IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT
By KEVIN LYNCH Staff Writer Daily Record Published: August 6, 2016
Hymns & Happy Songs
While sitting in Jitters Coffee House Tuesday night, savoring the delightful sounds pianist Jason Fawks brings forth from his keyboard, my lovely Mrs. and I were treated to several pleasant surprises.
One of the surprises was a special Gershwin piece Jason had been working on. Since he knew I was planning to be in the audience and that my wife enjoys the sounds of Gershwin, he added a new song to his repertoire, just for us.
And, while he could play anything and make it sound good, he tackled the tough tune by Gershwin as well as many other fun-filled songs by John Denver, Vangelis, Frank Mills and more, to the delight of the intimate audience.
I was surprised to run into a co-worker from Wooster who was on the job, interviewing a local police officer who had been part of the added security at the recent Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
They were at Jitters because it is a nice spot to meet. I talked them into staying and listening to Jason play a bit. I believe the more people who are exposed to his fine performing, the better. They agreed.
We also were treated to visits from a pair of former students of Mrs. Lynch's from her days teaching in East Holmes. When you consider all the thousands of kids she taught over her 30-year career, it's not uncommon to run into former students just about anywhere we go.
The initial visitor was with the daughter of our first landlord from nearly 30 years ago, who was there with her husband and young son.
The toddler showed great interest the music, dancing around the area, keeping his young mother on her toes.
My wife was reminded of the days when she chased our kids around and around, wondering if they would ever wind down (they didn't).
The second former student was another Winesburg-area product, who grew up to be a country music singer.
Abe Yoder hadn't seen my wife since his graduation from Mount Hope almost 20 years ago, but was pleased as punch to sit and visit and talk about his travels and the influence Mrs. Lynch had on his life, helping him pursue a career in the arts.
Abe provided us with a CD of his music, which sounded a lot like Johnny Cash, with a little bit of John Schmid's influence as well.
What a wonderful night. Not only were we treated to an evening of toe-tapping piano favorites, we also got a taste of the talented voice of one of the county's fine young singers. We can't wait to hear his next CD.
JASON FAWKS AND FAMILY TO PERFORM ST. PATRICK'S DAY
By Kevin Lynch Staff Writer Daily Record Published March 9, 2017
MILLERSBURG -- Holmes County District Public Library is again sponsoring the versatile sounds of musician Jason Fawks on St. Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17, as he celebrates Erin go Brah, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Jitters Coffee House.
The multi-talented musician will bring his assortment of instruments to perform an assortment of Irish music.
"This year it is exciting because it is on St. Patrick's Day," Fawks said. "The show will be similar in scope to that of last year. I'll probably be doing more harp music, but I'll also have a penny whistle, my accordion, my dulcimer and a harmonica, and piano.
"We'll also be performing as a family," he continued. His daughters, Joy and Faith, will sing, along with his wife. Jason is a regular performer on weekends at the Amish Door Restaurant in Wilmot, playing piano from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturdays to the delight of the diners there. Fawks plays at various venues, as well as offering private lessons.
He has recently performed at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron and Orrvilla Retirement Center.
"It is like a vision that God has enabled us to perform like this as a family," Fawks said. "It's very fulfilling to be able to use the gifts God's given us to bless others with music. It's our element." "We did three concerts at Jitters last year," Fawks said. "This is the only one sponsored by the library." Christina Thurairatnam, head of reference and adult services at Holmes County District Public Library, said Jitters is a better place to host a concert than the library. "People can come and grab supper, a cup of coffee and sit comfortably and enjoy the music," Thurairatnam said. Thurairatnam hopes to have more programs like this in the future. "As long as they continue to be successful, we'll sponsor these types of shows," she said. "People really seem to enjoy them." Thurairatnam said there are no tickets or preregistration required this year. It's first come, first served as far as seating goes at Jitters.
"People can just stop in and enjoy the show without worrying about running around to get a ticket," she added. Fawks offers lessons in piano, guitar and harp. For more information, check out his website at jasonfawks.com. He also has a Facebook page.
Reporter Kevin Lynch can be reached at 330-674-5676 or klynch@the-daily-record.com.
JASON FAWKS TO PERFORM AT ORRVILLA
John Lorson Daily Record
Join your friends at OrrVilla Retirement Community on Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 p.m. for a performance by Jason Fawks of Wilmont. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Fawks’ performances, primary on piano and harp, may also include interludes of classical guitar, ukulele, Irish Whistle, recorder, button accordion, lap dulcimer, autoharp and harmonica. A regular at the Amish Door restaurant on Saturday evenings, Fawks has also played at Stan Hewett Hall during their “Deck the Halls” seasonal event. His style ranges through many genres including hymns and gospel, Celtic, classical, light jazz (Charlie Brown) and the old standards. Fawks’ solo CD entitled “Hymns on a Steinway” will be available for purchase the evening of the event.