SCHENECTADY — Organist Carlo Curley revels in the sounds of the organ. On Sunday afternoon in the final concert of the First United Methodist Church’s concert series, Curley was like a kid in a candy store as he showed what an organist can do if he has an imagination.

Less than a buck a band: That’s all the Roots Music Festival costs tonight at Red Square (338 Broadway, Albany). Good bands, too; some of our finest area performers.
During happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. the program features blues singer Courtney Blackwell, spirituals by the Gospel Train, and Dana Monteith singing alt-country.

The Boston Camerata, one of the world’s premier early music ensembles, performed a makeup concert at Union College on Sunday afternoon. Every school kid knows some snow days must be made up, and the Camerata returned with a different theme — courtly love Middle Ages style.

“Bluegrass is a dangerous business,” warned mandolinist Adam Steffey before the Dan Tyminski Band charged into “Heads You Win Tales I Lose” on Sunday at The Egg’s Swyer Theatre.

It shouldn’t have worked, but when Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby teamed up at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Thursday, it was ear-to-ear smiles and non-stop fun for two hours.

The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra under conductor Charles Schneider never sounded better in its final concert of the season Sunday afternoon at Proctors.

Bruce Hornsby, above, will team up with Ricky Skaggs, below right, to play the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall next Thursday.
Hornsby will bring his versatile piana boogie vibe to go with Skaggs’ masterful bluegrass chops.

Troy resident Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius is composer, pianist, bandleader and collaborator with dance companies and monologist David Greenberger, as well as musicians.

David Grisman and John Sebastian: These guys have done this before, but the lessons they learned together 40 years ago still sounded fresh in their minds, hands and voices on Sunday in their duo show at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

The Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra under conductor Charles Peltz sounded very good in its Sunday afternoon concert at the Alayne Trombley Auditorium at the Maple Avenue Middle School.

The three sisters who make up the Albers Trio showed Sunday afternoon at Union College’s Memorial Chapel what it’s like when it’s all in the family.

Buffy Sainte-Marie was an eye- and ear-opener from the first moment I saw her walk onstage in 1965 at Niagara University. She still is, as she arrives here on Saturday to play the Eighth Step at Proctors GE Theater (432 State St., Schenectady).

A fan of the novelists he calls “the Johns” — Irving, Cheever and Updike — Ben Arthur writes grim and emotionally dark songs, difficult feelings cloaked in pretty pop melodies.

Pianist Yundi Li sent chills and thrills through the small crowd Sunday evening at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Teatro Lirico D'Europa gave an often compelling production of Puccini's "Tosca" Wednesday night at Proctors.