Taking cues from the likes of Lead Belly, Roy Orbison, and local banjo- and fiddle-infused string bands familiar to his hometown of Watkins Glen, N.Y., Willie Watson carries the quiet gravitas of an old-time lonesome cowboy and the musical chops of the best folk artists of today. Watson (formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show) is a skilled multi-instrumentalist with a passion for keeping standards of the American folk songbook alive and kicking. His latest album and first solo release, Folk Singer Vol. 1, spans ten of those standards – tunes like “Mexican Cowboy,” Memphis Slim’s 12-bar blues, “Mother Earth,” and St. Louis bluesman Charley Jordan’s “Keep It Clean” – and exudes, simultaneously, the murderous, bawdy, sly, and lustful facets of both Watson and the genre itself.

Indie string band Cricket Tell the Weather returns to Caramoor with their endearing harmonies, strong songwriting, and inspired original music reflecting elements of bluegrass, pop, and chamber ensemble.