Noted Long-Island-based artists Kerry Kearney and Jack Licitra, who have collaborated with each other on and off over the past 30 years, will share the stage and swap songs during the monthly Hard Luck Café series co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), with promotional assistance from the Long Island Blues Society in the Cinema’s Sky Room on Wednesday, March 18, from 7-10 p.m.  An open mic precedes the concert.  Tickets are $26 ($20 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH/Long Island Blues Society members) and can be purchased online at https://cinemaartscentre.org or at the Cinema Arts Centre box office now through the evening of the event.  

Kerry Kearney — R. Balter Photography

Kerry Kearney is a master slide guitarist who plays and works his instrument to limits that amaze even the most seasoned musician or cultured music fan. Also an acoustic and electric guitarist, mandolin player, and vocalist, he has been writing and performing for more than 40 years. Kearney, who describes his high-energy musical style as Psychedelta – an upbeat mix of American blues and roots music – was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2013, having previously been voted Best Guitarist by the now defunct Long Island Voice in 1999 and Bluesman of the Year by the Long Island Blues Society in 2004. He cites Eric Clapton, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt as key influences, and has toured nationally and internationally with the Allman Brothers Band, Marty Balin’s (of Jefferson Airplane/Starship fame) band, and Dickey Betts. Kearney has also performed with such notable artists as Sonny Landreth and Robert Randolph. However, he calls Jack Licitra “the most talented musician I have played with.”

Jack Licitra

Jack Licitra is a keyboards-based singer-songwriter who performs an eclectic mix of pop, blues, jazz, country, folk, gospel, and global roots music. Like Kearney, he started playing music at a very young age and founded the Waterstreet Blues Band while still a teenager. A recipient of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame’s Long Island Sound Award for his contributions to LI’s musical heritage, Licitra is known for his virtuosic, rhythmic, percussive piano playing, expressive vocals and heartfelt songs – some of which draw inspiration from the 1970s singer-songwriter sound while maintaining a contemporary sensibility. He has also performed with such notable artists as Levon Helm, Bakithi Kumalo and Jimmy Vivino. His latest CD, Blue Light Club, slated for release this spring, is based on an immersive live musical experience of the same name created by his band, Jack’s Waterfall.  Licitra is also the founder of South Bay Arts in Sayville and a music educator. 

 “At the core, most musicians play music because they have passion for performing, their search for community, for being with one another, and sharing the experience with the audience,” says Licitra. On March 18, be part of the audience and enjoy the musical stylings of two gifted Long Island-based artists — Jack Licitra and Kerry Kearney.