Martha’s vineyard live music.
Martha’s Vineyard Live Music is the Beat of the Island
Among many perks Martha’s Vineyard has to offer year after year is wonderful live music – and plenty of it. The island has a lively rock and folk music scene, with other genres well represented too.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day (and beyond), Martha’s Vineyard is alive with the sound of music (okay, so we borrowed this line from a well-known movie, but it is just as relevant to our island as it is to Alpine scenery). In fact, this may be a good place to remind everyone that quite a few renowned musicians – like Carly Simon and James Taylor – call Martha’s Vineyard “home” – at least for part of the year.
Yes, Martha’s Vineyard stunning scenery lends itself to all kinds of music, but did you know that scores (no pun intended) of local musicians and songwriters live here as well? Many were inspired to create their own special “tributes” to the island.
Let’s …lend an ear to some of these compositions.
Sounds of the island
Katama resident William Waterway is the founder of Martha’s Vineyard Poetry Society; founding publisher of Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and Nantucket Magazine, and a well-known island resident. Here you can hear him play two of his original songs – one on ukulele and the other on Native American Flute.
You may not think of our island as a reggae territory, but these recordings, entitled “Back to the Island: Reggae from Martha’s Vineyard” will change your mind:
Local artist Mark Alan Lovewell recorded an aptly named CD, “Sea Songs of Martha’s Vineyard:
And how about a little bit of musical history? “Before the island’s fame as a tourist destination, the people of Martha’s Vineyard looked to the sea for sustenance, and sang about it for entertainment. These fourteen songs—amply annotated by folklorist Kenny Goldstein—tell of subsistence farming on land and of battles with whales and Englishmen at sea.” This is the description of “Folksongs from Martha’s Vineyard,” first recorded in 1957:
Folksongs from Martha’s Vineyard
Writing our own (musical) history
Musicians who form Martha’s Vineyard Live Music have been playing jazz, blues, swing, rock-and-roll, and other genres on the island for more than two decades.
We love the local vibe and are always pleased to perform at a variety of events – whether as duos, trios, or a full, eight piece jazz band. Whatever your needs and preferences, we will assemble a musical team especially for your event.
