just love playing music ,” said Dickerson . “ But there ’ s only one Jay .”
A staple of the music scene both locally and nationally for six decades , Jay Summerour , 74 , grew up in the back yards and streets of Rockville , Md ., with a harmonica in his mouth . Money was scarce , but he found music everywhere he turned .
“ I remember one day at my cousin ’ s house we were fixin ’ old bicycles when I was probably 8 or 9 ,” said Summerour . “ I had my harmonica with me . Always did . I was just blowing and blowing and finally my uncle said , ‘ Why don ’ t you go see your granddad and have him show you how to actually play that darn thing ?’”
Those lessons with Eddie “ Smack ” Martin would serve his grandson well . Summerour ’ s list of playing partners across America has included a Who ’ s Who of blues greats , from Sonny Terry and Junior Wells , to James Cotton and Clarence “ Gatemouth ” Brown . For more than three decades , he recorded and toured with a local legend , Warner Williams , until Williams ’ passing in 2021 at age 91 .
“ Those days with Warner , they were some of the best days of my life . But there ’ s been good days all along the road ,” said Summerour , who will appear again at this summer ’ s Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival .
Not long after Williams ’ death , Dickerson connected her older friend , Summerour , with the homegrown talent , Jamison . Their 40-year age difference matters little when the two men meet at the Friday night jam sessions at Local ’ s , a Poolesville culinary sensation that celebrates fresh food , live
music , and local arts with equal albums of original songs , Lockey aplomb . launched her own music publishing firm , the Licensing Songs
“ I ’ ll play . Anytime . Anywhere ,” said Summerour .
Academy . National movies and TV “ Me too ,” said Jamison . “ Me too .” shows including “ Good Girls Revolt ,” “ Young Sheldon ,” “ The Voice ,” n THE SINGING SCIENTIST and “ No Tomorrow ” have included her compositions . Her latest song , Former geneticist Michelle Lockey “ Who Hears the Broken ?” is aimed always wanted to sing , and to be at helping other women face challenges she has conquered . heard by others , but self-doubt kept her voice on the sidelines for “ The message is that you really decades . can overcome low self-esteem and
“ I thought that because I low self-worth , especially young couldn ’ t sing like some of my favorite artists , therefore I couldn ’ t sing . ally ,” she said . “ They don ’ t have to
girls and women , but anyone re-
Period ,” said Lockey during a break be stuck in norms or feel bad about from a February performance at themselves because they ’ re not like Windridge Winery in Darnestown . somebody else .” “ I didn ’ t realize that everyone kind Living in nearby Dickerson , of had their own tone , their own she said , has given her a front-row key range . In the early 2000s , I met seat to a renaissance of local musical support . someone that gave me lessons and I realized I could sing — and I could “ Culturally , it ’ s really nice that express myself through lyrics and we have places to express this ,” she music . I just started feeling more said . “ You used to have to go into like me , if that makes any sense .” D . C . or travel a long way . Now I
Having recorded several drive 10 minutes to my gig .”
Singer-songwriter Michelle Lockey entertains audiences close to home at the Tasting Room at Windridge Vineyards in Darnestown . Check out : www . michellelockey . com
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