Previews; More Previews

In the calendar-packing way that concerts stack up here between the move inside from outdoor venues and the Thanksgiving hiatus, we too often have to choose among too many cool shows.

He-plays-everything Americana singer Dom Flemons has become a capable solo performer since the Carolina Chocolate Drops (he was a co-founder) went sporadic after Rhiannon Giddens launched her numerous solo projects. Flemons plays Thursday at Caffe Lena where the Dave Maswick/Joel Brown duets on Friday and Tom Chapin sings songs of principle Sunday.

Dom Flemons. Photo provided

Flemons plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, fife, bones, and quills. If he did that all at once, he’d be the Suitcase Junket, who plays Oct. 17 at the Iron Horse whose schedule is jammed with cool performers, but we digress. A Grammy nomination honored Flemons’s latest album “Travelin’ Wildfire.” 7 p.m. $32.53 general, $29.28 members, $16.28 students and children. 518-583-0022 www.caffelena.org

The “bob.” crew; Vinnie Amico at left

Same night, not far across town, a crew of area stars presents “bob. An Interpretation of Dylan” at Putnam Place. It’s guitarist Al Schnier and drummer Vinnie Amico of moe., with singer/multi-instrumentalist Charley Orlando, keyboardist Joe Bellanti and bassist Zach Fleitz. 8 p.m. $20 advance, $25 door. 518-886-9585 http://www.putnamplace.com

The Caffe has been busy: singer-songwriter Josh Ritter sold out two shows last weekend.

Dave Maswick (ex-Chevrolet Blotto, forever with the Stony Creek Band, member of the Eddies Hall of Fame ) and Joel Brown (Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Triple Play with the Brubeck Brothers and Eddies Award Winner for Song of the Year) sing and play guitar together about as closely as two humans can. Friday at Caffe Lena – 8 p.m. $28.20 general, $24.94 members, $14.10 children and students.

Troubadour Tom Chapin returns to the Caffe Sunday, performing tunes shaped by ideals and confidence honed over 27 albums – three won Grammys – and decades of live shows with friends and family. COVID didn’t silence him: He and daughters – they sing as the Chapin Sisters – streamed 200 live shows as “Mornings With Papa Tom.” 8 p.m. $48.80 general, $45.55 general, $24.40 students and children.

In between, the Caffe co-presents “Caffe Lena @ SPAC” with (and at) Saratoga Performing Arts Center, latest chapter in the cooperation the Caffe and SPAC have built by programming together since 2017. This edition features soul-blues singer Vanessa Collier who headlines the noon to 5:30 p.m. free festival.

Gates open at 11:30 a.m., admitting fans for free to the Charles R. Wood Stage, formerly the Gazebo, on the SPAC lawn. Fans can bring in chairs, blankets, food and drinks, though refreshments will be available for purchase.

The music starts at noon with the New Orleans band Bad Penny Pleasuremakers, expanded from Matt Bell and Joy Patterson’s their original duo. Area reeds player Jonathan Greene plays with them – good choice for the band’s blend of traditional and updated Crescent City swing.

At 1 p.m., the bluegrass picking and singing Colorado-based Cody Sisters follow at 1:10 p.m. They also craft fresh original music from traditional materials.

Next up, the Italian crew Alla Board displays the same ambitious historical-to-contemporary reach, starting at 2:20 p.m. Drummer Anthony Taddeo and singer Amanda Powell lead this imported band.

Since taking runner-up honors on Season 13 of The Voice, indie Americana singer-songwriter Addison Agen has opened for stars including Brandy Clark, Bob Seger and the late, great Gordon Lightfoot and moved to Nashville. Agen sings at 3:30 p.m.

Collier closes, starting at 4:40. She earned this top spot with a terrific Caffe Lena show in February, like this, as reported here: 

Vanessa Collier (playing sax) at Caffe Lena in February, with band: Mighty Mike Schermer at left

Vanessa Collier unpacked the whole kit Thursday at Caffe Lena: alto and tenor saxophones, guitar and dobro. Non-hardware items completed a most impressive package: soul-deep command of fire and funk in her soaring or simmering voice, from-the-heart songwriting skills, a discerning ear for cover tunes, and a compact band. Scorching at hot tempos, slow-cooking in R&B ballads and highly interactive, the quartet co-starred guitarist Mighty Mike Schermer, seen on the same stage previously with Maria Muldaur and Marcia Ball. Turning up the heat, spicing with soul sauce, they barbecued the place.

Nicole Zuraitis. Photo provided

Meanwhile… Nicole Zuraitis sings Friday at A Place for Jazz with her quartet: guitarist Idan Morris, bassist Sam Weber and drummer (and husband) Dan Pugach. Her album “How Love Begins” (one of ten) won the 2024 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album; the only artist to write and arrange an entire album as well as to sing it. Other honors include the American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal, 40 under 40 for 2020 in Connecticut Magazine; Forbes featured her weekly Covid-era live stream “Virtual Piano Lounge,” and her “Live at Vic’s Las Vegas” album was featured on NPR Toast of the Nation 2026 in an hour-long special. 7 p.m. $25 general admission; see www.aplaceforjazz.org for tickets, including discounted tickets through membership.

Also Friday. The Egg (Albany’s Empire State Plaza) and Jazz is Dead present Cortex with special guests Adrian Younge and J.Rocc. Jazz is Dead brought the French psychedelic/jazz crew Cortex to the US and Canada in 2024 and added guest stars for this return swing. 8 p.m. $77.04, $65.51, $47.63. 518-473-1845 www.theegg.org

Also at The Egg, the Yonder Mountain String Band plays next Wednesday – minus sometime frontman Steve Martin. Their 12th album by this smooth-riffing acoustic quintet hit this spring. 7 p..m. $70.70, $59.16, $47.63, $25

Ringo. Photo provided

That same night (Wednesday, October. 7), Ringo and his All Starr Band plays Albany’s Palace Theatre. “All Starr” is no exaggeration: It’s stacked with veteran rockers from Toto, Men at Work, Aerosmith, Average White Band and David Lee Roth’s band. Ringo’s 22nd album “The Long Long Road” hit recently, produced and co-written  by T-Bone Burnett and featuring guest spots by Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings, Sarah Jarosz and other stars. 7:30 p.m. $229.50, $159.50, $129.50, $99.50. 518-465-4663 ww.palacealbany.org

Oteil Burbridge. Photo provided

Another all star crew plays the night before: Oteil Burbridge performs with LaMP featuring Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger & Ray Paczkowski at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs in a benefit for the Make Wish Foundation. Bassist Burbridge boasts a bulging resume: the Aquarium Rescue Unit, the Allman Brothers, Dead & Co. and led a handful of bands of his own. LaMP stars members of the Trey Anastasio Band. 7 p.m. $89.13, $66.13. 518-346-6204 http://www.proctors. org

That same night: Five for Fighting plays Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The nom de rock of ballad specialist John Ondrasik, Five for Fighting will play with a string quartet and with opener Lace and Lee. 

In addition to top-selling albums, FoF/Ondrasik supports efforts to aid veterans through the Gary Sinise Foundation and those with ALS through Augie’s Quest. 7:30 p.m. $45.50. 518-273-0038 www.troymusichall.org