Friday night folk in Newburyport

Local folk fiddler Joyce Andersen will kick off a new concert series in Newburyport, Mass., with a solo show on Friday, Oct. 17. The show marks the launch of FINCH (Fridays in Newburyport Coffee House), which presents monthly concerts at the First Religious Society’s Unitarian Universalist church at 26 Pleasant St.

Created by Karen Dardinski and Sue Ann Pearson, FINCH will focus on acoustic blues, folk, roots and bluegrass in a friendly and casual setting. The church’s parish hall will provide a well-lit stage for acts like acoustic string quintet Northern Lights in November and bluesy duo Paul Rishell and Annie Raines in December.

Andersen is a fiddle and guitar player with a deep arsenal of traditional and contemporary folk, bluegrass, swing and Celtic songs. She has released seven CDs, including four with her husband, Harvey Reid. The couple most recently unveiled “The Song Train,” a four-disc set of 56 two-chord songs with an accompanying booklet that helps beginners learn how to play guitar. Andersen said she will perform some tunes from “Song Train” during her appearance in Newburyport.

“Always respectful of tradition, I will throw genre to the wind and bring you on a tour of traditional, classic and contemporary songs and fiddle tunes,” Anderson said in an e-mail.

The show begins at 8 p.m. and will include coffee, light fare and dessert items. Tickets are $15. Call 978-465-5767 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it for more information.

Dick Creeden tribute in Portsmouth

On Sunday, Oct. 12, The Press Room will hold a special evening of music to remember cornet player Dick Creeden, a long-time member of the Tommy Gallant All-Stars and a fixture of the North Shore music scene for many years. The music gets underway at 6 p.m. and will feature a host of musicians who performed with Creeden over the years, including fellow All-Stars members Jerry Fuller on clarinet, Don Doane on trombone and Les Harris Sr. and Jr. splitting drum duties.

Creeden’s playing style was reminiscent of the late Bobby Hackett, a lyrical approach that placed great emphasis on the melodic qualities of music. Yet, Creeden could burn and swing up a storm with the best of them. Like Hackett, Creeden focused on the cornet, the more mellow sounding cousin of the trumpet, and he developed a style that was very much his own and mirrored his pleasant and sunny personality.

Creeden, who died this summer, is remembered by his friends and fellow musicians as a good person and  superb musician who was always ready with a smile and a positive comment for everyone he met.