BATH – Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies will play at The Chocolate Church Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.

When Lowe recorded his first solo album in 1980, he’d already spent almost a decade playing and absorbing the traditional music of his native northeast England, an area rich in working-class values, with a wealth of songs and music.

Born in 1955 into an Irish family, in the coal-mining community of Easington in County Durham, Lowe’s early interest in pop music steered him into a fascination with blues and folk, especially Bob Dylan, John Mayall, Big Bill Broonzy and Woody Guthrie. By the mid-’70s, he’d begun to play a mixture of Dylan, as well traditional, contemporary and original material, in partnership with school friend Ged Foley, later of Patrick Street and The House Band.

In 1990, Lowe began working with The Bad Pennies, with whom he’s recorded three albums. They’ve become one of England’s top folk bands.

The Bad Pennies are Kate Bramley, Simon Haworth and Andy May. Bramley plays fiddle and does some vocals. Haworth plays bass and keyboards. May brings new instrumental variety to the group on accordion, whistles, keyboard and Northumbrian small pipes.

For more information about The Chocolate Church Arts Center, people can go online at chocolatechurcharts.org.

Tickets: $12 for members & seniors, $14 in advance, $16 at the door. Call the arts center at 442-8455.


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