Growing up, she and her five siblings would gather on their big screened-in porch to sing in talent shows for the neighborhood kids.... By high school, she took it to the next level as a member of the choirs and jazz groups, even joining Archie Bell as one of the Drells, back in ’64 before they took off. It was Albert Collins who was the first to get her on the stage while still in high school, at Walter’s Lounge on Lockwood. After singing ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ and ‘Money,’ Lynn knew she had found her calling. In 1965 after graduating from high school, Lee Audrey went to Lufkin, Texas, north of Houston, for the summer. Her cousin took her out to a white venue, the Cinderella Club, where she made sure the club owner knew she could sing. When called upon to fill in for their regular singer, Lee Audrey needed a stage name. It was there that she saw the name ‘Trudy’ amidst the other writings on the wall and decided that’s what she wanted to be called. Performers Gloria Lynne and Barbara Lynn also inspired her new name. Lynn also worked with trumpeter Calvin Owens in the “Slippery Hill” area of Lufkin. There was a club where they had all the black shows, big shows. Lynn also worked with guitarist/bassist I.J. Gosey. Between there and the clubs in Houston, her reputation was growing, and soon Clarence Green was trying to track her down. One of Houston’s hottest blues guitarists (his brother Cal was with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters), Green he needed a replacement for his vocalist, Luvenia Lewis, and Lynn spent the next five years working with, and learning from him.

In 1973, Sinett Records issued her debut 45 pairing “Long Live the Blues” and soul ballad “What A Waste,” produced by the late Oscar Perry. Her next entre into the studio was with producer Huey P. Meaux, the now-infamous Crazy Cajun. Interestingly, they did a recut on the Monkees’ song "I’m A Believer." They also waxed “Love is a Strange Thing” but it ended up on the back burner when Freddy Fender grabbed the spotlight and took off.

Lynn’s next label association was with Atlanta-based Ichiban Records. After doing a few gigs with her band, guitarist Gary B.B. Coleman, one of Ichiban’s primary artists and producers, recommended her. Phone conversations with John Abbey ensued, demos were shared and by 1989, Lynn’s Ichiban debut album Trudy Sings the Blues was released. Come to Mama (1990), The Woman in Me (1991), I’ll Run Your Hurt Away (1993), and 24 Hour Woman (Trudy co-produced the 1994 set) came close behind. Lynn developed into one of Ichiban’s flagship artists, and emerged as one of the country’s leading blues chanteuses. Overseas performance opportunities soon followed, and haven’t stopped since.

After European releases for Ruf and Isabel and Memories of You on Jus Blues in 2002, Lynn entered into another longstanding label relationship with Connor Ray Music. The late Jerry Lightfoot introduced her to label owner, harpist Steve Krase, and she was given the creative freedom to write new music while still recording select vintage covers, with dynamic results. Her acclaimed Royal Oaks Blues Café (2013) reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. Everything Comes with a Price (2015), I’ll Sing the Blues For You (2016) and Blues Keep Knockin’ (2018) followed, all recorded at Houston’s famous Red Shack Recording Studio and co-produced by Krase and Rock Romano.

A twelve-time Blues Music Award nominee, Lynn received two career-defining awards in 2019: the Living Legend Blues Award from the Houston Blues Society and the Jus’ Blues Music Foundation’s Willie Mitchell Lifetime Artist Award. Now, as her seventy-fifth birthday approaches, Ms. Trudy Lynn celebrates and asserts her position as Golden Girl, the title of her latest album, slated for March 18, 2022 release on Nola Blue Records.

https://www.trudylynn.com/

New Live EP Jamification Station Vol. 1 Reaches #5 on Relix/Jambands.com Radio Chart Top 30 ... Debra Devi plays "dreamy blues-rockers and blistering psychedelic jams" (Relix) flavored with her soulful voice and expressive guitar playing.

Devi's new live EP, Jamification Station Vol. 1, captures her Jersey City NJ band at full throttle. The EP reached #5 on the Relix/Jambands.com Top 30 Radio Chart, staying on the chart for three months.

Gov't Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson joined Devi on her previous EP A Zillion Stars Overhead. Produced by Devi and mixed by Sylvia Massy, Americana Highways calls it "exciting and mesmerizing."

Devi has opened for Joan Osborne, Jesse Malin, Ana Popovic, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Uprooted (Michael Glialiki) and Marshall Crenshaw. In 2023, she co-headlined the Haverford Music Festival with Joe Louis Walker and The Bongos, and the East Pete Blues Festival with Greg Sover.

Devi's film and television credits include songs in Tenderness, starring Russell Crowe and Laura Dern; Getting Off, starring Brooke Smith and Christine Harnos; Fight Like a Girl, starring Maureen O'Shea, the Sundance Cable documentary Stripped: Exposing the Business of Baring It All, and several episodes of VH-1's Behind the Music.

Devi's book The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (foreword by Dr. John) won the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. She gives her "Language of the Blues" talk at festivals, universities, theaters and venues, including Crown Guitar Festival in Montana, A. Schwab's in Memphis, TedX Jersey City, NYU and Danny Clinch Gallery in Asbury Park.

Devi endorses Homestead Amplifiers.

https://www.debradevi.com/

I am a vocalist in the jazz/traditional pop style and I am honored to say I perform with some of the most talented musicians in the quad-state area of Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware and New York, who have also become some of my closest friends.... Together, we tell stories in songs written and made famous by the best songwriters and singers in the world.I have worked professionally as a studio vocalist/performer for many years in public and private venues around the area. Some of my most memorable performance sites include the Painted Bride for the CoreStates Corporate Night featuring the "Philly Divas of Jazz, Poetry, and Comedy" in Philadelphia, PA, as well as the fantastic "Just Us" Concert with Ms. Pearl Williams, the Philly Fall Festival of Jazz at WHYY-TV's Forum Theatre, Haverford College in Haverford, PA, Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, Annenberg's Zellerbach Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, and The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts.

I get so excited when I perform because the musicians I work with always create a beautiful carpet for me to fly on. When we collaborate, we provide entertainment as vocalist with piano, bass, and drums, occasionally adding a tenor saxophone, or as a duo with piano or with guitar. Sometimes I work as vocalist with 2 guitars….what a mood that creates!

I am very fortunate to have 2 CDs playing on WRTI-FM, Philadelphia's Jazz Radio station, several other Radio stations on the East Coast, and quite a few Internet Radio Stations. My first CD is entitled "Immaculate Union" and it's a collaborative effort by The Dr. Jay Trio (Dr. Jay Fluellen-pianist, Micah Jones-bass, and Tony Deang4elis-drums), my late husband Leon Mitchell, and our godson Kenny Thompson. The CD contains some of our favorite standards as well as originals by Leon Mitchell, myself, and several from Dr. Jay.

My latest CD is entitled "By Request," and it was created from 2 live performances. The first part of the CD was recorded live in the Performance Hall at WRTI-FM Studios in Philadelphia. The rest of the CD was recorded live from a wonderful sell-out concert we did at the Allens Lane Art Center in Philadelphia during April 2006. The rhythm section at both performances was a wonderful group of young musicians I had met not that long ago...Joshua Richman at the piano, Matt Turowski on bass, and Ryan Vaughn on drums. This is my favorite CD because I really get a chance to stretch out and do my thing...and I laugh a lot. Both of my CDs are on the Inner Fire Record label.

You can hear sound bites from "By Request" and purchase it right now by clicking HERE or click on the CD BABY link above. You can hear sound bites from "Immaculate Union" and purchase it right now by clicking HERE, or click on the CD BABY link above.

I believe my job as a vocalist is to convey an interpretation of the songwriter's story to the audience with as much emotion, clarity, beauty, and technique as possible. My personal challenge when I perform is to control the balance between all of these things and enjoy the experience at the same time. It’s the most difficult thing I do and the most enjoyable thing I do.

I also work directly with The Jazz Bridge Project, a wonderful 501(c) 3 organization that helps Jazz Musicians in the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware area in times of crisis. Jazz Bridge is a very important organization to us since so many of our friends who are Jazz musicians have struggled to take care of those basic needs some of us take for granted, particularly in older years of performance, like health care and eye care. We hope you will become a supporter of the Jazz Bridge Project by clicking HERE or on the Jazz Bride Project link listed above and to the left and making a donation to this important organization. Thanks for your support!

We'll be expanding and adding to this website regularly, so stay tuned for more from the Philadelphia Jazz Community! I hope you’ll give us the opportunity to bring our musical exploration to you soon. In the meantime, as Leon says, "Please remember to treat yourself better than anyone else ever will."

http://ellagahnt.com/

"…she’s a one-woman fireworks display with that instrument, exploding with amazing energy and skill in a manner that just demands you get up and dance."
~John Davy, Flyinshoes Review... It's no secret that Deni Bonet can rock a violin like nobody's business. Or that she writes memorable songs that make you want to listen again and again and again. For years, Deni has been honing her craft as a violinist, singer, songwriter and performer. She is, simply, a musical total package. Her style ranges from pop to roots-rock to new folk.

Anyone who’s heard her last few albums, especially the fiery, funny and fabulous Last Girl On Earth, and 2013’s It’s All Good, knows that Ms. Bonet brings something extra special to the table. With her latest album, Bright Shiny Objects, it extends to sheer, ultra-high voltage, genre-defying brilliance, with pure classical training and precision playing. She has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals, performing arts centers, summer concert series, colleges, clubs and house concerts throughout the US and around the world, including a recent sold-out concert at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City, concerts on the Great Wall of China, at the United Nations and at the White House for President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and the First Lady. Yet is still happy to play a stripped-down show in a coffeehouse.

Raised in Northern Virginia, Bonet first came to widespread attention as a founding member of National Public Radio’s premier music show, Mountain Stage, where she built a following as a member of the broadcast’s house band; singing and playing in her own right and backing up artists as diverse as the Indigo Girls, Richard Thompson and Allen Toussaint. In the nineties, Bonet relocated to London, where she worked with alternative rock legend, Robyn Hitchcock, including a series of concerts as a duo that won praise from USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. She played on Hitchcock’s album Moss Elixir, and even appeared in the Jonathan Demme concert film, Storefront Hitchcock, but eventually decided it was time to go solo.

Moving to New York, Bonet released an initial EP (titled, simply, ‘EP’ ) and then her full-length debut, Bigger Is Always Better. The disc, which featured guest appearances from Hitchcock and The Soft Boys’ Kimberly Rew (writer of Katrina and the Waves' classic hit Walking On Sunshine), garnered rave reviews. The Boston Globe’s Jim Sullivan said“’Sunshine’ … may be the sexiest, sauciest, most life-affirming song of the year,” while All Music Guide gave the album a four-star review and labeled it “a glorious, intelligent hookfest.”

Bonet has hosted her own cable TV show, Duets With Deni, a combination of music and chat featuring a series of all-star guests, which was the subject of a rave Billboard feature. She has performed highly-regarded showcases at CMJ and SXSW, and took her act on the road with Lilith Fair. And she's remained one of the most in-demand session players and sidewomen around, adding her violin to albums by an impressive variety of artists -- from the introspective Sarah McLachlan to techno-metal band Gravity Kills -- and making TV appearances on The Today Show, SNL and Late Night With Conan O’Brien. With a singular sound The Wall Street Journal calls “Sheryl Crow meets The B-52s,” it's clear why Bonet traded her black recital duds for a pair of go-go boots and an electric blue violin. Rather than ply her trade in an orchestra, she’s found a way to fit her string skills into ultra-hummable alternative pop, which the Journal noted is "catchy as any Top 40 radio song, but with occasional hints of adult depth."

As she established herself as a solo act, Bonet impressed artists like Patti Smith, Lisa Loeb, Gin Blossoms, Cracker, Midnight Oil, The Saw Doctors, Fairport Convention, Marshall Crenshaw and Kansas, all of whom have invited her to open their shows. She spent several years touring the globe as the violinist in Cyndi Lauper’s band - now, how much cooler can it get than that?

But as all good artists should do – and Deni Bonet is no exception – the idea is to grow and show a scope, broader and more expansive than the listener should expect. So it should be no surprise to anyone that Deni has taken her talent as a musician and composer to an even higher plane. One listen to Deni’s newest album, Bright Shiny Objects, and you’ll know this particular record takes on a completely different life and direction.

Recorded in NYC with the cream of New York musicians, including Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel's drummer of 30 years), Graham Maby (Joe Jackson), Shawn Pelton (SNL, Rod Stewart), Will Lee (Letterman, Mick Jagger), Steve Holley (Paul McCartney), Ben Butler (Chris Botti) and Matt Beck (Matchbox 20), this is her first all-instrumental album and shows off Deni's skills as a virtuoso violin player, composer and arranger.

Carnegie Hall virtuosity intertwined with a rock-club vibe and intimacy. That doesn’t ring your bell? Try Yitzak Perlman playing lead for Nirvana. That should give you some notion that this artist has, indeed, brought something special to the table. Even without the vocals, you can hear the passion and emotion in Deni’s performances.

Deni performs on stage with guitarist and vocalist Chris Flynn who also serves as Deni's side-kick and musical foil. Chris is an accomplished performer with a busy solo career as well.

https://www.denibonet.com/

Jackson's passion for his craft of entertaining has always shown as a major part of his personality.... His musical journey began at a young age as a member of grandparents theater program.These experiences, along with the great inspiration in his grandfather led to picking up a guitar by age 9. He furthered his musical knowledge as a part of his high school band and a member of drum and bugle corps horn lines.

Many other inspirations struck him throughout the following years; such as, Eddie Van Halen and John Petrucci, but it was when he discovered blues legends like BB King, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Walter Trout, Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa, that Jackson fell in love with the genre. After many experiences playing with Walter Trout and his band, Jackson was sold, and knew what he wanted to do with his life. Chasing this passion has always been a dream.

https://www.jacksontaylorbluesco.com/

If you’re tired of all the staged choreography, blinding light shows, capes, costumes, lip-synching and auto-tunes that seems to have taken over live performances, you have found a place to rest, refresh, and renew. Welcome to the world of Laura Cheadle.... Along with her Family Band, she has opened for some of the biggest names in the business and won numerous awards, including “Best Indie Jazz/Blues Band” at WXPN sponsored Tri-State Indie Music Awards. She has performed on stages from NYC to London, appeared on 6ABC’s “Tuned In” as the very first viewer’s choice, the “NBC 10” Show, and the National reality show “Next Great Family Band.” Laura was recently featured in Curve Magazine, named one of “100 Women We Love” in Go Magazine, and declared a “Super Woman” in South Jersey Magazine for her active Charity Work.

As Traveler Guitar’s newest Brand Ambassador, her solo career is starting to explode, performing a set at NAMM2020, filming specialized performance and educational video segments for Next Level Guitar’s site, and having recently been honored with the Musician of the Decade award for her body of work and trend-setting style. One of her original compositions was recently included in a popular TV show, and she participated in a Philadelphia Film project with a seamlessly acted feature role in the short film “Ether.”

Never one to measure herself according to the trends of the times or the female singer “flavor of the month,” Laura has carved out her own lane since she began performing as a child, and she has done it the old-fashioned way, on pure talent. Gifted with a voice powerful enough to shake rafters, and tender enough to navigate the entire range of the emotional scale, Laura Cheadle is a singer commanding more than just a listen or a look. Her albums, like her concerts, are an experience. Inseparable from the truth of the songs she writes, the raw emotion that tears out of her reaches deep into your heart with the kind of performance her audiences remember long after the last notes have been played.

https://lauracheadle.com/

It was there that, from across a room of dancers, Jemal Wade Hines was playing frame drum and heard Sommer’s voice cutting through the crowd and jolting his heart awake. That moment was the beginning of HuDost. .... Sommer and Hines married as a couple, as musicians, as activists, and as parents. In all of those they are guided by love. They are highly engaged activists, doing advocacy work as Representatives for ONE (a non-profit organization dedicated to end extreme poverty) and joining forces with other non-profit organizations. They have discovered the alchemy of joining music and activism.

HuDost has a new album, ‘Anthems of Home’, receiving rave reviews that was released in early 2022. It reached #4 in the Canadian National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart (March, 2022) and #9 in the US Folk Radio Charts (January, 2022). HuDost’s last album 'of Water + Mercy' received rave reviews and as an independent release reached #24 in the BILLBOARD SALES CHARTS for Folk/Americana also winning the 2020 Independent Music Award for Social Action Song. In the last year they also received two of the 'Best of Nashville 2020’ awards. On past albums HuDost has worked with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel) and GRAMMY Award-winning mixers Oz Fritz (Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Primus) and Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Pearl Jam, Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy, Beyonce, Beck, Alicia Keys, Melissa Etheridge, Kings of Leon).

HuDost’s new album defines real, honest love and is a lush, breathtaking original collection of compositions that ask important questions. In this time of loss and awakening HuDost’s new album gives powerful voice to this journey in a way that will remain timeless and will prove the resilience that we all share. Special guests on the album include Jars of Clay, The Accidentals, Christie Lenée and others. Their early release from the new album, ‘Our Words Will Be Louder’, included additional music video cameos from Kevin Clash (Elmo), Kevin Hearn (from the Barenaked Ladies), Cy Curnin (from The FIXX), GangstaGrass, Alana Bridgewater, Nawal, Hymn for Her, Jai Uttal, and more. HuDost worked with minister/activist William J. Barber II and all proceeds from it went to the Poor People’s Campaign. It received press coverage in over 130 major news publications and radio including CTV News, The Observer, Roots Music Canada, All Access Music, and received the ‘Best Music Video of the Week’ from Blues and Roots Radio.

HuDost's music is a powerful voice for life's journey and discovery. In 2008, Moksha went through a painful process of brain surgery due to a tumor. The healing from this included re-learning language skills, losing and regaining proper sight, and experiencing seizures. This could have been staggering but instead served as learning that has fueled a potent desire to bring healing through sound. Since then, they have had two amazing sons and have consistently been guided by love as they create new music and travel the world. It is through music that the losses and gains, pains and triumphs, and excruciating beauty of life can be given a voice of empathy. Both critics and fans have said time and time again that the music of HuDost is this very expression.

https://hudost.com/

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, Frankie and 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 Street, Blues Brews and 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 and 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 and 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 and Money” also ended 2015 at #44 on the Roots Music Report Chart.

https://bobbymessano.com/shop/

Comprising of multi-talented instrumentalists & artists, including; Bernie Capodici (Congas/Percussion/Producer), Jimmy Dell’Orefice (Keys), Gene Terramani (Guitar), Nick Terramani (Bass), JJ Zeller (Drums), Drivetime has announced their forthcoming single “Un Domani Migliore (A Better Tomorrow)” anticipated by the 1st of April.... Alongside Philly’s legendary saxophonist Andrew Neu, Drivetime has continued to push their eccentric sound of urban organic Jazz through their latest release that is about to take the Jazz world with force.

Drivetime’s music has been in rotation on the Internet and terrestrial radio since their debut single Getin’ Witit 2009 featuring Bob Baldwin. Their new song is another addition to their unmatched discography that has continued to rise in ranks on Jazz music charts.

The band has done collaborations with some of Smooth Jazz music’s giants like Andrew Neu (Saxophone), Bob Baldwin (Pianist/music composer), also jazz artist like Phyllis Chapel, Justin Guarini, and many others. Their music has increasingly become a source for so many Jazz lovers around the US and all over the world. Thanks to their unique style, their agility is steeped in the honored tradition with their songs acknowledged on the Billboard Jazz Charts.

https://drivetimeuoj.com/

"You play them blues real good. I want you to carry them on for me." - Eugene Powell... Internationally and nationally acclaimed Toby Walker has been hailed as a roots music fingerstyle guitar wizard who has toured the US, England, Wales, France, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Cyprus, Canada, and Holland. Walker has been featured in the New York Times, the London Sunday Times, the London BBC, Sirius-XM radio and was the 1st place recipient of the International Blues Challenge Award - Solo division - given out by the Blues Foundation in Memphis TN.

Walker blends the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, rock and old time jazz into his own unique style. Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna and the Jefferson Airplane says "Flat out... you have to hear this great musician... I'm blown away" and has employed Walker to teach at his famous Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp for several years. In 2010 Walker won the NY Music Award for 'Best Instrumental CD,' sharing the honors with Mariah Carey, Rufus Wainwright and Judy Collins among many others.

Walker has recently released several instructional guitar DVD's for the world famous company Homespun Tapes which have been getting rave reviews. His latest CD release - 'Mileage' - has been hailed as a shining success in the genre of traditional blues recordings.

Carnegie Hall acknowledged his rare talents and hired him to augment and teach in their "American Roots" program aimed at honor level middle school students.

Toby’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure - but immensely talented - music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly from Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas,Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others.

https://www.littletobywalker.com/

A soulful vocalist and innovative multi-instrumentalist, NYC singer/songwriter and producer Rachael Sage has earned a loyal following for her dynamic piano playing, delicate guitar work, and improvisational audience interaction.... Sage has shared stages with Beth Hart, Howard Jones, A Great Big World, Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, Jamie Cullum, The Animals and Ani DiFranco. She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and received numerous songwriting awards including The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Grand Prize) and six Independent Music Awards. Her songs have appeared on MTV, HBO, and the “Fame” soundtrack, among others.

Sage’s 2020 album Character yielded the Billboard-charting single "Blue Sky Days"; her side project Poetica, an adventurous fusion of poetry with jazz, Americana, and classical musical elements in the vein of Leonard Cohen and Laurie Anderson, debuted in October 2021. Her latest single, "Revelation Ground" – with an accompanying stop-motion video by acclaimed singer/songwriter/animator Antje Duvekot – is out now on MPress/Universal/Virgin. A new full-length album, The Other Side is due in 2023.

http://rachaelsage.com/

Meghan Cary didn’t mean to be a musician. But when her fiancé unexpectedly died, she picked up his guitar, figured out how to play it, and wrote her debut record, earning her Billboard Magazine’s esteemed Critic’s Choice Award. “I wrote my grief into music and sang my way out of the abyss. I keep making music to help others connect with their own stories and find their joy.” Cary continues to share the healing power of music with the community that has rallied around her message of hope and being heard, and the title track of her latest album SING LOUDER debuted on the US/International Folk DJ Radio at #2, with the entire album coming in at #6.

With masterful storytelling and award-winning songs, Cary engages audiences on a powerfully personal level, inviting them in and leading them through an experience that has been called healing, inspiring and outrageously joyful. A frequent performer at such venerable festivals as Philadelphia Folk Festival, Spring Gulch, Huntington, DelMarVa Folk Festival, and music venues around the country, Cary's message of unity and the power of raising our voices together infuses every show, and her song, “Sing Louder”, has become an anthem for the music-loving community. Her smoky voice, emotional singing, and vulnerable writing garner favorable comparisons to Melissa Etheridge, Brandi Carlisle, and even Bruce Springsteen.

Cary released her first book, Sing Louder: The Stories Behind the Songs, on International Women’s Day 2019, and is currently partnering with Vision 2020 to create a music video and documentary inspired by her song, “River Rock” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment giving women the right to raise their voices and be heard.

Raised in Hershey, PA, Cary studied math and chemistry at Duke University, with plans of becoming a doctor. She made an about-face at school, ultimately earning her B.A. in drama before going on to obtain her M.F.A. in acting at FSU’s Asolo Conservatory for Acting. A professional actor and playwright with a successful career in theatre, television and radio, Cary has written and preforms a one-woman show, On the Way to the Waterfall, and is currently collaborating on a Broadway-bound musical. Cary brings her extensive on-stage experience to her performance masterclass, “Own the Stage” to help other artists discover the same freedom, confidence and joy she finds on the stage.

As a musician/actor/writer/coach and the mother of two school age children, Meghan speaks to the subject of life balance with grace and a healthy dose of humor. “As soon as I think I have my story written, someone comes along and changes the setting...or the charactors…or the plot. Usually all three. My mantra: 'If you don't know the words...Sing Louder!'”

https://meghancary.com/

Billy the Kid and the Regulators earned a spot in the 2008 International Blues Competition in Memphis TN by winning the Appalachian Blues Challenge for the West Virginia Blues Society.... "Billy Evanochko and company deliver a unique blend of contemporary blues with a big side of funk. This definitely is a band to be reckoned with" - Scott Tady, Beaver County Times

"The boy can flat out play." "Billy and the boys are one of the best kept secrets in the Blues. If you ain't heard of em, you better ask somebody!" - Michael Burks, Alligator Records Recording artist

"Billy the Kid and The Regulators are the best band I've had as an opening act this year period." - Tinsley Ellis, Telarc Records Recording artist.

Billy has appeared with and opened for:

Koko Taylor • Bernard Allison • Michael Burks • Ana Popovic • James Cotton • Jimmie Vaughan • Hubert Sumlin • G.E. Smith Band • Zack Harmon • Tab Benoit • Rory Block • Chris Thomas King • Savoy Brown • Blind Boys of Alabama • Eric Lindell • Carl Weathersby • Tommy Castro • Debbie Davies • Magic Slim • Scott Holt • James Soleberg • Bob Margolin • Anson Funderburg w/ Sam Meyers • Jason Ricci and New Blood • Guitar Shorty • Magic Dick • Lee Oskar • Shemeka Copeland • Mark Hummel • Fiona Boyes • Rich DelGrosso • Coco Montoya • The Sean Carney Band • Sue Foley • Deborah Coleman • Roxanne Potvin • Otis Taylor • Lurrie Bell • The Kilborn Alley Blues Band • Dave McKenzie • Kelley Hunt • Sean Costello • Pops Walker • Michael Hills Blues Mob~ Kansas~Shemekia Copeland, Just to name a few...

Billy the Kid and the Regulators continue to write music, and perform cooking up their brand of blues with soul being the main ingredient.

https://www.billythekidandtheregulators.com/

Lisa Chavous will return with the great Philadelphia Blues Messengers and guests for a night of nonstop hip shaking.... "I have recorded with Jonny Copeland, and have known Shemekia Copeland since she was a lttle girl, when I was on the road with her father. I've got to tell you the best female blues vocalist to come along since Shemekia is without a doubt, Lisa Chavous," according to the late jazz and blues sax great, Byard Lancaster, a frequent collaborator, and the man who discovered Kevin Eubanks, the Roots, and Stanley Clark.

Indeed. Lisa ia frequently compared to Tina Turner, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Brown, and Irma Thomas, who along with Bilie Holiday and Mahalia Jacksonon are among her primary musical influences. She a been singing in church and performing in shows since she was 5 in a career that encompasses jazzs, blues, soul, gospel and rock. Lisa sees her diverse musical back ground as a way to bring people together, and a way to connect with any and all audiences.

Lisa Chavous was born and raised in Sharon Hill, in suburban Philadelphia, and she began singing in local church choirs and family gatherings at the age of five. In 1989 she began performing with the group Chapter One in banquet halls such as The Twelve Caesars and the Riviera Ballroom. In 1997 Lisa won first prize while competing in the Temple University jazz station talent contest sponsored by B and V outreach. In 1999 she began forming bands that performed for a variety of audiences. These ensembles eventually became known as Lisa Chavous and Friends. Lisa has performed with them in, restaurants, ballrooms, country clubs, and other major venues in southeastern Pennsylvania. Lisa has performed with jazz greats Byard Lancaster, Odean Pope, Trudy Pitts, Pat Martino, Jimmy McGriff and Bootsie Barnes, and is regularly backed by former members of Patti LaBelle’s band, as well as by Don Evans, former guitarist for Billy Joel. Lisa, who is a nurse, has also donated her talents at a variety of functions that benefit children’s organizations supporting research for multiple sclerosis and the anti-AIDS foundation. Lisa’s most recent concert performances have been the West Oak Lane Jazz Festival and the Palmyra, NJ County Festival and she can be frequently found at Stephen’s Prime in Media, PA.

Lisa’s forte is her great versatility in singing jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues, all with tons of soul that projects her sincere love and devotion to her music and that creates powerful audience attraction and response.

https://www.facebook.com/lisa.chavous

Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans has built a remarkable reputation with his raw, impassioned intensity. HARP Magazine wrote “From sizzling slide guitar…to nitty-gritty harp blowing…to a gruff, resonating Okie twang, Slim delivers acutely personal workingman blues with both hands on the wheel of life, a bottle of hooch in his pocket, and the Bible on the passenger seat.” Paste Magazine writes “He’s one hell of a bottleneck guitarist, and he’s got that cry in his voice that only the greatest singers in the genre have had before him.”... The industry agrees on all fronts. Watermelon Slim & The Workers have garnered 17 Blues Music Award nominations in four years including a record-tying six in both 2007 & 2008. Only the likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray have landed six in a year and Slim is the only blues artist in history with twelve in two consecutive years. In Spring 2009 he was the cover story of Blues Revue magazine. .

Two of Slim’s records were ranked #1 in MOJO Magazine’s annual Top Blues CD rankings. Industry awards include The Independent Music Award for Blues Album of the Year, The Blues Critic Award and Canada’s Maple Blues Award for International Artist of the Year among others. Slim has hit #1 on the Living Blues Charts, top five on the Roots Music Report and debuted in the top ten in Billboard. One of Slim’s most impressive industry accolades may be the liner notes of The Wheel Man eagerly written by the late legendary Jerry Wexler who called him a “one-of-a-kind pickin’ n singing Okie dynamo.” Slim has been embraced for his music, performances, backstory and persona. He has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, The BBC’s World Service and has been featured in publications like Harp, Relix, Paste, MOJO, Oklahoma Magazine and Truckers News as well as newspapers like The London Times, Toronto Star, Chicago Sun-Times, The Village Voice, Kansas City Star, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Michelle Shocked’s JAMS Magazine.

The Memphis Flyer led its terrific CD review with the question “Does anyone in modern pop music have a more intriguing biography than Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans?”

Slim was born in Boston, his father was a progressive attorney and freedom rider and his brother is a classical musician. He was raised in North Carolina listening to the housekeeper sing John Lee Hooker songs. Slim attended Middlebury on a fencing scholarship but left early to enlist for Vietnam. While laid up in a Vietnam hospital bed he taught himself upside-down left-handed slide guitar on a $5 balsawood model using a triangle pick cut from a rusty coffee can top and his Army issued Zippo. lighter as the slide.

Slim first appeared on the music scene with the release of the only known protest record by a veteran during the Vietnam War. The project was Merry Airbrakes, a 1973 protest tinged LP with tracks Country Joe McDonald later covered. In the following 30 plus years Slim has been a truck driver, forklift operator, sawmiller (where he lost a partial finger), firewood salesman, collection agent, funeral officiator and at times a small time criminal. Due to aforementioned criminality, Slim was forced to flee Boston where he had played peace rallies, sit-ins and rabbleroused musically with the likes of Bonnie Raitt. Recently Raitt singled out Slim to her audience as a living blues legend during a summer 2009 performance.

From Boston Slim landed in his current home state of Oklahoma farming watermelons – hence his stage name. Somewhere in those decades since Vietnam Slim completed two undergrad and a master’s degree, started a family, painted art and joined Mensa, the social networking group reserved for members with certified genius IQs. When he’s not on tour Slim loves to fish and garden.

The big turning point was 2002 when Slim suffered a near fatal heart attack. His brush with death gave him a new perspective on mortality, direction and life ambitions and thus his second emergence as a performing musician. Eleven albums later he says, “Everything I do now has a sharper pleasure to it. I’ve lived a fuller life than most people could in two. If I go now, I’ve got a good education, I’ve lived on three continents, and I’ve played music with a bunch of immortal blues players. I’ve fought in a war and against a war. I’ve seen an awful lot and I’ve done an awful lot. If my plane went down tomorrow, I’d go out on top.” And when you watch him perform, you know every word is true.

Throughout his storied past, it has always been truck driving that Slim returned to. While trucking and hauling industrial waste for thankless bosses at hourly wages to support himself and his family, his id yearned for release of the musician inside. In fact, many of Slim’s current songs began a cappella in his rig keeping him awake and entertained. Slim’s music captures those long hours of now and then, finally and cathartically acquiescing to his id.

https://watermelonslim.com/

They live and breathe the fiery swagger of electric guitars and the irresistible allure of rhythm-soaked sounds. That’s Clay Melton’s musical calling in a nutshell. At only 28, the Louisiana-born and Texas-based blues-rocker has already spent 15 years performing live. His powerfully raspy voice and wicked guitar licks leave no doubt he’s grown up in the school of barroom blues-rock.... Clay’s 2022 release, Live in Texas, which includes ten original songs and one cover, was spun on more than 160 radio stations in the U.S. and abroad. His riveting cover of ZZ Top’s Jesus Just Left Chicago, climbed to the #1 song in the world on the Roots Music Blues Rock chart in June 2022. The album boasts production and engineering credits by 5-time Grammy winner Malcolm Harper (The Black Keys, Mary J. Blige, Keith Urban and many others) as well as Clay himself.

Live in Texas is Melton’s follow-up to 2021’s critically acclaimed release, Back to Blue, where the title track also climbed to the # 1 song in the world on Roots Music Blues Rock chart, and the album climbed to #9.

Clay Melton is quickly establishing himself as a rising star, having played world-famous venues such as Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, opening for Grand Funk Railroad on the Chevrolet Main Stage at the State Fair of Texas, and sharing the stage with Sir Earl Toon, of Kool and The Gang fame. Past credits also include opening for blues-legend Robert Cray and platinum-selling artists Chris Daughtry and Night Ranger.

https://www.claymelton.com/

John Flynn is an American singer-songwriter and activist known for his powerful music and tireless efforts on behalf of the lost and the lonely, the shackled and scarred. His career has embodied an authentic troubadour odyssey that moved legendary folk DJ Gene Shay to call Flynn "the most quintessential folk singer in my life", and Deana McCloud, Executive Director of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma to write, "John Flynn is the real deal.... His work follows in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, and other social justice troubadours as he speaks the truth and gives a voice to society's disenfranchised. His work fills your heart and opens your eyes as he continues to walk the walk of a true advocate for equality, justice, and peace."

Long-time friend and Flynn champion, Kris Kristofferson has called John "an important artist whose work in prisons, rehabs, and half-way houses is distilled into the truth and the beauty of heartfelt and heartwarming slices of life". In 2007 Kris cited Flynn to TV Guide Magazine as one of his favorite country artists, saying, "He's got a great heart and I like the way he thinks".

http://johnflynn.net/

Award-winning vocalist, instrumentalist and songwriter Curtis Salgado, the man NPR calls “an icon” with “a huge voice,” is revered worldwide for his ability to wring every ounce of soul out of every song he performs.... Salgado is famed not only for his powerhouse live shows and ten previous albums, but also for his passionate and insightful original songs. He has been nominated three times for the Blues Music Award for Song Of The Year, winning in 2018 for Walk A Mile In My Blues from The Beautiful Lowdown. In total, he has won eleven Blues Music Awards, including the B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year. DownBeat calls his songwriting skills “an impressive gift.” Billboard says Salgado’s music is “inspired and powerful.” Now, Salgado is back with Damage Control, his first full band album in four years, and it’s packed with fresh, original material.

With Damage Control, Salgado has created what he calls “a rock ’n’ roll record with lyrics that hit.” The 13 songs—12 originals and a raucous cover of Larry Williams’ Slow Down (famously covered by The Beatles)—will surprise and delight longtime Salgado fans. Salgado has crafted a soul-searching, street-smart collection of vividly detailed, instantly memorable songs. From the defiant opener The Longer That I Live to the bouncy New Orleans crime story You’re Going To Miss My Sorry Ass to the foot-tapping history lesson of Hail Mighty Caesar to the plaintive honesty of Always Say I Love You, Salgado’s vocals weave, bob and soar, at times jabbing with nuance, and then striking with unlimited power. Of the title track, he says, “Life is all about damage control...trouble and then some. It’s about dealing with what gets thrown at you and saying, ‘I ain’t finished yet.’”

Damage Control was produced by Salgado and recorded in three studios with three different groups of musicians, featuring some of the very best players in the business. At Nashville, Tennessee’s Rock House Recording, top notch support included guitarist George Marinelli (Bonnie Raitt), keyboardist Kevin McKendree (Brian Setzer, Delbert McClinton, Tinsley Ellis), singer Wendy Moton (Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton) and special guest Cajun accordionist and vocalist Wayne Toups. At Studio City, California’s Ultratone Studios, guitarist/ bassist Johnny Lee Schell (Otis Rush, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt), pianists Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon) and Jim Pugh (B.B. King, Etta James, Robert Cray), drummer Tony Braunagel (B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt) brought the goods. And at Greaseland in San Jose, California, guitarist/bassist Kid Andersen (Rick Estrin, Charlie Musselwhite), bassist Jerry Jemmott (B.B. King, Aretha Franklin) and drummer Kevin Hays (Robert Cray) added their fuel to the fire.

Born in 1954, Salgado grew up in Eugene, Oregon with music all around him. His parents’ vast music collection included everything from Fats Waller to Ray Charles, and his older brother and sister turned him on to the soul and blues of Wilson Pickett and Muddy Waters at an early age. He attended a Count Basie performance when he was 13 and decided then and there that music was his calling. After “Salgado inspires chills. Upbeat and original…poignant and wise with a great sense of humor” –Blues Music Magazine “Glorious and memorable… Salgado’s voice is center stage just as it should be. Highly recommended” –Blues and Rhythm UK “Salgado’s vocals are soulful beauty. Fresh, unexpected, authentic, percolating…perfectly executed… simply delicious” –Living Blues getting his hands on a harmonica, Curtis began devouring the blues of Little Walter and Paul Butterfield, and taught himself to play.

By his early 20s he was already making a name for himself in Eugene’s bar scene, first as the vocalist/harmonica player of The Nighthawks, and later as co-leader of The Robert Cray Band. Salgado quickly developed into a player and singer of remarkable depth, with vocal and musical influences including Otis Redding, O.V. Wright, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson I and II, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Howlin’ Wolf.

In 1977, comedian/actor John Belushi was in Eugene filming Animal House. During downtime from production, Belushi caught a typically ferocious Salgado performance and introduced himself during a break. Once Salgado started sharing some of his blues knowledge, a fast friendship grew. Salgado spent hours playing old records for Belushi, teaching him about blues and R and B. Belushi soaked up the music like a sponge and used his new awareness to portray “Joliet” Jake Blues in The Blues Brothers, first as a skit on Saturday Night Live, then a best-selling record album (which was dedicated to Curtis) and finally as a major motion picture (Cab Calloway’s character in the film was named Curtis as an homage).

Once Salgado joined forces with his friend Robert Cray and began playing together as The Robert Cray Band, he found himself sharing stages with many of his heroes, including Muddy Waters, Bobby Bland, Albert Collins and Bonnie Raitt. After Salgado and Cray parted ways in 1982, Curtis went on to front Roomful Of Blues, singing and touring with them from 1984 through 1986. Back home in Oregon, he formed a new band, Curtis Salgado and The Stilettos, and was once again tearing it up on the club scene. He honed his band to a razor’s edge before releasing his debut in 1991 on the JRS label. After recordings for Rhythm Safari and Lucky Records, Salgado signed with Shanachie Records in 1999, releasing four critically acclaimed albums. Salgado’s Alligator Records debut, Soul Shot, came out in 2012 to widespread critical acclaim. Blues Revue said Salgado’s music is “triumphant, joyful, blues-soaked R and B” and declared him to be “one of the most soulful, honest singers ever.” He followed up with The Beautiful Lowdown in 2016 and Rough Cut, the potent, stripped-down acoustic album (with guitarist Alan Hager) in 2018. The albums collectively earned Salgado multiple Blues Music Awards—for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, Soul Blues Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year.

Salgado has performed at Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival, The Chicago Blues Festival and The Tampa Bay Blues Festival. He has also played The San Francisco Blues Festival, Memphis’ Beale Street Music Festival, Denver’s Mile High Blues Festival as well as on The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. Internationally he’s toured in Saipan, Guam, Canada, England, throughout Europe, Brazil, Chile, Panama, The Philippines, Thailand, and Hong Kong. According to Blues Revue, Salgado’s performances “start at excellent before segueing into goose bumps, ecstasy, and finally nirvana.”

For all of his successes, Salgado is no stranger to adversity. During his career, he has overcome multiple health challenges, battling back from liver cancer in 2006 and lung cancer in 2008 and 2012. In March 2017 he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. He’s not only come back stronger, he’s become one of the genre’s most prolific songwriters, going from writing a few songs per album to writing full albums of original songs. In 2016, many critics declared The Beautiful Lowdown—featuring 11 original songs—as the best of his career. According to Salgado, Damage Control is even better. He’s excited to bring his new songs to the stage, where the crowd fires him up even more. “I want people to relate to the songs,” he says. “You can dance to it but the words have to carry the weight. I know if a song hits me, it’ll hit others just as hard.” On Damage Control, the hard-hitting songs just keep on coming.

https://www.curtissalgado.com/

"Sassy, sexy and full of fire, this crew rallies behind their leader mightily and all keep the party going in fine style. This is one white girl that knows what the blues are about."
Midwest Record... "Burrell and her three cohorts find virtue in professionalism. They deliver unpretentious, self described "Hard Drivin' Blues" in which strength and understatement unite in an easy, fluid balance without sucking up to rock."
skyla Downbeat Magazine
"Blues Scars is the aural equivalent of a muscle car- classic style, powerful, and ready to blow your doors off." The Record Box (Canada)

SKYLA BURRELL
Skyla Burrell was born in Los Angeles and raised in Orange County, California. Skyla formed her first band at the age of 13 and has been a working musician ever since. Skyla played with several bands as a teenager and young adult, working her way up and down Southern California. She relocated to the East Coast in her early 20's where she continued learning and growing from her musical experiences and eventually co-forming the Skyla Burrell Band. In addition to her singing, writing and guitar duties, Skyla also plays the piano.

MARK TOMLINSON
Mark Tomlinson first hit the Blues scene in Syracuse NY, starting his musical journey on the drums. By the age of 21, MT joined Syracuse locals the Kingsnakes and hit the road with John Lee Hooker. After thousands of gigs on the drums backing the likes of Bo Diddley, Bobby Radcliffe, Big Time sarah, Mike Dugan and the Blues Mission, Charlie Hilbert and the NYC Blues Blazers and Katherine davis, MT grabs the guitar and Blazes up some Hard Drivin' Blues riffs with the Skyla Burrell Band. MT's original style comes from the likes of his idols--Magic Slim, Magic sam, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Jimmy Vaughn, Ronnie Earl and the three Kings. In 2002 Mark and Skyla co-founded the Skyla Burrell Band and recorded 4 cds of all originals written by Mark and Skyla. MT and his Stratocaster are Blazing Blues trails with Skyla and her Telecaster, welding their guitars on stage and where ever the Blues will take them in the 21st Century.

EZELL JONES
Ezell Jones has toured the globe playing with world-class blues artists. He's been with the Skyla Burrell band since 2004.

ROB PARKS
Rob Parks is the newest member of the band, but we have known him since he was 15 years old. We met Rob when he came out to play regularly at our weekly blues jam. In the last 15 years, Rob graduated with a degree in music from Temple University and served in the armed forces, playing bass in the Army band. Rob's main instrument is bass, but he can play just about every instrument. Having been on the road with the band several times we always loved playing shows with him. Our schedules have finally allowed the opportunity to bring Rob in full-time and the band is thrilled

https://www.skylaburrell.com/

Khadijah “Renee” is a Jazz Songstress in the vein of the Great Ladies of Jazz.... Her resonant tones remind you of the ladies who paved their way through the male dominated syncopated instrumental ingenious sounds of Be-Bop and Classical Jazz from as early as the 1950′s. If you close your eyes while listening to her, you may hear reminiscent echoes of Sarah, Ella, Billie, Nancy, Dinah and Gloria.

Khadijah is a contralto whose range is deep and sweet at the same time. She has been performing Jazz since the late 80′s in and around the Tri-State area. Khadijah is always accompanied by the best musicians the area has to offer. She has been recorded live at the East Coast Jazz Festival now called the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Maryland and heard on WRTI 90.1 Jazz Radio.

Born and raised in Chester City, PA., Khadijah Renee currently lives and works in Philadelphia, where the jazz audiences there accepted and adopted her as their own. A former member of the Delaware Council of Jazz Advocates, she recently graced the stage of their tribute to Clifford Brown at the Delaware School of Music with a rendition of Sassy’s “September Song”. Khadijah is still paying tribute to the tremendous legacy left by the Diva’s of Jazz with her smooth, deep tones and heartfelt bravado.

https://www.khadijahrenee.com/

Katie Barbato is currently in the studio working on her 10th album “The Trail of Us”.... The album will feature 14 tracks with production and engineering by multi-instrumentalist Brett William Kull (Grey Eye Glances, Echolyn). Katie is a three-time finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. She has performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and she is a regularly featured artist on WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania’s public radio station. In addition to releasing her own music, Barbato composes music for TV and film, such as the theme she wrote for the movie Sugar, starring Shenae Grimes and Marshall Allman. Her song “Magical Ending” was recently featured in the Netflix drama “Yankee”, the MTV series “Busch Family Brewed”, and several of her songs have been featured on the Australian television show “Neighbours”.

Katie has shared the stage with Lucy Wainwright Roche, Mutlu, Shawn Mullins, Melissa Ferrick, Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, Citizen Cope with Meshell Ndegeocello, Ginger Coyle, Liz Longley, Danielle Miraglia, Rise Twain, Darlingside, Mckain Lakey, and Liz Cooper and the Stampede.

“It’s a work of beauty all around, evocative of just the sort of reflective songwriting and artistry that we could never get enough from out of those like Barbato.” -For Folk’s Sake

“The peace-loving Philly native has an innate knack for soaring major/ minor key transitions, imbued with timely, sweet-spot lyrics and supported with rich, cinematic accompaniment. Comparisons to Neko Case and Gillian Welch are perhaps a little too obvious here, as Katie seems to carve out her own niche as a folk rock formalist who creates from a deep well of experience.” -The Vinyl District

“The Philadelphia native has been cultivating her unique style of twangy, heartfelt, socially aware folk rock since she migrated from Boston a few years back. Her sound is fully formed and wonderfully nuanced, like a mystic lovechild of Jeff Tweedy and Gillian Welch. She combines the purity of the latter of with the offbeat Sky Blue Sky-era country of Wilco, striking a delicate balance between self-effacement and deeply meaningful songwriting. I guess a spoon full of sugar does help the medicine go down…” The Vinyl District

http://katiebarbato.com/

Los Angeles musician Pi Jacobs is amplifying the concert experience on Live From Memphis, an inventive new album that places eight original songs alongside the personal stories that shaped them.... Recorded with a full band, the project offers a sincere and sometimes funny look at her formative years, her family relationships, and even a few lessons she’s learned along the way.

“I feel like with all art, there’s an important sense of connection for people,” she says. “It’s part of our humanity. We don’t want to feel alone. The only reason to put these stories out is to help people. That’s it. It’s not for my ego – in fact, parts of them are super embarrassing for me!”

With a laugh, she continues, “In writing these stories, there’s been a little more acceptance of myself. I can’t even explain that healing feeling I had, but it’s been a happy side effect.”

A blend of roots-rock swagger and storytelling soul, the music on Live From Memphis comes from Jacob’s live taping for Ditty TV, which was filmed without an audience. For the set list, she drew six songs from 2020’s Two Truths and a Lie and two others from 2017’s A Little Blue. But rather than using the between-songs banter intended for the viewing audience, she took a page from one of her favorite NPR podcasts and decided to share more of herself than ever before.

Blending roots-rock swagger and storytelling soul, her music has drawn comparisons to Tom Waits, Dolly Parton, and Lucinda Williams.

“The band and I loved how that concert came out so much,” she says. “I thought, what if I write an intro that’s my very personal inspiration for the song? I was listening to people doing that on the Moth Radio Hour and some of these people are so brave. I thought, well, maybe I could do that, too. So I started putting these stories on paper.”

Thus, Live From Memphis begins with a story, specifically how she met her now-husband (not to mention all of Jacobs’ self-enforced dating rules before they met). It’s a terrific icebreaker and also provides a gateway into the unique storytelling aspect of the album.

“The conventional wisdom would say not to start with a slow song. But that song has always had a spiritual quality to it and I feel like it draws people in, in a quiet way,” she says. “It’s a happy story and a good way to introduce my more personal side to people… before I scare them.”

All kidding aside, there’s little for listeners to fear in her detailed anecdotes, whether they’re about tracking down her absent father in Alaska or paying dues as a starving artist in New York City. However, other topics may feel immediately identifiable to anyone, like the impact of the #MeToo movement or growing up without money.

“Listening to this album as a whole now, I’ve gotten OK with the stories,” she says. “When I first started recording them, I had a couple of panic attacks, like, oh my God, I can’t do this. But now I feel like everyone has stuff.”

As a narrator, Jacobs’ voice is engaging and witty, while her pacing is spot-on, with none of her stories turning into mere ramblings. For example, “First Thing Tomorrow” calls to mind the disappointment and shock that many people felt after the 2016 presidential election. Jacobs admits that she stayed drunk for a long time afterwards, just like the character in the song, but ultimately found redemption in activism.

However, for those who felt differently about that election, you can still relate to the lyrical theme of realizing that things aren’t going the way you anticipated – and that you’re not handling it very well. The animated music video, created by Turkish illustrator Mertcan Mertbilek, adds a fanciful and light feeling to the narrative.

Jacobs understands that even if she’s considered a liberal by some, at least she comes by it honestly. Raised by a single mother in the Bay Area, she spent the first two years of her life within a two-mile radius of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.

“I grew up with hippies, so back then I thought everybody was like that,” she says. “But my mom told me it was a bubble, especially in Northern California. So, not everyone is going to relate to being a hippie kid but I think anybody who grew up out of the mainstream will relate to being different.”

Throughout her childhood, storytelling was always around. She learned to read as a toddler and started singing by age 3 in her preschool chorus. Her mother, an avowed hippie who later became a schoolteacher, has been acting in community theatre productions for years, while Jacobs was a theatre kid in school. Pivotal memories from this era come to life in the stories for “Weed and Wine” and “Party Girl.”

Jacobs learned to play guitar at 11 but gravitated toward bass in college, where she also studied jazz and vocal performance. Although she played a few gigs accompanying herself on bass, she made it a point to get better at guitar when she decided to become a songwriter. She moved to New York after landing her first record deal and issued a debut album in 2001.

But when her boyfriend (and now-husband) got a job in Los Angeles, she reluctantly decided to come along. As a native Californian, she says she always dismissed LA, but within a few years she realized how many friends she’d made. “LA is so huge and the Americana scene is small and tight-knit. I found a haven and a supportive community there,” she says.

Tellingly, Live From Memphis concludes on an upbeat vibe with “Good Things,” a rousing song brimming with positive energy that she frequently saves for encores.

“It just has that feel. It’s uptempo and happy and that story has a nice message,” she says. “Just when you think things are darkest, the thing you least expect to happen will be a good thing.” - Craig Shelburn, The Bluegrass Situation

https://pijacobs.com/

Daryl Shawn blends the guitar chops of flamenco and classical with a modern songwriter’s sensibility and the energy of rock.

Originally hailing from Amish farm country in rural Pennsylvania, Shawn has logged many miles in search of musical inspiration and communal experience. With a background in classical guitar, flamenco, jazz and edgy rock, as well as an abiding interest in music from around the globe, Shawn incorporates an unusually broad range of influences into his playing.

His eclecticism and highly varied technique informs a singular vision: solo guitar performances; nylon strings; no altered tunings or effects pedals. His picking proficiency can produce the attack of a full band, or, as Guitar International magazine put it, Shawn “possesses the ability to take a nylon-string guitar and make it roar with dynamic precision and raging power.” Touchstones include Kaki King, Tommy Emmanuel, and Rodrigo y Gabriela, though Shawn’s work stands apart, straddling such genres as world, Americana, folk, and rock, while making something new out of the combination.

His new album, On Time, was released in November 2015. Funded entirely via a successful Kickstarter campaign, the record is informed by Shawn’s globe-hopping and wide-open ears, and includes several tributes, including an ode to the single-stringed Brazilian instrument called the berimbau, and another dedicated to Hua Shan, one of the seven sacred mountains of China. And while it maintains Shawn’s “no effects” ethos, the album does feature some custom preparations, including handmade wooden koto bridges and a dollar bill wedged between strings to emulate an African instrument.

Taking cues from such guitar titans as Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, and Michael Hedges, Shawn combines these influences with his own idiosyncratic vision to create a sonic signature equally at home at folk venues and listening rooms, rock clubs and festival stages.

https://www.darylshawn.com/

The Paul Waltz Band has been around the Chester County area for over 25 years.... Noted for their intricate detail to song writing, they have received merit as the the top unsigned band in the Philadelphia by Music Magazine in 1990. Tour history includes such venues as CBGB’s, The Galaxy, Empire Rock Room, The Caberets, and has been featured on every major radio station in Philadelphia. Most recently The Paul Waltz Band has played such venues as The World Cafe Live opening for The Young Dubliners and also the infamous Trocadero. The founder, Paul Waltz, lives in the Chester County, Pennsylvania area. Paul has been supported by people such as Kevin Williams( The Church ) Chaz Waltz (Young Dubliners, Shooting Star), Robert Scovil (Tom Petty, Rush, Def Leppard ), Norm Dahlor ( The Elders, Tommy Shaw, Shooting Star ) Phil Ehart ( Kansas ).

https://www.facebook.com/The-Paul-Waltz-Band-114591975288402/

Founded in 1998 and based in the Central NJ/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.... At a Gypsies gig, you’re likely to hear songs by such classic blues artists as T-Bone Walker, Ray Charles, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Louis Jordan, Freddie King and Albert Collins, as well as music from contemporary blues performers including Rick Estrin, Rod Piazza, Kid Ramos, Paul DeLay, and James Harman, along with original material in the same vein.

Active since 1998, Orban has performed with or supported such national acts as James Harman, Debbie Davies, Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, Murali Coryell, Lucky Peterson, Jimmy Burns, and Selwyn Birchwood.

The Lineup
Led by founder – and International Blues Hall of Fame inductee – DAVE ORBAN on guitar and vocals, the Gypsies feature MIKE SCOTT on tenor sax and vocals, with MIKE DE MONTE on drums and vocals.

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.

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.

https://www.mojogypsies.com/

Born Michael John Robillard on October 4, 1948, in Woonsocket, R.I., Duke has carved out one of blues' most illustrious legacies, while also trodding some lofty related territories as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, bandleader, studio sideman, producer, label operator and educator.... After showing an early affinity for music and guitar, he founded Roomful Of Blues with pianist Al Copley in Westerly, R.I., in 1967. By adding horns, Roomful announced itself emphatically as the prototypical jump blues band, and became a New England legend and a fixture beyond, as did Duke himself.

His unsurpassed mastery of the guitar style of T-Bone Walker (later crystallized memorably in his 2004 release "Blue Mood") was deservedly heralded, but his breadth was also head-turning - from swing, standards and ballads to rockers, gutbucket Chicago blues and rockabilly.

By the time Duke left Roomful after a dozen years, he was firmly established in the upper echelon of contemporary blues guitarists. Duke went from Roomful to a stint with rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon and then to the first iteration of the Legendary Blues Band, composed primarily of then-recent Muddy Waters sidemen.

The Duke Robillard Band debuted in 1981, re-emerging as The Pleasure Kings with their eponymous 1984 album on Rounder. It and its sequel, "Too Hot To Handle," burnished Duke's songwriting portfolio; the 1987 jazz outing "Swing" (with saxophonist Scott Hamilton) underscored his versatility and remains a highlight.

Continuing his solo career, Duke replaced Jimmie Vaughan with The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1990. He cut his own much-awaited straight blues album "Duke's Blues" in 1993 for Canadian imprint Stony Plain, leading eventually to a rewarding, continuing and prolific alliance, along with releases during the ensuing years on Point Blank/Virgin and Shanachie, as well as instructional videos. He has also launched his own labels with Jesse Finkelstein, Blue Duchess/Shining Stone.

Duke's prolificity has included producing albums by Billy Boy Arnold, Joe Louis Walker, Rosco Gordon, Jimmy Witherspoon and Jay McShann, Zuzu Bollin, Billy Price and Otis Clay, Sunny Crownover, Bryan Lee and Al Basile as well as recording two collaborations with Herb Ellis, a pairing with his successor in Roomful, Ronnie Earl, a seat in the New Guitar Summit with J. Geils and Gerry Beaudoin, additional studio credits with Bob Dylan (the well-regarded 1997 "Time Out Of Mind"), Ruth Brown, Johnny Adams, Pinetop Perkins, Snooky Pryor, Al Copley, Todd Sharpville and Tony Z, and touring with Tom Waits in 2006.

Duke's resume is decorated with Grammy nominations, Handy Awards and Blues Music Awards, and other honors for his artistry, recordings and productions within the United States and internationally. On his latest release, "Duke Robillard and his Dames of Rhythm" on M.C. Records, he wields an acoustic archtop and joins six thrushes for evocative and enjoyable renditions of 1920s and 1930s swing tunes; it's a worthy successor to his 2016 BMA-winning "The Acoustic Blues And Roots Of Duke Robillard."

Duke remains based in Rhode Island and a whirlwind as a musician, producer, gardener and photographer. But wait, there's more: he's now creating fine art abstract paintings, too! At this point for Duke, versatility and mastery should come as anything but a surprise; it just means more richness in a superlative career for us to celebrate. by Dick Shurman- Noted blues historian and producer

"One of the great players" BB King "Robillard is a soloist of stunning force and originality." the New York Times "Most everything Duke Robillard has done as a guitarist during the past four-plus decades...bears witness to his musical intelligence and his dedication to his craft".- Downbeat "Robillard's ability to play across the spectrum of blues is legendary. Few players can move stylistically from Texas to Kansas City to Chicago's West Side, but Robillard makes it seem easy."- Guitar Player "A guitarist's guitarist, prolific producer, and master of all things blues, Duke Robillard walks the tightrope between traditionalism and experimentation...He's a master of many styles who moves forward while maintaining a firm grounding in the past."- Blues Revue GRAMMY Nominations for Best Traditional Blues Album for 2010 Stomp! The Blues Tonight and 2006 Guitar Groove-a-Rama The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C.Handy Awards) have named Duke Robillard "Best Blues Guitarist" four years out of five (2000,2001,2003,2004) making him the second most honored guitarist for that award! He was also nominated in that category in 2005, 2007 2008.

https://dukerobillard.com/

Born on the Asbury Park circuit, reinvigorated in the City of Angels with the City of B-love in between.... James Pace - Guitar, Vocals
Dave Filiaggi - Bass
Jesse Petas - Drums, Percussion
Mike Macartney - Organ / Keys
Donnia Holden - Vocals
Masha Smith - Vocals

Original music that focuses on the sounds of 1968-75; Influenced by Hendrix, Cream, Brothers Johnson, James Brown - Vintage Fender Strat tones into a burly Marshall.

Two masters of Delta and Piedmont blues stylings bring to life the music of Sonny Terry and Brownie MaGhee, Big Bill Broonzy, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Son House and others as well as in-genre originals.... 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/

Jad Tariq is a young man who surely knows his way around a guitar. As a guitar player and vocalist in John Nemeth's band, he brings precision and passion to his barely contained pyrotechnics on stage... He has been a fixture on the Memphis music circuit for several years, and has toured and recorded with numerous major award winning artists. He is building a sizeable fanbase nationwide as a headline performer as well.

The Future of the Blues is a young blues supergroup, the brainchild of "Harmonica Slim", Derek Matteson. Pulling together the top young players from Philadelphia's vibrant blues scene and far beyond, he has a group reminiscent of the "Super Sessions" players from the 60's. Each of these artists has been raised on the milk of mother blues from their early years, and have earned serious accolades on the national blues scene in recent times. Catching them together for a blockbuster concert will be an over the top experience for any blues lover. The core group features Derek Matteson, Jeffrey Attakorah and Zack Lees with a rotating cast of rhythm section players.

Her Beginning…
Miss Bey's musical roots began in South Philadelphia. She was singing before the age of five. Starlene’s first big performance was her kindergartens graduation ceremony. She sang her very first solo, "Me & My Teddy Bear," and that was the beginning. ... Most of her influence came from her musical family, the smooth velvety tenor voice of her uncle Salome Bey, her Father Melvin’s deep baritone sound and the countertenor voice of her Godfather Sam. Together they sang amazing harmony and recorded albums as, "The Brotherhood." Star followed her dad’s suggestion to joined a Gospel church and sing alto in the choir. She became a choir member and lead singer, which ignited her faith, passion and love of God. That musical shift was life changing. That was when she discovered her unique vocal power.

Starlene was educated musically in high school where she joined the school Orchestra and learned to play and read music. Soon thereafter she earned First Chair Honors by mastering the Viola. Starlene honed her vocal skills as a member of elite vocal groups, gospel choirs, music competitions and live band jam sessions.

Recording Artist…
Starlene first recorded as a teen with Jazz Pianist Alfi Pollit, Byard Lancaster and Stacey Harcum at Morning Star Studios. Her current recordings are with Emmy Award Winner Bill Jolly’s Studio and Sera Phi Studios in Philly, New York's Jam Box Studio and Mastered by Grammy Award Winner Glenn Barratt’s Morning Star Studios in Norristown. Starlene is most honored to be produced by the Legendary Norman Connors. Mr. Connors has discovered and produced many great singers including Jean Carne, Michael Henderson Phyllis Hyman, Glenn Jones. Starlene Bey is Norman Connors newest Artist. She joins Mr. Connors elite family of professional singers. The new mentee and mentor created a multi-genre project honoring five jazz, blues and RnB singers of the past. Their idea was to create a Philly and New York style Jazz, Blues and RnB EP and LP based on the songs Starlene chose.

Radio Interviews...
Starlene has been interviewed by Philly's top DJ Ms. Patti Jackson WDAS 105.3FM Radio, Dyana Williams 100.3 FM, WURD 96.1FM Radio David Barnes, WPEB 88.1FM Renee McBride, WKDU 91.7 FM Doug Page. Local Newspaper articles include BPN, Scoop USA, Sunday Sun and The Tribune.

Stage and Film Acting…
Starlene has also been casts in stage plays and movies, most notably, the Oprah Winfrey movie "Beloved" and ABC movie "The Light." She played the leading role in the stage play "The Dinah Washington Story" and was a cast member in Writer/Producer Rick Watson stage plays ”Your Girlfriend Needs To Mind Her Business” and “A Woman Scorned.”

Live Show Venues...
Starlene’s performance venues include The Dell Music Center, Warm Daddy's Blues Restaurant, Kelsey’s Atlantic City, Paris Jazz Cafe, The Clef Club, Relish, The Sugar Bar, LaRose, Calabash, Rudy’s FL, Venice Theater Jazz@The Wyndham, City Hall Holiday Fest and the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival. Miss Bey’s team is planning a Promotional Tour ‘The Starlene Bey Experience’ Sassy and Soulful’ Showcase

Performance Style...
On stage Starlene is sassy and soulful with a smooth sensual storytelling style which gives a unique dynamic to her performance. She brings humor to the show and a host of accomplished and seasoned Musicians. Starlene has an eclectic repertoire of heartfelt songs. This lady loves music and sings from the very depths of her soul.

https://www.starlenebey.com/

Back in the good ol’ days, adjectives such as “unique”, “genuine”, “influential”, “innovative”, “exciting”, “dynamic”, “incandescent,” and “trail-blazing”, were often used by peers and music critics to describe the sounds of the Blues Project, arguably the greatest relatively unsung American rock band of the swinging 60s.... In the fall of 1965, The Blues Project played alongside the likes of Big Joe Williams, Son House, Bukka White, Skip James, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Otis Spann, to name a few. It was these legendary sold-out performances at the famed Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village that eventually led to the release of their phenomenal debut album, Live at the Cafe Au Go Go. The Blues Project made a musical revolution, turning many people on to the American blues heritage.

The blues, however was only their starting point…

In 1966, after their leader Danny Kalb declared that “we’re not reviving the blues, we’re looking to interpret what’s happening today,” the Blues Project moved beyond the blues and recorded their studio masterpiece, Projections, an album that defies description, ranging from folk-rock to soul, from rock ‘n’ roll and blues to jazz, all blended together to produce a tremendously wide spectrum of music. With that album they advertised that there was no type of music they could not play, always managing to give each their own special sound – a bit of rock ‘n’ roll, a touch of rhythm ‘n’ blues, some soul, a dash of jazz, and you still have only a portion of their style.

Straight out of New York, the Blues Project soon toured all over North America. Back then, California, was the place to be, with San Francisco and Los Angeles as the two epicenters of the new age of rock and roll. The five New Yorkers played there and conquered the West.

In Los Angeles, MGM gave them the red carpet treatment They were put up at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, given a tour of the Hollywood film studios, and were even rewarded with a private showing of the new David Lean film, Doctor Zhivago.

In San Francisco, the birthplace of the hippie counterculture movement and of the psychedelic rock, they achieved the admiration of their local peers. The not-yet famous Grace Slick, for example, dreamed to be the band’s new female singer after sharing the bill with them at the Avalon Ballroom when she was still a member of the Great Society. Ed Denson, manager of Country Joe and the Fish, was another who became an instant fan after seeing them at the Matrix. “Their stage presence and their performance have an authority which comes from the secure knowledge that they are one of the best groups going,” he recalls. “For the three weeks that they were here they were indisputably the best band in the city.”

He was so right. Danny Kalb on lead guitar, Steve Katz on rhythm guitar and harmonica, Roy Blumenfeld on drums, Andy Kulberg on bass and flute, and Al Kooper on organ, all skillful musicians who mastered their instruments. They were so talented and versatile that they set a high standard for other performers of their generation.

In 1967, at the peak of their success and after the release of their third album, Live at Town Hall, the band appeared at one of their last gigs – the legendary Monterey International Pop Festival which featured Otis Redding, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix and many more soon to be legends. The Blues Project then split up in two different directions, with Kooper and Katz forming Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Kulberg and Blumenfeld keeping the Blues Project name and carrying on for another year and for another album, Planned Obsolescence, before changing the name of the group to Seatrain.

At the dawn of the 70s, for the joy of their old fans, Danny Kalb and Roy Blumenfeld put together a new version of the Blues Project with which they released two new albums, Lazarus in 1971, and Blues Project in 1972. The good reception eventually led to what their fans really wanted and waited for for a long time, i.e. the reunion tour of the classic lineup which culminated with their widely acclaimed appearance at the 6th Annual Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park in June of 1973, and with the release of a live album, Reunion In Central Park.

After a few sporadic reunion concerts through the 80s and 90s, the “original” Blues Project disbanded for good, most of all because Al Kooper became too busy with his solo career, and the passing away of Andy Kulberg in 2008. Despite it all, even in the new millennium, the band maintained a die hard fan base of old and new fans, so it was mostly for them that at least Danny Kalb, Steve Katz, and Roy Blumenfeld, did a new reunion tour in 2012. The shows were well received and their fans asked for more so, in 2021, here we go again. The Blues Project is alive and well, with Katz and Blumenfeld leading a new powerful lineup that also includes three young and talented “pupils”: Chris Morrison on lead guitar, Scott Petito on bass, and Ken Clark on keyboards and vocals.

The Blues Project was one of the first, and remains one of the finest, of the creative bands, Go and see them when they hit your hometown. Trust me, they’re like a fine wine. They get better with age, and the best is yet to come!

Roy Blumenfeld - Drums, Vocals

Roy Blumenfeld had a ringside seat from his drum kit on some of the most exciting musical events in New York City during the mid-’60s. Born in the Bronx in 1944, he reached his teens as the first wave of American rock and roll was being created. He took up the drums and found himself drawn to blues, RandB, and jazz. Blumenfeld linked up with bassist Andy Kulberg through work with Al Kooper on the latter’s early solo recordings for the Elektra Records sampler What’s Shakin’. In 1965, he joined guitarist Danny Kalb in the latter’s new band, which, with the addition of Kooper to the lineup, became the Blues Project. Blumenfeld was one of the longest serving members of the renowned group, whose mixture of RandB, blues, jazz, folk, and rock and roll influences made them a major cult band of the ’60s, and a huge influences on generations of other musicians. He was there past its end: with Kulberg, he formed Seatrain out of the ruins of the Blues Project in 1968. He played on folk singer Mark Spoelstra’s self-titled album for Columbia Records in 1969, and also on the subsequent Blues Project reunions. Blumenfeld worked with Nick Gravenites in the ’70s and Robert Hunter at various times in the ’80s and ’90s, but his most visible gig was with Kooper on the live shows that became Soul of a Man.

Back in the mythic Summer of Love, 1967 - if you were in New York City, the place to be was MacDougal Street. The club to be in was the Cafe Au Go Go, pedigreed in hipness by Lenny Bruce’s famous profanity bust there by the NYPD. The Au Go Go’s star band was the Blues Project, a group on the cutting edge of improvisational, classical, blues and jazz. Danny Kalb was the Project’s lead guitarist and vocalist, Al Kooper was the keyboardist and vocalist, Steve Katz was its guitarist and vocalist, There was Andy Kulberg on bass and flute. And the drummer - the heartbeat - for the group was Roy Blumenfeld.

Scott Petito - Bass, Vocals

Scott Petito is an award winning composer, producer and engineer. He is a gifted bassist and multi-instrumentalist who has performed on hundreds of recordings in many musical styles. Scott has become particularly well known for his work in the folk and jazz genres, working with such musicians as; James Taylor, Pete Seeger, The Band, Jack DeJohnette, Don Byron and Dave Brubeck.

Scott studied composition and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has scored films for the BBC, Robert Redford and PBS. His productions have charted in Billboard Magazine and have received gold record honors. Scott composed the theme song for the NPR program “With Good Reason”. He is a member of the seminal political/poetic rock group The Fugs. For many years he toured and recorded with partner, Leslie Ritter. During this period of time, their recordings received worldwide acclaim. Scott’s ambient solo bass record, “Sbass Music” debuted at the top of the NAV Charts and has been played on over 450 radio stations in the US and abroad.

“…Petito’s been quietly amassing an awesome body of fine work, practically creating his own sub-genre of intelligent adult music…” – The Woodstock Times

Chris Morrison - Lead Guitar, Vocals

Hi. I’m Chris Morrison, a guitarist and vocalist based in CT. From my musical beginnings I’ve always been influenced by classic blues based rock from the 60’s/70’s and the earlier blues that influenced it. I play by my instincts, play what’s right for the song, and play as one part of a cohesive whole. Some more notable groups I have played with through the years are Deja Blue Blues Band, Colossus, a rock power trio, and Moppin’ Sauce, a 10 pc funk/soul review. For the past many years I’ve been guitarist for the Clark Eno Orchestra, playing weddings and parties in the CT/NY/Mass area. Most recently, I was fortunate to tour the US playing lead guitar with the 2016 winner of NBC’s “The Voice” Sawyer Fredericks, and contributed some slide guitar on a track off his debut album.

Some of the more notable venues I’ve had the opportunity to perform at include - Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, NY - The Troubador, Los Angeles, CA - Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT - House of Blues, San Diego, CA - Daryl’s House, Pawling, NY - The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA - Triple Door Theater, Seattle, WA - Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO - Rollins Studio Theater, Austin, TX - Towne Crier Cafe, Beacon, NY - Ives Center, Danbury, CT - Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT - Red Room Sound Studio, Torrington, CT

Ken Clark - Keyboards and Vocals

Not to be confused with country/bluegrass artist Ken Clark or the late bebop drummer Kenny Clarke, the Ken Clark profiled in this bio is a jazz-oriented organist who is also comfortable playing RandB, funk, and blues. The Boston resident (who plays electric keyboards and acoustic piano as secondary instruments) isn’t the type of organist who is content to emulate Jimmy Smith’s seminal ’50s and ’60s recordings — Smith is an influence on Clark, but so are Larry Young, John Medeski (of Medeski, Martin and Wood fame), and Charles Earland. Clark’s playing sometimes brings to mind German organist Barbara Dennerlein, although she isn’t necessarily an influence — rather, it’s probably a case of Dennerlein and Clark having mutual influences.

Eternal FunkClark isn’t a native Bostonian; he was born in New York City in the late ’60s and grew up in the Big Apple. But in the mid-’80s, he moved to Boston to study jazz with pianist Charlie Banacos and guitarist Garrison Fewell and attend the prestigious Berklee School of Music. Instead of returning to New York after studying with those artists and attending Berklee, Clark opted to remain in Boston and became a fixture on the city’s music scene. In 1992, he formed the Ken Clark Organ Trio, employing Mike Mele (whom he knew from Berklee) on guitar — and 11 years later, the group was still together. Clark’s group has used different drummers over the years; in 2003, Steve Chaggaris (another Berklee alumni) was playing drums for Clark’s trio. As a sideman, Clark has backed various female vocalists, including Fatwall Jack and swing/jump blues artist Michelle Willson. Clark’s albums as a leader include The Ken Clark Organ Trio on Aspire Records and Eternal Funk, which the Severn label released in 2003.

https://bluesproject.net/

Katie Henry, the New Jersey songwriter might have started out banging on doors, braving New York's blues clubs, playing piano until her fingers bled, and winning over the city one show at a time. But lately, the multi-instrumentalist has raced through career milestones at a rocket pace. There was her Blues Blast and IBMA-nominated 2018 debut album, High Road. Her international breakout on Ruf's 2022 Blues Caravan Revue. Her starburst of media acclaim, including Henry Yates of Classic Rock, NME, and The Guardian, saluted "a runaway talent you need to keep up with."

Now, with the release of her second album, On My Way, Katie has found another gear. Whether slinging her trusty Gibson SG, hammering the keys, or hollering up a storm, these ten original songs, co-written with bassist and slide-guitar maestro Antar Goodwin, announced her as an alchemist who creates gemstones from the base metals of American roots. "There's a great range of songs on this album," Katie reflects. "You get a sense of the things I've been going through, the fights I've won, the fights I've lost, and the determination needed to continue. All wrapped in a rock and roots package."

The story goes that at one early show, a fan astutely observed: "It's like she's got John Lee Hooker in her pocket!" Scratch this young artist, and you'll find an old soul. Fingering her first piano chords, aged six, and scrawling early songs in the back of her school notebooks, Katie was the heart of singalongs at her family home in New Jersey. With fiery guitar chops and natural charisma, she was soon a New York City jam scene favorite. Those who were there, remember songs of many genres, blues, rock, RnB, funk, pop, soul, and country, and her stage presence evoked Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin at their most magnetic.

And while “High Road” was the introductory handshake, On My Way is the profoundly personal second album on which Katie gives you her beat-up heart. It all started in May 2021, when Brooklyn's Degraw Sound opened its doors to Katie and producer/guitarist Ben Rice. The crack lineup of Goodwin, Kurt Thum (piano/organ,) and Greg Wieczorek (drums/percussion,) plus British harp ace Giles Robson. "We recorded the album live during the pandemic," reflects Katie, "and it was so fun to be able to record in a room with people after feeling isolated for such a long time. The majority of the album was laid down live, and I love that feeling. It's like capturing lightning in a bottle."

https://katiehenrymusic.com/

Pianist, Hammond organist and composer Anthony Geraci was born in New Haven, Conn. in 1954. His interest in playing piano began at age four when he told his parents “I want a piano!”... Kind of an odd request when most kids want a new baseball glove or bicycle. His parents weren’t musical-not even a record player at their house- but they always supported his undeniable passion for music. They soon bought a Kimball Grand Piano that his mother paid $4 a week to own. Lessons at the Neighborhood School of Music, affiliated with Yale University, soon followed. At around the age of sixteen he befriended a fellow musician, Ed Cherry, at high school. They began listening to music together after school and one day Ed played a Jimmy Rogers recording, Chicago Bound, that literally changed his life. Ed went on to be Dizzy Gillespie’s guitarist for many years.

New Haven was rich as far as listening to and seeing major music artists, and NYC was only a few hours away by train. Seeing Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Willie Dixon was part of his blues education that could only be learned by seeing these great artists fist hand. Years later Anthony had the opportunity to play piano with Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Rodgers and many more-something a sixteen year old budding blues pianist would never have seemed possible. Anthony has recorded with Big Walter Horton, Ronnie Earl, Big Jack Johnson, Zora Young, Sugaray Rayford, Debbie Davies, Kenny Neal and many more great Blues Artists. Anthony graduated from the Berklee College of Music with B.A. Degree, and a M.A. from Skidmore College.

His critically-acclaimed 2015 release, Fifty Shades of Blue, (Delta Groove Records) earned multiple Blues Music Award nominations from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. Nominations include: Best Song-for the title track, Best Album, and Best Traditional Blues Album. Anthony also received an individual nomination for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Award. Fifty Shades Of Blue was also nominated for Traditional Blues Album of the year by Blues Blast Magazine, and was ranked as one of the top 50 Blues recordings of 2015 by Living Blues Magazine, and earned a 4 Star Review in Downbeat Magazine.

In 2019, Why Did You Have To Go (Shining Stone) received nominations by the Blues Foundation Blues Music Awards for Album of the Year, Traditional Album of the Year, Song of the Year-"Angelina, Angelina", as well as individual nominations: Pinetop Perkins Piano Award, Traditional Male Blues Artist and Band of the Year-An unprecedented 6 personal Nominations!

His 2020 release, Daydreams In Blue (Shining Stone) debuted at #1 - Living Blues Radio chart, #1 -Roots Music Report-Blues, and #4 - Billboard Blues Chart.

In 2021, Anthony won the Instrumentalist-Piano from the Blues Foundation/Blues Music Awards Memphis, TN. Anthony Geraci and The Boston Blues All-Stars were nominated for Band of the Year.

Following his chart-topping Daydreams in Blue, Anthony returns with Blues Called My Name, a dynamic collection of original compositions featuring esteemed special guests Anne Harris, Walter Trout, Sugar Ray Norcia, Monster Mike Welch, Erika Van Pelt, and The Boston Blues All-Stars. Award-winning blues guitarist Ronnie Earl shared this praise for Geraci and the new album: "Anthony has been contributing to this music for many years, and his new album illuminates the many colors, shades, and styles of the blues. Anthony is very inspiring, and I love his dedication to the old masters like Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, and Big Maceo Merriweather."

https://www.anthonygeraciblue.com/

2016 Blues Music Award (BMA) Winner and frequent BMA nominee Billy Price first attracted national attention during his three-year association with guitarist Roy Buchanan. Price is the vocalist on two of Buchanan's LPs, That's What I'm Here For and Live Stock. Since then, with the Keystone Rhythm Band, the Billy Price Band, and solo projects, Billy Price has recorded and released a total of 20 albums, CDs, and DVDs.... Price’s album This Time for Real, with the late Chicago soul singer Otis Clay, received a 2016 Blues Music Award in the category of Best Soul Blues Album of 2015. His 2018 album Reckoning, produced by Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studios for Vizztone, was nominated for a 2019 Blues Music Award in the category of Best Soul Blues Album of 2018. His 2019 album Dog Eat Dog, also produced by Andersen, was nominated for a 2020 BMA for Best Soul Blues Album of 2019. He was also nominated for a 2020 BMA for Best Male Soul Blues Artist. In 2022, he released a 3-CD compilation retrospective of his career on GetHip Recordings titled 50+ Years of Soul.

The Billy Price Band, based in Billy’s hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., consists of Dave Dodd (drums), Tom Valentine (bass), Lenny Smith (guitar), Jim Britton (keyboards), Eric Spaulding (sax), and Joe Herndon (trumpet). They won the Pittsburgh City Paper Reader’s Poll in 2021 as the most popular blues band in the city.

https://www.billyprice.com/

Blues lovers and players have made Jamey's their home away from home, and know that this is the best place to come for some really good and inexpensive eats, beer on tap from Conshohocken Brewing Company, fresh ground coffee and espresso, great music, and friendly people. The vibe is home-like and cool, and the sound is out of this world. Jamey's provides a full... professional grade backline, so players only need to bring their instrument or personal microphone to jump up on stage and jam. Plus, we are the home of the "Jammie-Jam" which means you can come as you are in your Sunday morning PJ's. Just roll out of bed and right on over to Jamey's!

The open mic jam runs from 1 pm to 3 pm, and the host band lays down a set from noon to 1 pm to get things rolling and then supports guest jammers as needed. The always rocking SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH rocks a a HAPPY HOUR from noon to 1pm. Featuring two bucks off draft beers and hard ciders, and a dollar off wines! The open mic runs from 1 to 3pm, and admission is 100% free! Our tasty and immensely popular brunch menu is available the whole time to make your tummy as happy as your ears with freshly prepared eats. It sure doesn't get better than this!


The Host bands are the well-known and loved Philly Blues Kings, comprised of Bluesman Dave Reiter on guitar, keys and vocals, Bill Marconi on drums and vocals and Jamey Reilly on bass on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Sundays and the all-star superband, the Girke-Davis Project, featuring international artist Roger Girke on guitar and vocals, Dukes of Destiny front man, John Colgan-Davis on vocals and harmonica, Hammond organ ace Glenn Bickel, First call drummer extraordinaire, Fred Berman, and Jamey Reilly on bass.

Blues lovers new and old can come to play, eat, drink, chat and enjoy a day soaked in the blues. Many guests also like to host gatherings or parties during the brunch, as there are tables and chairs for dining, and comfortable seats to listen to the music - and it does not cost them a thing to meet up there! Plus, it is wheelchair accessible, and has plenty of free local parking. Being right in the center of downtown Lansdowne, next to the train station, there is abundant public transportation as well.

Check out the mouth watering brunch menu on our menu page. We have instituted a $5 food or drink minimum per person to help keep the lights on.

No reservations are needed. Just load up some friends and head on down!

Blues Jam Guidelines
This is a BLUES jam, not a generic open mic. Your set should focus on blues music only. Please do not attempt other genres or you may be cut off.
You must sign your name and instrument on the clipboard list first if you want to play.
Guests will play between 2 to 4 songs depending upon the backlog of guests. Please have your set list and keys ready. Keep the tunes simple so everyone can play without learning your material.
Tune up before you get up to play.
Singers should bring their own mic. If you use our mic, you will be handed a sanitary cover to place on the mic before use, and self-remove to the trash after you are finished.
Keep each song under 5 minutes.
The jam is for beginners as well as experts, but players should be at least moderately proficient on their instrument of choice.
Control dynamics. If you can't hear the vocalist or the lead instrument, then consider yourself too loud. Watch your volume and turn it down, if asked.
Players should vacate the stage area as quickly as possible, so the next group can get up.
You can sign up again at the bottom of the list after your set. Everyone gets a chance to play once.

https://www.phillyblueskings.com

https://www.girke-davis.com

Jamey's is proud to be a prime home base for the Philadelphia region's world class jazz community. We welcome players and lovers of all things jazz to come and hang your hat and enjoy an evening of outstanding live music in our cool and classy listening room and restaurant. We feature a full professional... backline including a dual manual Hammond organ with leslie, Nord keyboard, Bucks County drums and an assortment of top quality amplifiers... not to mention the best sound system of any small club on the east coast. Stop the presses! The already superb THURSDAY JAZZ JAM is kicking off a CROOKED EYE HAPPY HOUR from 6 to 7pm, featuring two bucks off draft beers and hard ciders, and a dollar off wines!!! The Trio and open mic still runs from 8 to 10pm. Our tasty and immensely popular dinner menu is available the whole time to make your tummy as happy as your ears with freshly prepared eats. It sure doesn't get better than this!

The Dave Reiter Trio lays down the backing for some out of this world jazz to happen, and you never know who might show up to join in. Reiter is a long time jazz pro, and is equally at home on the 7 string guitar, Nord keyboard or our top of the line Hammond organ setup. Bill Marconi is on drums, his name is known to jazz aficionados around the world. Holding down the bottom on most nights, is first-call Philly bassist, George Livanos.

We have started a very popular GUEST SINGER SERIES featuring many of the best singers in the region performing a set from 7 to 8 pm with the backing of the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians. The upcoming calendar is starring:

June 8 - Suzie Telep
June 15 - Lisa Chavous
June 29 - Khadijah Renee
July 27 - Geri Oliver
August 31 - Khadijah Renee
September 7 - Greg Farnese
September 28 - Geri Oliver
October 26 - Khadijah Renee
November 9 - Geri Oliver
November 30 - Khadijah Renee
December 28 - Khadijah Renee

Protocol for guest singers night vocalists:
Thursday night is jazz night at Jamey's. We love RandB, blues, etc - but that's not what we do on Thursdays. Remembering this and following the guidelines below, prepare a list of the songs you want to do and the keys in which you do them. If you have videos of your versions of the tunes on line (e.g. YouTube), include links to them as a guide to your style. Our house band leader will contact you by email a few days ahead of your scheduled performance to get your list.

• Select enough tunes to fill an hour, sticking to jazz standards, GAS, etc.
• With no resources for rehearsal or long periods of study beforehand, this is not an ideal setting for originals or very intricate arrangements of even commonly played songs. Sight reading new music in live performance is fun at jams but can be a bit risky for scheduled programs. The band wants to sound great to help you be your best.
• Let David know if you think an original might be a good fit, and we'll all work together to either include it in your set or try it with you afterward.
• We'll tackle anything you want to try during the jam after your formal set, if you want to hang with us. We love to try new things, but not at your expense 😁
• We've played a few wonderful new tunes written by or for a few of our vocalists, after the band reviewed the charts and videos and was comfortable with them. Send a chart and video link to David and discuss it with him.
• No recording should be done without discussing it first with the band. Depending on your intended use, we may ask for signed agreements with the band members to limit use to non-commercial efforts. You may need formal agreement from the band members, if you'd otherwise have to pay a band and get a signed release for your intended use.

Doors open at 6pm for dinner, no reservations needed. There is abundant local free parking, and we are a few steps from the Lansdowne train from Philly. We feature a dozen fresh cold brews on tap from our partners at Conshohocken Brewing Co as well as hard cider and premium PA wines and spirits, Fresh brewed Green Street Coffee, espressos and our excellent dinner menu earns rave reviews... all at modest prices. We have instituted a $5 food or drink minimum per person to help keep the lights on. Our friendly staff is at your service.

Won't you join us for a great night out?

Jazz Jam Guidelines
This is a JAZZ jam, not a generic open mic. Your set should focus on jazz music only. Please do not attempt other genres or you may be cut off.
You must sign your name and instrument on the clipboard list first if you want to play.
Guests will play between 2 to 4 songs depending upon the backlog of guests. Please have your set list and keys ready. Keep the tunes simple so everyone can play without learning your material.
Tune up before you get up to play.
Singers may bring their own mic. If you use our mic, you will be handed a sanitary cover to place on the mic before use, and self-remove to the trash after you are finished.
Keep each song under 5 minutes.
The jam is for beginners as well as experts, but players should be at least moderately proficient on their instrument of choice.
Control dynamics. If you can't hear the vocalist or the lead instrument, then consider yourself too loud. Watch your volume and turn it down, if asked.
Players should vacate the stage area as quickly as possible, so the next group can get up.
You can sign up again at the bottom of the list after your set. Everyone gets a chance to play once.