By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Boney James
This weekend, Boney James returns to the Philly area with a new album and a show at comfortable outdoor venue.
James will treat fans to music from his recently released album, “Slow Burn,” in a concert on August 7 at Dell Music Center (2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, Philadelphia, boneyjames.com).
“I released the new album back in October,” said James, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Los Angeles.
“I’ve been on the road pretty much ever since – and I will be for the rest of the year.
“The album has been doing really well. The single, ‘All I Want Is You,’ went Top 10 immediately in the R&B charts.”
Another single from “Slow Burn” – “Slide” — hit number one on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart.
The phrase “Slow Burn” is described as a feeling that grows with a slow but deliberate intensity.
It is a good description of James’ music, career and the vibe of his newest album. The iconic four-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist’s 19th album is another deliberate step on his creative journey.
Featuring legendary Jazz/R&B artists Marcus Miller and Cory Henry, the record also spotlights R&B’s next superstar — October London, who handles the vocals on “All I Want Is You.”
With 10 songs — eight originals plus homages to Herbie Hancock and Stanley Turrentine – “Slow Burn” is James at his best.
The track, “Arcadia,” features Marcus Miller while “Butterfly” features Cory Henry and Marcus Miller. Rick Braun is the guest artist on “Sugar.”
“Slow Burn’ was released on October 18, 2024, by Concord Jazz.
“At the beginning of last year, my label signaled that it was time for another album,” said James, a saxophonist, songwriter, record producer – and one of America’s most popular soul, jazz and R&B saxophonists.
“I worked on it from April through August and then it came out in October. Most of the album was recorded at my home studio – ‘The Backyard.’
“I also did some recording at East-West Studio here in L.A. I cut 10 songs. Then, I do the editing while I’m working. It’s a lot of work producing an album.
“We’ve released a couple singles. One single has an R&B vocal. Two are instrumentals and another will be released later this month.
“I don’t choose which songs are to be singles. I leave that up to the radio team. I love every song on there.”
James has a tight band with a drummer and a guitarist in the line-up for more than two decades.
“The current live set has six songs off the ‘Slow Burn’ album,” said James. “I don’t change the set list once we’ve started the tour.
“I stick with it all the way.
“I’ve released 19 albums so I can’t get all the music into one show. I try to play everyone’s favorites.
“Some of the must-play songs are ‘Sweet Thing,’ ‘Grazing in the Grass’ and ‘After the Rain.’ I’m always trying to pay my homage to R&B. At the same time, I just try to make my music individual to me.”
Video link for Boney James — https://youtu.be/x1FTCf5sTC0.
The show at the Dell Music Center will start at 7 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $68.
Gaffney Beach made its debut back in March at Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com).Now, the duo featuring Kate Gaffney and Bob Beach is returning to Jamey’s for a show on August 9.
“We had a successful show at Jamey’s when we played there back in March,” said Beach, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Lansdowne.
“We had a good audience. We’re looking forward to going back.”
The duo is so new that its show in March at Jamey’s House of Music was its first ever.
The show on August 9 at the venue in Delaware County will just be the pair’s second show ever.
Gaffney is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who was born in Lansdale and then moved west. Beach is a harmonica player from Philadelphia who moved west when he was a young man.
Now, both have returned to this area – Beach from the Pittsburgh area to Philadelphia and Gaffney from Pacifica, California to Schwenksville.
The friends from decades ago were reunited last summer.
“I ran into Bob at the Philadelphia Folk Festival last summer,” said Gaffney in a phone interview.
“We stayed in touch. I saw Bob play at the Lansdowne Folk Club earlier this year.”
Beach said, “It was probably 20 years ago when we first met here. Then, I ran into her in California – in San Francisco. I’m usually there about twice a year.
“I work with a guy from Oregon – David Jacobs-Strain. We do shows together on both coasts. We’re playing the Philadelphia Folk Festival together this year.
“We’re playing the Main Stage on Friday and then doing a workshop on Saturday. Then, we fly immediately to the West Coast for a show in Oregon on Sunday.
“We’re playing the Toledo Wooden Boat Show in Toledo, Oregon on Sunday at 3 p.m. We have off Monday to Thursday and then do shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Oregon.”
Beach may be in his mid-’70s but he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
He has September shows at The Orchards in Princeton (September 6), the Sellersville Theater (September 10), Midnight Mountain Music Show 2025 in Blakeslee (September 12 and 13), Lansdowne Folk Club with Gaffney Beach (September 25) and Jamey’s House of Music (September 26).
“A few months ago, Bob called and asked me if I wanted to start a new project,” said Gaffney. “That was such an honor. I just want to play.
“I moved back here to put music first in my life – to reunite with my connections and get back into the local music community. Now, I’m a members elected member of the Philadelphia Folk Festival’s Board of Directors.”
Beach said, “Kate moved back into town about a year ago. I do a lot of shows with different people. When I got the Jamey’s show back in March, I called her, and it worked out really well. We also have another show at the Lansdowne Folk Club on September 25.”
Like Gaffney, Beach is a Philadelphia native.
“I grew up in the Philly area – in the Northeast and then Delco when I was in fourth grade. Then, we moved to Bucks County, and I graduated from William Tennent in 1966.
“I moved to the western part of the state to study at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I got into music when I was at I.U.P. I play harmonica. That’s what I’ve done all these years. One Christmas, my brother bought me a harmonica.
“I joined a band at I.U.P. – the D.C. Band. Over the next five-to-six years, I realized I could make money from playing music. By 1970, I had my own band. We played a lot of shows regionally.
“I moved to Pittsburgh in the mid-’70s and stayed there until I moved back to Philly in 1997. I came back to this area because my wife got a job here working for Red Cross blood collection.”
Over the years, Beach established himself as one of the premier harp players in the area. It was impressive because he never had any formal training on the instrument.
“I was self-taught,” said Beach. “I learned harmonica by listening to blues greats like Sonny Terry and Little Walter. Then, I listened to guitar, sax and trumpet for structural themes.
“I also listened to John Sebastian and others, but I stopped listening to harmonica so that I wasn’t influenced too much.
“In my live shows, I’ll use 15-to-20 harmonicas. I’ll use Seydel lower-pitched harmonicas and Hohner harmonicas for higher-pitched parts.”
Gaffney’s “urge for going” has taken her back and forth across America and provided ample fodder for interesting songs.
“I was majoring in human development/family studies at Penn State and went to San Francisco for an internship during my final semester,” said Gaffney. “I was working with a music teacher at a group home for kids.
“I came back for graduation but went out to California again because my boyfriend at the time was living in Sacramento. I got a job as a social worker there.
“I was playing music a little but not much because of my workload. It was horrible. I was really overworked – we all were. I got so stressed I couldn’t think. Finally, I said ‘enough.’
“I took temporary jobs and focused mostly on my music. I played a lot of open mic shows. I started writing songs and performing my own material. I was going back and forth between San Francisco and Sacramento and then decided to move back to Pennsylvania.”
Gaffney honed her skills in her native Philadelphia, jumped from coast to coast and toured everywhere in between. She laid musical roots in Northern California, building a loyal following in Sacramento and within the San Francisco Bay Area music community.
Gaffney’s festival resume includes Philadelphia Folk Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Hangtown Music Festival.
She has opened for a variety of touring acts including Richie Havens, Todd Snider, Xavier Rudd, Chris Smither, Carolyn Wonderland, Jackie Greene, Karl Denson, Kaki King, Elephant Revival, and Dead Winter Carpenters.
Gaffney has released four albums: “Highways,” “The New Then,” “The Coachman” and “Here by the Ocean.”
“I have a lot of experience,” said Gaffney. “Now, I’m devoting my life to focusing on my own music. And I want to help others.”
Gaffney is putting her desire to help others in action with “Kate Gaffney’s Corner,” which is held at Jamey’s on the second Thursday of each month.
According to Jamey’s website, “This immensely talent and rave reviewed singer-songwriter invites you into her “living room” for some musical conversation over dinner and drinks.
“As a regular monthly “Second Thursday” event, some nights will feature a full performance by Kate, some will start off with Kate followed by an open-mic, and others will feature guest artists.
“The musical theme will focus on what is currently called Americana, which is a melange term embodying folk, blues, country, singer-songwriter, roots and some low-key electric fare.
“Kate is an incisive and engaging artist and has a large and loyal national following. Her music is heard worldwide, and we are so happy to offer her a regular platform to connect with her fans. Please join us!”
From now on, the second Thursday of the month belongs to Gaffney.
“Jamey called me and asked me if I wanted to host and curate an Americana/Folk/Roots night,” said Gaffney.
Gaffney agreed but had something in mind more than just an evening of her playing acoustic American music.
“The show will be loose in format,” said Gaffney. “He (venue owner/manager Jamey Reilly) has given me carte blanche to plan the evening.”
According to Gaffney, “I thought it would be nice to feature some artists who are either just getting started or don’t play out solo very much.”
On August 14, “Kate Gaffney’s Corner” will feature highly respected singer-songwriter Tom Freund.
Over the course of his career, Freund has released more than a dozen records and collaborated with legends such as Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, and his longtime collaborator Ben Harper, with whom he’s made numerous albums and toured the world.
Freund joined rock legend Graham Parker on a world tour and appeared with him in Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40.”
Freund has spent much of his career traversing genres, melding whatever sounds happen to catch his whimsy. He is also well known as a multi-instrumentalist, performing on guitar, upright bass, mandolin, ukulele and piano.
Gaffney will be back at Jamey’s later in the month when she performs on August 31 with the Philly Blues Kings at Jamey’s “Sunday Blues Brunch and Jam.”
Video link for Kate Gaffney – https://youtu.be/fHoaryMngKw.
Video link for Bob Beach – https://youtu.be/mTDps9nUq1E.
The show at Jamey’s on March 14 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. PPV streaming of this show is also available for $15.45.
Other upcoming shows at Jamey’s House of Music are the Empty Belly Blues Band featuring Alabama Slim on August 7 and Lowland Ramblers and 65 North Pickers on August 8.
Every Sunday, Jamey’s presents “Sunday Blues Brunch and Jam.” This week’s show features the Girke-Davis Project.
This event features many of the top regional and national players every week and welcomes amateurs and weekend warriors to join on stage to celebrate the beautiful heritage of the blues.
The open mic jam runs from 1-3 p.m. with the featured band playing a set from noon-1 p.m.
Anson B. Nixon Park (405 N Walnut Rd, Kennett Square, www.ansonbnixonpark.org) will celebrate the heart and soul of
American music during the Second Annual Roots and Blues Festival on August 9.
The event will be a one-day celebration of down-home blues, funky grooves — and local culture.
The family-friendly event should be a Saturday destination for music lovers of all ages to enjoy live performances by several top tier blues acts.
The 2025 festival features a powerhouse lineup of regional blues favorites, including Mikey Junior, Street Beans, Stevie and the Bluescasters and James Day & the Fish Fry
The spotlight will be shining a lot on John Colgan-Davis. He will be performing with Brother John, a duo featuring West Chester native Johnny Never and Colgan-Davis.
He will also be onstage as a key member of the Philadelphia-based blues band, the Dukes of Destiny.
On Sunday, Colgan-Davis will be performing at Jamey’s House of Music in Lansdowne when the venue presents “Sunday Blues Brunch and Jam” featuring the Girke-Davis Project.
In addition to the music, the Roots and Blues Festival will showcase local food and beverage trucks, artisan vendors, and plenty of space to bring a chair or blanket.
The Festival is presented by the Kennett Area Park Authority (KAPA), which is the steward of the Anson B. Nixon Park. All ticket proceeds allow KAPA to continue the important work of restoring open green space, adding new community programs and creating a vibrant, community driven outdoor space in addition to ongoing maintenance and upgrades.
Tickets for the Festival, which runs from 11:45 a.m. until dusk, are $40 and $45.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will present Blank Pages with special guests Monopod and Sam & the Vampire on August 8.
Tickets are $15 general admission.
The all-ages show at Kennett Flash will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $23.
On August 9, Kennett Flash’s Rooftop Series will feature “Winslow: An Evening of the Eagles.”
The All-Ages show will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $30.
Renovations at the Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) have been completed.
Like a phoenix, the popular dinner theater sprang back to life on July 12.
The new show is the musical hit “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville.” The show will run now through August 24.
Featuring Jimmy Buffett classics with book by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley, “Escape to Margaritaville” tells the story of Tully, a smooth-talking singer/bartender.
Tully’s laidback, no-strings-attached lifestyle is turned upside down when he falls for Rachel, a career-minded environmental scientist visiting the island as a tourist on a bachelorette vacation.
The show’s music consists of songs previously recorded by Buffett, and written by him and various other songwriters, with one exception, the original song “Three Chords.”
“Escape to Margaritaville” has been performed at several area theaters but this is the show’s Candlelight Theater premiere.
The show’s Director/Choreographer is Jessical Bostock and Julia Kershetsky is the Music Director.
“Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville” show will run now through August 24 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m.
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com) will host Adam Ezra Group on August 8 and Eric Johanson Group on August 12.
Presented and produced by Rising Sun Presents!, the 2025 Concerts Under the Stars series will again take place at the scenic Upper Merion Township Building Park (175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, www.concertsunderthestarskop.com).
The 2025 Concerts Under the Stars series offers Paul Simon’s Graceland Experience ft. Bakithi Kumalo. The free show also has Into the Mystic: Van Morrison Tribute Band.
On August 13, the series will host “Andy Frasco & The U.N. –Growing Pains Tour” with sasquatch as the opener.
The Rose Tree Summer Festival (Rose Tree Park, Route 252, Media, www.delcopa.gov/departments/parks) is a summer-long series of free outdoor shows now through August 10 at the scenic park just north of Media.
The following is the schedule for August – 7, Cool Confusion; 8, Del’s Groove; 9, Barbershop’s Best; and 10, Six-String Soldiers.
Love you much Mr. B. James
T. W.🙏🏽