Will Stratton/the Wailing Wall/Trevor Wilson
December 2. An ace three-way hit of acid folk at the ever-vital Spotty Dog Books & Ale. The 2007 debut by Brooklyn’s Will Stratton boasts a cameo by Sufjan Stevens and his current album, No Wonder (Stunning Models on Display Records), has been featured on NPR. The Wailing Wall is headed by another New Yorker, Jesse Rifkin, whose grainy voice and surreal lyrics have drawn comparisons to Will Oldham and Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum. A recent Hudson transplant, Vermont native Trevor Wilson is a member of the bands Firefoot and Dropson; in his solo guise he accompanies his haunting vocals with ukulele. (Jeremy Kelly, Otto Hauser, and Century Plants arrive December 2; Avondale Airforce, Summer Mummy, and DJ Lunar Moss descend December 6.) 8pm. $5. Hudson. (518) 671-6006; www.thespottydog.com.
Jesse Lege and Bayou Brew
December 4. Cajun Music Hall of Famer and accordionist, singer, and guitarist Jesse Lege grew up in a one-room house in Southwest Louisiana and started performing at age 16. Mentored by iconic accordion player and maker Marc Savoy, he’s gone on to tour the world and pick up numerous Cajun French Music Association awards (aka “Cajun Grammys”). Lege’s newest release, Live at Glen Echo (Idependent), co-stars fiddler Joel Savoy, the son of Marc and singer, guitarist, and folklorist Ann Allen Savoy. This return to the Rosendale Café has Lege once again leading the five-piece Bayou Brew, which in addition to his own instruments includes fiddle, electric and acoustic guitars, and the electric bass of Hudson Valley resident Evelyn Schneider. (Folksinger Sarah Underhill celebrates her CD release December 17; Underhill and Ian Worpole host the monthly Fourth Sunday Irish session December 26.) 8pm. $10. Rosendale. (845) 658-9048; www.rosendalecafe.com.
Ian Hunter & Friends
December 10. As the front man of legendary 1970s glam outfit Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter kicked out storming, heartfelt rock ’n’ roll that helped lay the tracks for the coming wave of British punk (the members of the Clash were huge fans, and enlisted Mott producer Guy Stevens for London Calling). Since leaving the band, Hunter has released many acclaimed solo LPs and toured with the late David Bowie guitarist and Woodstocker Mick Ronson. But last year, with Hunter at 70, Mott the Hoople reunited for five sold-out shows at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. This intimate acoustic evening by the singer at the Towne Crier should be historic as well. (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s John McEuen and David Amram appear December 5; Graham Parker pulls in December 11.) 8:30pm. $55, $60. Pawling. (518) 855-1300; www.townecrier.com.
Peter Rowan and Tony Rice
December 10. One couldn’t ask for a better pairing of progressive bluegrass prime movers than this. After a few years with Bill Monroe, guitarist and mandolinist Peter Rowan joined the psychedelic roots bands Earth Opera and Seatrain before going on to the Jerry Garcia-led Old & In the Way and bluegrass supergroup Muleskinner. Flat picker extraordinaire Tony Rice made his name playing with Rowan’s former Earth Opera bandmate David Grisman and alongside Ricky Skaggs in J. D. Crowe’s New South. As a duo and with their quartet Rowan and Rice remain festival favorites, and the instructional DVDs they’ve made for Woodstock’s Homespun label are mandatory for aspiring players. (NRBQ’s Joey and Johnny Spampinato rock December 3; reggae greats the Mighty Diamonds shine December 18.) 8pm. $25, $35, $45. Bearsville. (845) 679-4406; www.bearsvilletheater.com.
Joe Gil and the Trio of Terror
December 10. The Bean Runner Café continues to brew up a rich and savory blend of the hottest jazz around. Brooklyn-born trombonist Joe Gil studied with Barry Harris and Benny Powell and has worked with Makanda Ken McIntyre, Yomo Toro, David Murray, Willie Colon, and others. Here, he’s backed by the imposingly named Trio of Terror, which features bassist Chris Weigers (Jaki Byard), keyboard whiz Neil Alexander (NAIL, the Machine), and top percussionist Gregg Bendian (Interzone). For this date Gil airs standards and his own compositions, which merge fusion, straight-ahead jazz, and rock. (Mala Waldron, the daughter of pianist Mal Waldron, plays December 4; Frank Lacy, Jonathan Blake, and Kevin Ray perform December 18.) 7:30pm. $9. (914) 737-1701; www.beanrunnercafe.com.
