Smokey's Round-Up comes to town

SPARTA — Legendary session guitarist Smokey Hormel performs this Friday, July 8, on the Nicholson Pavilion stage, in the second instllment of the Sparta Summer Concert Series.
Over the course of a 30 year career as a touring and versatile studio guitarist, Smokey Hormel has appeared on numerous Grammy Award winning records, including Adele's "21", Johnny Cash's "Hurt", Beck's "Morning Phase" and "Sea Change", as well as others by Neil Diamond, The Dixie Chicks, John Doe, Steve Earle, Josh Groban, The Backyardigans, Norah Jones, Joe Strummer, Justin Timberlake and Tom Waits. Growing up in Los Angeles, Smokey was fortunate to study at young age with the great Jazz and Western Swing guitarist Jimmy Wyble (Benny Goodman, Bob Wills and Spade Cooley). In the late 80s, he joined southern California's iconic Americana - Roots - Rock-a-Billy band, The Blasters, and toured the world, playing on stage with his mentor, New Orleans' sax legend Lee Allen.
In addition to all of his session recording work, and his work in both film and TV, Smokey finds time to play with some of his own groups. His ongoing musical project is Smokey's Round-Up, a return to his early love of 1930s Western Swing music. Since 2008 the four piece Round-Up has played regular weekly Brooklyn shows, amazing audiences with virtuoso guitar and a vast repertoire of great, long lost American songs. They will be playing lively western swing and boogie-woogie for dancing.
As a wise man once said, "you've got to boogie before the lights go out, because tomorrow is iffy!"
Opening the concert is Sparta singer/songwriter Denny Tilton and Friends.
The free performance starts at 7 p.m. at Dykstra Park, 22 Woodport Road, Sparta (next door at Mohawk Ave School if weather is bad). Bring family, friends, lawn chairs and a picnic. For more information on the show visit www.spartaarts.org.