On Stage: Rock legends band together for American Vinyl All Star Band

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

Danny Beissel recently performed in concert at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester. It was another of the singer’s “pre-release’ shows for his soon-to-be-released album, “Featherborn.”

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter recently headlined a show at City Winery in Philadelphia. The guitarist and longtime associate CJ Vanston were touring in support of their new album, “Speed of Heat,” which was just released worldwide via BMG/Renew Records.

Every once in a while, the two veteran musicians team up with four other top-flight musicians to perform shows as the American Vinyl All Star Band.

“We do at least 10 shows a year,” said Beissel, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Collegeville. “On the average, we do 15-20 shows a year.”

If you’re a fan of classic rock or alt-rock, this means that if the American Vinyl All Star Band has a show within driving distance, you should jump at the opportunity to be in the audience.

For local music fans, that opportunity is arriving on September 9 when the American Vinyl All Star Band performs at the Valley Forge Casino Resort (1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, www.vfcasino.com).

The resumes of this international dynamic line-up of musicians are impressive.

Baxter was a founding member of Steely Dan and guitarist from the Doobie Brothers. He is unquestionably one of the rock/pop world’s most influential guitarist, having played on over 2500 recordings.

Baxter’s main career began in the late 1960s – a career as one of the premier guitarists in the world of rock music and one of the most sought-after session players.

Casual music fans might not recognize Baxter’s name, but they almost certainly have heard his guitar work.

In 1972 he became a founding member of Steely Dan, a band that produced such hits as “Reelin’ In the Years,” “My Old School,” “Do It Again,” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”

In 1974, Baxter left Steely Dan to join the Doobie Brothers, a band that produced such hits as “Listen to the Music,” “China Grove,” “Jesus Is Just Alright,” “Black Water” and “Long Train Runnin’.”

During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s he continued his high-level session work, contributing key guitar lines to projects by Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams, Freddie Hubbard, John Cougar Mellencamp, Cher, Rod Stewart, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Julio Iglesias, Barbara Streisand, Gene Simmons, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, The Ventures and Edgar Winter and most recently on the Beach Boy’s 50th Anniversary album, “That’s Why God Made The Radio.”

He also produced albums for Carl Wilson, Nazareth and the Stray Cats while earning numerous Gold and Platinum albums and two Grammy Awards in the process.

Goudreau developed an early interest in the guitar, starting lessons at age 11 with a borrowed acoustic guitar. By age 13 he was in his first band, The Tournadoes. At 15, he joined a band with future “Boston” drummer Sib Hashian, often playing seven nights a week, seven sets a night in Boston’s infamous Combat Zone.

In his first year at Boston University, he and a high school friend at MIT started a band that would be joined by guitarist/keyboard player Tom Scholz. With the addition of vocalist Brad Delp, Mother’s Milk began a series of demo tapes that would lead to a recording contract. With bassist Fran Sheehan on board, the band now called Boston sold 17 million copies of its first record. Goudreau appeared on the first two Boston records and tours. He released a solo album called “Barry Goudreau” on Epic records, which included the single “Dreams” featuring Delp on lead vocals.

Goudreau left Boston and formed a new band, Orion the Hunter, whose first release, “So You Ran,” was featured on MTV and VH-1. Goudreau reconnected with Delp in the 1990s in a band called RTZ. The band toured extensively until Delp left to rejoin Boston. The duo worked together through the years until Brad’s death in 2007.

From Kingston Jamaica, Romans’ accomplishments stem from his early interest in music as a child that led him to play flute and later keyboards and getting into producing music. While attending high school, he landed a scholarship to the Jamaica School of Music college where he continued his study in classical flute. During that process, he became interested in other genres of music, which lead him to keyboards which grew into an obsession for performance and producing different genres.

Today some of his history includes being a studio musician, doing tours and productions with a host of international acclaimed entertainers including: The Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Roberta Flack, Jazz Pianist Monty Alexander and Rihanna.

Romans’ CV includes co-producing the Grammy Nominated Album, “Generation Coming,” with legendary group Third World, co-producing The Wailers with Junior Marvin and Bunny Wailer and more. He also did full album production on “The Cure” album with Smooth Jazz sensation Johnny James.

Romans later co-produced “Out of the Grid” album with Bobby Thomas Jr. of the legendary jazz group Weather Report. He also produced soundtracks for movies such as “Bahama Hustle” with former group Courage Band. He later produced “Dolphin Hustle,” the theme song for the Miami Dolphins, and co-produced (with producer Tony Kelly) a soundtrack for the movie “Illegal Tender” by John Singleton.

Drummer Thompson’s smooth, flowing grooves seem almost effortless. “Mousey”, of course, is best known for his work as a drummer for the original master showman and the late “Godfather of Soul” James Brown. With James Brown’s Soul Generals, Thompson has circled the globe countless times, performing for millions of die-hard fans.

Thompson was the drummer for Wilson Pickett, has performed on almost every hit variety and talk show of the last couple decades, and has performed on the grandest of all stages, including Woodstock 99, Live Aid, and the American Music Awards. He can also be heard on tracks by groups like The Black-Eyed Peas, in blockbuster movies, and on various major record labels, including his A&M solo release “Give It A Try.”

Thompson is based out of the Washington D.C. area, where he contributes to private educational programs, continues to perform with bands like The Soul Generals, in honor of the legendary Godfather, and has recently completed a number of collaborations with artists ranging from Bootsy Collins to Jab’o Starks and Clyde Stubblefield.

Archibald, a rock bassist from Cleveland, moved to Boston in 1976 and attended Berklee for four years playing with Ralph Moore, Kevin Eubanks, Mike Stearn, Bruce Bartlett, Randy Roos in the local scene. Forming his own band Urge he played for three years with Fly By Night as a jazz migrant worker touring the south and east with Groove Holmes, Dobie Gray, Dizzy Gillespie and others.

He joined RTZ with Delp, Brian Maes and David Stefanelli. Around 1989, Delp was on hiatus from Boston and looking to get active in writing again. He contacted Goudreau about a possible collaboration and RTZ was formed. Goudreau and Delp brought in Archibald.

Delp and Goudreau landed a deal with Giant Records and the first RTZ album, titled “Return to Zero,” was released in 1991.

RTZ felt that the band was not getting the attention it deserved by the label and asked to be released from their contract. As RTZ began to shop for a new label, Delp decided to leave the band and would eventually reunite with Boston for the Walk On tour.

Following Delp’s suicide in 2007, the band reunited again to release the single “Set The Songbird Free,” as a tribute to Delp, with Maes on vocals. They also performed at the Brad Delp “Come Together” tribute concert in 2008. This entire line-up (with Hashian on drums, and without Delp) also makes up most of the members of the band Ernie and the Automatics which formed in 2006.

If you look at Beissel’s long and varied resume, you’ll quickly notice that the Philadelphia rocker has performed and recorded with many of rock music’s all-time greats.

Beissel has spent the past decade performing with such musical stalwarts as Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), Barry Goudreau (Boston), and James Burton (Elvis, Ricky Nelson).

“I’ve been with the American Vinyl All Stars for 10 years,” said Beissel. “They were originally just called the All Stars. In 2007, I was with the band Fosterchild. We didn’t have a record deal, but we had Bill Johnson as our manager.

“Our drummer Kevin Miller knew the manager of the All Stars, and we got a gig opening for them on tour. They heard that I sang in a high register, so they got me to sing a few songs with them.

“I joined them a week later in Utah. I was singing all their hits from all their bands. Back then, it was just Skunk and Barry. Now, this lineup has been together since 2015 when Fran Sheehan retired, and we got Tim Archibald.

“We’ve got a bunch of shows coming up for the rest of the year – at least one a month. We have a five-show run in November. We’ve played all over the country — California, Wyoming, Utah, New England.

“We also did a Justice for Veterans benefit with Carly Simon and her daughter Sally Taylor in Martha’s Vineyard. They were great to work with.”

The concert at the Uptown introduced some of Beissel’s songs from his upcoming album, “Featherborn.”

“I haven’t really put the album out officially,” said Beissel, during a phone interview last week.

“I’ve had the vinyl for sale at my shows, but I didn’t want to push the digital. A lot of things got put on hold so it’s still up in the air. I think there will be a soft radio release before the end of the year.”

The album features a bunch of tasty songs that show Beissel’s talent and versatility.

“For ‘Featherborn,’ I used one bunch of musicians in the studio when I was making the album,” said Beissel. “For my live shows, I just put guys together.”

The first record from his new project “Featherborn,” the album is described by Beissel as a “the culmination of his musical voyage” after fronting such super-star bands as The American Vinyl All Star Band and Fosterchild (with members of Candlebox, Tantric, and FUEL).

The album was recorded at the iconic Blackbird Studio in Nashville with veteran engineer John McBride (Martina McBride, Stevie Nicks, Garth Brooks). It features two founding members of Train — Charlie Colin on guitar/bass and vocals and Scott Underwood performing double duty as drummer and producer.

What elevates “Featherborn” to the level of an all-star project is the first-class special guest appearances by friends and former bandmates including Baxter, and Brian Quinn, who is Candlebox’s lead guitarist.

Inspired by Elvis Presley at an early age, Beissel started his musical journey fronting The Elvis Experience, a band dedicated to preserving the Presley’s integrity through music rather than theatrical stage performances

“Elvis got me into music,” said Beissel, who grew up in Philly’s Frankford section and graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School. “I didn’t try to impersonate Elvis. Instead, I tried to capture the essence of Elvis.

“I was always attracted to music and started playing guitar when I was young. I was also into acting and performed at Fringe Festival events. I studied method acting – the Meisner technique.”

The Meisner technique is an approach to acting which was developed by the American theatre practitioner Sanford Meisner. The focus of the Meisner approach is for the actor to “get out of their head,” such that the actor is behaving instinctively to the surrounding environment.

In the IMDb online database, Beissel’s biography states, “Danny Beissel is an actor and director, known for “Conspiracized” (2003), “Blush” (2018) and “September 12th” (2005).”

“The Elvis Experience started in 1995,” said Beissel. “I stopped it around 2001 after I had played Graceland. That’s when I started writing my own music instead of just playing someone else’s music.

“My first original band was The Daze and we only lasted for two shows. Around that time, I met Brian Quinn down on (Philly’s) South Street. He and I started playing together. Then, we started writing together. Kevin Miller left Fuel and hit up Brian to join his new band Fosterchild.”

Fosterchild was formed in 2005 by drummer Kevin Miller and guitarist Brian Quinn soon after Miller’s departure from Fuel and Quinn’s resignation from Octane. A few years later, the band’s line-up was Beissel (Voice/Guitar), Quinn (Guitar/Vocals), Mike Vlaanderen (Bass/Vocals) and Bobby Pirylis Jr. (Drums/Vocals).

Next up for Beissel was the American Vinyl All Star Band. The all-star band has shared the stage with rock luminaries such as Steven Tyler, Robin Zander (CheapTrick), Rick Derringer (McCoys), James Montgomery, Cliff Williams (ACDC), Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats), Hugh McDonald (Bon Jovi), Ronnie Vannucci (The Killers).

Now, Beissel is focusing on Featherborn and his new album of the same name.

According to Beissel, “This album is extremely personal to me as these are the songs I’ve been waiting to record and the players I’ve been waiting to record with.”

In addition to being a guitarist extraordinaire, Baxter is a member of the NASA Exploration Systems Advisory Committee.

It’s hard to imagine a guitarist who has consulting contracts with the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency.

Baxter became self-taught in missile defense systems in the 1990s, and, at one point, wrote a five-page paper that proposed converting the ship-based anti-aircraft Aegis missile into a rudimentary missile defense system. He gave the paper to California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and his career as a defense consultant began.

“Radar is an electric guitar on steroids,” said Baxter.

Baxter’s love of performing goes back to when he was young – very young.

“I asked my mom for piano lessons when I was five and she said — yes,” said Baxter, during a phone interview Wednesday morning.

“I was listening to and learning to play music before I was in school.

“When I was 10, we were living in Mexico City, and I wanted a guitar for my birthday. They got me a bicycle instead. I was pissed.

“A little while later, I got a guitar, and a friend introduced me to three or four chords. In the late 50s and early 60s, if you knew three or four chords, you could play in a band.”

Baxter joined his first band at age 11 – the Tarantulas. While still a high school student, he worked at Manny’s Music Shop in Manhattan in 1966. At Manny’s, Baxter met guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who was just beginning his career as a front man. For a single show, when Hendrix’s bass player couldn’t make the show, Baxter was the bassist in a Hendrix-led band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, along with fellow Manny’s employee – Randy California, the late great guitarist from Spirit.

Moving to Boston to attend college, Baxter worked as a guitar technician and amplifier repairman at Jack’s Drum Shop on Boylston Street. Baxter first reached a wide rock audience in 1968 as a member of the psychedelic rock band Ultimate Spinach. He also played with the Holy Modal Rounders and backed singer Buzzy Linhart.

Baxter, a Grammy winning guitarist, has an amazing resume of music acts he has worked with in the studio and/or on the road.

“Some of the acts I’ve worked as a studio musician for are Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Cher, Barbra Streisand and Dolly Parton,” said Baxter.

The list also includes Al Kooper, Julian Lennon, Ringo Starr, Bryan Adams, Freddie Hubbard, John Cougar Mellencamp, Julio Iglesias, Gene Simmons, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, The Beach Boys, Willy DeVille, Eric Clapton, Gene Clark, Sheryl Crow, Ricky Nelson, Burton Cummings, Elton John, Bob Weir, Billy Cobham, James Brown, Maceo Parker, John Entwistle, Joe Walsh, Keith Emerson, Livingston Taylor, The Ventures, Nils Lofgren, Bob Welch, and Brian Auger.

Baxter and longtime associate CJ Vanston are touring in support of their new album, “Speed of Heat,” which was released worldwide via BMG/Renew Records on June 17, 2022.

The album features a dozen sparkling originals co-written by the guitarist and his producing/music partner, CJ Vanston. The project also features guest vocalists and songwriters such as Michael McDonald, Clint Black, Jonny Lang and Rick Livingstone.

“I first met CJ when I was in Chicago doing jingles,” said Baxter. “He’s a good friend and a great keyboard player.

“He’s in the band for this tour. We also have bassist Hank Horton and drummer Mark Damian. Hank and Mark are friends of CJ.

“We were looking at a lot of different folks for the band when CJ said – these guys are good. I said – let’s give it a shot. We had 10 days of rehearsal scheduled. After four days, they were ready.”

“Speed of Heat” will have a vinyl release on September 16.

“It’s a double album,” said Baxter. “We could get it all on a single CD, but we couldn’t fit everything on a single album. So, we made it a double album with three songs on each side which is amazing for the fidelity.

“The vinyl albums we made have great fidelity. I was pleasantly surprised when I got the test pressing. It’s been a long time since I did anything on vinyl – a long time.”

Baxter should have noted that he meant it’s been a long time since releasing an album on vinyl not a long time since playing with a band with vinyl in its name.

Video link for American Vinyl All Star Band — https://youtu.be/vmZWQH518yc?list=TLGG0L6GuWEd6cowNzA5MjAyMg.

The show at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, which has AM Radio Tribute Band as the opening act, will start at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $49.99.

On September 8, 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com) is hosting a show featuring Jesse Terry, Lili Añel and Michael Braunfeld.

If you want to learn more about Jesse Terry, do a Google search.

Jesse Terry is an Anishinabe man from Sioux Lookout, Ontario, and a member of the Lac Seul First Nation. Father of two amazing children who share in the passion of dog sledding. Jesse operates the kennel, On The Land, with his wife, Mary England. Together with the children they share in other outdoor passion including canoeing, biking and winter camping.

Whoops! – wrong Jesse Terry.

Jesse Terry, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVS-SA, is a board-certified Veterinary Surgeon who joined the MedVet Northern Utah surgical team in 2016. He grew up in Greeley, Colorado with several family pets. After volunteering and later working at a local animal clinic, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine — and has not slowed down since.

Whoops! – again, wrong Jesse Terry.

Jesse Terry is a fishing boat operator — USCG licensed Captain (100 Ton) and third generation Captain born and raised in Florida. He operates in the Florida/Bahamas/Mid-Atlantic regions in both fly and conventional.

Whoops! – again, another wrong Jesse Terry.

Jesse Terry is an internationally touring, award-winning singer-songwriter whose intimacy with audiences, sincerity, and approachability has solidified him as a favorite at festivals and live venues nationwide.

Now we got it right.

This is the Jesse Terry that is performing in Wayne this week.

After earning a degree from Berklee College of Music, five years as a staff writer on Nashville’s Music Row, penning material for major television networks and winning prestigious songwriting awards, Jesse Terry is now 10 years into a solo career. His performances put him on a plateau with iconic artist/poets, like Paul Simon, James Taylor and Jackson Browne.

Terry has been on the road almost non-stop for most of this year and, after four shows in the Northeast, will head overseas for a major tour of the U.K.

“Things are good,” said Terry, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as he drove from his home in Connecticut to a rehearsal in Westchester, N.Y.

“My wife and I got a publishing deal for a children’s book we wrote — ‘If I Were the Moon,’ which is a song I wrote for my daughter Lily. She’s the main character in the book. We did a music video for it right before COVID hit when she was 18 months old. The book is published by Schiffer Publishing.”

Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Is a Chester County book publisher located in Atglen.

“I’ve been in the middle of this epic tour all year,” said Terry. “It’s been never-ending. My last run started in the Midwest. Then, I went to the West Coast – California, Oregon, Washington. It was great to see the Redwoods. The tour was a lot of fun but driving from San Francisco to Connecticut was rough. It’s a drive I didn’t enjoy.”

Of Terry’s last four albums, only was a traditional singer/songwriter album – “When We Wander.” Released in 2021, his seventh album was the first album he wrote since becoming a parent. It was recorded live with his band in Nashville with producer Neilson Hubbard (Mary Gauthier, Glen Phillips) and included performances from Downingtown native Liz Longley.

“That was my last album of originals,” said Terry. “I’ve been working hard writing new songs. I’m planning to record in November 2023 with a big release in 2024. My last album was ‘Forget Me Nots’ – 22 cover songs.”

“Forget Me Nots Vol 1 & 2” was released on February 19, 2022. It was initially released online as a series of cover song EPs – “The Dawn of Radio,” an EP of covers of songs originally released in the 1920s to 1950s, and “Sixties Sunshine,” featuring songs by Bob Dylan, Carole King and others.

The tracks were recorded at South Carolina Air BnB with producer Neilson Hubbard laying down the vocals and guitar and then in Nashville sessions via Zoom with a stellar line-up that included the incredible Fats Kaplin on lap and pedal steel, dobro, violin and mandolin, fiddle player Eamon McLoughlin, Danny Mitchell on keys, bassist Sam Howard and Will Kimbrough on guitars.

The prior two albums were “Peace,” (2020), a 20-song collection features Terry’s takes and arrangements on timeless Christmas songs such as “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night” and “The Christmas Song” and more contemporary classics such as “River” and “Love is Christmas,” and “Kivalina” – a disc about climate change.

“The EP ‘Kivalina’ is about a village that is going underwater in Alaska,” said Terry. “It’s a duo EP with me and Alex Wong. We recorded the EP at Alex’s studio in Nashville.”

In Northwest Alaska, the Inupiaq whaling community of Kivalina, home to around 470 people, is facing imminent relocation.

Located 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 1,000 miles northwest of Anchorage, the remote Alaskan village of Kivalina is literally melting under the weight of climate change.

The barrier island has been disappearing under water over the last decade, as the warming ocean causes sea levels to rise and powerful storm surges to eat away at the beach. The US Army Corps of Engineers has said Kivalina will no longer be habitable within 10 years.

“The EP we made is not political,” said Terry. “We just wanted to write about the facts and the emotion. It’s a really hard story to tell. Still, I’m excited to write about it. The songs are told from the story of a fictitious couple combined with villagers’ interviews.”

Terry has released several other full-length albums, including “The Runner,” “Empty Seat on A Plane,” “Stay Here With Me,” “Stargazer” and “Natural.”

“This will be my first time to play 118 North,” said Terry. “I hear it’s a cool room.

“This will be an intimate songwriters-in-the-round show with Lili Añel and Michael Braunfeld. I love these kinds of shows because they’re relaxed and intimate. Michael is an old friend. I love his music. I’ve never played with Lili before, but I like what I’ve heard of her music.”

Video link for Jesse Terry — www.facebook.com/jterrymusic/videos/627014462497367.

The show at 118 North on September 8 featuring Jesse Terry, Michael Braunfeld and Lili Añel will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16.

Other upcoming shows at 118 North are Off the Edge Dueling Pianos Show ft. Paul Marturano Music & Mikey B on September 9, Brown Sugar/Rolling Stones Tribute on September 10, Cosmic Jerry Band on September 11 and Wally Smith’s Hammond Organ Trio on September 11.

Lamb Of God is heading into a busy season with a new album, a national tour and a single.

The first single, “Nevermore,” was released on Friday, June 10. The “Omens” album follows on October 7 via Epic Records.

“The Omens Tour” kicks off September 9 in Brooklyn and runs through October 20. On September 10, the tour will touch down in this area for a show at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (1 Harbour Place, Camden, New Jersey, www.livenation.com).

Densely muscular, soaked in unnerving spite, with a pessimistic eye toward inner struggles and global affairs alike, “Omens” is a furious entry in the Lamb Of God catalog, perhaps their angriest album yet.

Lamb Of God’s line-up features D. Randall Blythe – Vocals; Mark Morton – Guitar; Willie Adler – Guitar; John Campbell – Bass; and Art Cruz – Drums.

Lamb Of God have been blazing mercilessly away at the forefront of heavy music for the last 28 years — pushing boundaries all along the way.

The Virginia-based quintet released its debut album “New American Gospel” in 2000 and followed with “As the Palaces Burn” (2003), “Ashes of the Wake” (2004), “Sacrament” (2006), “Wrath” (2009), “Resolution” (2012), and “VII: Sturm und Drang” (2015). Its most recent releases are “Lamb Of God” in 2020 and “Omens.”

“With the ‘Lamb Of God’ album, we had to delay the release because of COVID,” said Campbell, during a recent phone interview from his home in Richmond, Virginia.

“Production and distribution had been slowed down during the pandemic. We ended up doing a Livestream. It was the first time we played the self-titled album front-to-back. We did it at a small club in Richmond called the Broadberry. It was our only Livestream show.

“The ‘Omens’ album was written in 2021 during the pandemic. We worked through the end of last year and recorded the album in February this year. The songs were written in 2021 and crafted by Mark and Willie.

“We went to L.A. to record the album at Henson Recording Studios. It had what we needed in the room. Josh Wilbur produced the album.

“It was the best three-and-a-half weeks I spent in my professional career making a record. As always, we did a lot of pre-production. Then, for the first time, we tracked everything live.”

According to Bythe, “The world is crazy and keeps changing. ‘Omens’ is a reaction to the state of the world. It’s a very pissed-off record. It is extremely pissed-off.”

Campbell said, “Heavy metal always has an angry element. Right now, there are a lot of things to be angry about.”

Video link for Lamb Of God — https://youtu.be/SnEXcv0YJQA.

The show on September 10 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, which has Killswitch Engage, Baroness and Suicide Silence as opening acts, will start at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $49.50.

Other upcoming shows at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion are Wu Tang Clan on September 8, Shinedown on September 11 and Pearl Jam on September 14.

From late September through the middle of October, Katie Henry will bring her blues music to stages around Europe – including the Transilvania Blues Festival & Nights in Râșnov, a town in Brașov County in the Transylvania region of Romania (good thing the show is October 1 not October 31).

Prior to her trans-Atlantic trip, Henry will make a return appearance on September 10 at Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com), is one of the bright new prospects in America’s flourishing blues scene.

She is a talented and versatile blues guitar player. Ironically, neither blues nor guitar were her starting points.

“I grew up playing piano,” said Henry, during a phone interview. “I also played clarinet in middle school.”

Henry’s musical journey began when she was six and started taking piano lessons. She quickly became the “house” piano player for all night family singalongs and very soon began crafting her own songs in the back of her school notebooks. Heavily involved in school band, her passion for music continued to grow in college, where she also picked up the guitar.

“I loved being in bands,” said Henry, who grew up and attended high school in Vernon, New Jersey. “I also loved playing for family and other gatherings. It was the best way to bond with other people.

“I went to Manhattan College in the Bronx. I graduated in 2014 with a degree in education. I was a teacher for three years in Riverdale in the Bronx.

“I joined a jazz band in college playing piano and also went to open mics. It was just a way for me to continue playing.

“One night, I was at an open mic at the Bitter End and met Antar Goodwin. We had similar interests, so we started a blues band. I was playing piano at the time. He put a guitar in my hand, and I started playing chords. He opened the door, and I stepped through. That was six years ago.

“My first guitar was a Strat and then I got an SG. Now, the Atele Guitar is my favorite.”

Henry’s musical world had expanded.

“When I started playing guitar, I was listening with new ears,” said Henry. “I had listened to the Allman Brothers Band. Now, I was tuning in to Dickie Betts. I like simple melody lines – like the playing of Robbie Robertson. I consider myself a melodic guitarist. Some of my biggest influences have been Freddie King and Susan Tedeschi.”

Henry’s debut album, “High Road,” debuted at Number 12 on the Roots Music Reports Top 50 Contemporary Blues Albums chart in January 2019 and has continued to receive consistent airplay on radio stations throughout the country.

“I made ‘High Road’ in 2018 at Showplace Studio in Rockaway, New Jersey with a great engineer — Ben Elliott,” said Henry. “He recently passed away and his studio closed.

“I was lucky to record there before it closed down. It had a lot of great gear including a lot of analog recording equipment. I was there for two sessions – about a week total – and did a lot of recording analog.”

Henry recorded her recently released sophomore album, “On My Way,” in May 2021 at Degraw Sound in Brooklyn. Ben Rice produced the album and played guitar on it.

According to Henry, “There’s a great range of songs on this album. 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.”

Video link for Katie Henry — https://youtu.be/Br9hoDnQrjY.

The show on September 10 at Jamey’s will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

September 10 will be a special day at Jamey’s.

Jamey’s House of Music announced a new partnership with the well-known Conshohocken Brewing Company, based in Conshohocken, to assume operation of its taproom.
A public ribbon cutting grand re-opening ceremony will take place at the venue at 3 p.m. on September 10 with local and state representatives in attendance, immediately followed by an extended happy hour at the bar and restaurant until an evening concert by the Katie Henry Band at 8 p.m. There will also be door prizes for attendees.
Jamey’s House of Music, created by musician/engineer/entrepreneur, Jamey Reilly, was located previously in Philadelphia, and has been a central fixture in Lansdowne for the past five years, bringing live music representing most genres including jazz, blues, folk, world, pop and rock to its state-of-the-art stage, with what has been widely described as the best club sound, recording and video system on the East Coast.

The multi-award winning 60-seat listening room is a favorite with musicians world-wide, who appreciate its acoustics, comfortable living room-like vibe, and eclectic menu of Asian-inflected American fare, prepared to order by Chef Suyun Reilly.
Conshohocken Brewing Company, founded in 2014, operates five busy locations at present. The brewery specializes in high quality small batch craft brews including a core line of IPAs, imperials, pale ales, and more, along with rotating seasonal brews featuring spiced mixes. The brewery will bring a dozen draughts on tap, along with Pennsylvania wines, spirits and cider to the taproom.
The union of these two high end operations is a big boon for Lansdowne, which had previously been a dry town since the 1930’s. The town is looking to become a major regional music nexus as the historic Lansdowne Theater, now undergoing extensive renovation, plans to open its doors for major concerts in early 2023. The Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation, Lansdowne Business Professionals Association and the Lansdowne Borough Council, all working together to establish Lansdowne as a prime music and arts destination, are strong backers of this new partnership.

If you’re looking to hear jazz or blues music live, then you need to look no further than Jamey’s House of Music. The venue is a prime destination to hear folk, jazz and blues music every Thursday through Sunday.

The “Thursday Night Jazz Jam” and the “Sunday Blues Brunch & Jam” are regular features on Jamey’s calendar while Friday and Saturday night shows feature national and regional acts.

The headline acts this weekend are The Outcrops on September 9 and Katie Henry Band on September 10.

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is hosting Nick Black on September 10.

The Sound Bank (119 South Main Street, Phoenixville, www.soundbankphx.com) will have Greg Sover on September 9 and the Soundbank Blues Revival on September 10.

The Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331, www.thequeenwilmington.com) presents Steve Hofstetter on September 9 and Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs on September 13.