Tara Nevins had to think about it. “Yes,” she said, “it really is true that we’ve been doing Grassroots for 31 years.” Nevins is one of two front people in Donna the Buffalo, the un-characterizable rock band influenced by old-time country that calls Ithaca/Trumansburg, New York home.

The Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance starts today in Trumansburg, July 20, and runs through July 23. There are four days of event, four stages and more than 80 bands. What characterizes Grassroots is not a focus on big stars, though there are a few of those, but a celebration of the wide net that is Americana. At Grassroots, you guy expecting to hear a lot of music from performers new to you.

The names are Donna itself, Watchhouse, the Mavericks, Dirk Powell Band, Rising Appalachia, Jim Lauderdale, the Pine Leaf Boys, Keith Frank and Walter Mouton. They’re all great, but I’m also looking forward to seeing Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno (now trading just as Viv and Riley), and the Cajun band Rose and the Bros, plus Rose’s other band, Richie and Rosie with former Donna keyboard player Richie Stearns.

But I love the names of some of the forthcoming acts: the Original Dead Sea Squirrels, Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad, Ithaca Underground, the Grady Girls, Vicious Fishes, the Rollin’ Rust, the Flying Clouds of South Carolina. You can’t lose with acts like these.

Caught Live

I saw two shows as part of Concerts on the Hill at Christ Church, Easton, Connecticut. A duo called Anchor Amber includes my friend Dan Tressler, the sometimes-elusive folk savant of Fairfield County. Dan is adept on fiddle (he briefly taught my daughter) guitar and mandolin, and he’s a really great singer as well as a songwriter of some distinction.

Amber Anchor, with Dan Tressler (left) and Jeff Smith. (Jim Motavalli photo)

Amber Anchor on July 2 consisted of Tressler and Jeff Smith, also a multi-instrumentalist (including on dobro) and singer. They came out with the vibrant “Lazy John,” fiddle and banjo. They were very entertaining, sailing through Iris Dement’s “Let the Mystery Be,” Tom Waits’ “Come on Up to the House,” Randy Travis’ “Digging up Bones,” and standards like Irving Mills’ “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’” and Jesse Fuller’s “San Francisco Bay Blues.” They closed with “Amazing Grace.” I could listen to bands like this all night and, in fact, did.

Hitch and the Giddyup played July 17, after being rained out July 16. Vocalist/guitarist Dan Carlucci is a sometimes collaborator with the other Dan. Hitch is a full old-time/bluegrass band, featuring all great musicians, Pete Kaufman on banjo, David Kaye on mandolin, Bobby Csugie on bass and some lead vocals, and Kenny Owens on drums.

Hitch and the Giddyup, on the hill. (Jim Motavalli photo)

Together, these folks created some real rave-ups. Carlucci’s vocal mike got drowned out now and then, but the band was in fine fettle. Carlucci sailed through two broken strings, and offered some really sweet picking. Kaufman is a really great banjo player and composer, and Kaye’s fingers blurred on the mandolin. As with Amber Anchor, the bill was a mix of originals and covers. I loved their take on the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” about Mia Farrow’s sister during their sojourn in India. And John Hartford’s “Steam Powered Aeroplane” sure sounded great, and showcased the band’s prowess. Songs from Michael Martin Murphey, the Bottle Rockets, Steve Earle and the late Dave Hogan of the Rafterbats were heard. A song called “Meet Me at Mickey’s” made me want to investigate that Bridgeport canteen.

There are more Concerts on the Hill coming up.

I also checked out Charles Turner and Uptown Swing at the Levitt Pavilion on July 9. They’ve been there before, and wowed the place. Rain threatened (and indeed, arrived), cutting down attendance, but the band was undaunted and played most of their set.

Charles Turner (right) with one of the Swingettes, who were debuting that night. (Jim Motavalli photo)

Turner is an energetic, muscular African-American jazz singer who includes his LGBGT identity in his act. He had a full band, featuring trombone, trumpet, a pair of dancers (“The Swingettes”), keyboards, bass and drums. They opened with “Fly Me to the Moon” (“How High the Moon” was later) for a straightforward take. Turner, who never stops moving, is a charismatic performer and fine resonant tenor vocalist who could also scat sing. He could easily anchor a musical—Broadway, are you listening?

Turner’s own “Bring Me to Fire Island” where “the scent of poppers is in the air” was a strong statement of identify, not to mention a really good jazz song. They moved through “Round Midnight,” “Sweet Georgia Brown” and other standards. I thought they were just fine (more Swingettes!), marred only by Turner’s tic of endlessly repeating a few words from the chorus of his songs as an excitement builder. It worked the first time. Check this band out if they’re playing near you, maybe on Fire Island.