Martin Sexton at Prescott Park

The Prescott Park Arts Festival’s summer concert series kicked off with an enormous crowd for Ani DiFranco on June 20 and continued with Shawn Colvin a week later. The festival is only heating up as summer progresses, as the Portsmouth park recently announced Martin Sexton will join the lineup in August. Sexton will perform on the outdoor stage on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.

The soulful, self-made musician from Syracuse launched his career playing on the streets of Harvard Square in the 1980s, then earned a cult following with a collection of demo recordings he sold out of his guitar case in the early ’90s. He released three more albums before starting is own label, KTR, in 2002. His popularity grew over the next several years, reaching a new peak with the 2007 release of “Seeds.” His most recent album is “Sugarcoating,” released in 2010. 

Sexton is no stranger to the area. He played a late-December show at Jonathan’s Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, and performed at The Music Hall in Portsmouth in 2008. His appearance at Prescott Park adds to a lineup that also includes Peter Yarrow, Lucinda Williams, Suzanne Vega, The Cowboy Junkies and others.

All shows at Prescott Park are free, but there is a suggested donation of $8 to $10. For more information, visit www.prescottpark.org.

The jazzy Seacoast

The coming weeks will bring lots of hot local jazz to outdoor stages on the Seacoast, beginning just after the Fourth of July.

The second installment of the Loading Dock Concert Series, presented by 3S Artspace and The Wire, will feature Jose Duque and ftet on Friday, July 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. The bands will perform from the loading dock at 3S on Vaughan Street near downtown Portsmouth, following an open house tour of the building.

A couple of days later, the Prescott Park Arts Festival will present the 17th annual Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival on Sunday, July 8. Concerts take place from noon to 6 p.m. in the waterside park in Portsmouth, featuring performances by The Publick House Nonet, the Wolverine Jazz Band, the Chris Humphrey Jazz Sextet and the Seacoast Big Band. There is a $5 to $10 suggested donation.

Also at Prescott Park, from July 13 to 27, local musicians will take the stage prior to Friday night performances of “Willy Wonka.” The Community Showcases begin at 5 p.m., featuring students from the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center.

Music by the sea

The Seacoast Science Center’s Music-by-the-Sea concert series is returning in July with outdoor Thursday night shows by the ocean in Rye.

The series begins on July 5 with a performance from Seacoast calypso-reggae band Islandside. It continues with shows from Entrain on July 12, Soulmate on July 19, and Jumbo Circus Peanuts on July 26.

Topping off the season is the eighth annual Seacoast Concert for a Cure on Thursday, Aug. 2, featuring well-known local acts Truffle and Bliss. The concert raises money for local cancer support groups.

Gates to all shows open at 5 p.m., with the music starting at 6 p.m. Guests are invited to bring beach blankets, lawn chairs and picnic food, or purchase meals, snacks and beverages at the concert.

Tickets are $8 for adults or $2 for children (free for children under 3), with proceeds supporting the Science Center’s environmental education efforts. The center is at Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Blvd., in Rye. For more information, visit www.seacoastsciencecenter.org.