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Every Sunday
SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH AND BLUES JAM SESSION
Hosted by the PHILLY BLUES KINGS, featuring an open mic (12 to 1:30) for blues players followed by the Philly Blues Kings (1:30 to 3).
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$4 at the Door, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
No reservations needed. Grab your favorite axe, a bottle of wine and some friends and head on over. Mouth watering brunch, coffee and espressos will be served all day. What a great way to begin the new week with a happy stomach and an ear full of some of the best blues in the east.
http://www.phillyblueskings.com
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Saturday, April 21, 2018
BOBBY KYLE AND THE ADMINISTERS
“Superb blues music: gritty, authentic and played with
utmost professionalism and talent. Also a great bunch of guys. See them when you have the chance”
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Concert - $18 online advance / $20 door
In today's music scene there are hundreds of talented guitarists vying for the brass ring, and there are many, many great players out there. But there are very few with the heart and soul of Bobby Kyle. Blunt and to the point, Bobby's singular styling resonates with maturity, talent and inspiration, bringing us a genesis of contemporary music that is characteristically all his own.
Kyle, who now leads his own high-energy quartet at clubs and festivals around the Northeast, spent eight years touring the world with the late guitarist, songwriter and singer Johnny 'Clyde' Copeland. Copeland was one of contemporary blues' more gifted songwriters, breaking new lyrical and thematic ground with each new album he recorded through the 1980s and '90s.
Bobby was backing up Bill Dicey by the late seventies, and the pair later became a duo. In the early eighties, Bobby joined the house band at the Stuffed Pepper, a Tampa Bay blues mecca. There he worked with such luminaries as James Peterson, Johnny Shines, Raful Neal, Mary McClain Smith, and Tabby Thomas.
In 1984 Handy Award Nominee Eddie Kirkland invited Bobby to join his band. After six years with Eddie, Bobby joined the band of Grammy Award winner and 2017 Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Johnny 'Clyde' Copeland. Bobby performed with this legendary Texas bluesman on major-label recordings, and in concerts, festivals, and clubs worldwide until Johnny's death in 1997.
Between touring dates with Eddie Kirkland and Johnny Copeland, Bobby took his solo act on the road, performing his own material at nightclubs and festivals throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Bobby's emotional, soulful voice rings true, and is forged with a raw, distinctive quality all his own. Honest and forthright, Bobby's original songs tell the story of the every person, with a passion born of life, love, and loss.
Recently, Bobby has had the great honor of being inducted into The Blues Hall of Fame. He now tours with The Administers, who are comprised of Everett Boyd on bass and Marc Copell on drums.
http://www.bobbykyle.com
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Friday, April 27, 2018
DEB CALLAHAN BAND
"Callahan’s voice has the spiked fervor of contemporary Susan Tedeschi, but it’s richer and smoother. Stylistically she’s picked up a lot from one of her earlier influences, Nina Simone – Simone’s squirming rhythms and hypnotic vocals reverberate in Callahan’s music.” “Deb Callahan is a shouter, a crooner, a soul-belter and above all a gifted lyrical interpreter. She could sing the phone book and make it sound good.”
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Concert - $16 online advance / $18 door
Philadelphia’s blues and soul drenched vocalist and songwriter Deb Callahan grew up in the Boston area but has been a mainstay on the mid-Atlantic music scene since the late 90’s. During this time she has gained a reputation for writing creative blues, soul and roots influenced original music and using her powerful, expressive voice to deliver an exciting live show. Her 2002 debut CD “If the Blues Had Wings” was featured as the hot debut in the October/November 2004 issue of Blues Revue Magazine. Blues Revue referred to her as the next Bonnie Raitt and raved “Philly’s Deb Callahan has the pipes, the songs and the raw talent to graduate to the next level”.
Deb released her 5th CD “Sweet Soul” Sept 1, 2015 on Blue Pearl Records. The CD, produced by renowned producer and drummer Tony Braunagel, was recorded at Ultratone Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Deb and guitar player Allen James traveled to Los Angeles in February 2015 to record the tracks with an all star studio line-up including Johnny Lee Schell, engineering and slide guitar, Mike Finnigan on keyboards, Reggie McBride on bass, Braunagel on drums and James on guitar. This group of LA musicians have recorded and toured with performers such as Etta James, Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal so it was a truly wonderful experience to play with and learn from each one.
It’s been almost 5 years since Deb’s last CD, “Tell It Like It Is” was released. Shortly after this release, Deb became a mom to her now 4 year old son Elijah. The experience of being a new mom has had a direct impact on her writing and focus in her life. The songs from “Sweet Soul” were written during an overall sweet and rich phase of life. Deb worked with James and Chris Arms (who produced Deb’s last 3 CD’s) to write the original material and with producer Braunagel to find some gems written by others that fit the vibe as well. The mood of this blues, soul, roots CD is upbeat, rockin, funky and fun and explores the theme of love and family with an honest and at times humorous view into both its joys and challenges. This includes the experience of loving a child or partner, the connection and sweetness you feel when you slow down and just be present with ones you love, the pain and difficulty of letting go of a family member, the ups and downs of living with someone, the inner tension about balancing family and career, the energy it takes to keep things running to do a lot of different things in life.
“Sweet Soul” has been receiving some wonderful national and international airplay on blues and triple A radio stations as well as great press and reviews. A few accomplishments include charting at #24 in the Living Blues Magazine Chart in Sept 2015, been in the top 50 National chart from Sept 14, 2015 till the present (March 6, 2016) for Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Blues Album Chart, been in the top 5 chart position from Sept 14, 2015 till the present (March 6, 2016) for the Roots Music Report Top Blues for the state of PA, has been featured in Big City Blues Magazine – Oct 2015 issue on “Soul Diva’s” with Bettye Lavette and many others, top 10 for 2015 list for reviewer Mark Gallo in Blues Bytes, nominated for Best Soul – R & B Album 2015 in Blues 411 2015 “Jimi Award Nominee”.
http://www.debcallahanband.com
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Saturday, April 28, 2018
BOVINE SOCIAL CLUB
“Bovine Social Club is Pure Americana. Led by Samuel Saint Thomas and his moonshine-weathered vocals, this homespun band of brothers sings of picnics and jamborees while wearing their Raybans proudly! They are country cool!”
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Concert - $20 online advance / $25 door
Bred on the northern banks of the Delaware River, Bovine Social Club is a grassy, twangy, swinging breed of Americana sounds sure to get your dancing cow on. One wicked lineup of seasoned jam musicians backs the thoughful lyrics of vocalist, philosopher, memoirist and former monk, Samuel Saint Thomas. The Bovines' carefully crafted twangrass songs of longing, loving, picnicking, gardening, confessing, and making the days go really slow have sure become something to moo about.
The Bovine sound is happily fertilized by country, bluegrass, folk, rock, old time, Celtic and gospel vocabularies, their self titled debut charted at #7 on the Roots Charts and #37 on the International Americana charts. BSC is one of the fastest growing and most highly respected new Americana bands in the Northeast, sharing some of the finest festival and concert stages with some of the finest talent. Bovine Social Club continues to grow their musical family while each new performance becomes another great experience for their avid fans.
http://www.bovinesocialclub.com
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Friday, May 4, 2018
KING TAYLOR PROJECT
“...covers a lot of stylistic ground, from soul to funk, blues, and jazz rock. “We’re heavy on the improvisation and have a blast playing off of each other,” says King. “Every member is a songwriter, and we all have a big part in writing new music for the band.”
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JULIA OTHMER
"Perhaps the best way to explain [Julia] would be if Norah Jones, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday, and Lyle Lovett had a musical orgy and let you watch behind a curtain of burning lace and a whiskey waterfall. I'll bring the unfiltered cigarettes, you bring your soul."
- Out of Print Magazine
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Concert - $17 online advance / $19 door
Sandi King and Joshua Taylor formed soul-blues band King Taylor Project in 2016 in San Diego, California. Sandi and Josh are joined by core members David Ryan “davyrockett” Norgren, Josh Weinstein, Jay Chu, and Eric Strickler, and supported by an extended family of incredible collaborators. KTP performs frequently around Southern California in multiple formats ranging from an electric trio to their full lineup. They tour and record independently, provide studio and live backing support for other artists, and host and produce The About!... Podcast, a comedic arts/entertainment show primarily featuring guests from the music industry.
Joshua Taylor grew up in Oklahoma City and first picked up the guitar at the age of 13. Thereafter self-taught, Josh spent several years of his early adulthood studying music in his spare time, poring over textbooks and publicly available college lectures, studying his favorite records, consulting remotely with professors, and scrutinizing performance videos of his favorite players. By day he meandered half-heartedly through several years in the Navy, flirtation with academia, and training as a marriage and family therapist.
After a few years as a part-time singer-songwriter, Josh got his first batch of tunes together and self-released his debut solo album, About Time, in 2015. The record invited collaborations that would later become the seed for King Taylor Project—Sandi King and KTP keyboardist Josh Weinstein both performed on the album.
Energetic, colorful, powerhouse vocalist Sandi King has been performing since she was ten years old. The daughter of a jazz trumpeter, Sandi grew up in San Diego singing in front of big bands and in school choirs and musicals. Though her adult life initially took her to cafés and service industry jobs, through culinary school and into the kitchen, Sandi nurtured her passion for singing by night, haunting karaoke joints in San Francisco and playing a major supporting role in a three-year run of indie rock opera, Abigail.
Sandi took a leap into full-time music in 2011 with her first project, Americana duo 22 Kings. She quickly learned the responsibilities of self-management and became a capable booker through extensive independent regional and national touring and local engagements. Her first project released two albums that included studio contributions from Ed Kornhauser, Peter Bolland, Ross Harper, Jodie Hill, Jesse Bowen, Sven-Erik Seaholm, and Delta Rae producer Alex Wong. The albums also featured Sandi’s first collaborations with her fiancé and KTP co-founder Joshua Taylor and KTP bassist davyrockett.
http://www.kingtaylorproject.com
Julia Othmer is a "captivating" piano-playing singer/songwriter known for her energetic live performances. Tracks from her critically acclaimed debut album, Oasis Motel, have been featured on such shows as Witches of East End, Switched at Birth, The Lying Game, Army Wives, Party of Five, and DeGrassi: The Next Generation and earned her songwriting awards from the Billboard World Song Contest and the International Songwriting Competition. Julia performed on the 2010 Lilith Fair tour (alongside such greats as Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Heart, and Ingrid Michaelson). She has shared the stage with Regina Spektor, Amos Lee, and John Waite among others.
www.juliaothmer.com
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Saturday, May 5, 2018
DUSTIN DOUGLAS AND THE ELECTRIC GENTLEMEN
“Blues rock is often played badly but like any genre, there are those that can rise above the mediocrity and demonstrate a real flair. This album will give you only a glimpse of how strong this trio’s riveting live show is."
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Jim Hynes- Senior Writer - Elmore Magazine
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Concert - $16 online advance / $18 door
Capturing the vibe of late 60’s and 70's blues-laced rock-n- roll, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania’s premier power blues-rock trio, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen mix retro-style and groove a-la (Jimi Hendrix Experience, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes) for a lightning charged, vintage style all their own.
Led by the transcendent lead guitarist/singer/songwriter Dustin Douglas(Lemongelli, The Badlees), The Electric Gentlemen (Tommy Smallcomb-Drums & Matt "The Dane" Gabriel-Bass) leave even the most discerning music fans with little left to ask for at the end of any live show!
Since the time he learned to walk Dustin Douglas has had a guitar in his hands and a song in is his soul. Performing his first show at the age of 13, Dustin has never stopped, first gaining popularity with his original power trio, Lemongelli. Lemongelli released three independent records and shared the stage with Heart, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard and Eddie Money to name a few.
Becoming one of the most sought after live and session guitarists in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Dustin joined the legendary Pennsylvania rock band, The Badlees in which he recorded "Epiphones and Empty Rooms" and supported Bob Seger on his 2013 arena tour.
Summer 2017 found the release of BLUES 1, a collection of classic blues covers including cuts by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Albert King and Freddie King, as well as a new original song. With BLUES 1 Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen have cemented themselves in the blues world.
With a full length album already in the works and set for release in 2018, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen are taking the industry by storm.
http://www.dustindouglasmusic.com/
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Friday, May 11, 2018
AMERANOUCHE
“Gypsy Flamenco Swing is about coming together and celebrating our shared humanity. Ameranouche is committed to connecting deeply with its audience and sharing joy and peace through its live shows and recorded albums.”
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Concert - $15 online advance / $17 door
The award winning Ameranouche (pronounced uh-Mare-uh-noosh) plays a passionate style of music they call “Gypsy Flamenco Swing.” They are veterans of the Newport Jazz Festival, Djangofest Northwest, Muzikfest Bethlehem, PA and the National Press Club. The name is derived from two words: American and Manouche, the gypsy tribe of guitarist Django Reinhardt. The rip-roaring ensemble is a super force of hot acoustic Gypsy inspired music mixing Flamenco, Bebop and Jazz swing influences. Played on traditional French jazz guitars, the music is rhythmic, vigorous, and elegant. Whether they’re playing a musette waltz from 1930 or an Andalusian inspired original tune, Ameranouche’s Gypsy Flamenco Swing style is a fresh and highly enjoyable new sound for the 21st century.
Richard “Shepp” Sheppard, Guitar, comes from southern New Jersey. He attended the Berklee School of Music, studied guitar and composition with Pat Martino in Philadelphia, studied composition and aesthetics with Dr. Frank Haas in Vineland, NJ and studied guitar with Attilla Zoller in Southern Vermont. He has taught guitar, composition, and music theory as a faculty member of Bennington College (Bennington, Vermont) and Pittsfield Community Music School (Pittsfield, Massachusetts). He has performed and done shows with many different artists. Among these are John Jorgenson, Ritary Ensemble, Rick Danko, Taj Mahal, Hot Tuna, and Vassar Clements, to name just a few.
A versatile bassist, Michael K. Harrist finds work in various musical traditions. He has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe with various artists including new music ensemble Capillary Action and Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma of Crete. Mike is a respected member of the Boston music community and plays regionally with Orkestra Marhaba and jazz great Joe Hunt, among others. He composes and writes songs for the Çeşni Trio, Harrist Family Band and Sol & Kiel. Mike draws heavily from his background in Jazz improvisation and his studies of Hindustani music, Ottoman Art Music and the Western Classical tradition.
Julian Loida is a percussionist, multimedia artist, and curator exploring repertoire spanning Western Classical Music, to Cuban Bata drumming, to Jazz and R&B. Julian grew up in St. Louis with his rock band Project 324 along with the St. Louis Youth Orchestra. Since then he has gone on to perform with Alarm Will Sound, the Callithumpian Consort, and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. He has attended some of the country’s most prestigious music festivals such as Spoleto Music Festival USA, the National Orchestral Institute, the Chautauqua Music Festival, and Round Top Music Festival.
https://ameranouche.com/
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Saturday, May 12, 2018
RUPERT WATES & FRIENDS
“Sparkling acoustic fingerpicking and warm expressive vocals...With perfectly balanced stories, Rupert Wates can effortlessly hold the attention...A folk pearl that...transcends the genre.”
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Concert - $17 online advance / $20 door
RUPERT WATES was born in London and has been based in the US since 2007. He is the winner of well over 30 songwriting and performing awards. His songs have been covered plentifully by other artists, and no less than two full length tribute albums to his material have been recorded by independent artists in Nashville and Los Angeles (details on COVERS page at website). He has released 9 solo Cds. He averages 120 live shows every year, in every state in the US, in Canada and in Europe. Audiences everywhere respond to his brand of melodic art/folk: songs that ring true. ‘Sublime folk hymns’ (Colorado Central Magazine) ‘This is one gifted s.o.b.’ (Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange)
Wates will perform songs from his new CD, The Lights of Paris, with accompaniement by musicians from the original recording, along with select music from his earlier releases.
www.rupertwatesmusic.com
Adrianna Mateo - alt-pop artist, solo violinist, and songwriter - most recently opened solo for Alicia Keys at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park. In the past few months, she also recorded her upcoming single “Skin Hunger” at Jungle City Studios with a Grammy Award-nominated team whose credits span Björk to John Legend and performed her original music at Rockefeller Center's famous Rainbow Room. Previously, Adrianna performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as a singer; at Carnegie Hall as a solo pianist; at the Bang on a Can Summer Marathon as a solo violinist (earning her acclaim from both the New York Times and TimeOut New York);in concurrent runs on stage at the Metropolitan Opera as an actress and at the Met Museum as a music director-solo violinist; and on tour internationally. Her music, supported by composer Nico Muhly and praised by Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum producer Bob Power, is announced first via her newsletter and is available on all major online music distributors.
http://adriannamateo.tumblr.com/
A graduate of both the Eastman School of Music and Mannes College, Brian Sanders is a versatile performer, and has participated in concerts and recordings of many diverse styles of music including classical, rock, jazz, and Latin American music. He has recorded on over 100 albums, and performed classical recitals at the Kennedy Center and the White House in Washington, DC. Brian regularly works off-Broadway, performs regularly with many artists and bands, and is a founding member of the Solar String Quartet.
www.briansanderscello.com
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Friday, May 18, 2018
JILL SALKIN QUARTET
“Jill Salkin is one of those rare artists for whom a song’s meaning is as important as its melody. Her personal, fresh interpretation of standards on her latest release slow the heartbeat and raise the mental senses.”
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Concert - $18 online advance / $20 door
Philadelphia native, Jill Salkin describes herself as a hybrid singer and songwriter. Her many musical influences include Motown, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Sarah Vaughan, Patti Austin, Chaka Khan, and Steely Dan. Jill started writing poetry at 14, then began writing songs, accompany herself with guitar and piano. Her voice study began at 16, which she continued through college and beyond.
Jill’s earliest performances were in coffee houses, and through the years, Jill has honed her craft as a singer and performer in small concert settings and clubs. She performed in Atlantic City casinos, both in lounges, and as a background vocalist for showroom headliners. Jill has performed in jazz clubs in New York City, Philadelphia, and Wilmington.
In 2001, Jill released her first CD, Heart’s Desire, a compilation of original songs, which had airplay on her hometown radio stations. Her second CD, The Very Thought of You, a collection of jazz standards, was released in 2009, and has been heard on radio and internet stations worldwide. What the World Needs Now, released in 2014, shows Jill’s versatility, as she sings jazz, blues, original compositions, and some classic pop.
Jill is excited about making her first appearance at Jamey’s House of Music, having performed at Jamey’s Psalm Salon. Accompanying her will be Frank Strauss, keyboard, Chico Huff, bass, and Keith Hollis, drums; three of the finest, seasoned musicians in the area.
http://www.jillsalkin.com
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Saturday, May 19, 2018
BOBBY MESSANO TRIO
“Guitarist, singer and bandleader Bobby Messano has many years experience of working with rock artists like Steve Winwood and country artists like Jimmy Wayne and Rodney Atkins. Yet in his own right he is known as... an accomplished blues-rocker”
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Concert - $18 online advance / $20 door
Bobby Messano is a legendary guitarist and Contemporary Blues Artist who has released seven Solo CDs, placed songs in many TV and Cable shows and played on over 50 Major label and Indie albums. His playing has been heard on everything from MTV jingles to Benny Mardones’ smash hit “Into The Night”. The celebrated guitarist has played on records by Clarence Clemmons, Franke & The Knockouts, Joe Lynn Turner and STARZ, and produced the 60’s hit act, “THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT”. Live he has played guitar and been the music director for Steve Winwood, Lou Gramm and Country artists Jimmy Wayne, Rodney Atkins and Steve Holy. Bobby has played or headlined BAMFEST, The Charleston Blues Festival, Smokin’ In Steel, Summerfest, Charlotte Speed StreeEPK Filest, Blues Brews & BBQ, Blues At The Beach, Bayfront Blues Festival, Deltaville Seafood Festival, Willow River Blues Fest, Ambassador Blues Fest, Colonial Beach Blues Festival, and Southern Maryland Blues Festival. The guitarist’s last five CD’s ( “Holdin’ Ground”,” Bobby Messano Live In Madison”, “that’s why i don’t sing the blues “, “Welcome To Deltaville” and “Love & Money”) have garnered 26 Grammy 1st Round ballots in 8 categories and airplay on over 275 Blues shows. “that’s why i don’t sing the blues” was on the American Blues Scene’s Blues Top 5 Chart for 24 weeks and was named 2012 TOP BLUES/ROCK ALBUM (USA) by Blues Underground Network. Between 2012 and 2016, Bobby played over 400 shows in 32 states to over a ½ million people. On December 22nd 2012, the artist was inducted into the “BLUES HALL OF FAME”. His CD’s are heard daily on “Sirius/XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville and “LOVE & MONEY” which was released in April 2015 was nominated for a prestigious Blues Blast Award for “Best Rock-Blues Album” in August 2015. It debuted on the Billboard Blues Chart at # 7, peaked at #1 and spent a total of nine weeks in the Top 10. It was also #7 on the Billboard Heat Seekers Chart and Top 40 on both the Billboard Rock and Indie Charts. “Love & Money” also ended 2015 at #44 on the Roots Music Report Chart.
Bobby’s newest CD “BAD MOVIE” was released on April 15, 2017. It is a collection of fifteen incredible songs written with major co-writers Jon Tiven , Larry Weiss and Steve Kalinich and features the amazing “Come To Your Senses” written by Queen founder Brian May and Jon Tiven and the haunting duet “Water Under The Bridge” with Bobby and Alecia Elliott (2001 AMA Nominee) “BAD MOVIE” offers a unique perspective of personal traumas and a country in a state of flux and the early reviews have been outstanding.
The trio features Bobby messano on guitar and vocals, Edmund Canova on bass guitar and vocals and Brad Clancy/Scott Rivera on Drums and vocals.
http://www.bobbymessano.com/
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Friday, May 25, 2018
CHUCK HAWTHORNE
"Just when you thought you'd heard all the good music - Chuck Hawthorne."
- Ramblin' Jack Elliott
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Concert - $15 online advance / $17 door
After spending 21 year as a Marine, Hawthorne retired and entered a second act of his life as traveling singer/ songwriter. A chance encounter at an airport in Chicago with renowned singwriter, Ray Bonneville led to the two of them collaborating on his debut record, Silver Line. The record and subsequent touring has garnered Chuck the eye of the national media and a growing fan base. Over the past few years Chuck has played stages all over the US as well as the UK, sharing the stage along the way with the likes of Michael Martin Murphey, Rambling Jack Elliott, Adam Carroll and Richard Dobson.
The 11 songs on Chuck’s debut album, Silver Line, were produced by Ray Bonneville at Shine Studios in Austin, Texas, and feature a roster of stellar guest musicians including Eliza Gilkyson and Gurf Morlix. The record recently caught the attention of Michael Martin Murphey, who heard Chuck play at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. Murph has since invited Chuck to play shows with him at the Saxon Pub in Austin and the Franklin Theatre in Nashville, and along with Bonneville, he has become a musical mentor to Chuck.
"...best songwriter I've heard in 20 or 30 years."
- Michael Martin Murphey
“Hawthorne's voice is a hybrid of Eddie Vedder's and Gordon Lightfoot's, his instrumentation spare like Townes Van Zandt, and his songs...are deliberate workaday tales reminiscent of Nebraska-era Springsteen or James McMurtry."
- Mike Seely, No Depression
www.chuckhawthorne.com
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Saturday, May 26, 2018
DAVE ORBAN & THE MOJO GYPSIES
“ROCKIN’ RHYTHM & BLUES”
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Concert - $20 online advance / $25 door
Active since 1998 and based in the Philly area, Dave Orban & the Mojo Gypsies are a high-energy quartet that play a unique blend of up-tempo blues and old-school R&B. Bandleader Dave Orban – an International Blues Hall of Fame inductee – has performed with or supported such national acts as James Harman, Debbie Davies, Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, Steve Guyger, Lucky Peterson, Murali Coryell, and Selwyn Birchwood.
“The band’s music integrates many influences from the greater blues tradition – from Chicago and West Coast electric blues to southern country blues and even New Orleans-styled marches. With a repertoire that shines a light on lesser-known but compelling tunes from the pioneers of the blues form, the band looks to impart a contemporary feel to a traditional form, while not departing drastically from the foundational elements of this type of music.”
Their CD, "I Heard You Twice the First Time," containing 14 of Orban’s original tunes, is available now on iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, CD Baby, Spotify, etc.
“Influences ranging from Willie Dixon to Bob Dylan to the Rolling Stones and even Norah Jones can be heard in Orban’s original tunes. His songs are self-contained stories in their own right, and cover a variety of topics that can be both humorous as well as more serious.”
http://www.mojogypsies.com
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Friday, June 1, 2018
JOHNNY NEVER & JOHN COLGAN-DAVIS
"evokes the heart and soul of the old southern blues, but at the same time there’s a jazzy, fresh and invigorating originality....”
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Concert - $15 online advance / $18 door
A veteran performer in blues festivals and venues on the east coast John Carleton Dorchester grew up in rural Pennsylvania listening to old blues records. He started performing on a dare back in 2005. Never thinking the music would amount to much he chose "Johnny Never" as a stage name. But the joke was on him. His music did catch on. Johnny delivers Delta, Piedmont and East Texas Blues with a passion and authenticity that has been noted by blues enthusiasts and blues societies from Memphis to Philly.
In 2014 Johnny, with harmonica player, Zep Harpo, was quarter-finalist in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. In 2011, Johnny, along with his band, was the only regional act of three national acts selected by the Philadelphia Folksong Society to perform in a concert honoring the 100th birthday of blues legend, Robert Johnson. Offering up performances of soft blues ballads, passionate Delta slide moans and driving Little Walter and Muddy Waters riffs, Johnny’s dynamic finger style guitar work and passionate voice have brought audiences to their feet in shows from Memphis to New Jersey.
John Colgan-Davis, harmonica and vocals, started playing the harmonica in local blues and folk clubs back in the late 1960s while he was still a high school student. He played and recorded with Philadelphia singer-guitarist Jesse Graves and played with Bonnie Raitt when she lived in Philadelphia in the early 1970's. Through Bonnie, John got to meet and play with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Arthur Crudup, Buddy Guy, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, and others. He has also jammed with James Cotton, John Hammond, Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, Bill Dicey, and Louisiana Red. He has toured the Midwest and recorded two CDs—“Cold and Lonesome on a Train” and “Heroes and Hard Times”—with Tennessee bluesman Sparky Rucker, and played for three years with The John Cadillac Band. A founding member of The Dukes of Destiny, John also taught Social Studies at Friends Select School in Philadelphia for 29 years and has written articles and supplements for The Philadelphia Inquirer on Blacks in the American West, Black Literature, the History of Black Philadelphia, and other topics. He is also a guest columnist for the Chestnut Hill Local. John lives in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.
https://johnnynever.com/
http://www.dukesofdestiny.com/
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Saturday, June 2, 2018
THE JOST PROJECT
“The Jost project's invitation to rock fans to get their jazz-head on is a persuasive one; equally, these fine arrangements and the scintillating playing might just entice a few dyed-in-wool-jazz fans the other way across the divide."
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Concert - $18 online advance / $20 door
Paul Jost (vocals, harmonica), Tony Miceli (vibraphones) and Kevin MacConnell (acoustic bass) make up the jazz collective initially formed by Tony and Kevin, with the purpose of performing the rock music they grew up with in a jazz format. The seeds of this idea were planted in Tony’s 2005 recording “Hippie Jazz”. When Tony heard Paul, a multi-talented musician as well as vocalist, he felt such a strong musical connection that he invited him to be part of the group. Because of Paul’s strong musical influence and arranging talent, Tony and Kevin were convinced the group should have Paul’s name and they became The Jōst Project.
The combination fit and The Jōst Project grew in popularity. Tony’s vibraphone stirs echoes of the famed Modern Jazz Quartet with Milt Jackson. Kevin’s lyrical playing is an essential element and Jost invokes blues, mainstream, and scat stylings in his unique introspective way bringing out the emotions contained in the songs. It’s immediately evident that these skilled artists each bring their distinctive experience and approach to this blended collective.
About the Music:
Standards from the Great American Songbook and the mainstream jazz repertoire have long held sway in jazz performances. But the so-called “baby boomers” and subsequent generations came of age with rock and roll, the Beatles, hard rock, and other genres which are rarely played by jazz groups. While the harmonies are not necessarily in line with more recognizable jazz progressions, such music is well within the scope of the modal and melody-based jazz of Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and other post-bop developments in jazz.
The ever-expanding repertoire of The Jōst Project include rock/pop classics as “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (Iron Butterfly), “What a Day For a Day Dream” (John Sebastian; Loving Spoonful); “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan); “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith); “Tennessee Waltz” (Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King); “Come Together” and “And I Love Her” (The Beatles); “Kashmir” (Led Zepellin); “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” (Simon and Garfunkel); “Maybe I’m Amazed” (Paul McCartney); and “Can’t Find My Way Home” (Blind Faith). For good measure, jazz compositions like “Don’t Forget the Poet” (Encrico Pierannuzi); “Caravan” (Dizzy Gillespie); “Waltz New” (Jim Hall); and “Passion Dance” (McCoy Tyner) are also included in the group’s playlists. Give a listen to “Can’t Find My Way Home”, and you’ll get a taste of the unique sound of The Jōst Project and their exceptional artistry, originality and imagination.
http://www.thejostproject.com/
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Saturday, June 23, 2018
SONS OF PITCHES
“From the first note of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo A La Turk, to the final chord of Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Sons Of Pitches deliver an album which makes each and every track their “pitch” (or something which rhymes with that!). For these purveyors of “cowboy jazz”, let’s hope Sons Of Pitches will keep exploring the wild prairie for a long time to come...”
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Concert - $18 online advance / $20 door
Always challenging their collective internal status quo with fresh ideas and new perspectives, Sons of Pitches bring their own brand of improvisation to the stage for a thrilling live event. Their instrumental country jazz originals, and unique arrangements of standards affectionately called “Cowboy Jazz,” provide a musical landscape for staking their claim and pushing on to new frontiers. They swing, they rip, they dip, they dive, they fly…they melt hearts & faces.
Sons of Pitches hail from the Mason Dixon line on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border where Pheil owns a recording studio. The band released its first self-titled album in November 2016. Collectively, Sons of Pitches has thousands of shows under its belt. The band has already received high praise for its live shows, varied set lists, and inspiring musicianship. Their goal is to create music for ordinary folks. Their brand of improvisation is meant to be visceral and tactile: music for the people.
http://www.sonsofpitchesband.com/ |
