Jesse Terry in Concert, Carlene Thissen Opens
Jesse Terry, whatever magic potion the troubadours in Laurel Canyon were sipping on in 1971, Jesse Terry has managed to track it down and take a deep gulp. A New England-based Americana singer-songwriter, Jesse is an internationally touring, award-winning artist known for captivating audiences with heartfelt performances that need little more than his acoustic guitar to connect deeply. He spent five years writing songs professionally on Nashville’s Music Row before hitting the road full-time, and has since shared stages with acclaimed artists such as Dar Williams, Darrell Scott, Liz Longley, Tony Arata, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He’s also performed at renowned festivals including Bonnaroo, Philadelphia Folk Festival, 30A Songwriters Festival, and AmericanaFest.
His music has found its way onto TV screens, with placements including Netflix’s Virgin River and The CW’s Hart of Dixie. Jesse has garnered top honors in prestigious songwriting competitions such as The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, USA Songwriting Competition, NSAI Song Contest, and The International Songwriting Competition.
His latest album, Arcadia, is Jesse’s seventh original full-length album, showcasing his vivid storytelling and compelling melodies, offering a big, bold sound that begs to be enjoyed in the car, windows rolled down, chasing the next adventure. Jesse Terry is not to be missed; his performances promise an unforgettable blend of craftsmanship, passion, and authenticity.
“It is easy to compare Terry’s heritage and storytelling to that of Jackson Browne, James Taylor or Bruce Springsteen. A symphonic delight for the heart and soul.”
– Americana UK
Carlene Thissen, dedicates herself to performing, speaking, and songwriting, singing and playing piano and guitar at house concerts, clubs, restaurants, festivals, and charity events. She also regularly visits the Northeast, particularly Saugerties, New York, in the Hudson Valley.
Carlene began performing in the 1960s and ’70s as a young, guitar-playing folk singer, performing songs by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, and Melanie. She describes the three days she spent at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969 as the best three days of her life. Today, she presents a multimedia program about her Woodstock experience.
In 2024, Carlene donated the guitar she brought with her to Woodstock in 1969 to the Bethel Woods Woodstock Museum, where it is now part of a display just outside the entrance. The display includes a photograph of Carlene and the chorus lyrics to her song “Back There Again,” which includes the line, “the guitar she named Alice.”
As she explains in her autobiographical song “Back There Again,” the Woodstock hippie girl who once dreamed of a different life “…cut her hair and got a career, and lost herself for 30 odd years.”
Putting aside her childhood dream of becoming a doctor and working in underserved communities, Carlene became a successful businesswoman, well known for her speeches, articles, and books on marketing technology. She ended her corporate career as vice president of a large market research company in Chicago, founded her own international consulting company, and eventually moved to Naples, Florida.
Carlene says a series of God-driven events led her back to her true self through the agricultural community of Immokalee, Florida (pronounced to rhyme with “broccoli”). She volunteered as a music teacher for preschool children and sang in the choir at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Her love for the farm workers and the Immokalee community inspired two books, Immokalee’s Fields of Hope and Called From Silence: The Father Sanders Story.
Carlene has also written several songs inspired by her work and friendships in Immokalee, including “Take These Hands,” “Mama in Your Heart,” “When Papa Goes North,” “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” and “On the Road Home.”
She earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1982, and an M.A. in Latin American History from Florida International University in Miami in 2005.
Carlene is a member of Nashville’s Global Songwriter’s Connection, the Women of Substance Female Musician Academy, and the Americana Community Music Association.www.carlenethissen.com
Tickets for the show are available at the door. Door donations:
ACMA Members/$15
General Admission/$250
The Listening Room doors open at 6:30 pm and the concert begins at 7:00 pm