Jon Shain

Weather permitting, this concert will take place on the covered patio of the hosts’ home in Rockport, Massachusetts. If the weather is horrid, we will move indoors and capacity will be limited to 30. The suggested contribution is $20, payable at the door by cash, check, or Venmo. Send email to whalecoveproductions@gmail.com to get more information or to make a reservation.

Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who’s been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style – combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. He is the 2019 winner of the International Blues Challenge in the solo/duo category. Shain’s most recent solo disc, Gettin’ Handy with the Blues: A Tribute to the Legacy of WC Handy, was released in 2018 and is soon to come out as a music book published by Mel Bay. Shain’s latest releases recorded along with long-time collaborator FJ Ventre are the  gorgeous roots album, Tomorrow Will Be Yesterday Soon (2019) and Never Found  Way to Tame the Blues (2021).

Jon grew up in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a Merrimack River mill-town that had already seen its better days by the time he was a child in the 1970s. His family’s business was a small textile dyeing company, and he worked in the factory during the summers throughout his teens. At the same time, Shain began to discover his love of American roots music and songwriting, specifically drawn to the narratives about regular people and themes of social justice.

Jon will be accompanied by harmonica wizard Bill Newton for this concert.