The “Concert at Grayson Stadium” features JESSE WINCHESTER, THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, MAD AGNES and THE HUNGRY MONKS as well as the winner of the Youth Songwriting Competition.  The Sunday, Oct. 12 concert also includes the second half of the “Noteworthy Art” silent auction. Each of the performers will present two sets, one in an early and one in a later rotation.

JESSE WINCHESTER is the ultimate Southern gentleman. Born in Louisiana, raised in Mississippi and Tennessee, he was steeped in Southern gentility, the church and the sounds of R&B, Gospel and Country music.  After studying philosophy in Germany, he settled in Memphis, but the Vietnam War critic chose to relocate to Montreal rather than be drafted. There he was discovered by The Band’s Robbie Robertson and he released his first album which included the classic “Yankee Lady.” He became a highly regarded songwriter, turning out hits like “Third Rate Romance” (The Amazing Rhythm Aces) and “Candida” (Tony Orlando). Some of the many to record his songs are Joan Baez, Tim Hardin, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffet, Reba McIntyre, Wilson Pickett. Nicolette Larsen and theEverly Brothers. Perhaps his best known composition is “The Brand New Tennessee Waltz.” Amnesty granted in 1977 enabled Winchester to make appearances in the United States and after 30 years in Canada, he settled back in Tennessee and the South he dearly loves. In 2006, Jesse was recognized by ASCA for his career contribution to folk music.

THE CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS are a group of young African-American string band musicians who have taken the world of folk music by storm. They play the rich traditional banjo and fiddle music of Carolina’s Piedmont. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson both hail from the green hills of North Carolina, while Don Flemons is from Arizona. Under the tutelage of old-time veteran Joe Thompson, the group carries on the long-standing traditions of old-time Carolina string band music and its African roots.

MAD AGNES is the inventive trio of Margo Hennebach, Adrienne Jones and Mark Saunders. This Connecticut-based group stirs up elements of classical and folk, crosses singer/songwriter poignancy with street-theater smarts, and infuses it all with courageous harmonies, complex counterpoint and rich storytelling. From the great festivals like Kerrville and the Birchmere to the great listening rooms like The Bitter End and The Ark, Mad Agnes’ performances have been called “captivating (Sing Out!), “contemporary and timeless” (The Star Gazette) and “brims with experience and sophisticated musical gifts…funny showmanship” (Boston Herald).