egan and Vic Juris.

Opening night

Going against the grain, the opening night artist Saturday, Aug. 8, is a newcomer to the Sparta concerts. “King” Solomon Hicks comes to Sparta with songs from a brand new album and a rejuvenated spirit for live music after four months of staying home.

“I was touring Europe in March and had to stop to catch one of the last flights back to New York City before they closed the borders. I’ve had some setbacks but I think about the small club owners that keep local musicians employed and the everyday people whose businesses and lives have been put on hold,” Hicks said.

“I’m working on ideas for my next record and I’ve used this time to listen to all the soul, blues and rock I can listen to. It keeps me inspired. This will be my first time playing a concert since March,” he said.

Hicks’ new album, aptly titled “Harlem,” was produced by multi-Grammy winner Kirk Yano, and features a combination of blues covers and originals. He says his music is Memphis or Chicago blues “from a New York City point of view.”

While only 24, Hicks already is a blues veteran. He was playing on stage at the Cotton Club at age 13. He says he has lots of friends and fans in New Jersey.

“I’ve passed by Sparta many times traveling the highway but I’ve never got a chance to play in the town,” he said. “From my experience Jersey knows how to have a good time when it comes to music so I’m sure it will be a good night for people to get together … cautiously, of course.”

Three more big shows

Danielia Cotton always brings a tight band and a rousing set to Sparta, and this year she’ll have new songs to share. Her politically charged album, “A Different War,” came out in May. Her show is slated for Aug. 28.

The fiercely independent Cotton, a Hopewell native, has released five full albums, including the celebrated “Rare Child” in 2008 and “The Mystery of Me” in 2017, along with four EPs.

Peter Karp is the proverbial musical renaissance man. He plays several instruments, notably slide guitar and keyboards; he writes songs about life’s journey, in blues, rock and Americana styles; and he is a passionate singer and performer.

Oh, and one of his best friends and a frequent collaborator is Mick Taylor, formerly of The Rolling Stones. Plus, he worked for a time with award-winning Canadian blues guitarist Sue Foley, putting out two chart-topping albums.

His new album “Magnificent Heart,” dropped in May, bending the boundaries between blues and ballads.

Karp, a Blind Pig recording artist from Leonia and Nashville and everywhere in between, will play Sparta Aug. 21, with his longtime Roadshow band of Niles Terrat (bass) and Michael Catapano (drums).

Dublin, Ireland native John Byrne wraps up the series Sept. 11 with Celtic, Americana and indie-folk tunes from his four charting albums, including his latest, “A Shiver in the Sky” (2019). His influences range from Tom Waits to ‘70s Irish folk band Planxty.

Byrne has shared the stage with Gaelic Storm, Luka Bloom, The Saw Doctors, The Young Dubliners and The Greencards, among others.