‘Country cantadora’ Kelley Swindall kicks off Sparta Summer Concert Series

The Sparta Summer Concert Series will kick-start its season on July 9 with country singer/songwriter Kelley Swindall.

With a rafter-reaching voice and crazily charismatic stage presence, Swindall blends classic country, blues, roots, and folk. The Georgia-born, NYC-based artist has toured the country solo for the better part of the decade, and is equally at home in a biker bar or under a proscenium arch. She bills herself as a “country cantadora.”

Coming up from Atlanta to the East Village, her original intention was to become a stage actress, but a heartbreak in the big city led her to write a revenge song. She remembered some chords from her church youth group days and started strumming and penning tunes.

Part Patsy, Part Dolly, and all Heart, her idiosyncratic debut studio album, “You Can Call Me Darlin’ If You Want,” is out digitally via Velvet Elk Records. The record features Kelley’s quirky old-school country twang on the title song and other entertaining tales of life’s many adventures.

Warming up the crowd for the evening is singer/songwriter Adam Jacob. He has performed throughout the Northeast, playing solo shows and opening for various local, regional and national acts. Adam currently lives, writes and records from his home studio in Sparta, N.J. He spends free time with his wife and two boys, who are often the subject of his original folk/rock/country songs, providing an unfiltered and humorous view of modern family life.

Bring lawn chairs and picnics, and enjoy a night of live music under the stars. No dogs allowed.

In case of inclement weather, the concert moves indoors to the air-conditioned Mohawk Avenue School auditorium.

The series returns on July 16 with the collaborative quartet Fantastic Cat. For more information visit spartaarts.org.