Progressive Acoustics and the Kelly Center are honored to present Jerron Paxton and Dennis Lichtman in concert. World-renowned multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, the duo shares a deep reverence for the history and storytelling behind their craft. Their performances are an energetic journey through acoustic blues, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, 1920s jazz, and twin-fiddle hoe-downs, interspersed with original compositions.

The duo served as artists-in-residence at Symphony Space in New York City for the 2024-25 season and recently released their self-titled debut album. Paxton is a Smithsonian Folkways recording artist and former artistic director of the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival. Lichtman, a master of the clarinet, mandolin, and fiddle, boasts credits ranging from David Byrne and Pokey LaFarge to HBO’s Succession.

More about Jerron Paxton: https://www.jerronpaxton.com/
More about Dennis Lichtman: https://www.dennislichtman.com/

On Jerron Paxton:

“Virtually the only music-maker of his generation to fully assimilate the blues idiom of the 1920s and ’30s." - The Wall Street Journal

"Paxton transports his audiences not to a time, but to a state of mind." - The Bluegrass Situation

"The closest any of us will probably get to seeing live many of the great names from the formative years of 20th-century blues." - Arts Reviews Edinburgh

On Dennis Lichtman:

"The clarinet magician... with a penchant for the sounds and joy of early forms of jazz." - The Jerusalem Post

"A brilliantly curious musician... whose music stands on its own with a singular, quirky beauty." - JazzLives

Jerron Paxton & Dennis Lichtman - Joe's Pub montage
Jerron Paxton & Dennis Lichtman at Louis Armstrong's House