This fall, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick will kick off its annual Concerts for a Cause series with the Pousette-Dart DUO in order to raise money for the Brunswick Area Teen Center and Maine Family Planning.

Jon Pousette-Dart (right) and Jim Chapdelaine make up the Pousette-Dart DUO. Courtesy of UUCB

Running from September 2024 to June 2025, UUCB will host a variety of musicians to continue its tradition of bringing music performances to Brunswick while raising thousands of dollars for local organizations. This year’s selection includes a wide range of styles, including jazz, choral singing and folk.

“We are honored and grateful to be considered a recipient this year from the UU church funds,” said Stacy Frizzle-Edgerton, the executive director of People Plus, which runs the teen center. “They have become a vital part of helping us reach our goal at the Teen Center program, and we are exceptionally thankful for the partnership.”

She said that any funding raised by UUCB would be used to make the newly renovated teen space more comfortable and safe. This includes treating furniture with fire-retardant sprays and installing emergency fire alarm pulls, Ring doorbells at all exits and a carbon-monoxide detectors, she said.

Maine Family Planning, which has been the state’s largest network of sexual and reproductive health care providers for over 50 years, said it will use any funding raised to support services at its 18 centers across Maine.

“Donations like these help ensure that Maine Family Planning can continue providing high-quality health care and family support services across Maine,” said Olivia Pennington of Maine Family Planning. “We are deeply thankful to [UUCB] for using a portion of the proceeds from the Concerts for a Cause 2024-2025 series to ensure that we can continue providing these services to folks across the state.”

Last year, the Concerts for a Cause series raised over $12,900 in donations. During the 2022-23 concert season, UUCB donated $3,300 to Maine Family Planning.

“That’s what the whole meaning of music is to me,” said musician Jon Pousette-Dart, explaining his reasons for performing in Concerts for a Cause.

He said that he hopes to help raise awareness and “bring light” to the audience, noting that philanthropy is part what being a musician is all about.

Pousette-Dart, who is one-half of Pousette-Dart DUO, said this will be his first year participating in the concert series. He got connected with the church through his agent, who lives in the Midcoast. He will be the first to grace the UUCB stage this season alongside Jim Chapdelaine to perform the nostalgic sounds of the classic rock and folk era.

The group has its origins in the ’70s former folk-rock group Pousette-Dart Band that originated out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since the band’s breakup in the ’80s, Pousette-Dart  has churned out five solo albums, several of which Chapdelaine co-produced.

“We are very much focusing on all the bodies of material I had written in early decades,” Pousette-Dart said. He added that performing in a duo gives the audience a more intimate music setting.

What to expect this season

Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers will perform in October as part of Concerts for a Cause.. Courtesy photo

The Pousette-Dart DUO will kick off the series on Sept. 20. Just a month later, Sally Rogers and Claudia Schmidt will perform their bright harmonies and warm stringed instruments at UUCB. Often armed with dulcimers and guitars, this duo, which has been working together for decades, performs original and traditional folk music. Rogers and Schmidt will stake the stage on Oct. 19.

Things switch up in November with the Novel Jazz Septet — one of Maine’s premier jazz groups — which will delve into the compositions of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. The band, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, boasts of having over two centuries of collective music experience with swinging jazz. The group will perform on Nov. 23, bringing a 21st century sound to the classic works.

Novel Jazz Septet will perform at UUCB in November. Courtesy of Saco River Theatre

The season resumes in January 2025, with David Mallet, a Maine-born singer-songwriter with a four-decade career. Mallet started performing at the age of 11 with his brother in their own TV show during the ’60s. By his 20s, Mallet moved into performing solo after attending the University of Maine and recorded 17 albums in his career. Mallett, known by classics like “Garden Song,” which has been covered by many artists, including The Muppets, will bring a poetic performance to Brunswick on Jan. 11.

The Portland-based, social justice choral group Women in Harmony will perform next on March 15. Comprised of 60 women, the 20-year-old group partners often with local organizations to uplift women composers and musicians. The group said that while the music style they perform is diverse, it primarily sings of community, connection and helping those in need.

Grammy nominee Guy Davis will blend blues, folk, rock, rap and more at UUCB. Davis typically performs a mix of original and cover songs, which feature blues greats such as Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf. The musician has a storytelling approach to music thanks to his background in musical theater. (A great example of this is Davis’ “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.) Davis performs on April 12.

Celtic trio House of Hamill will perform at UUCB next May. Sarah Snyder photo

Celtic folk group House of Hamill performs next on May 17. The trio features accomplished fiddlers Brian Buchanan and Rose Baldino, formerly of the Celtic folk-rock band Enter the Haggis. The third member, Caroline Browning, joined the group recently to sing and play bass and mandolin. UUCB writes that the group provides an intriguing mix of “traditional Irish and sophisticated indie folk.”

The concert series then closes with singer-songwriter Susan Werner. The PBS and NPR featured vocalist, guitarist and pianist will put on an encaptivating one-woman show on June 14. Werner’s smooth voice pairs well with a range of blues, salsa and more for a pleasant evening of music.

All concerts will take place on a Saturday (except the Pousette-Dart DUO, which performs on a Friday) and start at 7:30 p.m. Those interested in attending can visit uubrunswick.org/events/. Tickets are often cheaper if bought in advance.

David Mallett performs with his band at 2017 concert at UUCB. Courtesy of UUCB