Concert series returning to Fort Mose with Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight, others

A concert series at Fort Mose State Park near St. Augustine returns in February with two weekends of shows featuring some blockbuster performers.

Mavis Staples, Christian McBride, Valerie June, Gladys Knight, Rhiannon Giddens and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram are scheduled to play in the Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series, which celebrates Fort Mose's role as the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. The shows, which will be outdoors, are scheduled for Feb. 10-19, and the shows go on, rain or shine. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster or the St. Augustine Amphitheatre box office.

Staples and Knight are both members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although neither was known as a rock singer. Staples was inducted as part of the Staple Singers, a gospel and pop act known for its civic activism. She is scheduled to open the series on Friday, Feb. 10. Knight was inducted as part of Gladys Knight and the Pips, a smooth R&B group. She plays Friday, Feb. 17.

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Others in the series are jazz bassist, educator and radio host McBride, who plays with his band, the New Jawn, on Sunday, Feb. 11; up-and-coming singer June on Thursday, Feb. 16; Giddens, co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and a six-time Grammy nominee on her own, plays Saturday, Feb. 18; and blues guitarist Ingram, who closes the series on Sunday, Feb. 19.

The series debuted last year with performances by Trombone Shorty, Gregory Porter and the Count Basie Orchestra.

Here are the details:

• Mavis Staples, 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Fort Mose Historic State Park. $42-$92.

• Christian McBride's New Jawn, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at Fort Mose Historic State Park. $42-$92.

• Valerie June, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at Fort Mose Historic State Park. $42-$92.

• Gladys Knight, 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at Fort Mose Historic State Park. $52-$132.

• Rhiannon Giddens, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Fort Mose Historic State Park. $42-$92.

• Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, at Fort Mose Historic State Park. $42-$92.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples to play at Fort Mose concert series