Lisa Lynn Morgan comes to Idyllwild with her Country Gents for the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series on Thursday, July 20. Photo courtesy Lisa Lynn Morgan

A little bit country, a little bit rock ’n roll, and a whole lot of soul

Lisa Lynn Morgan wears many hats — some of them country, some rock ’n roll, some soul, some producer, some concert impresario and some community volunteer.

She brings her multi-discipline musical experience and versatile vocal chops to the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20. When she sings, Morgan can soulfully recall Janis Joplin and sweetly segue into Patsy Cline, each time making the song her own but also paying homage to the “timeless” originators.

Morgan covers the hits of others and tells her personal story through her own songs. She is joined in this first appearance for ISCS by Larry Gutierrez on lead guitar and vocals, James St. James on drums, Kerry Rose on bass, and Eric Frankson on keyboard and fiddle. Morgan also plays piano having recently reintroduced herself to the instrument. “What else are you going to do when you turn 50?” she laughed.

For Morgan, that list of “what else” is long. “You do what you do when the opportunities arise,” she said. “I respond when my heart’s engaged. I’m passionate about helping other artists. Five years ago I had to start over. Alcohol had pretty much destroyed my life. I do all I can to help others.”

For Morgan, that help list includes working with the desert’s homeless, assisting with a recovery home for women and being part of an emergency disaster team for the American Red Cross.

On the song sheet for Thursday’s concert will be music of some of the great female artists, those that Morgan honors as “timeless” — Joplin, Cline, Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Wynette and others. “We play our music with the full level of our hearts,” she said. “We aim to generate some good memories for our audience.” Songs on that list sure to jog memories include “Piece of My Heart [Joplin]”; “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Walking After Midnight [Cline]”; and “Stand by Your Man [Wynette].”

Opening for Morgan and her Gents at 6:15 p.m. are Roger Dutton and the Great Suspenders.

Each year, Dahleen and board open the series with insufficient money to fund it. They depend on community generosity for sponsorships and donations. To become a sponsor, contact Dahleen at 951-659-2229 or send donation checks to ISCS, P.O. Box 1542, Idyllwild, CA 92549.

Concert patrons are invited to bring chairs, beverages, blankets and flashlights for leaving the venue. As always, the Coopersmiths have ice cream and water available for sale on the site, with proceeds donated back to ISCS.