On Stage: Dukes of Destiny come home to The Flash

Also: Academy Award winning actress shows her musical side and more!

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

At times, certain venues and certain acts go together like beer and baseball or peanut butter and jelly. That chemistry exists between a club in Kennett Square and a blues-based band from Philly. The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) and the Dukes of Destiny, who will be performing there on January 24, have a long history together.

“We play at a wide variety of venues — the Mermaid Inn is our home away from home,” said John Colgan-Davis, during a phone interview from his Philadelphia home last week. “We’ve played The Flash a lot over the years and have always had a great time there. It’s one of our favorite places to play.”

The Dukes of Destiny, who have been treating fans to belly-filling helpings of blues and old-school soul for almost three decades, are Arlyn Wolters (vocals), AC Steel (guitar, vocals), Bob Holden (drums, vocals), Chicago Carl Snyder (keyboards, vocals), Rich Curtis (bass, vocals) and John Colgan-Davis (harmonica, vocals).

In addition to performing at most of the clubs in the Tri-State area, the Philly-based band has performed at the Pocono Blues Festival, the Waterfront Jam at Philadelphia’s Penn’s Landing, the State Street Blues Stroll in Media, the Bucks County R’n’B Picnic, the New Jersey Folk Festival and the Longwood Gardens Summer Concert Series.

“I grew up in West Philly and went to Central High,” said Colgan-Davis. “That’s where I got into the blues. When I was in school, I saw the Stones on ‘Shindig’ and they brought out Howlin’ Wolf.”

Howlin’ Wolf, whose real name was Chester Burnett, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player who was one of the premier Chicago bluesmen. He also served as a catalyst for the young Colgan-Davis’ musical career.

“When I saw Howlin’ Wolf on that TV show, I jumped up and said — this is what I want to do. I started playing blues when I was 16. My dad gave me a grab bag for my birthday and a harmonica was in it.

“I started listening to blues records a lot — players like Muddy Waters and James Cotton. I was really into Chicago blues of the 1950s and 1960s when I started. Then, I got into guys like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. One of the first bands I played in was a Philly blues band called Sweet Stavin’ Chain.”

A while later, the Dukes of Destiny became the main musical vehicle for Colgan-Davis. At first they played house parties in Germantown, generating word of mouth interest. A gig at the now-defunct Taker’s Cafe in Germantown launched their public career

“The Dukes got together in the mid-1980s,” said Colgan-Davis. “Steve Brown started the band and it began with that gig at Taker’s Café. Steve died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 and I’ve been the leader ever since. Steve has always been in my mind. We did a tribute concert to him a few years ago and we still do some of his favorites in our set.

“We have a whole range of music in what we can play — everything from Chicago blues to old-school soul. What’s great about the Dukes is that we’re a band. We use each other’s strengths. Arlyn and I do the bulk of the singing but everybody in the band sings.

“We play a couple times a month — more in the summer. We all have other jobs. I’m a school teacher at Friends Select School. We’ve been around as the Dukes of Destiny for a long time. A big reason we’ve been able to do that is that we love playing together.”

The show at The Flash, which is billed as “Dukes of Destiny Dance Party & Concert,” is slated to start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 day of show.

Other upcoming shows at The Flash are Edna’s Tribe with Jason Anger opening on January 23. The show on January 22 featuring comedian Joe Conklin is sold out.

Sally Kellerman, who will present a one-woman show at the Rrazz Room (6426 Lower York Road, New Hope, 888-596-1027, www.TheRrazzRoom.com) on January 24, is familiar to most people as a top flight actress — especially from her role as Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the award-winning film “M*A*S*H.”

But, when Kellerman brings her act to the popular supper club in Bucks County on Saturday night, she will not be presenting a theatrical performance.

Kellerman’s show is titled “A Little Jazz, a Little Blues, a Little Rock and Roll” and billed as “an eclectic celebration of her cabaret career — from her early years at Reno Sweeney in Greenwich Village up to recent performances in Hollywood.”

Is Kellerman an actress who likes to sing on the side or a singer who also had success as a film and stage actress? Surprisingly, she began her career in entertainment as a singer.

She was born in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and attended Hollywood High. When she was 18, Kellerman signed a recording contract with Verve Records, one of the top jazz labels of the era. But, she didn’t record her first album “Roll with the Feelin’” until 17 years later.

“Music came first and acting came later,” said Kellerman, during a phone interview last week from her home in Southern California. “I was under contract with Verve when I was 18. But, I was too scared to record so I went into acting.

“I was a geek back then and had low self-esteem. I started therapy and then the acting took off. I always took singing lessons. And, I was in acting class with Jack Nicholson. His roommate was my boyfriend.”

That acting class was taught by actor/director Jeff Corey and some of Kellerman’s other classmates were Shirley Knight, Dean Stockwell and Robert Blake. In 1970, Kellerman solidified her status as an ‘A List” actress in the movie “M*A*S*H.” Her performance earned her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

“The minute I got nominated for the Academy Award, I started with music again,” said Kellerman. “I wanted soul. I didn’t want to sound like everybody else. I put an 11-piece band together, went out on tour and came back $50,000 in debt.”

Fortunately, Kellerman never gave up on the music part of her career.

“Music has always been a big thing for me,” said Kellerman. “And, I love acting. It’s all been worth it. I never stopped acting — and never stopped working on my music.

Kellerman has recorded albums over the years. The most recent is “Sally,” which came out in 2009.

“I made the album in L.A. with Val Garay,” said Kellerman. “He’s the producer who made ‘Bettie Davis Eyes.’ I also had great musicians with me including Leland Sklar and Russ Kunkel.”

Sklar is a world-famous bass player who has been a session man on more than 2,500 albums, including discs by Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, Reba McEntire, Jackson Browne, Faith Hill and a dozen by James Taylor. Kunkel’s discography also is in quadruple-digits and includes work with Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, B.B. King, Diana Ross and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

“I just want to be a good singer and I have a lot of wonderful new material in my current show,” said Kellerman. “It’s not a cabaret show but there is a thread there. There is a through line — a little jazz, a little blues and a little rock and roll.”

Kellerman’s show at the Rrazz Room is scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.

Bobby Long, who plays the Upstairs Stage at the World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com) on January 24, is a young singer from Wigan, England who built up a solid fan base in America before he even released an album here.

Long, who now lives in New York, continued to add to his fan popularity with his two albums on ATO Records — “A Winter Tale” in 2011 and “Wishbone” in 2013. Now, he is ready to add more listeners to his ever-growing cache with a new album that is fresher than a tray of tea biscuits still hot from the oven.

“I just finished my new record five days ago,” said Long, during a phone interview last Friday from his home in New York. “I just got the masters back today. I did a pledge campaign to fund the album and then recorded it in Austin, Texas.

“I did my last album in L.A. and the one before that was recorded in London. I’ve been lucky enough to move around. Recording in Austin was a bonus. I love the town. My manager had a client who recorded there and was really pleased with the result. So, he suggested I try it.”

Long cut his new album in Austin at The Congress House recording studios with highly-acclaimed producer  Mark Hallman whose resume includes work with Carole King, Hot Club of Cowtown, Dale Watson, Ani DiFranco and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Long also has some of his songs in a new short film that’s playing the festival circuit called “See Seven States from Rock City.

“Mark is a great guy,” said Long. “He’s really good working with solo artists. He’s a multi-instrumentalist — drums, bass, any instrument. He was really good working with someone like me. I’d bring the song in and then we’d build it up together.

“I took 20 songs down there with me. I recorded my bit live and then we added to it. There was a connection there. We worked really fast — try this, yeah, let’s try this — we didn’t muck around. I played guitar, sang and did harmonies. He had a sound engineer who played slide.

“I was looking to play bass on the album but Mark is a great bass player. The big thing I really, really liked — when I have a brain wave, I have to finish it. He likes to focus on one track at a time until he gets that track nailed. So, I was able to concentrate on one thing at a time. I definitely felt he was on the same level as me.”

Not only is Long’s new album fresh, so are all the songs.

“I’d say 90 per cent of the songs were newly written,” said Long. “There is a diversity of songs. With the last album, we wanted to make sure there was a definite line running through — a thread.

“This time, there’s more versatility. We used a harmonium. We used a mellotron on another track — and a Hammond B-3. But, all the kids are from the same house. We cut the album in September in 10 days. We just announced the title — ‘Ode to Thinking’ — and are looking at an April/May release.

Long’s show is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $17.

The upcoming schedule for the Upstairs Stage at the Queen also includes comedian Michael Finazzo on January 23 and The Sermon on January 28. The Downstairs Stage will feature Keystone A Capella and Vox Pop on January 23 and Steve Forbert with Ben Arnold on January 24.

Caitlin Canty, a talented singer-songwriter from Vermont, released her new album this week and quickly embarked on a mini-tour of the Northeast.

The tour got underway at the prestigious Rockwood Music Hall in New York on January 21 and will wrap up next week with three dates in New England — including a sold-out show at Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Fortunately for area fans, Canty’s itinerary includes a southward swing to the Philly area when she headlines a show at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427- 4547, www.burlapandbean.com) on January 22.

Canty’s new album features a dozen well-crafted songs performed by the singer along with a full band. Titled “Reckless Skyline,” it is her first disc without a precious metal in the title. Her first two discs were a solo effort — “Golden Hour” in 2012 — and a band project that released its eponymous record “Down Like Silver” in 2011.

“We recorded the album in four days in October 2013 in Easthampton, Massachusetts,” said Canty, during a recent phone interview from Vermont. “And we mixed it a few months later. The live recording experience in the studio was magic. We had a blast and were efficient too. We cut 19 songs in those four days.”

“I wrote most of these songs in the six months before I went into the studio. I started writing with this band in mind. It’s Jeff’s band from his ‘Horse Latitudes’ tour. The music is more centered around the vibe and personality of the players.”

Foucault is a veteran singer-songwriter who has performed with artists such as Chris Smither, Gillian Welch and Roseanne Cash. He has released nine albums since 2001, including two with the band Cold Satellite.

“The core of the band that I have with me on the road is the same band we had in the studio,” said Canty. “There are five of us in the touring band — Billy and Jeremy, who are the Cold Satellite rhythm section, Eric, Jeff and me.

“It’s my first time touring with this exact line-up. We’ve all toured together in different arrangements. I absolutely prefer touring with a band but I have to play solo shows too. My favorite deal is when I open for Jeffrey Foucault and Billy Conway. They back me up on my set and I sing backing vocals on theirs. That’s a pretty sweet tour.”

Canty spends much of her time each year on the road or dividing her time between Nashville, Idaho, and New England.

“A few years ago I had a full-time job as a sustainability consultant in New York,” said Canty, who is part of the duo Down Like Silver with Peter Bradley Adams. “I went to Idaho for few months after I quit my day job and really liked it there. I still go back to Idaho every year.”

Not surprisingly, nature and the outdoors figure heavily in Canty’s songs. On her new album, there are references to riding a Harley on a desert highway, “breathing in rivers,” braving winter’s wind and walking through tall grass. On the title track, Canty sings about “watching the sun paint a reckless skyline.”

“A lot of the songs I’ve written have been written next to rivers,” said Canty, an alumna of Williams College who will be making her third appearance at Burlap and Bean.

“I’m looking forward to this tour and playing live with this band. They are good people and good musicians who bring so much to my songs. What else could I ask for?”

Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are priced at $12 in advance and $16 at the door.

Other upcoming shows at Burlap and Bean are Angela Sheik and Alfred James Band on January 23 and Mason Porter and Beaucoup Blue on January 24.

If you’re familiar with the city of Norman, Oklahoma, there is a 99 per cent probability that it’s because you’re a college football fan who knows the city is the home of the University of Oklahoma and its perennially powerful team.

Or you might recognize it because it’s a “Sister City” of Arezzo (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Colima City (Mexico) and Seika (Japan) — but probably not.

For those of you who are fans of indie-pop music — especially tight indie-pop featuring fuzzy guitars and catchy hooks — Norman might ring a bell because it’s the home of Broncho.

Broncho, a power-pop trio that just expanded to a five-piece line-up, is amping up its recognition level in several ways right now. The band has just released its second album “Just Enough Hip To Be Woman” to very positive reviews and fan acceptance.

The group is also opening for veteran British punk-rocker Billy Idol on his “Kings and Queens of the Underground Tour.” The national tour touches down in this area on January 24 for a show at the Tower Theater (69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 215-922-1011, www.thetowerphilly.com).

The original trio features Ryan Lindsey on guitar and vocals, Ben King on guitar and background vocals and Nathan Price on drums.

“On the new record, we have a new bass player — Penny Pitchlyn, who is from Norman, and her friend Mandii Larsen, who plays guitar and sings,” said Lindsey, during a recent phone interview from his home in Norman.

“It’s worked out well because there’s a lot more harmony in our songs. We can get to the higher register. Our music is fuzzy guitar-driven rock. It’s a little bit of a throwback to early ’80’s rock and roll — with some punk influence.”

The album’s first single “Class Historian” is a rousing, toe-tapping number with boundless energy and a “do do do do” cascading vocal refrain that worms its way into your brain and stays there for quite awhile. Another new tune — “It’s On” — sounds like a classic Buzzcocks track that could have been cut in London in 1977. And, like a good punk records, the songs are fast, intense and not very long.

“Our first album had 12 songs and was just 20 minutes long,” said Lindsey. “The new record, which is our second album, is 30 minutes long and has 11 songs. The first album (‘Can’t Get Past the Lips’) was different but similar — lots of crunchy guitar but the melodies might have been hidden a little more than the new record.  For me, it was a natural progression.

“We recorded the new album over the last one-and-half -years sporadically between tours and finished it last summer. A lot of the songs we had been playing for awhile. After the first record came out, we started writing new songs and playing them live. Once we started booking studio time and recording, the rest fell in place.

“With our music, I usually come up with the original melody and structure. Then, we finish the songs as a band and figure out how to play them live. On a lot of them, we set up in the studio and played live and then re-tracked the vocals and guitars.

“It’s good to be coming back to Philly. The crowd there is always a lot of fun. We’ve played Johnny Brenda’s several times already. This time, we’re all pretty excited to be opening for a legend like Billy Idol. We’ll have a 30-minurte set and that’s good.”

For Broncho, a 30-minute set can be enough time for the Oklahoma rockers to play at least a dozen tunes — maybe more. Showtime for Saturday’s concert at the Tower is 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$55.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will feature Ari Hest with Lily Mae on January 23 and New Sweden and Spuyten Duyvil on January 24.

Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com) will have nxt2normal and Trial by Fir on January 23 and comedians Tommy Highland and Anthony Acquaviva on January 24.

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will feature Consider the Source, Sakima and Gray Matter on January 22, Box of Rain and Flux Capacitor on January 23, Blue Apple Groove, Railroad Fever, Soldier On and Hatchets and Hammers on January 24 and the “Funky Brunch & Market I” featuring Butchy Sochorow (vocalist and lead guitarist for Splintered Sunlight) and Aaron Deming on January 25.

Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) will have The Captain The Pilot The Driver, Piper Bateman, Sean Smith, Child Savage and The Broken Arrow Sparrow on January 22. Momonita and Ramona Jane on January 23 and Project Ico on January 24.

The Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com) will present “Blue Suede Shoes” featuring Mike Albert and Scott Bruce on January 24 and the double-feature of Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill on January 27.

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.nctstage.org) just began its first run of 2015 last weekend with the hit comedy “The New Mel Books Musical Young Frankenstein.” The hilarious show is scheduled to run through February 22.

The Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http://www.chameleonclub.net) features The Skiffs, Basement Boys, Paper Avenue and The Earl’s Court on January 22 and Vacationer and Gems on January 24.

Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660, www.tellus360.com) will have Brian Fitzy on January 22, Jake Lewis and Opera Lancaster on January 23, Black Masala on January 24 and Dave Pedrick on January 25.

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) will present Dave Pendleton on January 22, Barleyjuice and Karmic Repair Company on January 23, Sha Na Na on January 24 and Seamus Kennedy & Toby Walker on January 25.

The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) will present Billy Gardell on January 23 and Buddy Valastro the Cake Boss on January 24.