DAMASCUS, PA – Farm Arts Collective, based on Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus  announces the 2025 inaugural Jazz on the Farm to be held on Sunday, August 31 in the new Agri-Cultural Center located on the collective’s 25 acre organic vegetable and flower farm. Doors open at 6:30pm, show time is 7pm.

Jazz on the Farm is an addition to the company’s already eclectic programming that centers around community engagement in farming, art, food and ecology.

The musical addition, Jazz on the Farm features world class jazz artists, some who are local (Will Sellenraad lives in Callicoon and NYC, and Tyler Dempsey is a Northeast Pennsylvania artist and educator).  The musical offering is a chance for Catskills and NEPA community to see exceptional musical talents in a beautiful farm setting.

As per Farm Arts Collective’s mission to nourish mind, body, and heart, the collective is pleased to offer a light farm fresh meal to be served along with refreshments from Upward Brewery in Livingston Manor.  Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.farmartscollective.org/.

Bios Artists

Will Sellenraad – is a NYC  based jazz guitarist and composer recognized for his soulful lyricism, refined rhythmic feel, and improvisational sophistication. A fixture of NYC’s vibrant jazz community, he has performed at iconic venues including The Blue Note, Birdland, Smalls, and The 55 Bar. Drawing from jazz, soul, rock, and funk, Sellenraad crafts a deeply personal sound that merges tradition with innovation. His music has been praised for its melodic warmth, ensemble chemistry, and evocative emotional depth. Sellenraad graduated from the New School University Jazz Program in 1995, where he studied under many jazz giants.

Ben Street – is an American jazz double bassist. Based in NYC, Street studied music at the The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston with Miroslav Vitous and Dave Holland. having performed and recorded with many renowned artists, Ben’s selected discography includes work with Kurt Rosenwinkel – The Next Step, The Enemies of Energy and Heartcore (Verve); Danilo Perez – Til Then (Verve), Live at the Jazz Showcase(Artist Share); David Sanchez – Coral (Sony Music) Ed Simon – La Bikina (Mythology); Anthony Coleman – Morenica (Tzadic), Shawn Colvin - Holiday Songs and Lullabies (Columbia); Cyndi Lauper – At Last (Epic); Ethan Iverson, Jorge Rossy, Chris Cheek – Guilty (Fresh Sound); Barney Mcall – Widening Circles (MJC); Ben Monder Trio – Dust (Arabesque); Space Cowboys – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Warner Bros.)

Kevin Hays – Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, composer, and songwriter Kevin Hays’s has received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Downbeat Magazine and Jazz Times, as well as the “Coup de Coeur” award from the Académie Charles Cros (France) .Kevin has appeared on numerous albums as a guest artist, recording with Chris Potter, Bill Stewart, Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Nicholas Payton, and Al Foster, among many others. Notable collaborations include a piano duo project with Brad Mehldau (Modern Music – Nonesuch), world tours with James Taylor, Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Joe Henderson, and Roy Haynes.  In 2015 he released the widely lauded recording New Day (Sunnyside), on which he performed his own songs along with a riveting performance of the Jimmy Webb classic ‘Highwayman’. Hays co-wrote several compositions on Steve Gadd Band’s eponymous album which garnered the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

Tyler Dempsey  –  is a professional drummer & educator from Clarks Summit, PA. He has performed, toured, and/or recorded with many of the region’s finest musicians including NEA Jazz Masters Dave Liebman and Bob Dorough, Grammy award-winning pianist Kevin Hays, Ben Street, Hal Galper, Phil Markowitz, Gene Perla, Ryan Keberle, Don Braden, Chase Baird, Joe Magnarelli, Joe Locke, etc. As an educator, he holds the position of Director of Percussion at East Stroudsburg University and “Director of Percussion Instruction” at Keystone College.