Steeple Coffee House

Twenty years ago, several UCF members conceived the idea to provide Central N.Y. musicians a venue for local audiences to enjoy music while also raising funds to serve the Fayetteville-Manlius community. From this idea, Steeple Coffee House was born. At SCH, you can hear CNY favorites and SAMMY award-winning artists playing a range of genres, including bluegrass, folk, jazz, and classic rock’n roll. Seventy percent of SCH funds raised go towards paying the local musicians with the remaining 30% supporting UCF and its Mission/Outreach ministries, such as the FM Food Pantry.

SCH is held the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from September to May, excluding December. Doors generally open at 6:30 PM and performances run from 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM. Suggested admission is $15 - $20 at the door and children are free. Admission includes a beverage and a homemade dessert.  Check the schedule below to confirm dates and times.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Dana “Short Order” Cooke
Mar
8

Dana “Short Order” Cooke

$15

Coffee and desserts included!

In a concert featuring his own original songs, songs written and performed by Larry Hoyt, and other songs that Larry held dear, noted local singer/songwriter Dana Cooke will honor the memory of one of the most important figures in the history of folk and acoustic music in Central New York. This concert takes place on the eve of Larry Hoyt'’s birthday; Hoyt, who died last March, would have turned 76 on March 9.

Cooke will be accompanied, as always, by Judy and Jeff Stanton — who, as it turns out, also served in Larry Hoyt’s longtime side combo, the Good Acoustics. And Cooke will be joined by Joe Cleveland, who, as the talent coordinator at Happy Endings Cake and Coffeehouse and later the Folkus Project, pioneered with Larry to the ascension of folk and acoustic music in the Syracuse-area market almost three decades ago.

Larry Hoyt was already a well-known and oft-seen performer of his own songs and great songs by the likes of Dylan, Guthrie, and Cash when, in 1997, he created the “Common Threads” radio show on WAER-FM. He continued to present folk and acoustic music on "Common Threads" for 27 years. All that while, he was a beloved and reliable musical performer, giving literally hundreds of concerts in the area.

As both the Common Threads deejay and a local music journalist, he championed the music of Cooke (among many, many other local musicians). It is fitting that on March 8, at the Steeple Coffeehouse, Cooke (along with the Stantons and Cleveland) will present songs that Larry valued — Cooke’s own songs, some of Larry’s best remembered compositions, and cover songs by an assortment of national artists that Larry considered flame-keepers of great folk music.

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Atta Boys
Mar
22

Atta Boys

$15

Coffee and desserts included!

Bluegrass band, the Atta Boys, are a pickup collection of some of the area’s best bluegrass musicians, Join Tom Hosmer (fiddle), John Burton (banjo), Perry Cleaveland (mandolin), Judson Powell (guitar), Cathy Cadley (guitar), and Dave Rybinski (bass), for a sensational evening of traditional bluegrass music.

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JT Hall Jazz Consort
Apr
12

JT Hall Jazz Consort

$15

Coffee and desserts included!

If it’s jazz, it’s the JT Hall Jazz Consort. And if you’re a jazz enthusiast, you don’t want to miss the performance by this extraordinary group of musicians on Friday, May 9th at 7:00 pm in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room.

The Consort features the beautiful voice of Cookie Coogan along with Jason Jeffers on drums and Tom Witkowski on keyboards. John Magnante plays the guitar and John Dancks joins in on bass with JT Hall on trumpet and fluegelhorn.

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The Cadleys
Apr
26

The Cadleys

$15

Coffee and desserts included!

The Cadleys have been entertaining audiences throughout Upstate New York and New England with their powerful mix of traditional bluegrass, “new acoustic” a la Alison Krauss, and many of John’s originals, which have been recorded by national artists such as Jim Hurst (five-time IBMA guitar player of the year), Missy Raines (five-time IBMA bass player of the year), Grammy-nominated and world renowned banjo player Tony Trischka, Washington, DC, recording artist Dede Wyland, Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters, famed guitarist Richard Kiser, and Lou Reid, who, with his band Carolina, took John’s song “Time” to the #1 spot on the bluegrass music charts, where it remained for three months and was performed by Lou, Vince Gill, and Ricky Skaggs on The Grand Ol’ Opry.

Their live performances bring it all to life. Joined by mandolinist extraordinaire Perry Cleaveland and award-winning bassist John Dancks, The Cadleys deliver a show that offers everything an audience comes go see: hair-raising harmony singing, virtuoso musicianship, entertaining audience rapport, and the feeling that they’ve enjoyed a truly special night of music.

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Loren & LJ Barrigar
May
10

Loren & LJ Barrigar

$15

Coffee and desserts included!

Loren Barrigar started playing guitar when he was only four years old, and by the time he was six, played the Chet Atkins hit “Yackety Axe” in front of thousands of country music fans at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He went on to study with Jimmy Atkins (Chet’s brother) which led to a touring career with his family band from Nashville to Las Vegas. Since settling down in Central New York, he has been in constant demand as a studio musician.

Loren’s finely-honed songwriting skills have launched his melodies on “ER”, “The Young and The Restless” and on a Christmas CD with BB King and Patti Labelle. He has performed with some of the best acoustic players in the world including Stephen Bennett, Richard Smith, John Knowles, Muriel Anderson and Loren’s friend and mentor Tommy Emmanuel, the Australian guitar sensation. He has also recorded with Multiple Grammy winner and legendary producer Lloyd Maines.

In 2010, Loren made a guest appearance at The Chet Atkins Appreciation Society {CAAS} in Nashville with his pickin’ pal from New Zealand, Mark Mazengarb. His solo concerts include favorite songs from seven decades as well as his originals all featuring exciting guitar work and memorable vocal stylings.

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Isreal Hagan
Jan
25

Isreal Hagan

$15

Coffee & desserts provided!

Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Isreal Hagan's musical influences were his parents, Sylvester & Bertha Hagan, who immersed him in music from birth. Isreal's singing career started in third grade. As a self taught musician, he picked up his first guitar at age nine, followed soon after by the bass. At age 14, Isreal started his songwriting career.

This nine time SAMMY Award Winner and Hall of Famer was featured as the Syracuse New Times cover story in February 1995 and the Post Standard's Weekend Cover Story in March 1999. The articles depicted him as the outspoken defender of local music and R n B, a man who charts out his own path to success. Isreal had the honor of being flown out to California to perform with the legendary Carlos Santana.

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Donna Colton & Sam Patterelli
Jan
11

Donna Colton & Sam Patterelli

$15

Coffee & desserts included!

Gritty, buttery, and soul-piercing have all been used to describe the vocals of Donna Colton. A seasoned veteran of the local music scene, her songwriting and CDs have garnered national and international attention. Solo showcases at the legendary Bitter End and Spiral Club in New York City and at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville led to live performances for national TV and radio shows. In 2009 she became one of the few women to be inducted into the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame.

Colton will be joined on stage by her husband and bandmate, Sam Patterelli, AKA Sam Troublemaker, making music they call an acoustic tangle of Broken Folk and Twang Rock.

For the past few years, she has been honored to be in CNYSongbirds, Salt City Waltz, Ridgestock, and Ladies Night concerts sharing the stage with the most excellent musicians and vocalists in this area.

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John & Bob Dean
Sep
28

John & Bob Dean

$15

Coffee & Desserts provided!

John and Bob Dean are Central NY musicians who have been performing and recording in the area for many years in various configurations, among them the SAMMY award winning Dean Brothers band, the Dean Family Band (formerly Deans List), and in a trio called Stage Fright with singer-songwriter Linn Brown. Now in their current form as the John and Bob Dean Duo, their music is vocal harmony focused, with guitar and bass instrumentation sprinkled with an occasional banjo or tuba. Both John and Bob are singer/songwriters, who write and perform in an eclectic mix of genres, including pop rock, country, and folk.

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