P.O. Box 92398
Rochester, NY 14692
www.goldenlink.org
Media contact (not for publication): Dave Townsend, (585) 467-8690
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2026
Golden Link presents Midwinter Music Madness:
Pepper & Sassafras with Tim Burns and John Dancks
Rochester, NY – Beat the winter blahs with an afternoon and evening filled with the smells of good cooking and the sounds of great music. Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, teams up with multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Wendy Sassafras Ramsay in the dynamic acoustic duo Pepper and Sassafras. For this concert, the duo will be joined by long-time collaborators Tim Burns and John Dancks. Pre-concert events on Saturday, February 21, 2026 include a hootenanny, guitar workshop, and potluck supper. Pre-concert events start at 4:00 pm and concert at 7:30 pm at the Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd., Rochester, NY.
Rodgers, also the founding editor of Acoustic Guitar magazine, delivers masterful band-in-a-box guitar work while Ramsay, harmonizer extraordinaire, adds flute, clarinet, guitar, accordion, and her quirky originals to the mix. Based in Syracuse, the duo was finalist for Best Duo at FreshGrass and has been featured on the public radio show Folk Alley. After winning Golden Link’s New Voices showcase, they performed at the Turtle Hill Folk Festival in 2018. Along with their own music, Rodgers and Ramsay play together in the acoustic Grateful Dead collective Dead to the Core.
Tim Burns (guitar, mandolin, vocals) is a Rochester native who got his start as a performer with the acoustic groove band The InBetweens, performing nearly 200 shows a year in the mid-’90s. Known for his powerful vocals and songwriting, Burns currently leads the Americana band Two Hour Delay, which has opened for such acts as Rusted Root, Donna the Buffalo, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage.
John (JD) Dancks (upright bass) has been a fixture on the Central New York acoustic music scene since his days at Syracuse University, when he played with banjo great Tony Trischka in the Down City Ramblers. Dancks has also played with renowned guitarist Russ Barenberg and in the national touring act Country Granola with singer Danny Weiss. A member of the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame, Dancks currently performs with The Cadleys and many other groups.
“Wendy is as sassy as sassafras. Jeffrey is the antithesis of hot pepper: gentle and thoughtful. Together they stir up great music – clever, funny, and thought provoking, with an easy rapport with the audience.” – Park Coffeehouse
“Well-written songs with agile guitar accompaniment and really sweet harmonies.” – The Folk Project (New Jersey)
4:00 pm: Pre-concert Events - Two to choose from!
Hootenanny – bring your instrument, voice, and a song to share (preferably chorus songs).
Beyond Strumming Workshop – Take your guitar playing to the next level learning chord embellishments, bass lines, muting, cross-picking, and more. There is a $15 charge for the workshop and you must register online in advance.
5:30-7:00 pm: Potluck Supper – Bring a dish to share. Please bring your own plates and silverware to be eco-friendly (although we will have paper plates and plasticware available). Singing continues through the dinner hour.
7:30 pm: Pepper & Sassafras in concert.
Note: There is no charge for the hootenanny or potluck supper, although donations will be accepted to cover our costs. You will need to purchase a ticket for the concert and workshop. The concert gate will open at 6:45 pm.
Online ticket sales end at midnight on February 20.
General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door)
Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door)
Students: $10
Children under 12: $5
Beyond Strumming Workshop: $15
See below for calendar listings for this and other upcoming concerts.
Photos of the performers are available at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1itUdQ1VH1dNEzcbkvGIhjdS6kc9BfsQK?usp=sharing
Phone or email interviews with the performer(s) can be arranged.
Founded in 1971, the Golden Link Folk Singing Society is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving folk music in the Rochester area. Golden Link is a volunteer-operated and member-supported 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts, cultural, and educational organization.
CALENDAR LISTINGS
Midwinter Music Madness
Saturday, February 21, 2026, 4:00 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
Before the Pepper and Sassafras concert, beat the winter blahs with an afternoon and evening filled with the smells of good cooking and the sounds of great music. Pre-concert events include a hootenanny, guitar workshop, and potluck supper. There is no charge for the hootenanny or potluck supper, although donations will be accepted to cover our costs. There is a $15 charge for the workshop and you must register online in advance. Tickets for the evening concert can be purchased either in advance or at the door.
Pepper and Sassafras
with Tim Burns and John Dancks
Saturday, February 21, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, teams up with multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Wendy Sassafras Ramsay in the dynamic acoustic duo Pepper and Sassafras. Rodgers, also the founding editor of Acoustic Guitar magazine, delivers masterful band-in-a-box guitar work while Ramsay, harmonizer extraordinaire, adds flute, clarinet, guitar, accordion, and her quirky originals to the mix. For this Golden Link concert, the duo will be joined by long-time collaborators Tim Burns (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and John Dancks (upright bass).
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Low Lily
Saturday, March 21, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
With the energy of fiddle music, the introspective quality of contemporary folk, the precision of bluegrass, and the drive of Americana, the Vermont-based trio Low Lily (Liz Simmons, Flynn Cohen, and Elsie Gawler) combine their individual talents into one stunning soundscape. Low Lily has shared their signature sound with enthusiastic audiences throughout North America and the UK, garnering two #1 songs on international folk radio and two Independent Music Awards.
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
The Clements Brothers
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
The Clements Brothers are George (guitar) and Charles (upright bass), identical twins from the heart of New England. The two have been playing and writing music together for as long as they can remember, first entering the Americana music scene in 2012 as part of the internationally touring grassroots group The Lonely Heartstring Band, with whom they put out two albums on Rounder Records. This marks their first original project together, focused on capturing their singer-songwriter sensibilities in a unique blend, with harmonies only achievable by their identical voices, at once enthralling and intimate, groovy and serene.
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Kray Van Kirk
Saturday, May 2, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories, and summon heroes. “We are driven by myth and the seasons of the heart,” he says. “The quest is to journey inside, find whatever it is that burns at the core of your soul, and bring it back into the light.” A charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer, Van Kirk has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and toured the U.S. and Canada.
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Garnet Rogers
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
Born in Hamilton, Ontario to parents of Nova Scotian descent, Garnet Rogers spent many hours listening to Grand Ol’ Opry radio broadcasts and harmonizing with his brother, the late folk legend Stan Rogers. At 18, he was on the road as a full-time working musician with brother Stan, forming one of the most influential duos in the history of North American folk music. Since then, Garnet has courageously established himself as a formidable solo artist, performing across North America, everywhere from small town folk clubs to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
Tickets: General Admission: $30 ($32 at the door), Golden Link Members: $25 ($27 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.