Rock band Open Timbre proves that you are never too old or young to rock.

Jim Ayers, the mandolin player and one of the cofounders of the group, said he is 55.

The youngest member of the group, banjo player Al Cook, is a senior in high school.

But age -- the lack of or abundance of it -- does not bother anyone in the group.
"I realize the age difference doesn't have that much bearing," Ayers said.

The current lineup of Open Timbre, a classic rock/gospel/folk group from Alexandria, consists of four members.

The group will play at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow for the Friday Evenings at the Lemont Village Green weekly concert series.

Other than Ayers and Cook, husband and wife Chris and Kim Connelly play guitar and upright bass, respectively.

Like the Blues Brothers, the group has a holy beginning.

"Chris had been providing special music for his church for a long time," Ayers said.

When the Cooks' church merged with Ayers', Kim Connelly and Ayers' wife suggested their husbands collaborate to perform music for church.

At first, Ayers said he was reluctant.

"I had played music, but only at home," he said.

Shortly after their wives' suggestion, the two collaborated and began playing music together regularly. Kim Connelly then joined.

The original fourth member of the group was Cook's brother, Jay.

Ayers said the Cooks' grandmother, who attended his church, told Ayers and Chris Connelly about her grandson who played music.

She wanted the group to give him a chance, Ayers said.

To appease the grandmother, Ayers and Chris Connelly allowed the boy to jam with them.

"He came [to play with us], and he was just phenomenal right off that bat," Ayers said.

"He just blew us right out of the water," Ayers added.

Jay Cook's talent led Ayers to move from lead guitar to mandolin, but when he left the group to attend Drexel University, Al Cook joined the group on the banjo.

Susan Smith, chairperson of the board of the Lemont Village Association, said the group has played the concert series before.

"I think people really liked them," Smith said.

Although tomorrow's show will coincide with the 41st Annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Smith said she's not too concerned about the show's turnout.

"I think people will come because people know them," she said.

The show is rain or shine and is free to the public.