NORWOOD -- The Norwood Village Green Concert Series will begin their 44th season this year.

The performance schedule encompasses some of the greatest performers in America today including the powerful female blues voice of Shemekia Copeland, a two-time Grammy Award nominee and a multi Living Blues award winner. Complimenting Copeland’s performance, Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band will contribute a soul music experience. Local musician Jake Whitesell is part of this powerhouse unit.

Two-time Grammy Award winner Mark O’Connor featuring The O’Connor Band will be enjoyed by a very large fan base of musicians and music lovers in the North Country and beyond. Mark’s resume includes performing on more than 500 cd’s with so many other great performers. He was awarded Musician of the Year by the Country Music Association 6 consecutive times for his efforts as a studio musician. Here he will be performing with his 6-member family band). “Coming Home”, this group’s current recording has been nominated for a Grammy in 2017 as best bluegrass recording. The audience can enjoy 3 great fiddlers, Mark O’Connor, Maggie O’Connor and Kate Lee, as well as mandolinist Forest O’Connor, National Flatpicking champion Joe Smart and banjo-bassist Geoff Saunders.

Representing world music Aurelio will perform music from his Garifuna heritage, while Vanguard Jazz Orchestra lead trumpet player Nick Marchione will join the All Star Big Band directed by Wally Siebel. He will also teach two workshops and perform for Crane Youth Music the following day and evening.

Rani Arbor and Daisy Mayhem will be performing American Spiritual and Winter Song while David Ruch and the Canal Street String Band will continue with American folk traditions. Canal Street will perform a school concert for NNCS, PCS and MWCS elementary students in an afternoon concert. The group will also perform for a family audience in the evening.

Award winning Dance Higginbotham under the artistic direction of John Higginbotham will perform an American Contemporary Dance Concert. John was a 14-year veteran of the Mark Morris Group. On February 11, 2017 Dance Hegenbotham will join Joshua Bell as part of "An Evening with Joshua Bell" and the National Symphony Orchestra at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. John Heginbotham choreographed Lalo’s Symphonies Española, and Dance Higginbotham will join Joshua Bell and the NSO in its performance.

Singer/Songwriter Lou Coppola accompanied by guitarist Ray Matura will round out the touring artists roster. They will be followed by local musicians Andy Van Duyne and Michael Welsh aka Microburst.

In addition to Microburst, local groups include the All Star Big Band under the direction of Wally Siebel, The Brass Firemen, Wells and the Gathering, The Taffeta Girls, Waydown Wailers, Northern Lights Orchestra, and Northern Symphonic Winds.

For further information about the series, contact information, and especially more extensive resumes of the performers, peruse the series website at www.nvgcs.org.

The series performance schedule is:

All Sunday performances are at 6 p.m. Weekday shows are at 7 p.m., except where noted.

• Thursday, June 1, St. Lawrence County Music Educators Association Pop Choral/Stage Band Festival at 3 p.m.

• Thursday, June 8, Dave Ruch and the Canal Street String Band at 7 p.m.; Norwood-Norfolk Elementary concert with guest schools at 1 p.m.

• Thursday, June 15, Wells and The Gathering.

• Sunday, June 18, Aurelio.

• Thursday, June 22, Northern Symphonic Winds, conducted by Dr. Brian Doyle & Scott LaVine.

• Sunday, June 25, Dance Heginbotham.

•Thursday, June 29, The All Star Big Band, under the direction of Wally Siebel, with guest artist Nick Marchione.

• Sunday, July 2, Singer/Songwriter Lou Coppola, with Ray Matuza and Microburst, with Andy Van Duyne and Mike Welsh.

• Sunday, July 9, the Taffeta Girls, comprised of Carina Gilchrist, Laura Fitzsimons Gilbert and Meaghan Janovsky.

• Sunday, July 16, Mark O’Connor featuring the O’Connor Band.

• Thursday, July 20, Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem performing “American Spiritual.”

• Sunday July 23, Waydown Wailers, comprised of Dave and Christian Parker, Mike Scrimminger and Conner Pelkey.

• Thursday, July 27, Norwood’s own Brass Firemen.

• Sunday, July 30, Northern Lights Orchestra - Chris Hosmer, director.

• Tuesday, Aug. 1, Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band with Jake Whitesell.

• Sunday, Aug. 6, Shemekia Copeland.

For more information on the series, contact Joe Liotta at liotta@northnet.org, 315-353-2437, or 315-261-2866.