Church Closes Out Third Season of Concert Series

The closed out the third season of its concert series with the very entertaining Eric Byrd Trio Sunday afternoon.

The trio is made up of Eric Byrd on piano, Bhagwan Khalsa on acoustic bass and Alphonso M. Young Jr. on drums.

The group plays traditional jazz while providing an energetic and modern approach to standards and original compositions. They also played some hymns.

They are former Kennedy Center and United States State Department Jazz Ambassadors, which provided them the opportunity to tour countries such as Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Honduras and Trinidad.

Their international touring includes concerts at the Montreux Switzerland Jazz Festival, multiple tours of South America, an appearance at a world music festival in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and performances in Estonia, Italy and Scotland.

The trio performs regularly at jazz venues in and around Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Live performances have included appearances at Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Twins and Bohemian Caverns.

The Eric Byrd Trio has played at numerous festivals throughout the United States, headlining the East Coast Jazz Festival, the ARTScape Festival in Baltimore and The Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival.

Byrd is currently a part-time music lecturer at McDaniel College.

For more information on the group, visit its website here. 

The fourth concert season gets under way on August 14 with the Carroll County Ramblers.

Other performances in the series includes:

• Oct. 9-4: Ever Erin
• Dec. 11: Classical harp-Laura Stokes
• Feb. 12: Elke Baker
• Apr. 15: Gingerthisle
• June 10: West Shore Piano Trio

All shows start at 3 p.m. at the church on Spout Hill Road in Sykesville. The events are free, but a free will offering is collected.