People look forward to the annual Heritage Festival in Kent for the tasty food and diverse variety of vendors, but the celebration is also a unique experience for Kent residents because of the many musicians who play live sets during the festivities.
John Jakes Mose is a local act who is no stranger to the Heritage Festival, and bass player Ron Ciarniello could not be happier to return to play on Saturday. The group is returning to the Heritage Festival for tat least the fifth time, according to Ciarniello.
“That’s just one of my favorite events,” Ciarniello said. “Kent has a long, long tradition of great musicians. Me, the bass player, and the singer, Emily, kind of met in Kent, so Kent is kind of like a magical town for us.”
Ciarniello and front woman Emily Parker met getting their master’s degrees in education from Kent State. Guitarist Don Miller also did his undergraduste work at the university.
The band prides itself on an original sound. Ciarniello said John Jakes Mose writes all of its music, and the four-piece band has been on the music scene since 2000.
“If I had to pick our genre I’d call it rock ’n’ roll, but what makes us unique is that we play blues, jazz, classical, country and kind of blend it all together and see what happens,“ Ciarniello said.
The festival has three stages, so most music fans can find something they enjoy.
“This is a great event, and I’m honored to play for it,” Ciarniello said.
John Jakes Mose will play on the Erie Street Stage on July 7 at 11 a.m. for this year’s Heritage Festival. Ciarnello said the group will play music appropriate for all ages since they have such an early set and expect a lot of young children and families outside that early.
For more information and sound bites from John Jakes Mose, check out johnjakesmose.com.
